Squad-1 Developmental

This is our entry level group. Swimmer must be able to complete the following:

• Swim 25 yards of freestyle
• Swim 25 yards of backstroke
• Able to jump into water.

Workouts are offered three days a week. It is recommended to come to at least two for regular improvement.

Practice duration is one hour.

45 minutes of practice time will be spent in the water. 15 minutes will be dedicated to dry-land exercises.

There is no attendance requirement for this group, but athletes will improve more quickly, and make more friends (which will make them want to come more!), the more often they attend workouts.

Goals of Developmental Group:

• Swim a 100 IM legally (regardless of time)
• Do a flip turn
• Kick 4x25 @ :45
• Push off and streamline to flags with dolphin kick
• Acquire basic understanding of the pace clock 

Squad-2 Novice

From the Developmental group, athletes move into this group. Swimmers must be able to complete the ’Goals of the Developmental Group’ to move into the Novice group.

Workouts are offered four days a week. Athletes may be invited by their coach to swim with the Age Group practice on Saturday morning if they can keep up and have perfect attendance for the week.

Practice duration is one hour and fifteen minutes.

One hour of practice time will be spent in the water. Twenty minutes will be dedicated to dry-land exercises.

There is no attendance requirement for this group, but athletes will improve more quickly, and make more friends (which will make them want to come more!), the more often they attend workout.

Goals of Novice Group:

• Swim 3x200 IM legally
• Perform all turns and push-offs efficiently
• Perform track start and backstroke start effectively
• Achieve USA Swimming 10&Under ’A’ time standards
• Athlete is motivated to listen to coaches and try to improve
• Courteous to other swimmers in pool
• Athletes know their attitude affects how they swim and how others around them swim
• Develop consistent practice attendance

Squad-3 Age Group

From the Novice group, athletes move into this group. Swimmers entering the Age Group level are usually at least 9 years old and must complete the ’Goals of the Novice Group’ highlighted above (or equivalent), plus three of the following five:

• 10x50@ 1:00
• 8x25 @ :40 IM order
• Swim under 1:30 in 100YD freestyle
• Swim under 1:50 in 100YD IM
• Kick 1x50 with fins under :50

Workouts are offered six days a week. There is no practice attendance requirement for this group, but the recommended attendance is as follows:

*6th workout will be with Junior Olympic group (on coach’s approval) if only five.

If you cannot attend the prescribed number of practices, please attend at least three workouts per week to see improvement in stroke technique, comfort in the water and with their teammates, and ’feel’ of the water.

Practice duration is approximately one and a half hours.

At least one hour of that time will be spent in the water. Thirty minutes will be dedicated to dry-land training. 

Goals of Age Group:

• Swim 400IM legally
• Race in every distance, every stroke available over duration of season
• Achieve 11-12 year old SCS blue time standards
• Improve fluidity in turns and push-offs
• Improve dive and backstroke entry into water
• Begin learning how to manage effort and intensity through practice
• Learn and improve goal setting skills
• Improve on controlling attitude and focus within workout and understand that they affect teammates
• Create a core group of ’training friends’
• Sit with friends and teammates at swim meets
• Listen to coaches! 

Competing at swim meets is highly encouraged at a rate of about once per month.

Squad-4 Regional

Minimum age for entry into this group is 10 years old. Requirements to enter Junior Group, candidates should complete 6 of the following 8:

• Display intention of adhering to attendance requirement before moving into group
• 11-12 SCS age group invite qualifying times in 3 or more events
• 11-12 SCS Junior Olympic qualifying times in 2 or more events
• Racing history in every event available
• Show willingness to learn
• 8x100 @ 1:30
• Under 2:30 in 200yd freestyle
• Kick 1x50 under :40 with fins

Junior practice is offered 6 times per week. The junior group is the first group within the Riversides Aquatics program with an attendance requirement.

This program is intended for the age group swimmers that have goals of pursuing their swimming career as far as possible. The practice direction, structure and difficulty will be designed to meet that end years down the road.

Junior swimmers are expected to attend a minimum of 90% attendance to the Junior group. Special exceptions may be cleared with the Junior coach on an absence by absence basis.  

Goals of the Junior Group:

• Achieve USA Swimming Top 16 time standard
• Final in all events at Age Group Invite Meets
• Win all relays at Age Group Invite Meet
• Achieve Age Group Invite time standard in every stroke
• Continue to develop goal setting skills
• Improve proficiency in turns
• Use underwater fly kicking as a tool in racing
• Continue becoming more fluid in swimming (no splashing)
• Kick 50yd with fins under :30
• Begin to actively improve distance per stroke
• Learn leadership skills

Competition at swim meets is expected in this group.

Squad 5-High School

Squad 5 is focused on taking athletes and making them into swimmers.Squad 5 will meet the needs of athletes coming from other sports, high school swimmers or swimmer currently in the RAA program who are still working on translating dryland power into aquatic speed. Technique is the primary focus with speed, power and explosiveness playing large roles.

