SWIM OMAHA GROUP GUIDELINES

Final group determinations are at the discretion of the coaching staff.

Novice:     Meets 2 nights per week for 45 minutes each practice.

                  Ages 5-10   To join the Novice group, swimmers must be able to complete 1 length of a 25 yard     pool,   with no stops and no assistance.  Stroke technique is not necessary to enter this level.

Goals For Novice

• Legal freestyle
• Legal backstroke
• Breaststroke and Butterfly should each be at least 50% legal
• Social and Emotional maturity commensurate with the next level.
• Must understand and utilize lane etiquette and team spirit
  • Must be able to swim circles
  • Must be able to go 5 seconds apart
  • Must be able to pass or be passed in the lane with good manners
  • Must have beginning knowledge about reading a pace clock
  • Must be able to listen, follow directions
  • Must be able to work with peers, take turns, be helpful.

Bronze:     Meets 3 nights per week for 1 hour each practice.

                  Ages 6-12

Goals for Bronze Group:

• Increased yardage, intensity
• Continued stroke development.
• Introduction to competitions.
• Legal freestyle and flip turn
• Legal backstroke and flip turn
• Breaststroke and Butterfly should be 75% legal
• Must have greater consistency and skill at lane etiquette and team spirit
• Must be able to complete 10 x 50’s K with fins on the 1:00
• Must be able to complete 10 X 50’s S with fins on the 1:00
• Must be able to dive off the block for a start.
• Must be able to do a backstroke start.
• Social and Emotional maturity commensurate with the next level.

Silver:   We offer 8-9 practices per week and ask kids to make at least 3 practices each week. Silver practices are 90 minutes each.  Age 8-14

Goals for Silver Group:

• All swimmers in this group MUST have their own kickboard,  fins and water bottle.  These items can be ordered from the Swim Omaha website.
• All 4 legal strokes and appropriate turns
• Learn greater use of the pace clock and all the various intervals used during sets.
• Learn and demonstrate higher levels of lane etiquette/manners and cooperation.
• Must be able to complete a 200 yard IM in 3:20.00 or less.
• Must be able to complete a 200 Free in 3:00.00 or less.
• Must be able to complete 5 X 100 IM on a 2:00 interval.
• Must be able to complete 5 X 100 Free on a 1:45.00 interval.
• Must demonstrate coachability.
• Must demonstrate an understanding of the TEAM picture.
• Encouraged participate in 1 meet per month.  Must do meets before moving up to gold.
• Social and Emotional maturity commensurate with the next level.
• Swimmers are strongly encouraged to maintain the 3 practices per week or more.
• All swimmers in this group are expected to participate in swim meets that SWIM OMAHA has scheduled and be in team apparel.

Gold:        Gold group meets 5-6 times each week for 2 hours each practice.  Kids are encouraged to make 4-5 practices week in this level.    Age 10-14

Required Equipment: Training fins; kickboard; Finis Snorkel, Agility Hand Paddles, water bottle; practice suit; practice goggles.

Goals for Gold 1

• Swimmers demonstrate endurance, proficiency, commitment, leadership and meet performance exceeding Silver Group level. 
• Swimmers must pass Silver to Gold test set standards.
• Higher level competition, MUST do 1 meet per month.
• More intense training and yardage
• More detail work on starts, turns, and stroke mechanics
• Dry land exercise, beginning resistance training
• Swimmers should be willing to learn about themselves and their potential capabilities by working towards achieving the challenges set before them. 
• They should have the desire to improve their swimming.  Swimmers should encourage themselves and others to work hard, listen carefully to instructions, and demonstrate a positive attitude about swimming.  The concepts of training and race preparation are introduced in this group.
   

Goals for Gold 2: 

• Be the most skilled and experienced age group swimmers
• Places an emphasis on serious training for competition. 
• Strive to rank among the top swimmers in the LSC in their age groups. 
• Gold 2 Group is a "bridge" between Gold 1 and Senior group. 
• Gold 2 swimmers practice at least four times (out of six available). 
• Skill development
• Physical conditioning
• Mental training and race preparation concepts.  
• Participate in LSC championship meet competition. 
• Practice sessions are 2 hours, five to six times weekly.  80% practice attendance is expected.
• Swimmers must have minimum of 3 “A” times in the 11-12 age group and 3 events
• Swimmers should have 450 or higher in the power points.