Swimming Waikato s Regional Development Pathway TO 2020/2024

Swimming Waikato Regional Development Pathway TO 2020/2024 Page 1

CONTENTS A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Page 3 EXPLAINING THE TIERS Page 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 5-6 LAYING THE FOUNDATION Page 7 DEVELOPMENTAL PHASES 8 to 12 years Page 8 13 to 15 years Page 9 16 years Page 10 17+ years Page 11 COMPETITIVE PATHWAY Page 12 THANKS TO OUR FAMILY OF SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS Page 13 THE FINE PRINT COMPETITIVE PATHWAY Page 14-20 THE FINE PRINT TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAMME Page 21-27 Home of our Junior Development Programme THE FINE PRINT HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME Page 28-43 Home of our Train Achieve Perform Squad (TAPS) Page 2

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN At Swimming Waikato, we want to help all 2,700 of our swimmers achieve their swimming goals. For some swimmers, this might be to develop their fitness for another sport. For others, they might simply train so they feel safe in the water during summer. And then there are our swimmers who dream about representing New Zealand on the international stage. These athletes will be our region s most dedicated swimmers they will have identified their swimming goals and have made a commitment to achieve these. We want to help make that happen. Our investment in swimming development in the region started with the engagement of Clive Power as Swimming Waikato s Regional Coaching Co-ordinator in July 2014. Clive s swimming Bio is impressive and after much consultation with the Coaches in our Region, Swimming Waikato will implement its tiered Regional Development Pathway for our swimmers in early 2015 Talent Identification High Performance AquaBlacks For easy reference, these Tiers are represented by Red, Yellow and Black, the colours of one of New Zealand s most successful and most parochial sporting regions. Wrapping around these three tiers is our Competitive Pathway which provides progressive competitive opportunities for our swimmers, also designed to help them achieve. We believe we re the first region in New Zealand that s offering a programme which is designed exclusively to allow our swimmers to achieve. This document details the philosophy behind our Regional Development Pathway. Information on how this pathway will be implemented can be found in the following documents which are included Competitive Pathway the FINE print Talent Identification Programme the FINE print High Performance Programme the FINE print We re excited to have the opportunity to support our swimmers and with your support as parents & caregivers, coaches and volunteers, we re confident we ll see some real success in the water over the next four to six years. Kind regards Simon Perry Chairman Page 3

EXPLAINING THE TIERS RED Our Talent Identification tier. The first stepping stone for our swimmers providing them with training and competitive opportunities designed to keep them in the sport longer and develop all the skills they need to become a great swimmer. It also introduces camps and domestic trips for selected athletes. Within this tier sits our Junior Development Programme which gives these up and coming young swimmers an introduction to the philosophies of High Performance sport. YELLOW Swimming Waikato s High Performance training environment and the home of the Train Achieve Perform Squad (TAPS). Athletes who achieve the qualifying standards to become part of TAPS will embark on a programme designed to help them succeed. They will receive targeted and specific support to ensure they have the opportunity to be the best they can be. The programme will include sport specific testing, training camps and national & international travel. Squad members will be supported by Scholarships and offered personal development opportunities. BLACK Our AquaBlacks - New Zealand s swimming elite. Page 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In mid 2014, Swimming Waikato established the position of a Regional Coaching Coordinator who would be responsible for establishing a Regional Development Pathway which would reflect Swimming New Zealand s LTAD (Long Term Athlete Development) Model and offer development opportunities for all of the Region s swimmers. As is the case in most swimming programmes in the country, the term High Performance is often misunderstood or used recklessly. In many cases, this causes both swimmers and coaches to have an inflated perception of their ranking, resulting in short cuts being taken in a swimmers development. The following interpretations have been provided by Swimming New Zealand s High Performance Director - High performance coaching is more an attitude than a title and depends more on how, than where, a coach coaches. Having a High Performance athlete on your squad doesn t automatically make you a high performance coach. You can be a high performance coach developing young athletes to high performance. What makes a coach high performance? In order to become high performance, a coach can follow two paths, namely: - Waiting for the development of a super talented swimmer to outperform his average programme. - Implementing the basics of a high performance programme regardless of the talent of the swimmers on the squad. Coaches in the Waikato must, as a first step, start developing a sustainable high performance environment and culture around their coaching programmes. From club based learn to swim programmes through to the senior competitive coaching programmes, there must be an awareness of what a high performance environment and culture looks like. The implementation and carrying out of best practice coaching has to be coordinated and managed, following a well-designed coaching and competitive pathway. The pathway or plan must have absolute buy in by all members of the Swimming Waikato community. Swimming Waikato is a member of Central Swimming Inc (Waikato, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay/Poverty Bay) which provides an additional pathway for our swimmers through the selection of Aquaknight teams that compete at Zonal Champs and Australian Age Group competitions. Swimming Waikato will integrate Aquaknight team selections into its High Performance Programme. Page 5

