Bronze Squad

Goal: to provide young  novice  swimmers  with an opportunity to learn swimming technique in the four competitive strokes.  This group will begin to establish necessary competitive swimming components- such as: streamlining, flip turns, open turns, diving starts, reading the pace clock and team concepts. 

To accomplish these goals with young swimmers Coach Ellen:

1. Develops a structure and format swimmers work within
1. By teaching drills for each stroke that all swimmers understand and can perform,
2. By helping swimmers  understand how to organize themselves for each activity within their lanes
3. By including fun workouts that are showcased each month, to help build enthusiasm, endurance and socialization on the squad
2. Encourages swimmers to begin to develop goals and ideas about what they would like to do and how to get better – these can be as simple as attendance, skill work, or even specific swim times
3. Highly encourages Team spirit and respect which are covered regularly with swimmers in the context of practice components
4. Swimmers are encouraged to show up on time ready to work, show up to practices regularly to feel their own stroke improvement and build socially in the squad.  This is an early stage of developing a “work ethic” before swimmers are promoted to the next level

Training Ratio: 100% technique, beginning level 500 – 800 yds, progressing to more as the group advances

Practice Frequency:  three days per week is recommended for consistency, 4 days for those looking to move to next level and needing more endurance work, as they age up.

Entry level criteria:

1. 25 yd freestyle and backstroke with rotary breathing
2. one workable/ efficient kick
3. enthusiasm to “work” for  45 – 60 minutes, (vs. a lesson of 30 min)
4. knows that floating on back is a safety place

Basic skills and drills performed on the Bronze Squad:

FREE –

1. balance, body position and kicking
2. side balance, catchup – triple switch
3. turns, finishes and streamlines

BACK

1. balance and kicking, head position
2. side balance position, body roll and shoulders
3. arms – timing, pull,  and speed
4. turns, streamlines, and finishing

BREAST

1. legal kick and glide
2. arm timing with breathing, legal
3. timing and glide of whole stroke
4. turns, starts and finishes

FLY

1. body roll, push – kicks
2. breathing and arm work – sneak a peek
3. starts, turns, finishing

Coaches - Kyle Hopkins & Jen Luebke