Ringwood Seals Swimming Club

Ringwood Seals Swimming Club Training Handbook Issue 2

Table of Contents 1 Introduction 4 2 Training 5 2.1 Session Times 5 2.2 Level 2 Coaches 5 2.3 Level 1 Teachers 5 2.4 Assistants 5 2.5 Coaching 5 2.6 Hydration 6 3 Session / Lane Criteria 7 3.1 Criteria 7 3.1.1 Session 1 Lane 5 8 3.1.2 Session 1 Lane 4 9 3.1.3 Session 1 Lane 1 10 3.1.4 Session 1 Lane 2 11 3.1.5 Session 1 Lane 3 12 3.1.6 Session 2 Lane 5 13 3.1.7 Session 2 Lane 4 14 3.1.8 Session 2 Lane 3 15 3.1.9 Session 2 Lane 1 16 3.1.10 Session 2 Lane 2 17 3.1.11 Session 3 Lane 1 18 3.1.12 Session 3 Lane 2 19 3.1.13 Session 3 Lane 3 20 3.1.14 Session 3 Lane 4 21 3.1.15 Session 3 Lane 5 22 3.2 Skills 23 3.2.1 Front Crawl 23 3.2.2 Back Stroke 25 3.2.3 Breast Stroke 27 3.2.4 Butterfly 29 2

3.3 Starts, Turns and Finishes 30 3.4 Stamina Levels 32 3.5 Seals Extra Requirements 33 3.6 Diving / Start Criteria 33 3.7 Attitude and Effort 34 3.7.1 Attitude 34 3.7.2 Effort 34 3.7.3 Attendance 34 4 Awards 35 4.1 NPTS Awards 35 4.2 Stroke Awards 35 4.3 Pre-competition Development Awards 35 4.4 Competitive Start Awards 35 4.5 Competitive Sprint Awards 35 4.6 Swimming Challenge Awards 35 4.7 Seals Awards 36 4.7.1 Bronze 36 4.7.2 Silver 36 4.7.3 Gold 37 4.7.4 Platinum 37 5 12 Week Training Plan 38 6 Drills Glossary 39 3

1 Introduction Ringwood Seals is a competitive swimming club, with a goal to provide the necessary coaching that ensures the children progress through the club, improving their swimming ability, whilst competing (and ideally winning) at galas. Training is geared towards achieving stamina, speed and good technique. Throughout the club there are various awards and badges that the children can gain and these are detailed within the session criteria. This handbook provides all of the relevant information regarding what is required in terms of speed, stamina, skill and attitude for moving through the club. Each lane has specific criteria that must be met to enable the children to progress. It is predominately written for the coaches and helpers to ensure that there is a common programme of training for all children and all levels within the club, however I m sure that parents and swimmers will be interested in the content. Training follows a structured approach and all strokes are covered. Whilst not all swimmers will excel in all strokes, progression in all strokes makes a very rounded and competent swimmer. The training will cycle through a specific plan covering all disciplines. Every 12 weeks the swimmers will be tested to see if they have met the criteria to move up through the club. Coaches will continuously assess the children but the main assessment will follow this timescale. The sessions will also cover all physiological aspects of training from anaerobic through to aerobic. The sessions will concentrate on stroke and skill development coupled with speed and stamina training which is required for galas. Training will not be easy and we expect all swimmers to put the right amount of effort into their swimming commensurate with the amount of effort that the coaches put in planning and delivering the sessions. As in every aspect of life the more you put in the more you get out. This is especially true in swimming and concentration on the coache s instructions will pay dividends. We hope you will find this manual informative and it helps to outline and identify how you will progress and what skills you will learn. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your teacher or the head coach. 4

