Group placement is evaluated on a regular basis & evaluation weeks will be communicated.

Swimmers will be assessed on the skills that pertain to their group and coaches will decide if they are ready to move up to the next training group.

STROKE 1

• Lead Coach: Jenna Winegar

• Prerequisites:

  • Swimmers are able to swim 25 yards continuously without touching the bottom of the pool.

  • Swimmers have a basic understanding of all strokes.

• Goals:

  • Build confidence and comfort in the water, focusing on a fun and safe environment.

  • Introduction to all four competitive strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

  • Swimmers will start learning basic body positioning and kicking techniques for each stroke.

  • Emphasis on learning breathing and timing in freestyle and backstroke.

  • Develop an understanding of basic pool rules and swim etiquette.

STROKE 2

• Lead Coach: Roxanne Lyons

• Prerequisites:

  • Swimmers have developed confidence in the water and possess a basic understanding of the four strokes.

• Goals:

  • Focus on proper technique for all four strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly).

  • Swimmers will work on performing legal 100-yard swims of each stroke.

  • Introduction to more advanced skills such as starts from the block, streamlines, and legal turns for each stroke.

  • Begin to build endurance while maintaining proper form throughout each stroke.

• Understanding of lane usage, timing, and pacing in practices.

STROKE 3

• Lead Coach: Alex McDermott

• Prerequisites:

  • Swimmers can perform each stroke legally for 100 yards and have developed safe diving skills from blocks.

  • They demonstrate proper stroke technique and have started building endurance.

• Goals:

  • Focus on refining technique while increasing the intensity and volume of practice.

  • Swimmers will learn to take direction from a coach, interpret workout sets, and read a pace clock.

  • Build endurance to complete practices with minimal breaks.

  • Introduction to race strategies for all strokes and distances.

  • Development of mental focus during practice and competition, learning to self-monitor strokes and pacing.

  • Begin to track personal progress and set goals in preparation for competition.

PERFORMANCE 1

• Lead Coach: Adi Luker

• Prerequisites:

  • Swimmers have demonstrated a solid endurance base and refined stroke technique.

  • They can follow workouts independently, read pace clocks, and complete practices without needing frequent breaks.

• Goals:

  • Swimmers will train at an elite level, focusing on difficult sets to enhance both endurance and speed.

  • Emphasis on race strategy, including pacing, starts, turns, and finishes.

  • Continued stroke refinement, especially under fatigue, to ensure technique holds up in longer races.

  • Introduction to weight training, focusing on injury prevention, as well as dryland conditioning for strength and flexibility.

  • Development of mental toughness, training swimmers to push through challenging workouts and prepare for competition.

  • Participation in more advanced competitions.

PERFORMANCE 2

• Lead Coaches: Robby Pratt and Emily Swigart

• Prerequisites:

  • Swimmers demonstrate leadership qualities, serve as role models for younger swimmers, and excel in and out of the pool.

  • They have committed to training at an elite level, often pushing beyond their comfort zone.

  • Swimmers begin to specialize in specific strokes, distances, or event types.

• Goals:

  • Prepare swimmers for college-level swimming, simulating the intensity and structure of collegiate training.

  • Focus on specialization within events, allowing swimmers to refine strengths while continuing to improve in other strokes.

  • More emphasis on race tactics, including fine-tuning pacing strategies, starts, turns, and finishes in specialized events.

  • Structured weightlifting, land cardio, and injury prevention routines to support in-water performance.

  • Encourage swimmers to take on leadership roles, both socially and athletically, within the team.

  • Focus on being well-rounded athletes, including nutrition, mental resilience, and personal goal-setting.

  • Participation in more advanced competitions.