Senior Program

Developmental Policy

• We want IM’ers not I AM’ers
• IM’ers are multi-stroke swimmers that strive to be their best at all 4 strokes.  These swimmers are not afraid of their “weak” events.  They  typically  demonstrate  a  growth mindset and accept failures as a learning experience.
• I AM’ers are single or double stroke swimmers that fear their weak events, ask not to swim them at meets, and often avoid working hard on them at practice.  These swimmers typically  demonstrate a fixed mindset where failure leads to a negative outlook…and often quitting!

We are interested in long-term success, not overnight stardom. We are not pushing athletes to win NOW and at all costs

Training Dynamic

Senior Swimming

• Serious/Rigorous physical training
• Light focus on stroke specialization
• Future planning highly emphasized (college swimming, etc.…)
• High focus on Self-Reliance

Attendance

• Senior Level Swimming (15+) We recommend narrowing your sport focus in order to maximize success.
• If you are going to be gone or will be missing practice, please let the coaches know ahead of time.  For Senior athletes, it will be their responsibility to communicate with their coaches directly

Progression Path for the Marlin Groups:

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Pre-Senior

Coach: Travis Folsom

Ages: 12 - 15 (Junior High)

Daily Training: 120 - 150 minutes, 6 times per week

Practice Location: Folsom Aquatics Center

Attendance: Expected to attend 5 times per week; 6 times is strongly encouraged for maximum benefit

Practice Times Located here

Goals: This group’s focus is on understanding and striving for mastery of technical swimming at an elite level.  The Pre Senior Group is comprised of athletes on track for elite level swimming in high school.  Standards are set for this group and are similar to the expectations of the Senior groups; performance, attendance, times, training, age, and maturity.  The training and competition focus of this group is Far Westerns Championships and the progression to Sectional/Junior National level championship meets. Technical proficiency is the primary emphasis, with training demands set to prepare the athlete to execute races at the highest technical levels.  Specifically, extensive focus will be given to educating the athletes of "how" elite level swimming is done, including splits, stroke counts, underwater execution, starts, turns, and finishes.  Additionally, athletes will learn and practice the basics of goal setting, nutrition, and mental skills training such as relaxation techniques and visualization.

Expectations and Entry Requirements:  Consistency, hard work, teamwork, respecting all individuals, sportsmanship, and participating in meets designated for the group.  Athletes will be expected to be self-reliant, speak up for themselves, take ownership, and communicate on their own behalf when they need to miss practice or other obligations.

Qualifying Times:

Far Western times in 2 different events (50/100 Free count as same event) OR

SWGR times in 3 different events (50/100 Free count as same event)

 

Dryland: A focus on building better athletes.  Includes running, body weight exercises (squats, pushups, planks), breathing exercises, postural awareness, medicine balls, core-work, jumping, complex movements, circuits, etc.

Equipment: equipment listed below must be purchased before the start of the season and must be brought to every practice. Check with the coaches for purchasing sources:

• Marlins Cap
• goggles
• snorkel
• nose clips
• mesh equipment bag
• water bottle
• paddles (green strokemaker for smaller hands, yellow for larger (boys only))
• pull buoy
• Kickboard and fins
• Tennis Balls (two)
• Kick stick
• shoes, shorts and shirt for dry land

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Varsity

Coach: Jeff Nicolson

Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Daily Training: 5 days

Practice Location: Folsom Aquatics Center

Practice Times Located here

Attendance: Strongly encouraged to attend 4 times per week

Entry to Senior Fit

• Some swimming experience on a team. Ability to swim all 4 competitive strokes.  Ability to swim legal 200 individual medley, ability to swim 10 x 100 freestyle on interval
• This group is ideal for busy teens who cannot maintain the rigorous practice schedule required for competitive senior swimming or swimmers that have not achieved the time standards necessary for the Marlins Senior program.  Swimmers may attend meets if desired, but meet attendance is not mandatory.

Skills Coached:

• Kicking for all strokes
• Drills for all strokes with emphasis on precision while increasing speed
• Distance per stroke will be emphasized for all strokes
• Competitive turns will be used with all sets in practice
• Swimming sets will be expanded while stroke integrity is maintained.

Gear for Senior Fit:

• Marlins cap
• Water Bottle
• Competition swim suit – endurance fabric encouraged for practices
• Kickboard
• Long floating fins
• Front swimmer’s snorkel
• Swim strap
• Catch paddle
• Breaststroke fins (at coach direction)

Quarterly promotion consideration 

• Swimmers with attendance greater than 75% and Sierra Nevada Swimming Senior+ Time in 2 different events (50/100 Free count as same event) may be considered for promotion to Senior.

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Senior Prep

• TIme Standards
  • ​Three (3) 15-18 JO cuts with 50 free and 100 free counting as one event.

• Self-Reliance
  • ​We expect our senior athletes to be self-reliant, communicating directly with their coach on their own behalf while actively advocating for themselves
  • Initiate a minimum of 2 planning meetings/year with head coach
• Competition​
  • Minimum competition requirement of two in-season meets (3 cycles/year), COVID permitted
• Ability to perform the following workload
  • 0 x 100 Free @ 1:30 (Boys/Girls)
  • 4 x 200 IM @ 3:20 (Boys/Girls)
  • 8 x 100 Kick 1:55​
• Dry Land​
  • Sneakers and appropriate dry land attire are to be worn every day.  If a swimmer does not have their sneakers on any given day, they will not be allowed to participate in dryland for that day.   
  • Strength will take place weekly per the schedule at Victory Sports performance with Coach Robert Gray.​
    • Address: VSP - 691 E. Bidwell St. Folsom, Ca., 95630​
• Training Gear/Equipment:
  • Required​
    • Marlins Cap – Goggles - Water bottle - Mesh Gear Bag – Fins – Kickboard - Pull-Buoy – Paddles – Snorkel
    • Please label all equipment!   All equipment can be purchased through Swimsuits West/Fresno  Phone:(559)435-4898 or from our team store.
    • Team Suit for mid-season meets:  TYR black logo suit​
• Pool Covers : Folsom Aquatic Center​
  • The swimmers are responsible for taking off and putting on pool covers according to scheduled practice times. Swimmers responsible will be expected to show up :15 mins prior to the scheduled practice and/or stay :15 mins after practice ends. There are no senior prep/fit swimmers exempt from pulling covers. One Team-Marlins Strong!

2022-2023 SMST Senior Program Entry Requirements

Age:

• Must be in high school (9th grade)
• 14 year-old athletes not yet in high school may be considered on a case by case basis

Self-Reliance:

• We expect our senior athletes to be self-reliant, communicating directly with their coaches on their own behalf while actively advocating for themselves
• Initiate a minimum of 2 planning meetings/year with senior coaches

Attendance:

• We expect to see you at every practice unless the swimmer has directly communicated with their senior coaches
• 80% required to attend away/travel meets through Qualification period
• 70% required to remain in group through each move-up/evaluation period

Practice Location: Folsom Aquatics Center

Practice Times Located here

Competition:

• Minimum competition requirement of two in-season meets + 1 championship meet each competition cycle (3 cycles/year)

Qualifying Times:

• Senior Zone times in 2 different events (50/100 Free count as same event)

Ability to perform the following workload:

• 10 x 100 Free @ 1:15 (Boys) and 1:20 (Girls) - (1:25/1:30 LCM)
• 6 x 200 IM @ 2:50 (Boys) and 3:00 (Girls) - (3:10/3:20 LCM)
• 8 x 100 Kick 1:50 (2:00 LCM)