Group Descriptions

Wave Aquatics offers two paths through Competitive Swimming; Sport Team and Select Team

Sport Team

The Sport Team is for athletes and families that want to stay active, learn the core concepts swim training, and learn the tools to stay fit as they head into adulthood.  The Sport Team is structured by age, with practice times increasing as athletes grow, develop, and age up through the team.  The primary goals of the Sport Team is to teach athletes the value in:

• Physically Activity
• Work in a Group to Achieve Goals
• Socialize and learn how to be a member of a team
• Learn the Basics of Competitive Swimming
• Learn the Basics of Physical Movements through Dryland
• Develop a love for Hard Work and Commitment

Organized by age, Sport Team practices increase in length as athletes age up and grow. The flexible schedule allows athletes to be physically active and still explore other activities.

Select Team

The Select Swim Team is for athletes focused on becoming the best swimming athlete possible.  They are committed to doing this as a year-round commitment and the primary goal of this team is to teach athletes value in:

• Excellence through Preparation, Commitment, and Competition
• Team Before the Individual
• Develop and Nurture a love for Hard Work and Challenges
• Value of Failure
• Grit to work towards each goal

Organized by age, speed, and ability, the Select Team is smaller and geared towards a progressive program of athletes achieving faster times as they elevate through the program. 

What is Different from the Sport Team?

The key difference in the team programs is the volume of swimming each week. We are focused on two different goals with each program. The Sport Team is focused on all-around physical fitness and development, while allowing athletes the flexibility to explore other activities. The Select Team is solely focused on the development of all around swimmers.

The Meets allowed are also different. The Sport Team compete in less meets throughout the year, with a focus on 2-3 meets every 4 months. The Select Team will participate in more meets and will be expected to attend all meets they are qualified for regardless of location.

Tryouts and Placements are different between the two programs as well.  The Select Team is by invite ONLY. Coaches will evaluate both a swimmers competition times AND their training abilities to decide if they are a correct fit for our Select Team. Sport Team is based on the athletes ability to fit into the group and by age.  

Group Assignments

Group Assignments are done three times a year following the championship meets in December, March, and July/August.

The coaches make decisions on group placements based on any or all of the following:

• Age
• Ability
• Desire

Group assignment decisions are reached and agreed upon by the coaching staff.

Sport Team Swim Groups

Black Group (8&Under Athletes)

This group will focus on teaching athletes the Core Concepts that will become the backbone of their physically fit lives. They will learn the right movements and fix any bad movements. They will be taught to become aware of what they are doing and how their body moves and functions.

This awareness of their bodies will be a focus primarily on the correct movements and technique for each skill and stroke, with volume being an afterthought for these athletes. Our hope is that athletes that finish this age group will have all the basic athletic skills to progress their swimming career OR explore any other sport. 

White Group (9-10 Athletes)

This group will help athletes understand why they are being taught how to do things a certain way, and also accept what they are doing and buy in to the correct movements and techniques. The hope and plan is also to teach the athletes at this age a love for the sport of swimming, but most importantly a love for being physically active and fit.

The group will do this through moving their basic skills and techniques from the introductory phase of learning and into the mastery phase of learning. The focus will again be development and proper mechanics but the kids will move into learning to do these movements under slight fatigue and be introduced to the concept of volume in training. While drills, teaching, and feedback will still be the primary method of learning, kids will also begin to learn how to adjust as the do things on repeat.

Purple Group (11-13 Athletes)

This group will focus allowing the athletes to begin to develop a passion for swimming and for being physically fit. During these development athletes will begin to expand beyond the basic movements to harder and more challenging layers of each movement (Example, a Squat becoming a Squat Jump). Athletes will also begin to learn how to apply the key body movements and techniques they have learned into both new concepts and into continuing to master the primary strokes of swimming.

Athletes in this group will begin to work both dryland and swimming activities under fatigue, with a focus on maintaining their proper technique. While monstrous sets and heavy loads will not be applicable at this age, repeats and an increase in volume will be something that these athletes begin to master and enjoy being challenged by.

High School Group (14&Up)

This group will focus on exploring the many different depths and areas of fitness in swimming and dryland. Athletes will learn a broader understanding of how their core movements translate into all physical movements. They will learn to integrate those basic techniques into higher level movements and continue to develop their skills.

Athletes in this group will begin to learn the importance of volume in training (while maintaining proper form). They will also learn to do many of their core dryland movements under load and in different varieties. They will learn to embrace challenges and how to challenge themselves to become stronger, fitter, and faster. 

Select Team Swim Groups

Note for Select Team Members:

Competition is key for these groups and athletes will be expected to participate in ALL meets that they qualify for (this does include any Championship Level Meet). Any absence or miss must be approved by a coach. Athletes will be expected to treat their training with a high level of commitment. These athletes will also be expected to treat their time away from the pool with the same commitment, which includes proper nutrition, excellent sleep hygiene, and advanced time management. 

Age Group 1 and 2 (12&Under)

Age Group is split into two levels (1 and 2) with the lower level being 10&U and the higher level 10-12.  These groups will be our Development Level Group consisting of athletes 12&Under that already have mastery of all four strokes. Athletes will have achieved or are competitively close to LSC State Level Cuts.

The Focus in these groups are developing long lasting technical based swimming habits. They will be introduced to advanced racing techniques and habits. They will also begin the process of mastering high level skills for their swimming.

Senior Prep (11-14)

This group will be our advanced Age Group Swimmers between the ages of 11-14. Swimmers will have achieved or are competitively close to LSC State Level Cuts. They will also have a background in competition and have prior swim experience.

The Focus on this group is on further developing a mastery of all four strokes and advancing their racing and training habits. This group will be expanding on racing plans for athletes at competitions. Swimmers will be introduced to Aerobic and Anaerobic Training methods, with a focus on maintaining technique and practice habits.

Senior (14&Over)

This group is split into two groups, based on coach’s discretion. All swimmers will be in High School for these groups. All swimmers will have a strong competitive meet background at this stage and will have or be competitively close to achieving state level cuts. All swimmers will have a commitment to their swimming and a strong background in competition.

The Focus in both groups will be on continuing technical performance and a mastery of maintaining those skills during their training and practice. Athletes will continue to develop their goals and expectations for athletes in this group will be the highest on the team.