Guppy

 

LTAD Stage: 2 – FUNdamentals

 

Overview:

The program focus of the Guppy group is stroke development and teaching all four competitive strokes, Individual Medley (IM), and starts and turns through positive reinforcement and immediate feedback. An important objective for this group is to develop a love for swimming through fun games and activities in the water. Swimmers are expected to continue developing self-discipline, respect for coaches and teammates, as well as age-appropriate social skills in a team environment.

 

Land Training Emphasis:

Developing ABCs (Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed), RJT (Running, Jumping, Throwing), KGBs (Kinesthetics, Gliding, Buoyancy, Striking with the body) and CKs (Catching, Kicking, Striking with an implement)

 

Practice Times:

Tuesday to Friday 7:30pm-9:00pm, Saturday 7:30-9:00am

 

Expectations: Training 

Can complete the following practice sets:

  • 8x50m Butterfly with Fins on 1:20
  • 8x50m Backstroke on 1:20
  • 8x50m Breaststroke on 1:20
  • 6x100m Freestyle on 2:30 
Competition  Primary purpose is skill development and confidence building 
Biomechanics 
  1. Able to execute a legal start and turns in all 4 strokes
  2. Demonstrate correct timing of the pull, kick and breath in all 4 strokes
  3. Perform 100m of individual medley with legal technique 
Physiology 

Aerobic endurance: Can perform continuous swim for 10 minutes. Begins to understand maturation, physical development and nutrition 
Accountability 
  1. Demonstrates an understanding of sportsmanship behaviour
  2. Treats teammates, parents and coaches with respect
  3. Talks to the coach before and after each race 
Work Ethic & Self Discipline 

During practice, the swimmer will

  1. Leave on time during sets
  2. Start and finish at the wall
  3. Swim the set in the prescribed manner
  4. Completes the entire set accurately 
Time Management 
  1. Understands the importance of hard work in the classroom and will complete his/her homework on time
  2. Turns in appropriate team paperwork in a timely fashion 
Commitment & Loyalty 
  1. Learns the history of the team
  2. Chooses a swimming hero and knows what events he/she competes in
  3. Takes pride in being a member of the team, which the swimmer demonstrates by
  • Participating in team cheers
  • Knowing the coaches’ and managers’ names
  • Cheering on teammates during practice and meets 
Psychological Skills 
  1. Can describe the relationship between nervousness and performance
  2. Understands the role of failure and the importance of learning from one’s mistakes
  3. Understands what to focus on and what to block out
  4. Knows how to concentrate
  5. Understands the effect that negative self-talk plays on performance 
Attendance  At least 3 times a week