Stafford Aquatics Swim Team (STAT Swimming)

Virginia Swimming
Level 2

STAT Swim Team: Practice Groups and Equipment


STAT Swim Team is committed to fostering a passion for swimming while providing structured training that meets swimmers at their current skill level. The practice groups are designed to offer progressive development based on a swimmer’s ability, ensuring each swimmer’s growth, confidence, and passion for the sport are nurtured. Advancement through the groups is based on readiness, not just age or skill, and requires mutual agreement between the swimmer, coach, and parents. This allows swimmers to progress at their own pace, ensuring they are challenged but not overwhelmed.

NOVICE 1 (Beginner)

Ages: 5 & Up
Practice Frequency: 2-3 days/week

Required Equipment: Fins, Goggles, Equipment Bag

 
Group Focus:
  • Introduction to all four strokes: Teaching the fundamental techniques of each stroke.
  • Fun environment: Games, drills, and activities to keep swimmers engaged while they learn.
  • Safety first: Emphasizing water safety, proper technique, and controlled learning.
  • Build confidence: Encouraging swimmers to improve at their own pace without pressure.

Requirements:

  • Swim at least one lap unaided: This ensures that swimmers have some basic swimming ability and can focus on learning strokes rather than just staying afloat.

Benefits:

  • Skill development: Swimmers get the opportunity to work on all strokes and improve their overall swimming technique.
  • Increased water comfort: As swimmers practice different strokes, they gain a stronger understanding of water movement.
  • Group support: Being in a group helps provide encouragement and motivation.

Required Equipment:

  • Fins: Used to enhance kicking technique, build strength, and improve body position.
  • Goggles: Essential for clear vision while swimming.
  • Equipment Bag: To keep all gear organized and ensure swimmers are fully prepared for practice.

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NOVICE 2:

Ages: 8 & Up
Practice Frequency: 3-4 Days/Week
Required Equipment: Fins, Goggles, Snorkel, Equipment Bag

Description:

The Novice 2 is designed for swimmers who are comfortable with all four strokes and have some basic competition experience. This level focuses on improving stroke technique, legal stroke execution, starts, turns, and finishing techniques for competition. Swimmers will work on perfecting the finer details of their strokes and developing the tools needed for competitive swimming. The group is structured to enhance technical skills, boost confidence in race-day performance, and introduce more advanced training strategies.

Group Focus:

Stroke Refinement:

  • Freestyle: Focus on smooth, efficient breathing and stroke technique, particularly the timing of body rotation, arm entry, and leg kicks. Swimmers will work on improving endurance while maintaining proper form.
  • Backstroke: Refine arm mechanics with windmill motion, consistent kicking, and body positioning to reduce drag. Emphasize the timing of the strokes and ensuring swimmers can maintain proper rhythm throughout their race.
  • Breaststroke: Work on improving the frog kick and glide phase to maximize speed. Emphasize legal stroke execution and correct timing between the pull, kick, and glide phases.
  • Butterfly: Fine-tune the body undulation and arm recovery, focusing on maintaining a rhythm. Emphasis on mastering the timing of the two kicks per stroke to improve fluidity.

Starts:

  • Focus on starting technique, including explosive dives, proper foot placement on the block, and streamlining during the initial part of the race. Work on the timing of the kick and breath as swimmers push off the wall.

Turns:

  • Teach the flip turn for freestyle and backstroke, emphasizing proper body positioning, efficient push-offs, and fluid transitions.
  • Breaststroke turns (open turns) and butterfly turns will also be covered, with an emphasis on legal execution and speed.

Legal Stroke Execution:

  • Review and enforce legal stroke rules to ensure that all swimmers are adhering to competition standards.
  • Each stroke will be broken down in terms of competition regulations, such as proper breathing techniques and legal finishes.

Race Strategy & Endurance:

  • Swimmers will begin to focus on race strategies and pacing, learning how to manage energy over different race distances.
  • Increase endurance by introducing interval training and longer sets. Gradually build swimmers’ abilities to complete timed swims while maintaining stroke form.

The goal of Novice 2 is to have swimmers feel more confident in their ability to swim longer distances, refine their technique, and introduce some training elements to help them build strength and stamina. They should also be able to swim all four strokes according to the rule book with more proficiency and be comfortable with endurance sets and intervals.

Required Equipment:

  • Fins: Used to enhance kicking technique, build strength, and improve body position.
  • Goggles: Essential for clear vision while swimming.
  • Snorkel: Allows swimmers to focus on stroke technique without the need for head rotation for breathing.
  • Equipment Bag: To keep all gear organized and ensure swimmers are fully prepared for practice.

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STAT Fit

Looking for a structured swim program with low time commitment? STAT Fit is a great option for any swimmer aged 13 and older who wants to stay active, improve technique, and enjoy coached workouts—without the pressure of competition.

Swimmer Requirements:
Participants must be able to swim all four competitive strokes:

  • Freestyle

  • Backstroke

  • Breaststroke

  • Butterfly

Swimmers should be comfortable swimming multiple lengths of each stroke without stopping.

Required Equipment:

  • Goggles

  • Swim cap (if hair is shoulder-length or longer)

  • Water bottle

  • Swim fins

Group Schedule:
Practices are held Monday through Thursday, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM—four days a week.

Group Philosophy:
STAT Fit is a non-competitive training group for swimmers 13 and older who enjoy the sport and want to stay fit. Whether you're involved in other sports, managing a busy school schedule, or simply looking to maintain your swimming skills, STAT Fit provides a flexible and supportive environment.

Swimmers in this group may:

  • Be considering or already participating in high school swim teams

  • Participate in other sports or activities

  • Want regular, coached swim workouts without competition

There are no attendance or meet requirements, and swim meets are optional. The focus is on fitness, technique, and enjoyment of the sport—without added pressure.