2 Training All training is supervised by ASA qualified teachers at a number of sessions during the week. Swimmers are grouped according to ability rather than age in one of the 5 lanes in each session. To make sure you have a good rounded swimming education it is advised that you attend at least 2 sessions per week, obviously if you can swim 3 sessions a week you will find that you will become a better swimmer. However, when you first start once or twice a week is sufficient. During your time at the Club you may be asked to use training aids such as flippers etc. To ensure the swimmers use the correct equipment, the Club hires the equipment for a small fee. 2.1 Session Times Tue evening: Session 1 18:00 18:45 Session 2 18:45 20:00 Session 3 20:00 21:30 Fri evening: Session 1 18:30 19:15 Session 2 19:15 20:30 Session 3 20:30 22:00 Fri morning: 08:30 10:00 2.2 Level 2 Coaches Mike Sussman Head Coach Anne Nugent Swimming Director Carole Ralph Session 1 Leader Annette Sherry 2.3 Level 1 Teachers Nicky Bedford Richard Lines 2.4 Assistants Alan Manns Andrew Small 2.5 Coaching So that you know the name of the person teaching the various lanes the relevant teachers will be posted on the notice board. If you have any concerns then please either speak to your child s teacher or to the Head coach. 5

2.6 Hydration All swimmers must bring a drink with them, water or weak squash (no fizzy drinks) for all sessions. These must be brought poolside and remain on the edge of the pool (within easy reach) during training. Swimmers should be encouraged to have a drink between each set that they do when they are resting at the end of the lane. Swimmers may feel as though they do not need a drink but any exertion of effort will result in dehydration which can lead to cramp and fatigue. 2.7 Poolside Induction All swimmers will be given an induction when they join the club. This should include the following from a training perspective: Health and Safety regading evacuation and centre signals Behaviour Policy (this should be returned signed by the swimmer) Lane protocol Safe entry 6

3 Session / Lane Criteria Every lane in every session has specific criteria on which the swimmer will be judged to determine their readiness to move to the next lane. The following criteria are evaluated: Times Every lane has target distances and times which must be achieved Skills This judges the swimmers on the their stroke quality in accordance with ASA regulations and performance Starts/Turns/Finishes This increases the knowledge and efficiency of their ability in one of the critical aspects of races Stamina to increase their endurance and speed over longer distances 3.1 Criteria The following sections define the criteria for each lane and includes the target times and levels required against the above criteria. For target times, swimmers must have achieved the target time in a minimum of 3 of the 5 strokes to progress. The specific criteria for levels, such as skill level 1 can be found in later sections. The order the swimmers progress through the club is as follows, starting with the entry lane in the club. Session 1, Lane 5 (Lowest) Session 1, Lane 4 Session 1, Lane 1 Session 1, Lane 2 Session 1, Lane 3 (Highest) Session 2, Lane 5 Session 2, Lane 4 Session 2, Lane 1 Session 2, Lane 2 Session 2, Lane 3 Session 3, Lane 1 Session 3, Lane 2 Session 3, Lane 3 Session 3, Lane 4 Session 3, Lane 4 7

3.1.1 Session 1 Lane 5 Front Crawl (25m) 0:23.76 Breast stroke (25m) 0:38.33 Back Crawl (25m) 0:31.43 Butterfly (25m) N/A T10 N/A but 50m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length As required. Concentration is on technique Stamina N/A Skill Level Level 1 ASA Quality 25m FC/BK almost to ASA standard; BR almost over 10m; Fly N/A Starts Not covered Turns & Finishes Level 1 Extra Criteria EX1 Awards NPTS Level 4 Attendance Tue and Fri > 50% 8

3.1.2 Session 1 Lane 4 Front Crawl (25m) 0:23.06 Breast stroke (25m) 0:36.68 Back Crawl (25m) 0:30.16 Butterfly (25m) N/A T10 N/A but 100m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length As required. Concentration is on technique Stamina N/A Skill Level Level 1 ASA Quality 50m FC/BK almost to ASA standard; 25m BR almost to ASA; Fly N/A Starts Criteria 1 Turns & Finishes Level 1 Extra Criteria EX2 Awards NPTS Level 5 Attendance Tue and Fri > 50% 9

