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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 11 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 6-8 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 or an entry level 13 year
old 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 11-13 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.
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
Senior
Gold-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
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.
Our
Senior Program is structured to produce outstanding swimmers and
leaders through intensified training and competition at the
national and world levels.
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