General Teaching Priorities for Your Swimmer

Regardless of a swimmer's group or current skill level, their age is a primary factor in how they're trained and what their coaches prioritize. While there are always exceptions that will be handled through individual conversations, the following outline provides a general overview. As swimmers advance, the focuses from previous age groups continue to be reinforced.

Age 8 and Under

For our youngest swimmers, the main priorities are:

  • Safety: Ensuring swimmers can enjoy practice without fear of injury and can safely navigate the water.
  • Fun: Every practice should be an enjoyable experience that makes them eager to return.
  • The Basics: Swimmers will learn the fundamental strokes, basic rules of competitive swimming, and gain a foundational understanding – essentially, the "alphabet of swimming."

Ages 9-10

At this stage, swimmers should be comfortable and safe in practice, have developed an enjoyment for the sport, and possess a basic understanding of fundamentals. The focus shifts to refining skills and introducing competition:

  • Encouraging Friendly Competition: You'll start hearing more about competition and times, both in practice and at meets. Swimmers will be encouraged to attend meets to set a foundation for their future in the sport.
  • Legal in All Strokes: We'll work to refine any inconsistencies in stroke technique, ensuring swimmers can consistently swim all strokes legally.
  • Fun (Still): It's crucial that swimming remains enjoyable. Practices and competitive experiences shouldn't become too serious at this age. We aim for a relaxed, fun environment while building future skills.

Ages 11-12

Swimmers in this age group are approaching or have achieved the ability to perform all strokes legally for extended periods. They enjoy the sport and are frequently engaging in competition. Now, we begin to transition to a more competitive focus:

  • Competition: Swimmers are encouraged to attend meets, and our training will focus on improving performance at these events.
  • Sportsmanship: While always important, we place a strong emphasis on instilling sportsmanship and respect as swimmers become more competitive.
  • Goals: Swimmers start to think about long-term goals (e.g., end of season or year). They'll begin setting personal goals like achieving specific times or qualifying for certain meets, and learning what it takes to work towards them.

Ages 13-14

These swimmers have fully transitioned into the competitive side of the sport, regularly attending meets and building camaraderie with teammates. The focus here is on commitment and prioritizing swimming within their lives:

  • Commitment: Swimmers will begin to see a direct link between their level of commitment (e.g., attending all year vs. one session) and their results. They'll understand that consistent effort becomes increasingly important for improvement as they get older and faster.
  • Priority: Discussions will revolve around where swimming fits in their priorities among other "extra" activities. We acknowledge that school, family, and health always come first, but within other sports and hobbies, we help set appropriate expectations for swimming's role.
  • Long Term: We ensure that a swimmer's commitment and priorities align with their long-term goals. For instance, if an athlete aims for high-level collegiate swimming but only practices infrequently, we'll explain the realistic commitment required to avoid potential disappointment.

Age 15+

At this stage, swimmers have typically defined their aspirations within the sport. Our role is to support them in achieving their long-term goals through personal responsibility and understanding the broader life lessons of swimming:

  • Personal Responsibility: Swimmers should have a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed. Coaches provide the framework and support, but swimmers are encouraged to take ownership of their success and understand the reasons behind any setbacks.
  • Translation: We help swimmers connect the discipline, hard work, and achievements in swimming to success in other aspects of their lives.
  • Satisfaction: While success isn't guaranteed, we want swimmers to be satisfied with the effort and commitment they've invested. We help them set reasonable commitment levels for their goals, so they can always feel content with the effort they've made, even if results aren't always what they hoped for.