SWIM OMAHA GROUP GUIDELINES
NOVICE GROUP
- Meets 2 nights per week for 45 minutes each practice.
- Typically ages range from 5-10 years old
- 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.
Group Goals
- 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 GROUP
- Meets 3 nights per week for 1 hour each practice.
- Typically ages range from 6-12 years old
Group Goals
- 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 GROUP
- Practice is offered 7 practices per week and ask swimmers to attend at minimum 3 practices each week.
- Practice sessions are 90 minutes in length which includes a dryland exercise period.
- Typical ages ranges from 8-14 years old
Group Goals:
- All swimmers in this group MUST have their own kickboard, fins and water bottle.
- 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 Group.
- 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 GROUP
- Meets 5-6 times each week for 2 hours per practice.
- Kids are encouraged to make 4-5 practices week in this level.
- Typical ages reange from 10-14 years old
- Required Equipment:
- Training fins
- Kickboard
- Finis Snorkel
- Agility Hand Paddles
- Water bottle;
- Practice suit;
- Practice goggles
Group 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.
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.
*****Note: Final group determinations are at the discretion of the coaching staff.*****