The Swimming NZ Competitive Pathway will take precedence over Swimming Waikato s Regional Development Pathway but conversely, Swimming Waikato s pathway will take precedence over club programmes. Our swimmers must be aware of the requirements and protocols of best practice coaching and be prepared to commit to the demands and criteria that are required to become a High Performance athlete. It is important that there is total belief and buy in and that there is no temptation to compromise the aims and objectives of. Clive Power Regional Coaching Co-ordinator Page 6

LAYING THE FOUNDATION The overarching criteria for establishing is that it reflects Swimming New Zealand s Long term Athlete Development Model. It is essential then, that those responsible for carrying out learn to swim and coaching programmes in the Waikato are familiar with SNZ s LTAD Model and have this as a guiding principle in their strategic plans. SNZ s LTAD MODEL THE PRINCIPLES Long term athlete development is about achieving the correct training throughout a swimmer s career and ensuring emphasis is put on developing a swimmers skill level from a young age. It is important that all swimming programmes develop good technique and skills in the younger swimmers, as well as nurturing these swimmers to stay in the sport long enough to achieve their potential. All swimmers go through the With young swimmers, the emphasis must be placed on skill learning not WINNING Any athlete development programme must show patience that will allow young swimmers of today the opportunity to be participating in their 20+ years. produce swimmers of the future. same developmental stages (albeit at different rates) in their lives from childhood to adulthood, with each stage of this physical cycle varying in length. Females tend to develop earlier than males. Early Success Does Not Predict Success, therefore it is critical for the long term development of the swimmer that there are strategies put in place. It is important that a swimmer has the engine built first through aerobic endurance which is developed rapidly during the pre-puberty stage of growth. Once this has been achieved, then optimizing the engine by maintaining high volume workloads with increasing intensity will develop the swimmer long term, keeping an emphasis on physical conditioning. Once the swimmer has progressed through these stages, it is then about having a specialised individual training plan and enhanced performance goals to Coaches and swimmers must understand what is required to produce a world class athlete. Development of Swimmers in Specific Areas - Physiological aspects agility, balance, coordination, buoyancy. Skill requirements aquatic body awareness, streamline, under water speed, technique development. Training ability aerobic development, strong in all four strokes, understanding of stroke count, race pace skills acquisition. Page 7

DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE - 8 TO 12 YEARS In this phase of a swimmers development, training is about enjoying challenging and progressive experiences and multi-sport skill development. This Learn to Train phase includes - Development and consistent demonstration of all swimming skills. Expert instruction on technical and physical skills. Pre growth-spurt focus on repetition of skill. Development of positive attitudes to self, others and sport. Participation in other sports. High repetition, low intensity skill focus. Develop agility, balance, coordination own body exercises for strength. Provide modified competitive opportunities and an introduction to competitive structures and events. Measuring the aerobic skill mastery and short duration speed skill. Competitive rewards focused on broad skill development and aerobic development. Competencies: 8 10 years Lane swimming, discipline, direction, use of clock starting, resting Use of personal equipment, eg. flags, goggles etc Learning of stroke technique Awareness of perceived effort, easy acceleration, fast finish Working in group exercises/ stretching Capable of 10 exercises/stretches Competencies: 11 12 years Use of clock monitoring your times, checking heart rates Development of stroke technique Stroke counting, increase pace, consistency of repetition Capable of 10 flexibility exercises Capable of 15 land exercises with own body weight Awareness of We must all, coaches and parents, make a commitment to ensure that the swimmers of the future are coached to: Be aerobically and anaerobically developed. Understand the training discipline required, both in and out of the pool, to be a HP athlete. Develop world class race skills. Develop and buy into SNZ s Sports Culture. Continuous swim test Speed test (skill based) Kick test Window of Opportunity One LEARNING SKILLS MUST BE EMBEDDED AT AN EARLY AGE, BUILT AND STRENGTHENED Page 8

DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE 13 TO 15 YEARS The key areas to focus on in this developmental phase are Building the engine to train: Developing aerobic conditioning Developing anaerobic conditioning Introducing some speed work Optimising the engine to compete: Improving physical conditioning Building anaerobic conditioning Including specific race pace work Learning advanced skills: Developing underwater fly kick on front and back to the 10m mark Learn stroke count and improve technique Improve race skills (start, turn, finish) Start to learn how to pace Body awareness: Develop agility Introduce core exercises Develop balance Include body weight exercises Include team games / cross training Competencies: 13 15 years Use of clock understanding how to do pace work Maintain efficient technique Increased volume Racing skills Introduce some intense interval training Compete in various stroke events and distances Monitoring of your training and competitive times Checking heart rates training intensities Development of stroke technique Capable of 10 flexibility exercises Capable of 15 land exercises with own body weight. Awareness of Swim Waikato s and SNZ pathways Window of Opportunity Two COACHES NEED TO FIRST DEVELOP THE AEROBIC CAPACITY SYSTEM BEFORE DEVELOPING THE ANAEROBIC CAPACITY SYSTEM Page 9

DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE 16 YEARS Male swimmers in particular, of 16 years of age who have reached this stage of their careers are at their most critical and vulnerable stage of both physical and psychological development. Coaching must be stepped up to another level to ensure this age group are catered for and guided through their swimming career. With females, this stage will be occurring at least two years previously - at 14-15 years. A key training focus for this age group is training to compete and win: Specific training sets Enhanced performance goals Test sets / race analysis Fine Tuning Skills: Increase speed on under water fly kick to 10m mark Refine stroke technique in training sets Perfect race skills Develop pacing capabilities Body Awareness Strength and Control: Refine flexibility Enhance core stability Competencies - 16 Years Fine tuning stroke technique Understand race pace training sets Transfer power into swimming Knowledge of SNZ High Performance Pathways Rewards for performance should not be material or monetary at a young age. The design and structure of a competitive pathway is sufficient to provide reward. Positive acknowledgement of a swimmer s performance is often all that is needed or acknowledged at anytime! Window of Opportunity Three SWIMMERS MUST BE COACHED TO ENJOY CHALLENGING AND PROGRESSIVE EXPERIENCES Page 10

DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE 17+ YEARS The key areas to focus on in this development phase are - Train and compete to win: Enhanced performance goals Testing and data analysis Specialised individual training Enhancing Skills: World class under water speed Perfect stroke technique at race pace Fine tune race pace skills Fine Tune Postural Awareness: Develop specific individual weight training programmes Refine flexibility Enhance core stability Retain range of motion and muscular co-ordination Page 11

COMPETITIVE PATHWAY A key part of the success of is the implementation of a new look Competitive Pathway. The competitive pathway wraps around the entire Regional Development Programme. It is a structure that is designed to develop swimmers competitively, offering competitive and challenging opportunities for all swimmers across all levels. The Competitive Pathway introduces the concept of tiered meets which will allow swimmers to compete against other athletes of the same ability. As our swimmers improve their times, they qualify to move to the next Tier of swimming meet. These will be short, focussed meets which will ensure whole weekends are not spent poolside, while still offering our swimmers the competitive opportunities they need to develop. More information on the implementation of the Competitive Pathway can be found in the Competitive Pathway The Fine Print document. Page 12

THANKS TO OUR FAMILY OF SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS The ongoing support of these organisations allows us to focus our efforts on developing swimming within the Waikato region. Page 13

Competitive Pathway Part of THE FINE PRINT Page 14

CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 16-17 IMPLEMENTING THE COMPETITIVE PATHWAY Page 18-19 SUMMARY OF CAMPS AND TRIPS Page 20 Page 15

