Memphis Thunder is divided into primary swim groups:  Spark/101, Bolt/White, Blast/Black, Rumble A/B, Thunder High School Development, Thunder Performance and Thunder High Performance. Below is a description of each group:

 

 

Spark (Collierville) and 101 (Bartlett) - The Spark and 101 groups are introductory level programs for new swimmers ages 5-8.  This groups are coached by one coach from outside the water and one coach in the water (when staffing allows).  The groups focus on teaching swimmers all four strokes legally, as well as diving and proper turns. 

Swim Meet Recommendations: All Thunder home meets and MSS meets

Criteria for Entry: Be able to comfortably swim 25 yards of freestyle, preferably side breathing, and 25 yards of  backstroke.

Required Equipment: Thunder swimsuit, goggles,Thunder cap, kickboard, fins.

Training Goals:

Technique Goals
- Properly breathing to the side in freestyle with a good head position, long arm strokes with an above water recovery and a strong smooth kick.
- Able to dive in head first.
- Able to do legal turns and finishes in all four strokes.
- Good body position and roll in the backstroke.
- Able to perform the glide phase of breaststroke.

Knowledge Goals
- Knows how to count distance/lengths of sets/instructions.
- Able to circle swim.
- Knowledge of kickboard and fins.
- Knows the MTAC Stroke Drill Progressions.
- Understands Safety Rules.

Stress Management
- Swimmer controls emotions at practice and at meets.

Performance Goals: 

Training Goals
- Able to complete a legal 25 of each stroke.
- Able to execute a good streamline.
- Able to complete a legal 100 yard IM.

Character Development:

Sportsmanship/Spirit Goals 
- Respectful of meet officials.
- Understands lane etiquette.
- Congratulates teammates.
- Encourages teammates.

Social Skills
- Communicates with coaches.
- Listens to coach, doesn’t talk while coach is talking.
- Respectful of others space in practice.
- Participates in group and team events.
- Respectful of pools, locker rooms, team equipment and other swimmers’ property.
- Picks up equipment and belongings after one’s self.

Team Commitment
- Wears team suit and cap at meets.
- Wears team t-shirt at meets.
- Cheers with and for teammates.
- Helps pick up pool deck.
 

Bolt (Collierville) and White (Bartlett) - The Bolt and White groups are programs for continuing swimmers ages 10 and under.  Entry into this group requires the swimmer to be legal in all competitive strokes. Bolt and White  will continue to work on stroke refinement and will be given an introduction into training methods and racing strategies.  They will also learn how to use the pace clock.  The swimmers will get their first experience of what a "swimming workout" is all about!  Practices are offered five days a week. 

Swim Meet Recommendations: All Thunder home meets and MSS meets. 

Criteria for Entry: Legal in all strokes.

Required Equipment: Thunder swimsuit, goggles, Thunder cap, kickboard, fins

Training Goals:

Technique Goals
- Able to complete a legal 200 IM.
- Able to complete a legal 100 of each stroke.
- Able to execute a relay start.
- Able to perform advanced starts and turns.

Knowledge Goals
- Comes to see coach before and after every race at meets.
- Learns positive mental attitude.
- Knows best times.
- Able to effectively utilize pace clock and interval training.
- Understands splits, building, descending, and negative splitting.
- Knows the MTAC Stroke Drill Progressions.
- Knows Safety Rules.

Stress Management
- Controls emotions at practices and at meets.
- Prioritizes school work, social activities and other commitments including swimming.
- Balances school, home and extra curricular activities.
- Understands work versus reward relationship.
- Understands meet and practice performance.

Performance Goals:

Competition Goals
- Competes in ‘mini-meets’ and dual meets.
- Competes in several USA Swimming meet per season.
- Competes in the appropriate championship meet, either District Championships or the Southeastern Championships.
- Participates in athlete/coach communication and planning.
- Talks with coaches before and after swims.

Character Development:

Sportsmanship/Spirit Goals
- Respectful of meet officials.
- Understands lane etiquette.
- Congratulates teammates.
- Encourages teammates.
- Respectful of opponents and other teams.
- Congratulates opponents.
- Demonstrates proper meet behavior.
- Makes friends with swimmers of other teams.

