Senior (HS & college competitive; 8-9 x per week including dedicated weight training; 60-120 minutes)

The Senior Group is for high school students and WTSC alumni who are swimming in college. The focus of this group is on developing technical proficiency in all four competitive strokes and racing skills. Senior swimmers will participate in organized strength training workouts, advanced aerobic and anaerobic training cycles and will develop personalized racing strategies.

Senior swimmers will develop their understanding of short term versus long term goal setting, will develop pre-race and post-race routines and will begin to incorporate recovery techniques to maximize their performance at targeted meets during the season.

Season Goals

·      Establishment of goal times and knowledge of qualifying standards for Divisionals, State, Zones, Sectionals and Nationals.

·      Advanced proficiency in starts, turns, and underwater swimming and race structure and strategy.

·      Advanced racing skills, including efficient streamlines, head/body position, breathing patterns, kick timing, age-appropriate drills and proper use of equipment (fins, kickboard, buoy, paddles, snorkel, power equipment).

·      Advanced training comprehension demonstrated by an understanding of training cycles and energy systems (practice pace vs. race pace). Demonstrate the ability to be coached while training and the ability to accept and provide feedback about training and racing performances.

·      Able to actively participate in and complete age-appropriate dryland and weight training sessions.

·      Swim meet independence including time management, warmup and cooldown, pre and post-race routines and tech suit readiness in addition to appropriate warmup and lane etiquette.

·      Utilization of recovery processes including nutrition, rest and muscle recovery (rolling, stretching, etc).

Skill Focus Areas

Foundational Skills – Balance/body awareness, breathing and timing, breath holding, race starts, relay exchanges, turns, streamlines and finishes; technical proficiency (distance per stroke)

Freestyle Skills – Proficient breathing technique, rotation, kicking timing, arm recovery mechanics, catch/powerful pull

Backstroke Skills – Proficient balance, kicking patterns, rotation, arm entry/recovery, catch/powerful pull

Breaststroke Skills – Proficient kicking pattern, powerful pull, coordinated timing and pull outs

Butterfly Skills – Proficient kicking pattern, undulation, arm recovery, coordinated timing and breathing