The Montclair YMCA Dolphins Swim Team offers training and practice groups for swimmers of all ages and ability levels. It is the goal of the Montclair YMCA Dolphins to offer age specific training for all of our athletes geared towards challenging each individual and developing each individual to the best of THEIR abilities.
The coaching staff is constantly improving the Dolphins Swimming program. It is the swimmers’ and parents’ responsibility to make the most of the excellent opportunity this program provides for success in swimming and in life.
MYM Swimming uses a “progressive” age group program designed to develop each child physically, mentally and emotionally in a systematic fashion. A well-defined long-term approach of gradually increasing degrees of challenge and commitment is essential to reach peak performance levels at a swimmer’s physiological prime.
The emphasis in the early stages of participation must be placed on developing technical skills and a love for the sport. FUN is emphasized at this level. In the later years, more demanding physical and psychological challenges will be introduced to the training program. In this respect, “too much too soon” is more often the cause of failure to achieve maximum potential in senior swimming than in the reverse situation.
In addition to emphasizing long-term rather than short-term results, it is also important that we establish training groups of swimmers who are compatible with respect to abilities, commitment levels and goals. At each level, the goals and objectives are specific and directed toward meeting the needs of the swimmer. The long-term goal of total excellence is always in mind. As each child is different, he/she will progress at his/her own rate. The coaching staff recognizes this fact by making team assignments based on a swimmer’s physical, mental and emotional development.