Splash Group

Age group swimming for the youngest swimmer.

About Splash Group
Splash group is intended for swimmers 5 - 8 years of age who are new to the sport of competitive swimming. Practices are twice a week for 45 minutes and the cost is $46 per month. Check the practice times page for the most up-to-date schedule. Splash Group provides a developmental beginning to age group swimming with a lower athlete to coach ratio to facilitate stroke refinement. Splash members are expected to attend at least one swim meet each three month session.

The core curriculum is to develop and refine legal USA Swimming strokes and of course have fun while learning. The advantage of splash group is it’s an on-going progressive program that focuses on the individual swimmer. Swimmers will move up when they are ready instead of the end of the session. This allows swimmers to progress at their own rate and develop relationships with the other swimmers in the water. Each athlete will be treated as a team member of the Longmont Redtails Swim Club.

Why Splash Group?
Splash group offers a professional coaching staff. All coaches are certified through the American Red Cross and are members of the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA). Redtail coaches are proactive in continuing their education in the sport of swimming. Week to week, month to month the athletes see the same coaches and develop close relationships with them. Athletes also develop close relationships with each other.
The Longmont Swim Club offers a real opportunity for swimmers to develop, achieve and reach their full potential in the sport of competitive swimming in a positive environment.

Minimum requirements apply for this group, please contact a coach for a swimming assessment, or description of requirements.

We offer a one week free trial to see if Redtails is right for you and you may join anytime of the year!

Please download a new member packet and bring it with you on your first day. If you have questions please send an email to a coach or a board member found on the contact page.


We look forward to hearing from you!

The following are guidelines that define and outline the developmental phases of the different age group levels of the Longmont Swim Club.

Bronze Group:

This is a beginner’s level of competitive swimming with an emphasis on legal strokes and techniques.  To be in this group you must be able to swim a minimum of 25 yards of freestyle with lateral breathing, 25 yards of backstroke and have some knowledge of butterfly and breaststroke.

1)    The focus is almost entirely on teaching fundamentals of each competitive stroke and developing the basic motor learning skills, balance and coordination in the water.
2)    How far they swim is not as important as being in the water on a regular basis developing their feel for the water.   This group meets 3 times per week for 1 hour at a time.
3)    Coaches emphasize correct fundamentals that will be the basis for them as they progress in the sport. 
4)    The majority of yardage is low intensity and technique-oriented.  It is also the coach’s goal to teach the kids to love the water and have fun in the sport of swimming.
5)    We will go through the fundamentals of all 4 competitive strokes as well as starts and turns.
6)    We expect participation in beginner swim meets and also encourage participation in other sports.  The better the athlete, the better the swimmer.
7)    We take a long-term approach to swimmer development.  Once a swimmer begins in our program, we want to give them the preparation and tools they need to make swimming a lifetime activity.
8)    Kicking is a high percentage of conditioning at this level.

Silver Group:

This is the next step up from bronze group.  Swimmers who move into this level are able to swim all four strokes and maintain good technique on low intensity interval work.  This is a transitional level where technique is emphasized at a more technical level along with aerobic conditioning.

1)    Silver group swims 4 times per week for about 1 to 1 ½ hours per session and they are encouraged to attend as many practices as possible.
2)    The focus is still on teaching fundamentals and developing a strong foundation in all four competitive strokes.
3)    Athletes do more yardages on a weekly basis at this level along with low intensity aerobic training.  It is important to remember the skills learned in bronze group as swimmers begin to swim farther in practice.
4)    Kicking is a high priority in this level as well with most of it being done without a board to work on body alignment and balance as well as conditioning.
5)    This group participates in swim meets and attends practice regularly.  They have the focus and endurance to swim a little more challenging sets in workout.
6)    Swimmers are still encouraged to participate in other activities and sports.  However, not so many activities that it takes away from their attendance expectations for swimming.

Gold Group:

Gold Swimmers are striving towards being the best they can be and have a goal of making it on to the senior team.  The quantity and intensity of the training program increases and more time is devoted to physiological conditioning rather than teaching fundamentals.

1)    The mileage completed each week begins to be an important consideration, as we want to fully develop their aerobic capacities.
2)    As swimmers swim faster in practice, it is critical that technique not be compromised.  Thus, it is their responsibility to remember the fundamentals they learned in the lower groups.
3)    At this level training focuses on preparation for the longer events such as the 400 IM and 500 free.
4)    Gold group meets 5 days per week with each session being roughly 2 hours in length.  Swimmers are encouraged to attend as many practices as possible each week.  They are also encouraged to begin to make choices between swimming and other activities and work their schedules around practices and meets.
5)    Athletes in this group have the endurance and work ethic to complete longer more challenging sets in practice and participate in longer events at swim meets.


Athlete Placement and Promotions in Training Groups

Much time and effort is spent by the coaching staff to ensure that each athlete is in the training group that is most beneficial for their development as a person and as an athlete.  As you look through these criteria keep in mind that it is not just about being able to swim fast or demonstrate proper technique.  It is also about the swimmer’s ability to handle (physically and mentally) the training, the increased responsibilities of the next group and the higher commitment level that is required.  While an athlete may physically be able to train at the next level, if he or she does not yet posses the maturity and attitude for that group, then he or she will remain at that level to allow time and experience for those necessary skills to develop.  This ties into the coaching philosophy that places and emphasis on long-term development of the person and then the athlete.  It would be easy to set an objective criteria such as when you can swim this time you move up, but that doesn’t take into account a swimmer’s emotional development as well as their physical development.

Team Placement Criteria and Considerations:

1)    Level of commitment.
2)    Practice attendance.
3)    Training abilities.
4)    Stroke and skill development.
5)    Level of maturity and person responsibility.
6)    Meet attendance and performance
7)    Space availability.
8)    If new to team, satisfactorily completes placement test (tryout).

Moving up a Practice Group:

1)    The swimmer consistently makes choices that demonstrate the willingness to make the commitment level expected of the next level.
2)    Meets attendance expectations for the current group and demonstrates the ability to make attendance requirements for the next level.
3)    Consistently trains above the level of the current practice group.
4)    Fits age and experience aspects of the next level.
5)    Has the maturity and responsibility of the swimmers of the next level.
6)    Competes at swim meets and at the general competition level of the next group.
7)    Possesses the skills, techniques and endurance to train at the next level.
8)    A transition period where the swimmer swims some days with the upper group and some days with the lower group will be initiated prior to the child moving up from most groups.  This allows the swimmer to become more comfortable with the new responsibilities of the next group and to move when they are fully ready.




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