Social Skills
- Communicates with coaches.
- Listens to coach, doesn’t talk while coach is talking.
- Respectful of others space in practice.
- Participates in group and team events.
- Respectful of pools, locker rooms, team equipment and other swimmers’ property.
- Knows that splashing and touching others is inappropriate.

Team Commitment
- Wears team suit and cap at meets.
- Wears team t-shirt at meets.
- Cheers with and for teammates.
- Helps pick up pool deck.

 

Blast (Collierville) and Black (Bartlett) - The Blast and Black groups are competitive programs for swimmers ages 9 to 13.  Entry into this group requires the swimmer to be legal in all four competitive swim strokes and be able to swim a 100 yard freestyle in the 10 and under  "B" time standard.  Advanced racing and training methods are taught at this level, and the daily workouts are intense!  Practices are offered five days a week for 90 minutes.

Swim Meet Requirements: All Home and local meets. We strongly recommend one travel meet per season.

Criteria for Entry: 10 and under "B" time (1:30.99)  standard or faster in the 100 freestyle, legal in all four strokes.

Required Equipment: Thunder swimsuit, goggles, Thunder cap, gear bag,  kickboard, fins, pull buoy, paddles, 

Training Goals:

Technique Goals
- Able to complete a legal 200 IM.
- Able to complete a legal 100 of each stroke.
- Consistently uses bi-lateral breathing in freestyle.
- Always executes breaststroke pull-downs.

Knowledge Goals
- Understands core strength and flexibility.
- Learns and uses positive mental attitude.
- Understands and uses pace clock.
- Understands how to hold a pace.
- Understands distance per stroke and executes drills to improve it.
- Understands splits, building, descending, and negative splitting.
- Sets practice goals, season and yearly goals.
- Knows the MTAC Stroke Drill Progressions.
- Knows Safety Rules.

Education Goals:

Stress Management
- Controls emotions at practices and at meets.
- Prioritizes school work, social activities and other commitments including swimming.
- Balances school, home and extra curricular activities.
- Understands work versus reward relationship.
- Understands meet and practice performance.

Performance Goals:

Training Goals
- Understands training sets.
- Able to apply technique suggestions/recommendations to training.

Competition Goals
- Competes in ‘mini-meets’ and dual meets.
- Competes in all local USA Swimming meets per season (required for all Rumble groups).
- Competes in the Southeastern Championships (if qualified) and/or meets asked to attend (required for all Rumble groups).
- Athlete/coach communication and planning.
- Talks with coaches before and after swims.
- Completes proper warm up and warm down.

Character Development:

Sportsmanship/Spirit Goals
- Respectful of meet officials.
- Understands lane etiquette.
- Congratulates teammates.
- Encourages teammates.
- Respectful of opponents and other teams.
- Congratulates opponents.
- Demonstrates proper meet behavior.
- Makes friends with swimmers of other teams.

Social Skills
- Communicates with coaches.
- Listens to coach, doesn’t talk while coach is talking.
- Respectful of others’ space in practice.
- Accepts criticism from a coach and understands they are critiquing the individual skill and not the individual person.
- Respectful of pools, locker rooms, team equipment and other swimmers’ property.
- Understands and takes responsibility for attendance, performance and practice habits and how to relate these three to meet performance.

Team Commitment
- Wears team suit and cap at meets.
- Wears team t-shirt at meets.
- Cheers with and for teammates.
- Helps pick up pool deck.


Rumble B- Rumble B is for continuing swimmers ages 11-14.  The group is focused on swimming fast at all levels of competitions!  Admittance to this training group requires a 1:20 or faster in the 100 freestyle and to be able to keep up with a workout aimed at all levels of  swimming.  All swimmers are to be legal in all four strokes and demonstrate legal starts and turns.  Advanced training methods and racing strategies are taught and refined, as well as stroke efficiency and power.  Streamlining and dolphin kicking work is a large part of the training of this group.  Practices are offered six days a week and range in duration 90 min to 120 min on Sat

Swim Meet Requirements: All Home and local meets as well as one travel meet per season excluding southeastern championships

Criteria for Entry: 

  • 1:20.99 or faster in the 100 freestyle, 
     

  • legal in all four strokes.
     

