The Minnetonka Swim Club has multiple levels of training groups:
o Novice 1 Development Group
o Novice 2 Development Group
o Light Blue Development Group
o Dark Blue Development Group
o White Development Group
o S3 Development Group
o Senior Development Group
o National Development Group
Overview
|
|
Novice 1 |
Novice 2 |
Light Blue |
Dark Blue |
Whites |
S3 |
Senior |
National |
|
Age Range |
6 to 9 |
10 to 12 |
13+ |
13+ |
|
Training Focus |
Training movement
rather than muscle |
Technical and tactical skill development.
Training-to-competition ratio: 75:25 |
High volume, low-intensity training:
aerobic conditioning with greater individualization of fitness/
technical training. |
Curriculum and atmosphere necessary for success at all levels of national and international competition |
|
Requirements |
- Swim 25
yards of
freestyle
- Swim 25
yards of
backstroke
- Able to
jump into
water |
Complete goals from Novice 1 |
New to sport of swimming |
Complete goals from Light Blue; display commitment similar to White group in order to move up White group practice amounts |
- 10 years old- Raced every
event
- Attendance
- Time
standards
- Intervals
/heart rates
- Competition |
Cross-sport athletes, high school swimmers, and club swimmers working on fundamentals or unable to meet Senior Group commitments |
Must achieve 4 of required time/interval requirements; adhere to accountabilities |
- Attendance
- Time standards
- Training
commitments
- Competition
commitments
- Fundraising
commitments
|
Competition
Expectations |
6 meets / season |
7 – 9 meets / season |
6 meets / season |
7 – 9 meets / season |
9 – 12 meets / season |
8 – 9 meets / season |
10 – 12 meets / season |
Coach/Athlete determined |
|
Practices |
|
Number |
3/week |
3/week; 4th discretionary |
3 / week |
4 / week |
6 / week |
5 / week |
~6 / week |
7+ / week |
|
Duration |
1 hour |
1 hour, 15 min. |
1 hour |
1.5 hours |
2 hours |
1.5 hours |
2 hours |
2+ hours |
Training
Breakdown |
45 min. in water
15 min. dryland |
1 hour in water 15 min. dryland |
45 min. in water
15 min. dryland |
~ 60-75 min. in water
~ 15-30 min. dryland |
~ 75-105 min. in water
~15-45 min. dryland
|
60 min. in water
30 min. dryland |
Will vary |
Will vary |
Please note that the descriptions of development groups are guidelines only.
Because athletes develop differently, age ranges are given. Additionally, willingness to commit and make swimming foremost in activities will be a factor of group placement.
While there are hard caps to placement criteria and they are intended to be fairly firm guidelines, it remains that there will be exceptions at times. There will be athletes whose physical and emotional development indicates a readiness to advance prior to a chronological age, or a need to remain longer in their existing development group.
Coaches will discuss with parents if they feel this is the case with any Club athletes.