3.1.3 Session 1 Lane 1 Front Crawl (25m) 0:22.39 Breast stroke (25m) 0:35.10 Back Crawl (25m) 0:28.95 Butterfly (25m) 0:30.92 T10 Session Length Stamina 250m non-stop swim using either FC or BK 1200m N/A Skill Level Level 2 ASA Quality Starts Criteria 2 Turns & Finishes Level 2 Extra Criteria 50m FC/BK to ASA standard; 100m FC almost to ASA standard; 25m BR to ASA; 25m Fly almost to ASA standard EX3 Awards NPTS Level 6 Attendance Tue and Fri > 50% 10

3.1.4 Session 1 Lane 2 Front Crawl (50m) 0:47.41 Breast stroke (50m) 1:07.61 Back Crawl (50m) 0:56.47 Butterfly (25m) 0:29.45 T10 350m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 1500m Stamina Level 1 Skill Level Level 2 ASA Quality 100m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 25m Fly to ASA standard Starts Preliminary Competitive Start Award Turns & Finishes Level 2 Extra Criteria EX4 Awards NPTS Level 7 Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 60% 11

3.1.5 Session 1 Lane 3 Front Crawl (50m) 0:45.81 Breast stroke (50m) 1:04.88 Back Crawl (50m) 0:54.29 Butterfly (25m) 0:28.05 T10 Session Length 400m non-stop swim using either FC or BK 1800m Stamina Level 1 Skill Level Level 2 ASA Quality Starts Turns & Finishes Level 3 Extra Criteria Awards 150m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 25m Fly to ASA standard; 50m Fly almost to ASA standard Competitive Start Award EX5 Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 60% Speed Awards NPTS Level 8, Swimming Challenge Bronze, Pre-competition Development level 2 Bronze in FC or another stroke but FC must be close to target time 12

3.1.6 Session 2 Lane 5 Front Crawl (50m) 0:44.26 Breast stroke (50m) 1:02.27 Back Crawl (50m) 0:52.21 Butterfly (25m) 0:23.71 T10 450m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 2200m Stamina Level 2 Skill Level Level 2 ASA Quality 150m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 25m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 1 Turns & Finishes Level 3 Extra Criteria EX6 Awards NPTS Level 9 Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 60% Speed Awards No change 13

3.1.7 Session 2 Lane 4 Front Crawl (50m) 0:42.76 Breast stroke (50m) 0:59.76 Back Crawl (50m) 0:50.20 Butterfly (25m) 0:25.44 T10 Session Length 500m non-stop swim using either FC or BK 2200m Stamina Level 2 Skill Level Level 2 ASA Quality Starts Level 1 Turns & Finishes Level 3 Extra Criteria Awards 150m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 25m Fly to ASA standard EX7 NPTS Level 10, Swimming challenge Silver Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 70% Speed Awards 2 Bronze sprint awards (Frontcrawl + ANO), one of which must be over 50m 14

3.1.8 Session 2 Lane 3 Front Crawl (50m) 0:41.31 Breast stroke (50m) 0:57.35 Back Crawl (50m) 0:48.27 Butterfly (50m) 0:50.10 IM (100m) 1:49.73 T10 600m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 2400m Stamina Level 2 Skill Level Level 3 ASA Quality 150m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 50m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 2 Turns & Finishes Level 4 Extra Criteria N/A Awards N/A Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 70% Speed Awards As previous 15

3.1.9 Session 2 Lane 1 Front Crawl (100m) 1:38.19 Breast stroke (100m) 2:04.41 Back Crawl (100m) 1:49.25 Butterfly (50m) 0:47.71 IM (100m) 1:44.50 T20 800m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 2800m Stamina Level 3 Skill Level Level 3 ASA Quality 200m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 50m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 2 Turns & Finishes Level 4 Extra Criteria N/A Awards Swimming challenge gold award Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 70% Speed Awards 1 Silver and 2 Bronze sprint awards, 2 of which must be over 50m 16

3.1.10 Session 2 Lane 2 Front Crawl (100m) 1:33.07 Breast stroke (100m) 1:59.05 Back Crawl (100m) 1:44.05 Butterfly (50m) 0:45.44 IM (100m) 1:39.53 T20 1000m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 3000m Stamina Level 3 Skill Level Level 3 ASA Quality 200m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 50m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 2 Turns & Finishes Level 4 Extra Criteria N/A Awards N/A Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 70% Speed Awards As previous 17