Practice is offered 5 times a week. Swimmers are strongly encouraged to attend all practices as skills and progressions build from one practice session to another. 

Goals and Expectations for the Squad 5:

• Continue becoming more fluid in swimming (no splashing)
• Actively improve distance per stroke
• Translate power and athleticism developed in dry land training to speed in the water
• Learn leadership skills
• Provide an effective training program to swimmers who may have not come up through the RAA system
• Swimmers will learn to actively monitor and improve their stroke technique
• Swimmer understands and takes responsibility for attendance and performance, work habits in practice and how these three relate to meet performance

Squad-6 Senior

Senior practice is offered seven times per week. This program is intended to provide both a stepping stone for athletes intending to be successful in the RAA National program and also provide a demanding and comprehensive training program for those athletes who cannot meet the attendance and/or training requirement of the RAA National program.

Senior swimmers are expected to attend 90% of workouts and communicate with the senior coach about their training schedule.

Note on training: Once swimmers are fully grown and are promoted as far as the senior program, they must train more and better than they did when they were younger to continue to improve (swim faster).

Practice duration is approximately two and a half to three hours.

Practice will consist of both dryland and swimming workouts.

Swimmers entering the Senior program must be at least 13 years old and complete four of the following six:

• 10x100@ 1:20
• 8x50@ 50 kick
• Swim under 1:00 in 100YD freestyle for girls/ :55 for boys
• Swim 13-14 SCS Junior Olympic qualifying times in main events (2)
• Kick 1x50 under :30 with fins
• 30 pushups in 1:00

Goals and Expectations of the Senior Group:

• Strive to be competitive with any other Senior group in the region (without Senior National)
• Prepare athletes for both competency at a US Open, Sectional, State level and for movement into Senior National group (if so desired)
• To consistently improve commitment level and training/racing ability from season to season
• Continue becoming more fluid in swimming (no splashing)
• Actively improve distance per stroke
• Learn leadership skills
• Attendance should improve, not decline as the athlete matures
• Training attitudes should be more productive and supportive as the athlete gets older
• Athletes must conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to actions needed to promote and support the goals of the team
• Attend all meets prescribed by coaching staff unless Senior coach agrees to absence
• Active in club fundraising
• Display ability to train appropriately for the athlete’s experience and stated goals
• Parental involvement in "wet side" decreases but increases on "dry side" during tenure

Other areas of swimmer Accountability:

1. Swimmer learns to accept the responsibility for his/her performance
2. Swimmer learns coping strategies to deal with peer pressure
3. Swimmer learns coping strategies to deal with parent pressure
4. Swimmer understands and performs personal race strategies
5. Swimmer demonstrates an ability to balance school, social, swimming and family
6. Swimmer can effectively communicate her/his commitment to her/his parent, coach and teammates
7. Swimmer knows the team goals and will take an active part in developing specific and attainable practice group goals
8. Swimmer understands the relationship between his/her personal commitment level and results

Squad-7National

National practice is offered at least seven times per week on average. Additional practices may be added at coach’s discretion. Additional practices do count towards attendance requirements.

The RAA National program is designed with the intention of providing the curriculum and atmosphere necessary for success at all levels of national and international competition.

The National swimmer is a positive, hard-working example not only for the RAA program, but also for USA Swimming as a whole.

The RAA National athlete’s actions and goals reflect the mission statement of USA Swimming: to build, promote, and achieve competitive success. 

Requirements for National Group:

• 96% attendance
        * Coach retains discretion of accepting absences which do not count against the attendance figure
• Actions and attitudes match goal of National group
• Attend all competitions recommended by National coach 
• Must conduct themselves with honor and selflessness at all competitions regardless of circumstances
• Limited interference from high school competitions. No interference from high school practices
  • No High School or Summer League meet shall interfere, in any way, with a USA swimming meet that is on the schedule
• Active in club fundraising or clinics offered for younger club members
• Must live lifestyle appropriate for achieving greatest personal success
  • Nutrition
  • No drugs, tobacco products
• Parental involvement in swimming decisions at a minimum
  • Once swimmers achieve competency, the swimming relationship must be limited to coach/athlete for them to progress to their greatest capabilities while maintaining a certain level of sanity. Overbearing parents are a burden to the coach AND the ATHLETE
• Display history of above requirements BEFORE being allowed into Senior National group
• Ability to train at or above a level appropriate for current experience and speed
• Willingness to perform every event (every distance) prescribed by Senior National coach
  • Make top 16 qualifying time for 13-14
  • 2% or less off of US OPEN time standards
    • 16 and older for boys
    • 14 and older for girls
• Ultimately, National coach has final say in group appointments

Goals and Expectations of the Senior National Group:

• National Swimmers are expected to do everything within their power to reach their own personal potential