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NOVA of Virginia Aquatics offers
training and practice groups for swimmers of all ages and ability
levels. It is the goal of NOVA is to offer
age specific training for all of our athletes that is geared
towards challenging and developing each individual to the best of
THEIR abilities.
Please call us at (804) 754-3401
to schedule an evaluation by one of our coaches to ensure your
child is placed in the proper group, or click
here to send us an email request for more
information.
Ages in these groups
generally range from 6 to 10 years.
Novice Bronze - Novice Bronze is both our most
basic stroke clinic and the most advanced level of SwimNOVA.
Coaches recommendation is necessary for this level and the
spaces are limited. Coaches focus on distances of 25-50 yards
with a strong emphasis on correct stroke technique and
basic NOVAdrills.
The minimum skill level abilities are one length freestyle
with rotary breathing, and two lengths backstroke. Swimmers lacking
these skills should take SwimNOVA lessons. As swimmers progress,
they may do swim meets. Novice Bronze is a bridge between lessons
and the team.
Novice Silver - This group
places a heavy emphasis on stroke technique, turns, starts, as well
as fun, and serves as an introduction to competitive
swimming. The teaching process in Novice Silver is
deliberate, placing a heavy emphasis on the development of
listening skills. The basic skills required for entering this
group are a strong backstroke, freestyle with bi-lateral breathing,
basic competency in breaststroke, and an ability to perform
butterfly kick. Swimmers are placed into Novice Silver based
on an evaluation by a member of the coaching staff. As the
season progresses, approximately 25-50% of the swimmers in Novice
Silver will advance on to the Novice Gold group.
Novice
Gold - The Novice Gold Group
covers starts, turns, and stroke drills and skills more rapidly and
in greater detail than the Novice Silver Group. The Coaching Staff
makes every effort to teach with energy and enthusiasm, with
entertainment an important by-product of this process. New swimmers
are placed in this group after careful evaluation by the coaching
staff. Swimmers must demonstrate proficiency in the free, back and
back-breast turns and in each of the individual strokes.
Novice Gold Group seeks to channel capable swimmers into the Age
Group Development program. During a swimming year, nearly one
third to half of the Novice Gold Group generally joins the Age
Group Development program, thus moving into our 11 month
program.
AGE GROUP DEVELOPMENT SILVER
(AGDS):
AGDS continues to
build on the stroke and technique work of the NOVA Novice groups,
as well as introduce training and racing skills to the
swimmers. The main goal of AGDS is to develop a love for the
sport of swimming by teaching new skills, giving swimmers new
challenges, and helping them to enjoy racing. Ages in this group
range from 8 to 10 years.
Swimmers in AGDS
must:
- Be proficient in 4 strokes and turns
- Commit to a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 practices a week
- Attend meets whenever possible
Age Group Development
Gold
(AGDG)
This group was created, generally, for the 9-10
year old swimmer who has been in the NOVA program and has achieved
a designated level of success based on effort, practice
consistency, meet participation, and time standard
achievement. The young swimmers recommended for AGDG have
been recognized by the NOVA coaching staff as potential State
Championship qualifiers, and the group will be specifically working
towards seasonal goals which include developing a good work ethic,
continued stroke and technique development, goal setting for meets,
and a love for racing! This group is for the NOVA 10 & under
swimmer whose goal is to be a multi-event state championship
qualifier by the end of the short course
season.
Criteria for recommendation
into AGDG include:
- Must commit to a min. of 3 and
a max. of 4 practices a week
- Must have at least 8-10 10 & under “BB” times, or
2 “A” times in more than one stroke. Having "BB" times
in the 200 IM & 200 free is a good gauge for this group.
- Attendance of meets throughout the season is a
priority
Age
Group Bronze- This group is designed as a bridge from the Age
group development Silver & Novice Gold groups for the 11-12 yr
old B/C swimmer. Age Group Bronze continues to build on stroke
technique work of the skills taught in the novice and Age group
development groups, as well as introducing training and racing
skills to the swimmers. The main goal of Age Group Bronze is to
develop a love for the sport of swimming by teaching new skills,
giving swimmers new challenges, and helping them to enjoy racing.
Swimmers may practice from 2 to 4 times per week.
Age Group Silver- This group is designed primarily as a building block into the
11-12 competitive age group level. This group serves a
wide range of ability levels, but most specifically those swimmers
who have proven to be ready for more training oriented practices.