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY includes the development of a High Performance Plan which provides swimmers and coaches the pathway to the international stage of Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and World Championships. The question arises instantly, of how the gap is bridged from where a swimmer is now, to achieving what are the pinnacle competitions in our sport. It also raises the age old debate that high performance aspirations create an elitism culture in our sport, thereby, not making it attractive to parents or their children to enter the sport. Swimming Waikato is taking the unique step of modifying the competitive structure that has been run on a 100 year old template. Our aim is to ensure that the first step/entry point to the sport of swimming in the Waikato is made more attractive by removing the win at all costs attitude. This will be achieved by shifting the focus of coaching to developing skills in the four competitive strokes and in competition at all junior levels. SWIMMERS FROM AN EARLY AGE MUST BE COACHED TO ENJOY CHALLENGING AND PROGRESSIVE EXPERIENCES, encompassing the High Performance and Talent Identification Programmes, takes a long term approach, 2020 2024, which allows time for swimmers to develop a strong foundation of skills that will equip them for a lifetime of involvement in a range of aquatic activities. Competitive racing skills will be developed through a carefully designed sequential competitive pathway. The start of the Competitive Pathway Programme will be via what was once the corner stone of swimming in New Zealand - the Club Night. All clubs in the Waikato will be encouraged to provide entry level competitive club nights where swimmers are introduced to swimming on a have a go basis. Where Clubs do not have access to a pool through the winter months, they will be encouraged to join with other swimming clubs to offer the Club Night experience. The next step in the Competitive Pathway phase is the introduction of a new look competitive calendar, offering our swimming community innovative and exciting competitive opportunities, designed to meet the needs of our swimmers. Three tiers of meets will be introduced, each with a no faster than qualification. Our swimmers will move through the tiers as their times improve, ensuring competitive racing opportunities at each stage as they compete against swimmers of a similar ability. This will also allow swimmers to mature physically and embed skills in a more controlled environment. Camps and other development opportunities will also form part of the Competitive Pathway Programme. The entry level, club nights and club run meets will align with swimming NZ s Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model by focusing on the learning of competitive skills rather than the winning, Page 16

particularly for the young 12/u swimmers. A Competitive Blackout Period from April to June will focus on skill learning, relay competition and evaluation camps. Tiers Two and Three will have a more structured monthly competitive pathway which will utilise the new NFT (Not Faster Than) qualification criteria based on the Division 2 and National Age Group qualifying standards. Both these competition levels are supplemented by weekend camps throughout the year that will bring this level of swimmer together. Tier One, the top tier, will be the where our future High Performance swimmers will develop by being exposed to increasingly more high level competition throughout the senior years of their swimming careers. This group should be competing at least 12 times throughout the year (Long Course and Short Course) at top Regional, National or International meets. As mentioned earlier, these sequential steps from the introduction at club level through to the top level swim meet will provide a challenging competitive environment that will lead swimmers into Swimming Waikato s High Performance Programme. Page 17

IMPLEMENTING THE COMPETITIVE PATHWAY Club Nights - All clubs are encouraged to run monthly club nights as a first entry point into competitive swimming, thereby fulfilling the Key Objectives set out in SNZ Whole Of Sport Plan. All club nights or country club run meets should be run on the not faster than (NFT) time qualifying criteria listed below. Club nights are unofficial which means they do not have to comply with Swimming New Zealand s requirements of a minimum number of officials. It also means that times swum cannot be used as qualifying times for national meets. Club nights are for any competitive, club or learn to swim swimmers whose race times fit within the criteria listed below. Once a swimmer has swum fast enough in one event to move to the Tier Three meet, he/she will be entitled to compete in all events at the next level. 50 100 50 100 50 100 50 100 100 200 Age Free free Back Back Breast Breast Fly Fly IM IM 10/u 43 1.35 40 1.47 55 2.01 40 1.48 1.48 3.57 11/12 38 1.24 43 1.34 48 1.47 42 1.33 1.34 3.22 13/0 33 1.12 38 1.20 42 1.31 37 1.20 1.21 2.54 Level Three Meets Level Three has as qualifying criteria, NFT Division II qualifying criteria 13/14/15/16-18 years. These meets are for Competitive swimmers only. They will be run as official meets which means times swum at these meets can be used as qualifying opportunities for National events. A swimmer will be able to move to a Tier Two meet when they have swum one qualifying time. Meets for this level of swimmer are run monthly, on the second Saturday of each month or as appropriate. Meets are allocated to clubs to run throughout the year. A maximum time limit (MTL) is imposed on these meets of 4 hours inclusive of warm up either am or pm. Swimming New Zealand s qualifying times for Division II can be found on their website www.swimmingnz.org.nz. Page 18

