NLAC Group Placement

While group placement is solely at the discretion of the NLAC coaching staff, there are a number of factors that are taken into account when determining which group a swimmer will be placed in:

• Skill level
• Training history
• Level of commitment
• Meet attendance and performance
• Attitude
• Age

While age is listed as a factor in determining group placement, it is not one of the main factors. Swimmers will be placed in the groups that the NLAC coaching staff feel will provide each individual with the best opportunity for learning and development in the program. We want to put each individual in a situation where they will be challenged, but not overwhelmed.

All swimmers are expected to practice with the group they are assigned 100% of the time unless there is a one-time, extenuating circumstance that is discussed with an NLAC coach prior to that practice. Swimmers will not be permitted to swim certain days of the week with one group and other days with another group in order to accommodate an individual's outside schedule. We realize that this will pose a challenge to some, but in order to maintain the structure and integrity of our program, while providing each NLAC swimmer with the most optimal learning experience, we feel that this is extremely important.

We also realize that many families could potentially have multiple kids in the program in different training groups, and this can make things challenging. While we certainly understand your concerns with this, we still need to place kids in the training groups where they will benefit most from their participation. When a child is either not ready for or too advanced for a particular training group, it will not only inhibit their development in this sport, but it could also potentially affect the other members of the group too. We ask that you please be understanding of this concept, and we thank you in advance for your cooperation.

In general, group changes will be done to start a new training session and not in the middle of one. Group changes will be made by the NLAC coaching staff only using a criteria established by the staff that assesses each individual's current skill level. Remember, we want all NLAC swimmers to have the most optimal competitive swimming experience, so our swimmers will be placed in groups in order to foster their overall development for both the short term and the long term. Our ultimate goal is for swimmers to enter our program at the Novice level and progress all the way through the ranks of the NLAC program.