Winter Clinic (What's Next?)

We hope you have enjoyed the MSA hosted Winter Clinic as much as we enjoyed having you as part of it! This was very much a trial run to see what we felt worked well and what adjustments we would like to make in the future. We loved being able to offer this program to the community for those who wanted to dip their toes in the water, increase their skill base, and stay active during the winter months with Summer Leagues right around the corner or year-round programs taking in additional athletes.

MSA is eager to host clinics like this in the winter/spring each year and resources allowing, we may be able to host one in the fall. If you loved this program, please tell your friends about it and we can get everyone added to our email lists for programs like this! You can also keep up with MSA programs and team progress by following our Facebook and Instagram page!

A little information about “what's next” below:

Summer Leagues:

There are two major summer league organizations in our area. Rocket City Swim League (RCSL) and Alabama Recreation & Park Association (ARPA).

RCSL embodies what Summer League was initially created for– a fun, safe, exciting way to find a love for this amazing sport. RCSL meets generally occur on Wednesday nights with a big City Meet towards the end of July. RCSL allows you to tryout and signup for any team of your choosing regardless of regional living. I had the opportunity to learn from Sherwood Sharks and Rocket City Launchers this summer and enjoyed seeing the methods used to get athletes to the next level! The following link should take you to RCSL general information: https://swimrcsl.org/ 

If you wish to touch base with Sherwood Sharks Coaches, please email Cara Sprinz at [email protected] or for Rocket City Launchers email Matt Groves at [email protected] 

Which ARPA team you can swim with is largely based on your residency. There are several ARPA teams in our area including Madison Dolphins, Decatur Sharks, Athens Gators (if you reside in those cities). Most ARPA teams in our area host two dual meets each week with a District Meet on the 2nd weekend of July and State on the 4th weekend. ARPA can be a great way to get involved in the sport and move swiftly into a year-round club team afterwards if teams allow. If you need more information about any of these teams, please reach out and I can lead you in the right direction!

Club Swimming:

Club swimming is governed by USA Swimming and is the standard for high-level athletes such as those who typically win State and move into national rankings and college swimming. Club swimming usually has long-term progressions athletes can fit into to take their swimming careers as far as they wish with world renown coaches and development at every level of athlete. In the Fall and Winter competitions are generally swam in Short Course Yards (25yards) and in the winter, USA Swimming largely swim Long Course Meters (50meters). Athletes in club swimming are also encouraged to swim with Highschool Teams and Summer League Teams in hopes of inspiring currently seasonal athletes to become the best that they can be in such a great sport! There are several options for Club Swimming in our area including Madison Swimming Association (MSA), Mountain Valley Aquatics (MVA), Decatur Swim Team (DST), and Huntsville Swim Association (HSA).

Lessons:

Sometimes a little one-on-one or small group is helpful while athletes develop new skills. If you feel your athlete needs a little more direct help there are a few options. Madison City offers lessons through Dublin Parks & Rec and more information can be found in the following link: https://www.madisonal.gov/107/Swim-Lesson-Information 

Diving:

It seems that going off the diving board at the end of some of the practices has been a huge hit! I wanted to make mention of diving opportunities within the area as well! Madison Swimming Association has a Dive-Team which practices 2-3 days each week. Our Dive Coach, Kathy is a fantastic teacher when it comes to helping make connections and teaching fundamentals of competitive dive! You can contact her for more information at [email protected] 

If you have any questions or concerns about any of this or if you are seeking more information, please reach out and I will assist however possible!

Go MSA!