The Manhattan Marlins offers training and practice groups for swimmers of all ages and ability levels. It is the goal of the Manhattan Marlins to offer age specific training for all of our athletes geared towards challenging each individual and developing each individual to the best of THEIR abilities.
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Marlins Swim Groups:
Minnows Group
The Minnows are the first group in the Marlins swim team. Emphasis is given to learning the 4 strokes: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke & Butterfly.
- Must be at least 5 years old, most swimmers in this group are 5-8 years old
- Must be comfortable putting face in the water and head completely underwater
- Must be able to swim 25 yards unassisted on front & back
- Competition is offered & encouraged but is not required
- Equipment: Swim suit, cap & goggles, fins & kickboard
All Minnows swimmers will need the following equipment: TYR Junior Kickboard, TYR Stryker Fins, TYR Ultralite Snorkel 2.0
White Group:
The White Group continues onward with the further refinement of the 4 strokes. More emphasis is given to turns, race strategies & learning how to train.
White Group introduces swimmers to the age-group-level skills they will need to be successful in both practices and competitions. Swimmers will learn how to swim on a pace clock and train at an aerobic level scaled to their age and ability level. A large emphasis is placed on stroke technique, starts, and turns. The These skills will develop a swimmer's confidence and passion for the sport, and make them eager competitors.
The White Group blends the fun of learning new skills with the competitive drive that is at the heart of all Olympic sports.
Swimmers in this group will learn how to swim and race the 50s and 100s of each stroke, as well as the 100 IM. Swim meet preparation and individual responsibiity is a major emphasis of the White Group, and swimmers will learn to be confident and prepared to race at meets. Swimmers are encouraged to attend nearby meets and have fun both competing and preparing for competition.
Swimmers will learn dryland principles including activation, basics of body weight exercise, stretching, and will learn why and how what we do in dryland translates into what we do in the pool.
All White Group swimmers will need the following equipment: TYR Junior Kickboard, TYR Stryker Fins, TYR Ultralite Snorkel 2.0
Blue Group:
The Blue Group represents a significant increase in both swimming and dryland training from the White Group. The goal of this group is to continue developing great technique in all 4 strokes, starts, turns & race strategies, while training intensively.
Improving technique and increasing speed and endurance while becoming well-rounded swimmers is the primary focus of the Blue Group. Swimmers will learn how to race the 100s of stroke and the 200 IM, as well as select 200s of stroke. Swimmers will also be introduced to training for and racing the 400 IM & 500 freestyle. Dryland intensity & frequency will increase from the foundation developed in the White Group, and a strength development component will be introduced. Athletes in this group are expected to attend meets on a monthly basis.
All Blue Group swimmers will need the following equipment: TYR Kickboard, TYR Stryker Fins, TYR Ultralite Snorkel 2.0, TYR Catalyst Paddles Size XS (green), TYR Pull Float, OneSwim Drag Socks (40 lbs).
Platinum Group:
The Platinum Group is designed for those swimmers that possess the discipline and desire to be swim their very fastest. Swimmers in this group will be held to the highest standards in the sport.
Platinum is our most advanced training group with a focus on preparing athletes for competition and peak performance. LSC Championships, Sectionals, Futures, Junior Nationals, and national-level competitions are the championship-level target meets for swimmer in Platinum. Training will be a mixture of high-intensity aerobic swimming, sprint and power training, and include a high emphasis on maintaining and improving technique. Swimmers should be committed to their goals and to improving as both athletes and individuals in and out of the pool.
All Platinum Group swimmers will need the following equipment: TYR Kickboard, TYR Hydroblade Fins, TYR Ultralite Snorkel 2.0, 2 pairs of TYR Catalyst Paddles -- 1 x Size XS (green) & 1 x Size Large (light blue), TYR Pull Float, OneSwim Drag Socks (40 lbs).
Masters (19 & over)
SUMMER ONLY (June - August)
This group is for adults aged 19 and over. The group is open to all adult swimmers (fitness, triathlete, competitive, non-competitive) who are dedicated to improving their fitness through swimming. This group is designed to help swimmers improve fitness and/or train for specific goals, and offer active support for a healthy lifestyle through friendship, and camaraderie.
Equipment: Swim suit, cap & goggles, pull-buoy, fins & kickboard.
Summer League:
SUMMER ONLY (June - August)
Manhattan Marlins Summer League swim program!
What is the most popular sport in the Summer Olympics? You guessed it, swimming! Join the Manhattan Marlins this summer to get experience in competitive swimming, learn the four competitive strokes, flipturns, and starts (dives off the block).
Practices will begin first week of June. Practice times will be Monday through Friday at City Park Pool in Manhattan from 10:50 am to 11:50 am.
Swimmers will learn the basics of the four competitive strokes and have the opportunity to compete in two swim meets. All coaches are certified by USA Swimming and have extensive competitive careers. Volunteers from the older, year-round competitive team also help with coaching and in-water instruction.
Swimmers have two meets that they are encouraged to compete in: our home meet, the Little Apple Invitational, and the Sunflower State Games.
Swimmers must register with USA Swimming--flex membership is all they need. This is for insurance purposes, and it allows them to compete in our home meet, which is sanctioned by USA Swimming.
What is the Manhattan Marlins Swim Team?
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to be a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes and works in accordance with the USA Swimming Safe Sport guidelines. We are a USA Swimming club that was founded sixty years ago by a group of swim parents interested in competitive swimming. Their goal was to promote the sport of competitive swimming within the Manhattan area. In so doing, our founders thought, the health, fun, & fitness that competitive swimming brings to a community would be a benefit to all.