Level Two Meets Level Two has qualifying criteria NFT National Age Group qualifying criteria. Ages 12-13, 14, 15, 16, 17-18 years. These meets are for Competitive swimmers only. They will be run as official meets which means times swum at these meets can be used as qualifying opportunities for National events. A swimmer will be able to move to a Tier One meet when they have swum one qualifying time. Meets are allocated to either Club or Swim Waikato to run. A maximum time limit (MTL) is imposed on these meets of 4 hours within Waikato with the exception of combined Level Two/Three meets which have an am / pm session of 2.5 hours each. Swimming New Zealand s qualifying times for National Age Groups can be found on their website www.swimmingnz.org.nz. Level One Meets Level One is the top tier of Swimming Waikato s competitive pathway with all competition reflecting this. These meets are for Competitive swimmers only. They will be run as official meets which means times swum at these meets can be used as qualifying opportunities for National events. Meets are run by swim Waikato. Minimum qualification is National Age Group qualifying times. A maximum time limit is imposed on these meets (MTL) in the Waikato of an am/pm sessions of 2.5 hours each. Swimming New Zealand s qualifying times for National Age Groups can be found on their website www.swimmingnz.org.nz. Page 19

SUMMARY OF CAMPS AND TRIPS 11 TO 17+ YEARS Weekend camps will be scheduled throughout the year, following on from specified tiered meets. Weekend Camps: 5 th and 6 th of December 2015 Two Day Live-in Camp Selection Criteria Swimmers who achieve a minimum of 5% of National Age Group qualifying times Swimmers who achieve a minimum of 5% of Division II qualifying times Qualifying as of 31 st October 2015 23 rd and 24 th of April 2016 Two Day Live-in Camp Selection Criteria Swimmers who achieve a minimum of 5% of National Age Group qualifying times Swimmers who achieve a minimum of 5% of Division II qualifying times Qualifying as at 31 st March 2016 Additional coaching days will be held throughout the year at times to coincide with visits to the region by our Regional Coaching Co-ordinator. Selection for these will be based on the focus of the day, ie. stroke specific, workshops, testing. Team Trips: Wellington Summer Champs 12 th to 20 th January 2016 BOP Age Group Meet 23 rd and 24 th January 2016 Page 20

Talent Identification To 2020 / 2024 Home of the Junior Development Programme THE FINE PRINT Page 21

CONTENTS A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Page 23 IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN Page 24-25 8 to 10 years 11 to 12 years THE BLACK OUT PERIOD Page 26-27 Page 22

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Sitting under the High Performance Programme is Swimming Waikato s Talent Identification Programme. It s the start of the pathway for our swimmers, offering them specific development opportunities designed to improve their technique and their times. It s the home of our Junior Development Programme and with some real dedication and commitment, we re confident that large numbers of our swimmers will make the transition into High Performance. This is another example of an investment into swimming in the Region by the Board of Swimming Waikato. Whilst we acknowledge the work required to give our top swimmers the very best opportunity to succeed, we also understand the need to offer a pathway for our up and coming swimmers, one that gives them a reason to stay in our sport, and allows them to set goals and achieve them. We believe that our Talent Identification Programme will enable them to do this. Attached is the detailed Plan. As mentioned above, we re excited to have the opportunity to support the up and coming swimmers in our region and with your support as parents, coaches and caregivers, we re confident we ll see some great results as these swimmers move from the Talent Identification phase into our High Performance Programme. Kind regards Simon Perry Chairperson Page 23

