Mini Whale's
Mini Whale's schedules:
Monday-Thursday: :30-:45 minutes Classes From 3 PM-6PM
The Mini Whales is our intro Pre Competitive Swimming Lessons program (Replacing I Can Swim). Your competitive swimming journey begins with the Mini Whales! In the Mini Whales you learn the basic fundamentals of competitive swimming in a light hearted team environment. Our coaches strive to put the FUN in FUNdamentals. We teach the values of community, skill development, sportsmanship and build the foundation towards excellence. The end goal of the Mini Whales program is to foster a love of swimming that is contusive to long term participation in the sport, as well as swimmer to be able to swim faster that 50 seconds over a course of 50 meters in Freestyle (Front Crawl) and Backstroke, under 60 seconds in a 50 meter Breaststroke, as well 25 meters of legal butterfly. Once these objectives are completed you are eligible for our Orca Program!
Pre-requisites:
- Safe and comforatable in the water
- Able to learn in an aquatic enviornment without a parent or gaurdian in a class setting
- Elementary School aged
Expectations of swimmers:
- Will attend all practices with a great attitude and eagerness to learn
Expectations of parents:
- Make sure to have the swimmer at the pool on time with all required equipment
- Stay informed of upcoming events by checking the website, bulletin boards, as well as talking to the coach
Required Gear and Equipment:
- Goggles
- Cap (for all swimmers whose hair exceeds eyebrow length)
- Water bottle
- One-piece swimsuit for girls
- Jammer, square, or brief swimsuit for boys
For swim meets, swimmers should have all of the above equipment plus their blue CRKW t-shirt, sweatpants, several towels, healthy snacks, and a time-occupying activity.
Practice Information:
Swimmers in Mini Whales practice up to three times weekly, with three practices consisting of 15 minutes of activation followed by 60 minutes in the pool. Swimmers are also invited to time trials which happen on various weekends throughout the year as well as competitions hosted by other clubs.
Registration for the Mini Whales program is ongoing. If you are interested in a skill assessment or require further information about this or any other program, please contact
Head Coach Richard Millns at [email protected]
Please see below our answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
What Can We Expect for these Lessons? Swimmers will sample the learning progressions of the competitive strokes. We will also provide assessment and placement within our Killer Whales Program.
I have received my placement into the program what does that mean? The Killer Whales Swim Club offers a wide array of programing options. We begin the swimming journey with the Mini-Whales pre competitive program. In the Mini Whales we offer the opportunity for swimmers to swim 1,2 or even 3 times per week for 30-45 minute lessons. In those lessons swimmers learn the foundational skills of the competitive strokes, and foundational skills of water safety. Once swimmers have successfully completed our Mini Whales program they move into the Orca Junior group. The Orca Junior is our first level of competitive swimming where swimmers can begin their journey as a fast racer!
What is the difference between the Mini Whales program and the Red Cross Program? Our Mini Whales program is replacing the outgoing I Can Swim Program as the premier, pre competitive swimming lesson program. The focus of the Mini Whale program is to pick up the most advanced technical skills from our trained coaches on the Olympic sport of Competitive Speed Swimming. The Red Cross Program run by our friends and neighbours at the Strathcona Gardens has a focus a bit more on lifeguard skills and water safety. Our philosophy is if you can swim fast, you'll be safe!
If I join the Killer Whales do I have to train at crazy hours and crazy amounts? In short not unless you'd like to. Being a great champion takes incredible commitment in the later portions of childhood. However to enjoy training crazy hours, our younger (14 and under) swimmers have a very modest and progressive training schedule to build the love of the sport and love of the team. We are very proud to offer our community the opportunity to be the best they can be and a training regime that can produce high level athletes that go on to swim in University and maybe someday represent Canada on the national team. However it all starts with a sound development and flexible scheduling that allows our young people to develop excellent swimming skills in a low key and lighthearted atmosphere.
We look forward to having you join the Campbell River Killer Whales and are excited for another great season!