3.1.11 Session 3 Lane 1 Front Crawl (100m) 1:28.22 Breast stroke (100m) 1:53.93 Back Crawl (100m) 1:39.09 Butterfly (50m) 0:43.28 IM (100m) 1:34.79 T20 1200m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 3200m Stamina Level 3 Skill Level Level 3 ASA Quality 200m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 50m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 2 Turns & Finishes Level 4 Extra Criteria N/A Awards Swimming challenge Honours award Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 70% Speed Awards As previous 18

3.1.12 Session 3 Lane 2 Front Crawl (100m) 1:23.62 Breast stroke (100m) 1:49.02 Back Crawl (100m) 1:34.38 Butterfly (50m) 0:41.22 IM (100m) 1:30.27 and non-timed IM 200m T20 1250m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 3400m Stamina Level 3 Skill Level Level 4 ASA Quality 200m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 100m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 3 Turns & Finishes Level 5 Extra Criteria N/A Awards N/A Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 80% Speed Awards As previous 19

3.1.13 Session 3 Lane 3 Front Crawl (100m) 1:19.26 Breast stroke (100m) 1:44.33 Back Crawl (100m) 1:29.88 Butterfly (50m) 0:39.25 IM (100m) 1:25.97 and non-timed IM 200m T20 1300m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 3600m Stamina Level 4 Skill Level Level 4 ASA Quality 200m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 100m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 3 Turns & Finishes Level 5 Extra Criteria N/A Awards N/A Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 80% Speed Awards As previous 20

3.1.14 Session 3 Lane 4 Front Crawl (100m) 1:15.13 Breast stroke (100m) 1:39.83 Back Crawl (100m) 1:25.60 Butterfly (100m) 1:29.24 IM (100m) 1:21.88 and non-timed IM 400 T20 1350m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 4000m Stamina Level 4 Skill Level Level 4 ASA Quality 200m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 100m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 3 Turns & Finishes Level 5 Extra Criteria N/A Awards N/A Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 80% Speed Awards As previous 21

3.1.15 Session 3 Lane 5 Front Crawl (100m) 1:11.21 Breast stroke (100m) 1:35.53 Back Crawl (100m) 1:21.53 Butterfly (100m) 1:24.99 IM (100m) 1:17.98 and non-timed IM 400 T20 1400m non-stop swim using either FC or BK Session Length 4000m Stamina Level 4 Skill Level Level 4 ASA Quality 200m FC/BK/BR to ASA standard; 100m Fly to ASA standard Starts Level 3 Turns & Finishes Level 5 Extra Criteria N/A Awards N/A Attendance Tue, Fri and Sun > 80% Speed Awards As previous 22

3.2 Skills 3.2.1 Front Crawl Skill Levels Front Crawl Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Body Horizontal, streamlined Horizontal, straight, streamlined, face in water Horizontal, straight, streamlined, face in water. Hips slightly lower than shoulder; eyes lookings slightly forward and downward; rotation of shoulder and upper body; head steady and central except for smooth turning to side to breathe. Increased shoulder roll and upper body rotation enables more power to be applied in the pull; On side to minimise resistance. Rotating from the hips with a fast whip to the opposite side; rotate hips, trunks, shoulders and chin. Legs Continuous kick In line with body; close to surface; steady alternate kick; whole leg movement with feet and toes pointed; small splash Feet and legs in line with body; close to surface; steady alternate kick; whole leg movement with feet and toes pointed; small splash;knees slightly bent; legs and feet pass close to each other; action originating at the hips and finishing with feet pushing against the water. Controlled and steady for longer swims and lower speeds; faster and powerful for shorter swims and faster speeds; Kicking within the same line as the body; the kick is sideways as well as vertical as it follows the rotating body. Issue 2

