The Welsh Amateur Swimming Association (WASA) is the governing body for swimming, diving, water polo, open water and synchronised swimming within the Principlity.

It organises competition throughout Wales, establishes the laws of the sport and organises comprehensive certification and education programmes for teachers, coaches and officials.

The WASA supports affiliated swimming, diving, water polo, masters and disabled clubs through a National/Regional/County structure.

The WASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

History

The Welsh Amateur Swimming Association (WASA) founded in 1897, its objectives were set  to promote and encourage swimming, diving , water polo , synchronized swimming and life saving, to hold, manage and control Closed, National and Open Championships, including Masters  and to organise the sport in the Principality.

Details of the early days are somewhat vague. It is clear that from what little information is available that in the early thirties most of the competitive swimming was undertaken in the South, the main Areas being Newport , Cardiff & Swansea . During this time Mrs. Bernice Hooper (1936-39) was a Welsh Champion and she is still active within the Association.

In early post war years Welsh swimming was at its lowest ebb, as few pools remained open during the war, with swimmers either being called up or very few competitions available. It was during 1952 that pools were beginning to reopen and schools began to take an active part in providing swimmers for the future.

The building of the Wales Empire Pool at Cardiff for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games supplied an impetus so urgently needed by the sport in the Principality, which resulted in many more clubs being formed. This continued through the sixties and seventies, aided by the tremendous surge in the construction of new sports centres and swimming pools, all resulting in additional organisation and responsibilities for the Association.

In 2001, well after celebrating its centenary, it was decided that swimming in Wales should undergo a complete review of its workings, this was done during 2002 and 2003.

A Strategic Plan was developed with a clear and concise Vision Statement .
From this review came a four year plan, the 2003 Annual General Meeting of WASA confirmed this plan and following that meeting WASA took the recommendations on board and is presently implementing this plan.

At present  there are 5 Areas within the WASA, being - North Wales , East Wales , West Wales , Cardiff and the Vale and Mid Glamorgan , these Areas have provided the delegates, committees and panel members for the Association's comprehensive activities over the years.  The Areas consist of over 80 member clubs whose combined membership is in excess of 9,000 members. Part of the plan suggests that the WASA should look at merging the 5 Areas into 3 geographic Areas of North, East and West Wales in line with both our Regional Development Staff and the Sports Council of Wales Regions.

In Competitive terms the WASA is heavily involved with the discipline of Swimming, although over the past 5 decades Diving has had significant success with Brian Phelps and Robert Morgan.   Water Polo throughout Great Britain has suffered a decline although there are some encouraging signs of a revival through our juniors' performances.