Training Sessions

Teachers and Coaches
Head Coach: Sarah Danvers
Coaches/Teachers: Mary O'Reilly, Claire Kay, Dave Britton, Lucy Underwood, Teresa Phipps, Christine Brook, Grant Robe and Jeff Shields.

Groups

There are four main lane groups or squads, with different attainment targets and set criteria for each group. Individual training programmes are developed and records kept of progress for each swimmer.

Group 1
Group sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with a maximum of six swimmers in each group.
Sessions take place in shallow water with a maximum usable pool length of 10 mtrs.

The criteria for entry to Group 1 is achievement of level four of the ASA National Plan for swimming (or six of the main skills in level four).

Skills developed in this group include:

• Building on basic water confidence

• Work on submersion

• Flotation

• Sculling

• Rotation

• Controlling Breathing

• Develop strokes

• Emphasis on adopting streamlined position

• Developing leg kicks, flutter, frog-leg and dolphin undulation

Criteria to enter transition to Group 2:

• To be able to submerge face in water consistently

• To push and glide from the wall

• To move using sculling action

• To float 4/5 (star and pencil, both front and back, mushroom float) for 30” each.

• To tread water out of depth

• To swim 25 mtrs in each of three strokes: front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke.

• To travel 10 mtrs with an undulating dolphin kick.

Group 2
Groups sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with a maximum of twelve swimmers in each group. Sessions take place in deep water with a maximum usable pool length of 20 mtrs. For those preparing for transition, Sunday sessions are also available (25 mtr pool length)

The criteria for entry is as listed in transition, detailed above, or at least level six of the ASA National Plan for swimming, and to be confident in deep water.

Skills developed in Group 2 include:

• Consolidate push and glide

• Treading water

• Introduce surface dives

• Regular breathing methods

• Working on somersaults, leg kicks, sculling and arm pulls.

• Introduction to diving from poolside.

• Strokes and stamina will be developed in tandem to achieve controlled breathing and consistent technique maintained over 50m swims in three strokes, working to develop full butterfly stroke for 25m.

Criteria to enter transition to Development Squad

To be able to sustain correct technique in continuous swims of 150m, using three strokes (front crawl, back crawl and breast stroke)

• To be able to sustain correct technique for 25m butterfly

• To be able to dive from wall, with a streamlined entry

• To be able to travel 10m from push and glide

• To be able to perform a somersault and front tumble turn

• To be able to tread water for five minutes

Development Squad
Groups sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and on Sundays
Recommended attendance is at least two sessions per week; three will improve stamina and performance

The criteria for entry is as listed in transition from Group 2 above or at least level 10 of the ASA National Plan  for swimming and the ASA Competitive Start Award

Skills developed in Development Squad include:

•  Reinforcing the importance of

• streamlining

• racing starts

• tumble turns

• back stroke turns

• medley turns

• Building up stamina

• Introduction to the use of the pace clock

• The use of flags and lane rope markings

Main Squad
Groups sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and on Sundays
Recommended attendance is at least three sessions per week

Criteria for entry to the Main Squad is achievement of level  ‘pre competitive’ in the ASA National Plan for swimming

Skills developed

• Competitive swimming including regular inter-club gala swims

• Emphasis on training and the ongoing development of stamina, speed and stroke technique

ASA National Plan for swimming achievement badges for levels 1 – 12 are available for those swimmers who have reached the criteria set by the ASA.

Gala Squad

Swimmers who have been selected to be members of the core gala squad are encouraged to attend Sunday training sessions where specific skills training is provided along with the opportunity for timed swims