Arms Alternating arms recovering over the water Alternating action with controlled entry in front; fingers first; hands pull close to the body and towards the thighs; over the water circular recovery action. Horizontal, straight, streamlined, face in water. Hips slightly lower than shoulder; eyes lookings slightly forward and downward; rotation of shoulder and upper body; head steady and central except for smooth turning to side to breathe. Slight lengthening of the action at both the start and finish of the pull increases the distance obtained from each stroke. Correct hand pitch; Entry into water is fingertips, hands, wrist, elbow and then shoulder; Elbow high and fingertips down creates correct position for catch and pull; elbows kept up during underwater stroke. Breathing Breathing to the side Controlled turn of head to the side; regular pattern; bilateral; ensure exchange of air. Controlled turn of the head to the side; regular pattern; ensure exchange of air, air blown strongly into water just before mouth clears (or continuous slow exhalation); inhalation taken quickly; head returns to central position. Ability to breathe either side easily every 5 to 7 strokes with no head roll between breaths; Breathe in the trough created by the head as it turns to the side; eye position at 10 or 2 o'clock; slow exhalation during sroke with burst as their mouth clears the water. Timing Building to ASA standard Co-ordination of kicking, pulling and breathing into a continuous movement. Co-ordination of kicking, pulling and breathing into a continuous movement and consistent movement pattern; smooth controlled stroke. Relationship of stroke length and stroke rate should be developed to maximise their speed. 24

3.2.2 Back Stroke Skill Levels Backstroke Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Body Almost horizontal Almost horizontal, straight, streamlined, back of the head in the water Almost horizonatl, straight, streamlined, back of the head in the water and held perfectly still in a central position; chest clear of the surface with hips and seat slightly submerged; controlled rolling of the shoulders; shoulders clear of the surface; eyes looking upwards and slightly forwards. Increased shoulder and upper body rotation, while keeping the head steady, enables more power to be applied in the pull; Lie well back on the water with their head close to flat on the water. Chest is out of the water, and hips high in water. Legs Continuous leg kick In line with the body; steady alternating kick, whole leg movement with feet and toes pointed making a small splash; knees kept under the surface. In line with the body; a positive alternating kicking action; legs coming close to the surface but the knees kept under; whole leg movement with knees bending slightly and legs passing close to each other; feet pointed and slightly in-toed, with toes making a slight splash at the surface. A continuous, powerful kick provides stability for the lower body; Fast flutter kick maintains surface position and good body position; operates in narrow range. 25

Arms Arm recovery up to ears, little finger entry Alternating circular action over and under the water; controlled hand entry overhead at full stretch in line with the shoulder; hand and arm pulls round the side to the thigh. Entry - controlled with a straight elbow; hand placed into water, palm facing out and little finger first, in line with the shoulder; continues down as the shoulders roll to that side. Propulsion - at deepest point after entry, elbow bends and hand presses round and backwards towards the thigh; as the arm straightens, the hand presses downwards, facing the pool floor, before sweeping towards the thigh and up to the surface. Recovery - The shoulder leads, lifting up and round as the hand leaves the water thumb first; the elbow is kept straight as the arm lifts straight up above the shoulder to the entry point. A controlled entry and deep catch with shoulder roll followed by a strong bent elbow pull right through to the thigh increases the power and distance obtained from each stroke; Pull is very close to a straight line; deep enough on entry and catch to enable; hand maintains maximum hold on water; elbow pointed downwards and hand perpendicular to surface. Breathing As required, don't hold breath. Breath is exchanged regularly as required; in on one arm, out on the other. occurs naturally but regularly in relation to the effort phases of the arms. controlled regualr breathing related to the effort phases of the stroke. Timing continuous arm / leg action Co-ordination of kicking and pulling into a continuous movement co-ordination of kicking and pulling into a continuous, consistent movement pattern; smooth controlled backstroke. the relationship of stroke length and stroke rate should be developed and varies with each individual and wth the requirements of the swim. 26

