IV. Junior

 A. Attendance (once in the group)—completes 4-5 practices/week with consistently strong effort  

 B. Attitude

       1. Approaches practice with purpose

       2. Formulates clear season-long goals

       3. Embraces hard work and big challenges

C. Skills

1. All stokes
   1. Accelerates hands from catch to release of all stroke
   2. Pushes off walls underwater in “spear”
   3. Dives from blocks keeping head down and goggles in place
   4. Propels self efficiently with the three basic prone sculling movements
   5. Propels self with three basic supine sculling movements
   6. Supports streamline with kick alone for at least 50 yards in each stroke
   7. Performs intermediated drills and dry progressions, for example

1. Crawl and back
   1. 1-arm swimming with the other arm by side
   2. Rolling human stroke
   3. Long-axis drill
2. Fly
   1. One-arm swimming with other arm back and chin-forward breathing
   2. Three hand-lead body dolphins followed by three strokes
   3. Three sculls with hand-lead body dolphin and pull through on third scull
3. Breast
   1. Two pulls/one kick or two kicks/one pull
   2. Breast with dolphin kick
   3. Double-pullouts
4. Freestyle
   1. Head centered and spinelined
   2. Bilateral breathing
   3. Moderate body roll
   4. Beginning hip snap
   5. Flip turns even when fatigued
5. Backstroke
   1. Head centered and spinelined
   2. Moderate body roll
   3. Beginning hip snap
   4. "Machine gun" kick
   5. Continuous arm action
   6. Consistent use of flip turns
   7. Double-pullouts
6. Butterfly
   1. Dolphin kick initiated from trunk
   2. "Kick-in, kick-out" timing
   3. Chin-thrust, low-angle breathing
7. Breaststroke
   1. Pull-breathe-kick-glide timing
   2. Out-slow, in-fast pull
   3. Feet wider than knees on kick    
   4. Performs moderately long pullouts
8. Turns
   1. Accelerates into wall
   2. Long,powerful pullouts and fast-snappy kickouts
   3. Deep-arm breakouts (ba and cr) and no-breather breakouts (fl and cr)

​​D. Knowledge

1.  Knows half of stroke tenets, acronyms, and applications
2.  Describes intermediate drills and drill progressions and knows purpose of each
3.  Explains minor rules of strokes, starts, and turns
4.  Explains proper technique and diagnoses stroke flaws at Gold level
5.  Uses the pace clock to monitor repeat times and send-offs of any multiple of 15
6.  Counts stroke cycles for 50 yards and adds count to the 50 time
7.  Takes 6-second pulse check and converts to heart rate (HR); explains relationship between HR and exertion level and change in HR and fitness level
8.  Recalls racing times in best six events and all goal-set times
9.  Knows relevant time standards for these events
10.  Sets seasonal training and racing goals and discusses them with the coach

E. Training

1.  20 im < 40:00
2.  20 x 1 cr @ 1:45 (make all)
3.  5 x 2 im @ 5 (<3:15)
4.  3 x 5 cr @ 9:00 (< 7:00)
5.  Runs long gravel loop (1.6 mi) in < 15 min
6.  Performs basic med ball and other dryland movements with moderate range-of-motion and speed-of-movement
7.  Descends short practice sets; holds pace on long one

F. Racing

1.  Has completed 200 IM, 200 and 500 free, and 100 in back, breast, fly
2.  Has KY State times in at least 3 events
3.  Performs warm-ups and cool downs at meets; checks on relays; cheers teammates
4.  Begins to evaluate own races objectively and consults with coach
5.  Competes at least one day/month