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN SWIMMING WAIKATO JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: 8-10 YEARS There will not be any formalised Swimming Waikato Coaching programme for the 8-10 years age group. However it is expected that all club and privately run learn to swim and club coaching programmes will adhere to the principles as outlined in the Swimming Waikato LTAD model. It is also expected that learn to swim tutors and coaches of the 8-10 year old age group undertake educational opportunities to ensure that delivery of swimming skills is best practice. SWIMMING WAIKATO JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: 11-12 YEARS Swimmers in this age group should focus on broad skill development, acquiring the skills of swimming the four competitive strokes. Swimming Waikato s Junior Development Programme (JPD) will adopt SNZ s XLR8 programme to facilitate the broad skill development component of the JPD. The XLR8 programme was developed to rank and track swimmers over four events, rather than just one. In addition to the personal benefits of training and racing a variety of strokes and distances, Swimming New Zealand use XLR8 point rankings to select swimmers for the three annual Regional Age Group Development Camps (13 and 14 year olds) and Regional Junior Development Camps (11 and 12 year olds). For further information refer to: www.swimming.org.nz or www.takeyourmarks.com The Implementation of the JDP - The statistical tracking of swimmers in the Waikato who are on the XLR8 programme will be done on a regular basis and lists published monthly on the Swimming Waikato website. A Competitive Blackout period, 1 st April to 30 th June, will be held for all 12/u swimmers. During this period, all practice sessions will be skills focussed, following a region wide 4x3 week coaching template covering all four strokes, starts and turns. Three relay meets will be held between April and June. There will be testing of competencies at day camps at the end of April, May and June (tbc). The Regional Coaching Coordinator will visit coaching programmes, critiquing the delivery of coaching to swimmers on the JDP and run workshops for coaches from time to time. Page 24

Selection Criteria - Age Type of Points Bronze Squad Silver Squad Gold Squad 11-12 XLR8 2500+ N/A N/A Mentor Coaches Graeme Laing (Technical advisor) Tier two Coaches Programme 2015 - Month Format Focus April / May / June One day camps Testing Competencies August / October Away Competition TBC December Camp Testing Competencies Page 25

COMPETITIVE BLACKOUT PERIOD As touched on earlier, an important part of the Talent Identification Programme is the implementation of a Competitive Blackout period for our swimmers aged 12 and under. This Blackout will take place each year from 1 April to 26 June (tbc). The rationale behind the Blackout Period is it provides an opportunity for our young swimmers to move their focus away from competition, instead focussing on skill development and the development of physical and psychological capability. With young swimmers, the emphasis must be placed on skill learning not WINNING Specialisation must be avoided, freestyle and medley must be the core of the coaching programme. Focus of training must be on drills and skills rather than times. Underwater kick is the fifth stroke and must be practiced and monitored as frequently as the other four strokes. Each coaching programme in the Waikato is encouraged to implement an exciting, fun and memorable learning experience for their 12/u swimmers over the 3 months of the Blackout. The suggested content of the 3 months coaching follows the Development Phase for 8 10 / 11-12 year old swimmers as outlined in the Regions Development Pathway and a template will be provided by Swimming Waikato for coaches to use when planning sessions for their younger swimmers. The Learn to Train phase for 8-10 / 11-12 years includes Development and consistent demonstration of all swimming skills. Expert instruction on technical and physical skills. Pre-growth spurt focus on repetition of skill. Development of positive attitudes to self, others and sport. Participation in other sports. High repetition low intensity skill focus. Develop agility, balance, coordination own body exercises for strength. Provide modified competition opportunities and introduction to competitive structures and events. Measuring the aerobic skill mastery and short duration speed skill. Competitive rewards focused on broad skill development and aerobic development. Competencies: 8 10 years Lane swimming, discipline, direction, use of clock starting, resting Use of equipment, personal, flags, goggles Learning of stroke technique Awareness of perceived effort, easy acceleration, fast finish Working in group exercises/ stretching Capable of 10 exercises/stretches Page 26

Competencies: 11 12 years Speed test (skill based) Kick test Continuous swim test Use of clock monitoring your times, checking heart rates Development of stroke technique Stroke counting, increase pace, consistency of repetition Capable of 10 flexibility exercises Capable of 15 land exercises with own body weight Awareness of Swim Waikato s pathway The coaching is not limited to the above and can be extended by the coach. However this will serve as the base competencies to be tested on the evaluation days. Introduce a game component into the coaching sessions that can still be skill based to add the fun element. Page 27

High Performance Programme To 2020/2024 Home of TAPS (our Train Achieve Perform Squad) THE FINE PRINT Page 28