3.2.3 Breast Stroke Skill Levels Breaststroke Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Body Horizontal glide position following kick. Stretched, streamlined on the front following the kick; lifting of the head and shoulders to breathe during the pull. From a stretched streamlined position, with the head in line, face in the water; the head and upper body will rise and fall in relation to the kick, pull and breathing pattern. An undulating, wave-like flow during the whole stroke cycle with a stretched streamlined position at the conclusion of the kick. Legs Simultaneous kick, feet towards seat, toes pointed out. Simultaneous kick;bring feet towards the seat; flatten and turn out; kick round and back in a circular pattern, and bring the feet and legs together again at full stretch. Recovery - from the extended position, the knees bend, drawing the heels up close to the seat and still under the water; knees behind the seat and about hip width apart; Catch - both feet flatten and turn out into the characteristic "frog" pattern; Propulsion - the flat feet kick back, round and slighlty downward, with the soles and instep pressing on the water until the legs are almost straight when the feet point and come together fully extended. A strong accelerating drive of the feet backwards. 27

Arms Bring hands down and round from stretch back towards mouth From stretch position, both hands press out and round in a small circular action in front of the shoulders. Catch - from the full stretch position, the hands facing slightly outwards and down, press out sideways to a "Y" position just wide of the shoulders; Propulsion - the hands lead the forearms in a downwards and inwards circling action, bringing the hands close together under the chin; the hands face each other with the elbows and upper arms following them in. Recovery - with no hesitation, the hands and forearms move smoothly and continuously under the chin and stretch forward to the starting position. Emphasis on the strong inward sweep of the hands and forearms leading immediately into the controlled drive forward to the full stretch position; maintain a fast rhythm. Breathing Breathe as hands pulled back Lifting the head to the front during the arm action and before each kick. Once in each stroke cycle, to the front as the hands and arms pull and before the kick. Controlled regular breathing inhaling during the arm pulling action and exhaling towards the end of the stretch will provide the best timing. Timing Pull, Breathe, Kick, Glide From the extended position, the hands and arms pull during which action the breath is taken followed by the kick and a return to the extended position (pull, breathe, kick, glide) From the fully stretched position, the arms pull, the breath is taken, the arms begin to recover, then the legs recover and kick back to the full stretch position (pull, breathe, kick, glide). The relationship of stroke length and stroke rate varies with each individual and with the requirements of the swim, and should be developed. 28

3.2.4 Butterfly Skill Levels Body Legs Arms Breathing Timing Butterfly Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 From the extended position, hands stretched out in front; with the head in line and face in the water; the head Lying on the front, varying with and upper body will rise and fall in Face in the water before the the undulation throughout the relation to undulation from the kick, hands enter will improve stroke cycle. pull and breathing pattern. streamlining A simultaneous kick, starting at the seat; the movement travels down through the legs to the feet, toes pointed. A simultaneous circling action, hands enter the water in front of the shoulders, press slightly outwards and then pull in and under the body through towards the hips; hands swing low over the water back to the entry position. Lifting the head to the front during the arm action. Kick; pull; recover; breath taken during the pull. Full undulating movement of the hips, legs and feet; the seat lifts and lowers; the knees bend and straighten; feet and toes are long and pointed. Entry - the hands enter the water in front, in line between the shoulders and head. Propulsion - following entry, the hands then move slightly out and down to the catch position; sweep in under the body, then back and through to the thighs. The head is lifted to the front with the chin forward before the hands complete their push through to the legs. A steady consistent undulation with two kicks to each arm cycle; bretahing once every two strokes. 29 A strong, rhythmic, whip-like kick, beginning at the seat and flowing through to the toes Emphasising the catch, pulling under the body and following through to the thighs will provide power and distance in each stroke. Controlled regular breathing related to the effort phases of the stroke. Emphasis on a steady, rhymthic and controlled balance of kick and pull enables the stroke to be swum continuously over long distances.

