The Humboldt Swim Club has five training groups; 4 Age Group Divisions and 1 Senior Program

Allowing our participants to transition through as their swimming proficiency improves.  Most new swimming members will start in our Intro group, providing ample opportunities for our coaching staff to evaluate their mastery of the basic skill sets required for the next levels.  While all groups have a mixture of technical stroke expectations, training pace standards, or meet standards, the transition from one group to the other will also require their immediate coach’s recommendation.

The focus of our Age-Group programming is stroke development throughout all strokes as well as fostering an emerging competitive mindset in swimmers, ages 6 to 14 years of age/8th grade.

You can find AGE GROUP Criteria here.

1.  Intro Group

The Intro group is an introductory level program for new and continuing swimmers. The emphasis is on refining the swimmer’s body balance in the water and developing a kick led freestyle and backstroke. An introduction to the basics of breaststroke, dolphin kick and diving will also be given before they transition to our Bronze group.

• All equipment required for their training will be provided by the coaching staff.
• Recommendations for growth in the group:
• Practice twice per week
• Be an enthusiastic learner
• Competitions are optional, but participation in all HSC meets is encouraged

2. Bronze Group

The Bronze group is our stroke development program for continuing swimmers. The curriculum continues to focus on strengthening their body balance in the water while improving their kick led backstroke and freestyle. We introduce components of butterfly and breaststroke technique to their practice curriculum. Swimmers will also be introduced to turns, racing starts, and learn how to use a pace clock.

• Swimmers are strongly encouraged to attend three times per week.
• All equipment required for their training will be provided by the coaching staff.

3. Silver Group 

General criteria to make the Silver Group are having all four legal strokes, committing to (4) weekly practices, competing in at least one sanctioned meet per training cycle.

• Continuing focus on body balance through long axis strokes 
• Continuing focus on a kick led stroke.
• Introduction of more advanced drills for short and long axis strokes 
• Practices will include pace clock based sets 
• Expanding their racing mindset and introduce an emerging concept of competition 
• An increase in their Aerobic training and introduction of anaerobic training 
• Introduction to leadership responsibilities, i.e. leading a lane during practice, choosing a dynamic warm-up routine for dryland, etc. 

4. GOLD

The Gold group is designed to enhance the skills of year round swimmers who are proficient in the four competitive strokes. At this level an education element will be added to the program including goal setting, time management, and mental strategies. The Gold group has a multiple prong focus for the participating athletes.

• Further expanding their Aerobic and Anaerobic training abilities 
• Introduce and begin preparing them for the required mental maturity and toughness required in the Senior programming  
• Expanding on their leadership roles and expectations by leading part of in-pool and dryland warm-ups, working with coaching staff on partial dryland or in-pool workout segments, assisting with organization of team events, etc. 

The Senior programming transitions the athlete’s primary focus of stroke development to preparing them for the physical and mental rigors of high school and college bound athletes.

You can find SENIOR 1 & SENIOR COMP Criteria here.

5. Senior (Senior 1 & Senior Comp)

Our Senior program is for high school aged athletes beginning or continuing on their path of swimming. The Senior training regime is designed to reinforce the technical components of a swimmer’s individual stroke work as well as introduce stroke conditioning as a focus of the training cycle. The practice group will be split into two groups: Senior & Senior Competition. Members will need the PacSwim Senior 2 time standard in at least one even and be able to train at a 1:20/100 Free pace, commit to a rigid training schedule, and a set series of competitions in order to qualify for the Senior Competition group.

The group as a whole will provide opportunities for all members to train together with like minded peers in performance driven practices where a challenging environment makes excellence inevitable. They will continue the educational elements introduced in the Gold group with an expectation to lead by example at practices and meets. There is a mental maturity and toughness component to the Senior training program that requires the athletes to be self-motivated and self-disciplined as they work through a rigorous training routine where they will be expected to push their way through the inevitable wall they will hit during the competition cycle. 

Standards for Senior Competition: 

Compete in all scheduled monthly competitions and their designated championship meet for the competition cycle 

• Maintain an 80% monthly attendance record 
• PacSwim Senior 2 cut in at least one event
• Train at a base 100 pace of 1:20 and a base 50 pace of :40 
• Race pace train at 1:15/100 and :35/50 
• Members of the Senior program must have their own equipment: snorkel, paddles, fins, buoy, and alignment board.