Silver Squad

Development level with competitive team.

Goal: to provide swimmers ages 9 – 13 yrs old,  with an opportunity to improve swimming technique and build diversity and endurance in the four competitive strokes, starts turns, and relays. Swimmers will have opportunities to practice goal setting, team building concepts, work ethic as well as enforce proper technique in swimming .

Training Ratio: – 60 – 80% technique, while building strength and endurance.  Beginning swimmers at this level will build from 800 yds, to the more advanced swimmers gaining 1500 – 2500 yds in a workout.

Practice Frequency: there are 4 possible practices during short course season, swimmers are encouraged to get to the best 3 out of 4, with no less than 2 of the 4 for swimmers that are beginning or have other sport and activities in a given month. Swimmers who are looking to advance to the next level will consistently make it to 4 practices a week, and continue to seek improvement in all areas, stroke work, race pace strategies, and dryland activities, in addition to being good role models in the practices.  Dryland activities include a variety of aerobic training, strength building appropriate to the age, as well as team building, goal setting, and other processes to improve both the mental and physical components of swimming as a sport.

The silver squad includes a variety of ages and abilities as a developmental squad.  As such we as coaches will work on both the basics with all swimmers as well as continue to build as the swimmer is ready – physically, cognitively and socially. The silver squad may be an entry level squad or part of the continuation of the swimmers development as an age group swimmer.  Having two coaches on deck allows for swimmers of differing abilities and ages to mix as well as get their own personal needs and goals met.

Skills and drills performed on the Silver Squad:

1. Balance kicking in all four competitive strokes
2. Breathing positions on all four strokes
3. Wall work – including dives, turns and finishes.  At this level, the first emphasis will be legal issues, progressing to how to make walls work for you in races, and accelerate your swim by using them effectively

FREE –

1. Catch up drills to focus on both breathing, balance and timing
2. Sculling drills to work on arm power
3. Breathing timing, position and race proficiency
4. Kicks – how to make them work for you
5. Long axis drills to work on core engagement and rotation required of the stroke

BACK

1. Long axis drills to work on core engagement and rotation required of the stroke
2. Kicks – how to make them work for you
3. Arm stroke work, positions of power, timing of arms
4. Timing of stroke as it all ties together

BREAST

1. legal kick and glide, progressing to most effective kick positions for speed and efficiency
2. arm timing with breathing, legal first, to most effective  pull for speed and efficiency
3. timing and glide of whole stroke
4. turns, starts and finishes

FLY

1. body roll, push – kicks, and hand lead kick, kick on all 4 sides of body
2. sculling work with kicks, to assist proper timing of stroke, and power phase
3. breathing and arm work – sneak a peek, one arm,  SA combo drills, race pace strategies
4. starts, turns, finishing

Coaches - Ellen Parchen, Stephanie Helberg