3.3 Starts, Turns and Finishes Skill Levels Frontcrawl Starts, Turns, Finishes Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Torpedo streamined position; ears Correct body/arm squeezed; distance position for all strokes. underwater > 5m Understands transition Distance underwater > Squeeze ears; Distance requirements; 5m underwater > 7m Push and glide in streamlined position Efficient Transition Dolphin Kick underwater Distance underwater > 10m Starts Backstroke Breaststroke Butterfly Hold start block (or side); feet on wall below water surface. Push and glide in streamlined position Push and glide in streamlined position Hands hold block; just outside shoulder width. Feet placed on wall; knees bent. Elbows bent; head follows curve of back Correct transition from streamlined position; One kick and pull to surface;can demonstrate correct transition in breaststroke Start pushes body over water in arched position. Body streamlined; hands together; distance underwater > 5m Strong transition, gaining momentum on push down from hips; Torpedo streamined position; fast dolphin kicks; distance underwater > 5m Distance underwater > 5m Body arches over water in arch to gain maximum energy for start Strong transition with single fly kick on start Faster kick to generate greater distance; Distance underwater > 7m Efficient Transition Dolphin Kick underwater Distance underwater > 10m Efficient transition; single dolphin kick; distance underwater > 10m Very quick and shallow butterfly kicks while streamlining in the torpedo position; distance underwater > 10m 30

Turns Finishes FC tumble, BC count from flags to touch Always finishes and touches wall before feet touch floor FC tumble, Start Backstroke tumble Correct finish of hands on all strokes Backstroke correct count from flags to touch Backstroke tumble, correctly twisting as come off wall Doesn't slow down at finish; strong touch; Compact turn; FC coming off wall on side/front; 3 strokes before breath Accelerates into wall; no breath for last 3 strokes Fast, compact tumble; No breathing in red zone Accelerate into finish; lunge on BK; no breath in red zone 31

3.4 Stamina Levels Stamina Levels Level 4 Rest Interval (between sets) Total 5 x 400 FC on 8:00 01:00 before 200s 3000 5 x 200 IM on 4:00 Level 3 5 x 200 FC on 4:00 01:00 before 200s 2000 5 x 200 FC on 4:30 Level 2 1 x 500 FC 01:00 before 250s 1500 2 x 250 FC on 3:00 01:00 before 100s 5 x 100 FC on 2:00 Level 1 1 x 400 FC 1300 2 x 200 FC on 4:30 01:00 before 100s 4 x 100 FC on 2:15 00:30 before IM 1 x 100 IM :10 All swum on turn-around times as stated with specified rest periods Issue 2

3.5 Seals Extra Requirements Skill EX1 EX2 EX3 EX4 EX5 EX6 EX7 Fully streamlined log rolls from push and glide with arms extended in streamlined position Pencil jump from side at deep end, streamlined entry 25m backstroke kick with arms extended in streamlined position 50m front crawl kick with float 25m breastroke leg kick Swim 100m backstroke Swim 200m - swimmers choice (must be nearly ASA standard) Swim 50m FC with tumble turn Comfortable to dive from the side at the deep end Can perform in water relay takeovers Can read a program and follow it with minimal questions Understands the principles of using the clock and rests / turn-around times Knows PB's for all strokes Knows stroke count for 25m Can perform a minimum of 6 repeats holding a consistent time (+/- 5s Understands different levels of effort when applied to training Understands the differences between aerobic and anaerobic training 3.6 Diving / Start Criteria Level Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Skill Push and glide to handstand (legs may be bent at knees during rotation) Push and glide into a forward somersault, keeping a tight tucked position throughout the somersault Push and glide into a stretched position, starting with shoulders submerged Pick up an object from the bottom of the pool using both hands with eyes open Hold a mushroom float then straighten out into a horizontal stretched position, arms and legs together Push and glide to touch the bottom of the pool. Place both feet on the floor and push up to the surface. To be completed at a depth of?m Back push and glide, arms stretched beyond the head in line with the body Perform a back somersault, starting with a back layout stretch position Perform a forward straight jump Perform a forward jump tucked Perform a forward jump piked Perform a tucked roll into the pool Perform a crouch dive Perform a back circle 33