Whether you're staying in shape, preparing for a school season, or just love to swim, STAT Fit offers a balanced, four-day-a-week program tailored to your needs.

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AGE GROUP:

 

Ages: 10 and up | Practice Frequency: 4-5 days per week
Required Equipment: Fins, goggles, snorkel, paddles, and equipment bag
Skill Level: Swimmers with competitive meet experience and strong stroke fundamentals.

Description:

This group is designed for swimmers with competitive meet experience and solid stroke fundamentals. Swimmers are familiar with all four strokes and basic race techniques, and they’re beginning to build endurance and speed. The focus is on improving technique, endurance, and race preparation to transition swimmers to the Junior Group, where more specialized training begins. Swimmers should be ready to increase their intensity, work on mental resilience, and develop the foundation for higher-level competitive swimming.

Focus Areas:

  1. Endurance Training:

    • Aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.
    • Longer sets for stamina and pacing strategies for longer races.

  2. Stroke Technique:

    • Refine freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
    • Improve efficiency, minimize drag, and focus on flip turns and underwater phases.

  3. Race Preparation:

    • Advanced strategies like pacing, drafting, and negative splits.
    • Mental techniques for race planning and visualization.
    • Focus on starts, wall push-offs, and finishes.

  4. Strength & Power Development:

    • Use paddles, snorkels, and fins for upper body and core strength.
    • Dryland strength training may be introduced.

  5. Preparation for Junior Group:

    • Gradual increase in intensity and specificity.
    • Maintain technique under fatigue and focus on mental resilience.

Key Training Tools:

  • Fins: Improve kicking and body position.
  • Goggles: Essential for vision during training.
  • Snorkel: Focus on technique without worrying about breathing.
  • Paddles: Build arm strength and improve stroke mechanics.
  • Equipment Bag: Organize gear for practice.

Equipment Bag: To keep all gear organized and ensure swimmers are fully prepared for practice.

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JUNIORS

Ages: 11 & Up | Practice Frequency: 5-6 days/week, Saturday morning practices
Required Equipment: Fins, goggles, snorkel, paddles, tempo trainer, power bags, equipment bag

Description:
The Juniors group is designed for advanced swimmers with extensive competitive experience, looking to elevate their performance. Swimmers in this group have mastered the fundamentals of all four strokes, with a focus on endurance, power, speed, and mental toughness. This group prepares swimmers to compete at the highest level, with regular meet participation.

Training emphasizes refining stroke mechanics, developing race strategies, and improving mental resilience in high-stress situations. The training intensity is higher, focusing on speed and power in each stroke, optimizing training for short and long course competitions.

Key Training Areas:

  • Endurance:

    • Building aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.
    • Pacing strategies for race endurance.
    • Race simulations with varied intervals to mimic competition conditions.

  • Power & Speed Development:

    • Power training with resistance tools (Power Bags) to build strength.
    • Speed focus with explosive starts and sprint sets to improve reaction times.

  • Stroke Mechanics:

    • Refining technique for all four strokes, maximizing efficiency and minimizing drag.
    • Detailed work on turns, underwater phases, and dolphin kicks.

  • Mental Toughness & Race Strategies:

    • Visualization and mental preparation for high-pressure situations.
    • Advanced strategies like pacing, drafting, and negative splits.
    • Race planning for optimal energy management.

  • Strength & Dryland Training:

    • Resistance training to enhance strength and refine mechanics.
    • Core strength development for better in-water efficiency.

Meet Participation:
Regular competitive meet participation is required, allowing swimmers to apply their training in real race scenarios, refining race strategies and endurance.

Conclusion:
The Juniors group is for swimmers aiming for elite-level competition, with a focus on endurance, power, speed, mental resilience, and race strategies. It provides the tools necessary for advancing skills and competing at top levels.

 

SENIORS

Ages: 13 & Up | Practice Frequency: 5-6 days/week, Saturday practices mandatory
Required Equipment: Fins, goggles, snorkel, paddles, tempo trainer, power bags, equipment bag

Description:
The Seniors group is designed for elite swimmers who can handle high-volume, intense training. These swimmers have a strong foundation and are ready for advanced endurance, speed work, and race strategies. The goal is to excel at the highest levels of competition, with a focus on improving every aspect of performance, from aerobic capacity to race-day strategies.

Swimmers are expected to participate in high-volume training and competitive meets regularly, using every practice and set to push their limits.

Key Training Areas:

  • Endurance & Conditioning:

    • High-volume training to build aerobic and anaerobic endurance.
    • Long-distance sets to prepare for longer race distances.

  • Speed Development:

    • Sprint sets to maximize speed and reaction times.
    • Power training with resistance tools to develop explosive power.

  • Race Strategy:

    • Mastering advanced techniques like negative splits, pacing, and drafting.
    • Emphasis on explosive starts, quick flip turns, and strong push-offs.
    • Tapering strategies for peak performance during important competitions.

  • Mental Conditioning:

    • Mental toughness exercises for high-pressure situations.
    • Visualization, goal-setting, and race planning for focus and composure.

  • Dryland Training:

    • Strength, mobility, and flexibility exercises to support swimming performance.

Commitment Expectations:

  • Training Frequency: Swimmers must commit to 5-6 days/week, with mandatory Saturday practices.
  • Meet Participation: Regular meet participation is expected to apply training to real-world race situations.

Conclusion:
The Seniors group is for swimmers committed to reaching the highest levels of performance. With demanding training and a focus on endurance, speed, mental conditioning, and race strategy, this group pushes swimmers to excel in elite competitions and continue developing their swimming careers.