Assistant Head Coach
Kelly Howard  kellyhoward6@gmail.com

This group is initially designed for the beginning swimmer with a focus on fun through swimming. The emphasis is on perfecting the following skills:

  1.  Basic comfort level in the water.
  2.  Swim 25 yards of continuous freestyle while demonstrating rotary breathing.
  3.  Swim 25 yards of continuous backstroke.
  4.  Mature enough to benefit from instruction.

 

Practice Attendance - Swimmers should attend at least two of the four practices each week.
Goals for the Bronze Group - A swimmer completing this program will be able to do the following that meet the legal requirements for each skill:  
Swim a 50 yard freestyle, a 50 yard backstroke, a 50 yard breaststroke, and a 50 yard butterfly with correct mechanics.

 

SWIM

1. Swim a 100 yard IM (25 yards for each stroke).
2. Make the appropriate turn for each stroke.
3. Complete a racing dive from the starting blocks.
4. Demonstrate relay starts and transitions  
5. Demonstrate streamline five yards under water off walls.
6. Demonstrate appropriate finishes for each stroke.
7. Have a basic understanding of clock management.
8. Understand basic sculling maneuvers.
9. Have a basic understanding of clock management
10. Understand lane etiquette and circle swimming.

SMILE

1. Develop swimmers under umbrella of "fun".
2. Help swimmers to appreciate challenges.
3. Gain love of a swimming as a lifetime sport.
4. Coaches who appreciate and work with the individuality of each swimmers.

SUCCEED

1. Subjectively increase self-esteem and confidence in swimmer"s ability
2. Objectively measure success as related to faster times.
3. Participation in building team and individual pride.

 

MACRO CYCLES

 

September to October Phase I	Lane etiquette Skills development: streamline, balance, comfort level Drill progressions Kick sets	Warm-up 300 yds Set 1 300 yds Set 2  200-300 yds Warm down 50 yds Total <1000 yds
November to February Phase II	Aerobic work Speed development Clock management-introduction of intervals Starts, turns, finishes Breath control Relay work Kick sets	Warm-up 300 yds Set 1 300-400 yds Set 2 200-300 yds Warm down 50 yds Total ~1000 yds
March to May Phase III	Return to perfect technique Fine tune skills Kick sets	Warm-up 300 yds Set 1 300 yds Set 2 300 yds Warm down 50 yds Total 1000 yds

 

Meet Attendance - For those swimmers, who qualify, YMCA dual meets are mandatory, with selected USA mini meets and YMCA invitational meets highly recommended.