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.