Age Group 2: Introductory Competition Program (ages 8-12)
This group is the Dolphins’ beginning competition group. Swimmers are able to comply with the technical requirements of all four strokes plus perform starts from the side (or blocks) properly and safely. The focus in this group is on improving technique while training the various energy systems to improve speed and endurance. Athletes in this group will be exposed to the use of a pace clock as a training tool.
Prerequisites:
- Continuous 100-yard freestyle and backstroke
- Continuous 25-yard breaststroke and butterfly
- Ability to dive into the pool
Required Equipment:
- Snorkel
- Kickboard
- Fins
- Pull buoy
- Mesh equipment bag
*Regarding fins: please do not get short blade fins, biofuse fins, or zoomers. Different types of fins are made of different types of sets, swimmers, and ability levels. The fins that are shown here are the right choice for the swimmers on our team.
All swimmers are required to wear goggles. Female swimmers will be strongly encouraged to wear a cap- the cap must be latex or silicone. Males will not be required to wear caps unless their hair is longer than shoulder length (although there will be mandatory cap days because all swimmers must wear a WFYD cap at meets).
A reminder that females must wear one-piece bathing suits that are meant for training (please do not have your swimmers wear suits that have tassels/beads/etc. on them as they will fall off!). Males must wear jammers (no swim trunks that you would wear to the beach, for instance).