Since 1965, the Manhattan Marlins has established itself as a premier youth sports program in North Central Kansas and one of the top club swim teams in the Missouri Valley LSC. The Marlins offers a comprehensive program that satisfies the needs of novice swimmers to Olympic hopeful athletes. The Manhattan Marlins is a non-profit organization and is administered through a board of directors comprised of parent volunteers and coaches. The Marlins is built upon a tremendous amount of hard work by many volunteers, coaches, parents, and swimmers.
Our main objective is to offer a comprehensive youth competitive swim team to all of Manhattan and the surrounding area. We aspire to develop all swimmers from beginners to the elite. Our primary goal is to teach lifelong skills that promote advancement in the sport of swimming and result in healthy and productive lifestyles.
People will have diverse opportunities for lifelong enrichment through the sport of swimming at a cost the members and partners will support.
The Manhattan Marlins is dedicated to empowering young people to commit to the pursuit of excellence and self-improvement, and through these pursuits to acquire life enhancing attributes such as integrity, discipline, dedication and sportsmanship.
The Marlins offers competitive swimming opportunities for swimmers ages 5-18, as well as a 10-week Summer League for ages 5-18, and Masters swimming for 18-and-over.
The Marlins is overseen by a parent-run board of directors that works with the Head Coach to ensure its mission and values are upheld.
Swim practice is our favorite part of the day, and it is our goal for swim practice to be your child’s favorite part of the day too!
We Do This:
- The Manhattan Marlins is dedicated to empowering young people to commit to the pursuit of excellence and self-improvement, and through these pursuits to acquire life enhancing attributes such as integrity, discipline, dedication and sportsmanship.
- The Marlins offers competitive swimming opportunities for swimmers ages 5-18, as well as a 10-week Summer League for ages 5-18, and Masters swimming for 18-and-over.
- The Marlins is overseen by a parent-run board of directors that works with the Head Coach to ensure its mission and values are upheld.
Our Vision:
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to:
- Help swimmers develop discipline to achieve their individual goals,
- Create a space where all swimmers feel they belong,
- Equip swimmers with the skills to compete at state and national levels, and
- Train competent swimming instructors and promote swimming safety in the community
Our guiding values:
- Competitive Excellence: Help athletes reach the highest level they can attain in the sport of swimming. Aerobic development and maintenance with proper technique is the foundation for swimming achievement in all strokes over all distances.
- Leadership: Encourage athletes to become leaders in and out of the pool while demonstrating good sportsmanship. Steady, committed, planned progressive training is the only road to ultimate long-term success.
- Accountability: Hold athletes accountable for their actions. The Marlins promote the ideals of honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship, and team loyalty.
- Dedication: Teach the importance of setting long term goals and achieving them through sustained effort and create an environment in which the desire for self-improvement and goal achievement motivates the individual to fully develop his or her natural abilities and to help others to do likewise.
- Diversity: Provide an environment where all cultural backgrounds can work together toward individual goals.
- Stewardship & Promotion of Swimming: Through professional development and coaching classes led by the head coach as well as through organizations such as the American Swimming Coaches’ Association, the Marlins fosters and promotes quality professional education among its coaches for the betterment of the team, the LSC, and the sport.
Our Mission
The Manhattan Marlins conducts its business primarily in cooperation with the City of Manhattan and Ft. Riley Military base. It is also the goal of the Marlins to foster and maintain strong relations with the local business communities and all school districts within the area. The Marlins' achievements are a result of a commitment to the mission of USA Swimming, hard work, passion for competitive swimming, and pride in our community.
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to create a pathway to excellence for athletes, ensuring success in life and in swimming while maintaining a safe, healthy, and positive environment for all. The Manhattan Marlins uses the sport of swimming to teach goal setting, dedication, commitment, and a strong work ethic to athletes of all levels of ability, from novice to highly experienced swimmer. The Manhattan Marlins takes a long-view approach to swimming. We emphasize kicking and technique at the younger ages, and progress to training in all four strokes as the athletes grow within the program. This philosophy allows athletes to become their best in their teenage and college years. The Manhattan Marlins provides the opportunity for all athletes to swim for the love of the sport and to reach their highest potential.
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to create a pathway to excellence for athletes, ensuring success in life and in swimming while maintaining a safe, healthy, and positive environment for all. The Manhattan Marlins uses the sport of swimming to teach goal setting, dedication, commitment, and a strong work ethic to athletes of all levels of ability, from novice to highly experienced swimmer. The Manhattan Marlins takes a long-view approach to swimming. We emphasize kicking and technique at the younger ages, and progress to training in all four strokes as the athletes grow within the program. This philosophy allows athletes to become their best in their teenage and college years. The Manhattan Marlins provides the opportunity for all athletes to swim for the love of the sport and to reach their highest potential.
Our mission is to develop abilities in our young people that will inspire and empower them to achieve excellence in life through a positive competitive swimming experience. We believe that our sport teaches fundamental life skills that are invaluable beyond the pool. By molding, teaching, and instructing our athletes, we aim to develop in them the self-discipline, personal responsibility, physical fitness, and personal excellence necessary for success in competitive swimming and beyond. The Marlins is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and positive environment for athletes as they seek to achieve their goals in our sport.
Who can join the Manhattan Marlins? Beginners Welcome!
All swimmers are welcome: from beginning level swimmers to the truly elite. A professional coaching staff ensures that each swimmer receives the instruction and training necessary to advance and excel in the sport. From the basic fundamentals of learning the four strokes to arduous training to tapering for Championship meet and developing winning race strategies, all Marlins swimmers are coached to reach their full potential.
