18 & Under World 100s
Pacific Swimming
Level 1

Reno Aquatic Club’s mission is to Develop Champions in Life Through Excellence in Swimming. This process starts as soon as your child joins the team. Our goal is to have your child develop and progress in the water and at the same time learn many valuable life lessons that will be beneficial outside of the pool

Currently, RENO offers seven different training groups based on ability and age. The minimum requirement for a child 12-under to join RENO is the swimmer must be able to complete 25-yards (one length) of freestyle. Unfortunately, due to lack of pool space, we currently do not have a group for those who can’t swim 25-yards. If this is the case, we can point you in a direction where your child can improve and, once ready, we’d be happy to have him/her join RENO.

RENO Groups

  • Mini RENO
  • Blue 
  • White
  • Orange
  • Pre-Senior
  • Senior 
  • National

Moving Up to the Next Group

Please note: RENO has seen significant growth over the last two years. We have created several new groups to be sure the swimmers are receiving the proper training. The move-up criteria is a work in progress and it is not set in stone. As the team continues to develop, the coaching staff's goal is to establish more concrete move-up requirements.

Our goal is to have your child in the group that gives him/her the best possible chance to succeed. It is important to trust the coaching staff in the development of your swimmer, but, as always, if you have questions on your child's group, please contact Head Coach, Ryan Evans. 

The coaching staff assigns swimmers to specific groups based on many variables. These include:

  • Age
  • Technique – does your child have proper technique for all four strokes?
  • Ability – how fast your child is in the water?
  • Coachability – can your child take stroke feedback from his/her coach and apply it in the water?
  • Listening skills – does your child listen to and process the information from his/her coach properly?
  • Maturity – is your child physically and mentally ready to move up to the next group?

Above is general criteria that has helped us develop specific criteria to advance to the next group. The criteria is listed below in the group descriptions.

Once the swimmer achieves the criteria and/or receives a coach’s recommendation, the swimmer can begin the process of moving up. When a child moves-up, he/she will go through a transition period. He/She will swim one to three days a week with the new group and the other days with the current group. This will happen until the coaching staff feels the swimmer is ready to be in the new group 100% of the time.

The coaching staff does its best to assign your child to the proper group. We do this based on what we feel will be the best group at the time to help your child succeed in and out of the water. 

It is important to note that move-ups can happen with a coach's recommendation even if the child does not meet 100% of the listed criteria.  

Mini RENO Group

Reno Aquatic Club's Mini RENO provides young swimmers with an introduction to the sport of competitive swimming. This group is ideal for swimmers aged 5 - 8. The swimmer must able to swim one length (25-yards) of freestyle to be a part of the Mini RENO Group. 

Criteria / Goals for Mini RENO group:                                                                                         

Swim Smarts

  • knowledge of all 4 strokes
  • knowledge of what makes a stroke "legal" 
  • flip turns and streamlines to flags

Events

  • 25s of all strokes
  • 50 free/back
  • 100 free/IM

Building Habits

  • on time, ready to go 
  • warm-up routine
  • independence – example: getting equipment
  • proper listening

Basic Clock Math

  • :10 apart & 1:00 / 1:30 intervals

Meets + Practice Goals

  • 500 yards/practice
  • attend one local meet

Mini RENO Group Coach: 

Coach Susan

Mini RENO Cost: 

$90 per month

Requirements to Move into Blue Group:

  • strong understanding of all four strokes
  • able to do flip turns at every wall
  • participation in one swim meet
  • coach’s recommendation

Blue Group

The Blue Group is the next group after Mini RENO. Swimmers in the Blue Group begin to develop their aerobic conditioning and a major emphasis is placed on proper stroke technique. Swim meets are recommended but not required for Blue swimmers.

Criteria / Goals for Blue group:  

Swim Smarts

  • legality in all four strokes
  • understanding the "WHY" behind disqualification
  • flip turns and streamlines to flags
  • open turn knowledge "elbow your brother, call your mother" 

Events:

  • 50 of all strokes
  • 100 Free

Building Habits:

  • on time, ready to go
  • warm up routine, taking ownership
  • equipment ready and know how to properly use
  • teaching independence/accountability/listening skills

Clock Math

  • know intervals 1:00, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:45, 1:55
  • know :05 apart and :10 apart

Meet + Practice Goals

  • 1,000-1,500 a practice
  • attendance at Reno Gamble and King of the Hill; other local meets are strongly suggested. 

Blue Group Coach: 

Coach Michelle

Blue Cost: 

$130 per month

Requirements to Move into White Group:

  • 80% attendance 
  • two Nevada State times
  • coach’s recommendation

White Group

The White Group is the next group after Blue. Swimmers in the White Group focus on being legal in all 4 strokes and a knowledge of legal starts/turns. They will continue to build their aerobic base while maintaining legal strokes. Swimmers are roughly ages 8 - 11. Meet are strongly encouraged for this group.

