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Club Swimming has 5 levels of swimmers, Pre-Competitive, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Senior. Detailed descriptions of each group are listed below.
Group Objectives: Pre-Competitive Pre-Comp
is the first step in teaching coordinated, safe and confident movement
through water. The focal point is having fun learning the basic mechanics
of freestyle and backstroke. Emphasis is placed on a step-by-step progression
of drills. Swimmers must learn how to listen attentively to coaches and
following stroke instruction. We do lots of kicking to build up aerobic
conditioning and efficient technique; we introduce 2-3 basic drills for
each stroke. When the coaches feel the group is ready, breaststroke and
butterfly drills are introduced along with starts, turns and streamlining
skills. BAC provides low-pressure mini-meets or intra-squad meets to gauge
each swimmer’s readiness for sanctioned Pacific Swimming events.
Group Objectives: Bronze Bronze 1 &
Bronze 2 are training groups that emphasize the further development
of swimming skills. The focus is on keeping the sessions fun so that kids
will want to stay in the water year-round and develop a good feel for
the water. We stress fundamental swimming skills: sculling, turns, kicking,
underwater efficiency and distance-per-stroke. Participation in other
sports and activities is encouraged to enable a well-rounded athletic
education. We teach young people to love the water and have fun learning
how to master the fundamental skills.
Group Objectives: Silver 1& 2 (Skill Development Stage) The Silver
1 and Silver 2 groups are for swimmers who are ready for the
next level of swim training. Swimmers are encouraged to meet higher
attendance expectations (3-4 times per week), and swim throughout the
year while still participating in other sports activities. Our training
emphasis at this stage is on low intensity aerobic stroke efficiency
work. Athletes are also educated in race planning and goal setting.
A great emphasis is placed on kicking; drills, starts and turns; we
learn that hard work and competition are fun, and that it’s okay
to try new ideas
Group Objectives: Gold (Basic Training Stage) The Gold
Group is for the swimmer who is able to swim all four strokes
well and maintain good technique on low intensity interval sets. This
group “launches” off of the base of fundamentals that has
been laid down in previous years. It is important that the technique
mastered not be permitted to deteriorate under increased training loads
A more equal emphasis is placed on physiological training and technique
work. All swimmers are trained to compete in the 200 IM and 200-500
Freestyle events, with very little specialty work. At this stage, light
stretching and strength exercises are added to the regimen, and swimmers
are encouraged to attend no less than 4x per week. It is important to
remember the long-term benefits of developing good form, which can mean
sacrificing speed for efficiency
Group Objectives: Senior Senior 1 group is
where the swimmers first start to train seriously. Proper stroke and
turn techniques have become habitually consistent, allowing more emphasis
to be placed on physiological training. The age range of 13-16 is known
as the “window of opportunity” for developing aerobic capacity,
and we provide the opportunity for more threshold and anaerobic training.
The training focuses on the 400 IM and distance Freestyle events, which
allows swimmers to identify weak strokes, and how to minimize those
weaknesses. Swimmers are encouraged to attend practices as often as
possible, and morning workouts are offered year-round for the top-level
group. Dryland training is an important element of these groups with
a focus on core body conditioning, flexibility and basic weight lifting
techniques.
Group Objectives: Senior Advanced Senior Advanced represents the highest level of training for athletes who have the appropriate dedication, experience and desire to compete at the regional and national level. The training is distance-oriented and very demanding. Swimmers learn how to train the various energy systems and are encouraged to train for and compete in a wide variety of events to best prepare them for success in their collegiate years. The commitment level of this group is very high, with swimmers expected to attend 90-100% of the practices year-round. Strength training is a standard part of the program. All Senior-level swimmers are expected to be good role models for younger swimmers.
Click
here to find out how swimmers are placed and moved along in groups. Interested In Joining? Much more information is available under the Practice Times and Coaches links. Tryouts are availble by emailing Tom Lo at tom@burlingameaquatics.com or by calling 650-558-1298. You can also download a registration form here (pdf)
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