3.7 Attitude and Effort As well as performing at races all swimmers must adopt a professional attitude to their training in terms of their attitude to training and effort that they put in. The coaches spend a considerable amount of time preparing for the sessions and keeping track of the swimmers performance and it is only fair that the swimmers apply the same level of effort. The attitude and effort of swimmers is recorded monthly against the following critera: 3.7.1 Attitude Doesn t stop and chat during sessions when they should be swimming Gets on with the set without questioning the reasoning (questions clarifying the task are acceptable) Swims complete lengths with the correct turns without walking Acts as a role model for younger children Doesn t mess about and follows sets as defined by the coach Completes all sets with the correct finish as if in a race Attitude is marked as follows: Excellent, Good, Average, Poor 3.7.2 Effort The effort the children put into their sessions is proportional to the times that they achieve and the skill development required to move up the club. Effort will be judged using the following: >100% - always puts in more than the expected effort. 100% - performs task at the correct pace set 75% - performs most of the set at the correct pace <50% - Doesn t put the required effort in. 3.7.3 Attendance It is expected that the swimmers attend as many sessions as they can make. As in all areas of life the more you put in the more you get out. We expect the swimmers to meet the target attendance figures defined below. This ensures a good level of training which should translate into skill, speed and stamina. 34

4 Awards Throughout their time at the club there are many awards that the children can earn. Some of these are linked to the session/lane that they are in and others are ASA awards for sprint times. There is also a Seals award (badges/certificates to be confirmed). The following identifies the awards that the children can achieve. NPTS Awards Stroke Awards Pre-competition Development Awards Competitive Start Awards Competitive Sprint Awards Swimming Challenge Awards 35

4.1 Seals Awards In addition to the ASA awards that can be obtained we have defined a set of Seals Awards which the swimmers can achieve. The target criteria and anticipated session / lanes are detailed below. 4.1.1 Bronze Target Bronze Times 50M FC 00:45.00 50m BK 00:55.00 50m BR 01:10.00 25m Fly 00:26.00 4 x 100 FC on 2:00 4 x 100 IM on 2:15 Anticipated achievement level is Session 1 Lane 3 4.1.2 Silver Target Silver Times 100 FC 01:30.00 100m BK 01:40.00 100m BR 02:00.00 50m Fly 00:49.00 200m FC 03:30.00 100 IM 01:45.00 200 BR 04:15.00 Or 200 BK 03:30.00 Anticipated achievement level is Session 2 Lane 2 or 3 36

4.1.3 Gold Gold Target Times Combined time for 50m (all strokes) 02:45.00 5 x 200 FC on 4:00. 03:15.00 5 x 200 IM on 4:30. 03:30.00 100m FC 01:20.00 100m BK 01:30.00 100m BR 01:56.00 50 Fly 00:42.00 Anticipated achievement level is Session 3 Lane 1 or 2 4.1.4 Platinum Platinum Target times 100 FC 01:10.00 100 BK 01:20.00 100 BR 01:40.00 100 FLY 01:30.00 5 x 400 off 8:00 FC 06:30.00 5 x 200 IM off 4:00 03:10.00 Anticipated achievement level is Session 3 Lanes 4/5 37

5 12 Week Training Plan The training is based around a 12 week cycle covering all strokes and a range of endurance, starts/turns and sprints. The following table details this plan. It is up to the individual teachers to define the session plans commensurate with this macro cycle in accordance with the ability of the swimmers and the target criteria. Session 1 Tue/Fri (Session 2 Lane 5/4) Session 2/3 - Tue/Fri Sun Week 1 FC Drills all EN1 FC Drills all EN1 Distance EN2 Week 2 BK Drills all EN1 BK Drills all EN1 FC or BK EN3 Week 3 Fly Drills Fly Drills 150 EN2 and Kick Week 4 BR Drills BR Drills 75/150 EN2 Week 5 Drills, Kick all Drills, Kick all EN3 Week 6 Starts, Turns, Finishes Starts, Turns, Finishes Relays, Concentrating on starts/finishes Week 7 FC Drills all EN1 Sprints SP1 Medley skills Week 8 BK Drills all EN1 100's -ve split 200 -ve split Week 9 Fly Drills SP2 Repeat sets at 125% to 200% of race distance Week 10 BR Drills SP3 EN3 Week 11 Tests Tests ATP Week 12 Tests Tests Starts, Turns, Finishes Swimmers will only be moved between lanes at the end of this 12 week cycle. This ensures continuity of teaching and ensures all swimmers cover all aspects of training. 38

6 Drills Glossary To be completed 39