Most swimmers in this group are at the BB and B level.
Criteria for recommendation in AG Silver include:
Must be at least 11 years old
Must commit to a min of 3 and a max. of 4 practices a week
Attendance of meets all season is strongly
encouraged.
Age
Group Gold- is designed to meet the needs
of the 11-12 year old swimmer who has been in the NOVA
program and has achieved a designated level of success based on
effort, practice consistency, meet participation, and time standard
achievement. This group will allow a much smoother and more
prepared move to the Senior Development groups. Swimmers
recommended for AG GOLD have been recognized by the NOVA coaching
staff as potential State Championship qualifiers and this group
will be specifically working towards seasonal goals which include
developing a good work ethic, continued stroke and technique
development, goal setting for meets, and a love for racing! This
group is for the NOVA swimmer whose goal is to be a multi-event
A/BB and State championship qualifier by the end of the short
course season. Participation in those meets is required.
Criteria for recommendation into AG GOLD include:
Must commit to a min of 4 and a max. of 5 practices a week
Must have 8-10 11-12 “BB” times or 3 “A”
times in more than one stroke.
Having BB times in the 200 IM & 500 free is a good gauge for
this group.
Attendance of meets all season is a priority
Coaches reserve the right to place swimmers in meet
events
Our Senior Development Group Programs
are structured to produce outstanding swimmers and leaders through
intensified training and competition. This category features two
levels - Senior Development Silver and Gold. Ages generally
range from 13-16 years old
Senior Development Silver- This group is designed
for the 13 and older swimmer who needs more of the physical
development and the stroke development necessary for the Senior
Development Gold level. This group will continue to enhance stroke
technique as well as develop cardiovascular conditioning. This
group is the primary step towards Senior Development Gold. These
swimmers attend practice 3-5 times per week. Attendance of
meets is strongly encouraged. We do expect a wide range of
motivational levels in this group and will coach according to the
needs of each individual.
Criteria for recommendation into Senior Development Silver
include:
Attendance of meets is strongly encouraged
Attendance of meets required for movement to the next level.
A/BB Champs and State Champs qualification mandatory
Senior Development
Gold- (mornings and afternoons) - The Senior
Development groups are designed to serve as a progressive set of
steps between the Age Group, and Senior groups. The afternoon group
is designed to introduce swimmers to the level of training required
to excel at the senior level. In the morning group, swimmers
continue to develop their physiological conditioning and
psychological skills. However, morning swimmers are expected
to demonstrate a higher level of commitment to swimming. The
Senior Development swimmers will be expected to maintain a minimum
level of practice attendance. Coaches reserve the right to
recommend that swimmers, who are consistently unable to maintain
the practice standards, transfer to another group. Placement
into either group can only be made with the recommendation of the
coaching staff.
Criteria for participation in Senior Development Gold
include:
Afternoon Group: Minimum of 5 practices per week
Morning Group: Min. of 6 and max. of 7 practices per week.
Meet participation is required
Our Senior
Program is structured to produce outstanding swimmers and leaders
through intensified training and competition at the national and
world levels.
Senior Gold- Commitment of 8 water and 1 dry land practice per week. The
Coaching Staff is aware that some training weeks may present
unforeseen attendance difficulties. Make-up practices may
be available with the Senior Development group with
permission and will be available during the Saturday or Sunday
NOVAFit hours. No coach will be available during these Saturday or
Sunday make-up sessions, but a practice may be obtained with
reasonable prior notification. Our purpose is to develop a cohesive
training group that will allow dedicated swimmers to reach National
and International prominence.
Senior
Silver- is defined by the
same elite standards as the Senior Gold group. This group will
require a slightly lesser commitment, but will be expected to
maintain the group standards, to remain in the group. All swimmers
in the Senior Silver should be preparing themselves for the Senior
level of NOVA or college level swimming. The standards of
commitment and competition will apply throughout the year, fall
through summer. Senior Group swimmers by
definition comprise the most dedicated and skilled swimmers on our
club. They are an elite training group. As an elite group,
senior swimmers will maintain a rigorous training schedule. This
schedule will allow them to reach new physiological and
psychological levels that will become a departure point for the
thin air of success. Only those swimmers willing to embrace the
following practice standards should register for the Senior group.
This is a commitment not a convenience. The following standard
applies throughout the year, fall through summer:
Mandatory participation in full meet schedule
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