Proceedings of the XLV Technical and Scientific Congress of the Portuguese Association of Swimming Technicians

Since the beginning, APTN has believed in the value of corporate education, which means that it has always sought to maintain a constant stimulus to critical thinking, engagement, and sharing of best practices. This is a very strong institutional purpose, and therefore APTN is proud to continuously organize an annual technical-scientific congress in cities where sports, in general, have reached high levels of development. Along with local actors, this event has grown in quality, size, and internationalisation. It is currently one of the largest national congresses of sports technicians and one of the largest in the world in the area of swimming. As a result, APTN’s annual congress is a regular training event in the programs of cities recognised as European sports cities or capitals (ACES Europe). This year, on October 15th and 16th, the host city is Leiria, a land with recognised history and traditions, and a European sports city in 2022 (ACES Europe and ACES Portugal). The Municipality of Leiria, together with the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (School of Education and Social Sciences - ESECS), are co-promoters of this 45th edition, which marks the resumption of face-to-face training activity after two years of pandemic. The Portuguese Swimming Federation is our main partner in the event. We also count on the invaluable institutional support of the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ), the Olympic Committee of Portugal (COP), the Paralympic Committee of Portugal (CPP), the Confederation of Trainers of Portugal (CPAT), and the Leiria District Swimming Association (ANDL). The program construction is always a complex task, especially when we try to meet the interests of different aquatic disciplines. But this eclectic character is also what characterizes the “APTN Congress” brand, where a vast panel of excellent speakers conveys the relevance and pertinence of the themes. In this edition, we are inaugurating a new format, as there are no plenary conferences, and most sessions will be preceded by a contextualization of the theme by the invited moderator. Additionally, moments of interaction with the participants will be created, providing a reflective formative experience and, therefore, high personal growth. The possibility of submitting oral communications (or posters) is open, a contest that returns to being face-to-face this year. The merit recognition gala for our coaches and associates also returns, which will take place during the official event dinner, open to all interested parties. The official ceremony for the delivery of the 2022 swimming teaching award will also be part of the program. Let’s make this congress a sign of cohesion and vitality of our technical community because together, we always do more and better for our swimming.