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.