Individual Groups and Promotion Criteria
While a group promotion is not a simple decision on the coaching side as we try to factor in several things, including age, maturity, average age of the current and upper group, and more there is a core skillset that we need swimmers to have before we can broach that conversation and they can handle the group above them.
Bronze Skillsets to Advance
- Regularly Attending and Completing Practices (Does not need breaks outside of what the coach naturally provides everyone)
- Free and Back – Legal for a full 50
- Free and Back – Swimmer able to attempt and mostly complete flip turns
- Breaststroke – Kick Legal and full stroke is or is mostly legal for a 25
- Fly – Kick is legal and full stroke is or is mostly legal for a 25
- Swimmers should be able to complete a 100 Free and Back without stopping and a 100 IM with no or very minimal stopping.
Silver Skillsets to Advance
- Regularly Attending and Completing Practices (Does not need breaks outside of what the coach naturally provides everyone)
- Free – Should be able to complete a 200 without stopping
- IM – Should be able to complete a 200 without stopping
- All Strokes – Fully Legal should be able to complete 100s in a meet/race legally
- Swimmers should be regularly attending meets, especially Mexico Hosted Meets
Gold Skillsets to Advance
- All Strokes and Events – Swimmers can complete all regularly offered USA Swimming events legally (100 and 200s of each stroke, 200 and 400 IM, 500 Free)
- All Strokes – Full Understanding of the legality of all strokes and have started discussions on race specific technique with their coach
- Fully comfortable completing a 1:30 practice without stopping or the need for additional rest outside of what is provided
Junior Skillsets to Advance
- At this point, after 1 or 2 sessions, swimmers will have discussions with the Junior/Senior coach on what level of commitment they want to make to the sport. This will determine the jump to Senior Group moreso then any skillset advancement at this level.