Criteria / Goals for White group:  

Swim Smarts

  • legality in all four strokes
  • flip turns and streamlines to flags
  • Importance of proper technique
  • Legal turns and starts
  • Interval training
  • Knowledge of training equipment

Events:

  • 100s of all strokes
  • 100 IM
  • 200 Free

Building Habits:

  • on time, ready to go
  • warm up routine, taking ownership
  • equipment ready and know how to properly use
  • independence / accountability / listening skills
  • encouraging teammates

Clock Math

  • know intervals 1:00, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:45, 1:55
  • know :05 apart and :10 apart

Meet + Practice Goals

  • 1,500-2,000 a practice
  • 4 out of 5 practices each week recommended
  • strongly encourage attendance at meets -- roughly one per month 

White Group Coach: 

Coach Julie

Blue Cost: 

$150 per month

Requirements to Move into Orange Group:

  • 10 x 100s freestyle @ 1:50 
  • 80% attendance 
  • two Nevada State times
  • coach’s recommendation

Orange Group

The Orange group is RENO’s top age-group group. Swimmers in this group further their aerobic conditioning, continue to focus on technique and establish a strength foundation through body weight exercises. 

It is strongly suggested that Orange Group swimmers attend local meets and meets they qualify for. Example: JOs, Far Westerns, All-Star Meets, etc. 

Criteria / Goals for Orange Group: 

Swim Smarts

  • legality in all four strokes
  • understanding the "WHY" behind disqualification
  • flip turns and streamlines to flags
  • advance knowledge of turns and starts
  • beginning to develop solid race strategies

Events

  • 50s-100s of all strokes and advancing to 200s of stroke 
  • 200/400 IM
  • All freestyle events up to the 1000

Building Habits

  • on time, ready to go
  • warm-up routine, taking ownership
  • equipment ready and know how to properly use
  • teaching independence/accountability/listening skills
  • goal setting 
  • time management

Clock Math

  • know and understand complex send-off intervals

Orange Group Coach: 

Coach Julie

​Orange Cost: 

$150 per month

Requirements to Move into Pre-Senior Group:

  • 15 x 100s freestyle @ 1:40
  • 85-89% attendance 
  • four state times
  • coach’s recommendation

Pre-Senior Group

Pre-Senior swimmers will further improve their aerobic conditioning and technique in preparation for high-level swimming. Dryland exercise will be incorporated to help the swimmer develop the proper mind-body connection. Another important goal for the Pre-Senior athlete is to train in a way that will allow for a smooth transition to the Senior Group.

Criteria / Goals for Pre-Senior Group: 

Swim Smarts

  • legality in all four strokes
  • understanding the "WHY" behind disqualification
  • flip turns and streamlines to flags
  • advance knowledge of turns and starts
  • executing proper race strategies

Events:

  • 50-200s of all strokes
  • 200/400 IM
  • all freestyle events

Building Habits

  • on time, ready to go
  • warm-up routine, taking ownership
  • equipment ready and know how to properly use
  • teaching independence/accountability/listening skills
  • goal setting 
  • time management
  • communication between coach/swimmer/parent

Clock Math

  • know and understand complex send-off intervals

Pre-Senior Group Coach: 

Coach Julie

Cost: 

$170 per month

Requirements to Move into Senior Group:

  • 89% attendance
  • 20 x 100s freestyle @ 1:30
  • 2 JO times
  • coach's recommendation 

Senior Group

The Senior group swimmers are progressing in a manner where they are on track to compete at a national level before they graduate high school. A greater emphasis will be placed on high-level training including an introduction to morning workouts and an increase in dryland work. Expectations for the swimmers will be increased, and the goal is to get them ready to advance to the National group.

Criteria / Goals for Senior Group: 

Senior group swimmers should have already established all the criteria from the prior groups before being a member of the Senior group.

Group Coach: 

Coach Ryan and Coach Susan

Senior Cost: 

$180 per month

Requirements to Move into National Group:

  • over 89% attendance
  • 20 x 100s @ 1:15
  • minimum of two Far Western cuts
  • coach's recommendation

National Group

This is RENO's top group and the swimmers in this group are preparing for regional, national, and international competition. The goal is for each swimmer to have a minimum of Sectional time standards and working towards Junior Nationals or Senior Nationals/Olympic Trials. In addition, the coaching staff's goal is to progress each National swimmer to the point where he/she has an opportunity to continue swimming on a collegiate level. 

Expectations for National-level swimmers include making 100% of the practices, commitment to high-level training, and being an outstanding leader.

National Group Coach: 

Coach Ryan and Coach Lauren for dryland

National Cost: 

$200 per month