  • Can swim 8x100 @1:50 intervals
     

  • Can Kick 10x50 @ 1:20
     

  • Coach's discretion may be applied

Required Equipment: Thunder swimsuit, goggles, Thunder cap, gear bag,  kickboard, fins, pull buoy, paddles, alignment board and snorkel

 

Rumble A- Rumble A is designed for advanced swimmers ages 11-14 who have mastered the basic skills of all four competitive strokes. Swimmers will also demonstrate a strong understanding of turns, starts, and the use of the pace clock. This group will be introduced to more advanced practice drills and race strategies. The focus will be on achieving Invitational, Age Group & Elite Championships & SES Sr Dev time standards. Practices will consist of approximately 30% Technique and 70% Aerobic training. Practices are offered six days a week, and during some periods doubles will be offered. Swimmers are strongly recommended to attend at least five practices per week. Drylands will also be offered two days a week. 

Swim Meet Requirements: All Home and local meets as well as one travel meet per season excluding southeastern championships and attendance for any/all post-season meets for which swimmer qualifies. 

Criteria for Entry:

  • At least 11 years old 
  • ​Two 11/12 year old National A time standards
  • Be legal in all four competitive strokes & complete USA Swimming IMX events annually (SCY or LCM)
  • Can swim 8 x 100-yard Freestyle at 1:20 intervals 
  • Be able to kick 10x50 @  :55 with alignment board
  • Practice 5 times per week
  • Coach's discretion may be applied

 

 

Required Equipment: Thunder Cap, gear bag, breaststroke fins w bungees, kickboards, hand paddles, parachute, alignment board, a competitive swim snorkel, and pull buoy.

 

 

 

 

THUNDER HIGH SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT, THUNDER PERFORMANCE, THUNDER HIGH PERFORMANCE 

 

 

These groups are the primary training groups for swimmers in high school. The mission of the groups are to build fundamentally sound swimmers and equip swimmers with the knowledge to help them achieve their potential.  The primary emphasis in the groups is to improve/perfect technique in all four strokes while expanding their aerobic conditioning.

Training Goals:


Technique Goals
- Able to complete a legal 400 IM.
- Able to complete a legal 200 of each stroke.
- Understands training cycles.
- Understands relationships between distance per stroke, stroke rate and swimming speed.
- Able to maintain stroke rate and times in training sets.
- Understands splits, building, descending, DPS, pace and negative splitting.


Knowledge Goals
- Sets short term and long term goals.
- Understands race strategy and proper race prep and warm down.
- Understands and can use relaxation and visualization.
- Understands and can explain season plan.
- Understands relationship between personal commitment level and results.
- Can explain aerobic and anaerobic training.
- Sets practice goals, season and yearly goals.
- Knows the MTAC Stroke Drill Progressions.
- Knows Safety Rules.


Education Goals:


Nutrition Goals
- Water bottles at practice and at meets.
- Eats healthy snacks.
- Demonstrates proper pre-meet meals.
- Understands and plans a healthy diet.


Time Management
- Informs coach prior to practice start time of absence and reason.


Stress Management
- Prioritizes school work, social activities and other commitments including swimming.
- Understands meet and practice performance.
- Balances school, home and extra curricular activities.
- Understands work versus reward relationship.


Performance Goals:
Training Goals
- Challenges themselves on test sets.
- Accepts new and challenging dryland and water training.
- Able to apply technique suggestions/recommendations to training.


Competition Goals
- Competes in most scheduled USA Swimming meets per season.
- Competes in the appropriate championship meet, either District Championships, the Southeastern Championships, or Sectional Championships.
- Competes in Zone and travel qualifying meets.


Character Development:


Sportsmanship/Spirit Goals
- Congratulates teammates and opponents.
- Encourages teammates.
- Demonstrates proper meet behavior.
- Demonstrates leadership skills.
- Respectful of meet officials.


Social Skills
- Initiates communication with coaches.
- Understands and takes responsibility for attendance, performance and practice habits and how to relate these three to meet performance.
- Positive leadership behavior.
- Respectful of pools, locker rooms, team equipment and other swimmers’ property.
- Understand the relationship between critiquing and criticism from coaches.


Team Commitment
- Attends group and team activities.
- Wears team t-shirt at meets.
- Cheers with and for teammates.
- Helps pick up pool deck.
- Positive role model for team and for the sport