CONTENTS A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Pages 30 IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN Swimming Waikato s Train Achieve Perform Squad Page 31-13 to 15 years Page 32-16 years Page 33-17+ years Page 34 SUMMARY OF SELECTION CRITERIA Page 35 SQUAD PROTOCOLS Pages 36-37 STRENGTH & CONDITIONING SUPPORT Page 38 ACADEMIC SUPPORT Page 38 FINANCIAL SUPPORT Athlete Scholarships Page 39-40 Coach Scholarships Page 41-42 Officials Scholarships Page 43 Page 29

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Over the past few years, we have had many discussions with Swimming New Zealand about the gap in our swimmers pathway the huge leap required to move from being a top regional swimmer into the Swimming NZ squads, and once there, the significant gap between our elite swimmers and the world s best. As a Board, we believe in giving our swimmers the very best opportunity to bridge this gap and be the best swimmer they can be. Swimming Waikato has been campaigning for a couple of years now about the urgent need to address how our swimmers are being developed. Statistics show that the sporting codes within New Zealand who have implemented a well planned development pathway for their athletes are achieving world class results. Rowing is a great example the introduction of their Regional Performance Centre model has seen their international medal tally rise from 11 in the preceding 10 year period, to a staggering 60 since the introduction of the RPC s. As mentioned above, we are committed to investing in our athletes success. This document details the steps required to implement our High Performance Programme. The athletes involved in this programme will be our region s most dedicated swimmers they will have identified their swimming goals and have made a commitment to achieve these. We re excited to have the opportunity to support our top swimmers and with your support as parents, coaches and caregivers, we re confident we ll see some real success in the water over the next four to six years. Kind regards Simon Perry Chairman Page 30

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN HIGH PERFORMANCE - TRAIN ACHIEVE PERFORM SQUAD (TAPS) TAPS is targeted towards consistently producing swimmers and coaches on SNZ pinnacle teams by 2020 2024. The key areas that have been identified to ensure that this plan is successful are: Sustainability Retention of swimmers Financial support and scholarships for swimmers Coach education pathway No compromise Swim Waikato s TAPS programme starts at the age groupings of 13-15 years, then builds through 16 years to 17+ years. It is acknowledged, however, that it is critical that for the 13 15 year old age group that the principles of the LTAD model are continued to be followed and that all skill learning and competencies are developed and monitored carefully. Page 31

TRAIN ACHIEVE PERFORM SQUAD (TAPS) 13 to 15 YEARS Swimmers up to the age of 14 years will continue to follow the XLR8 programme, developing skills in all 4 competitive strokes as well as starting to register FINA points. The statistical tracking of swimmers in the Waikato who are in the TAPs programme, 13 15 years, will be done on a regular basis and published monthly on the Swimming Waikato website. The Regional Coaching Coordinator will visit Club based coaching programmes, critiquing the delivery of coaching, meeting with coaches and swimmers and running workshops from time to time. There will be regular combined coaching days held throughout the year run by Coaches appointed to this level of the High Performance Programme. Selection Criteria - Age Type of Points Bronze Squad Silver Squad Gold Squad 13 FINA F 590 / M 450 N/A N/A 14 FINA F 600 / M 500 F 625 / M 525 F 650 / M 550 15 FINA F 650 / M 550 F 675 / M 600 F 700 / M 660 Mentor Coaches - Graeme Smith Steve Hay Tier One Coaches Programme: 14 15 years Date Proposed Competition Venue Qualification 2015 Camp / Domestic Tour Wellington Wellington Silver / Gold 2016 Victorian State Championships Australia Central Swimming Qual. This will be repeated 2017 2020 as: - Gold: Domestic camp / NSW State Champs - Silver: Victoria - Bronze: Domestic Tour Programme: 13 years This group of swimmers will be encouraged to compete out of the region at least x 3 per year. The main component of this groups learning will take place in camps. Page 32

TRAIN ACHIEVE PERFORM SQUAD (TAPS): 16 YEARS The statistical tracking of swimmers in the Waikato who are in the TAPS programme will be done on a regular basis and published monthly on the Swimming Waikato website. The Regional Coaching Coordinator will visit club based coaching programmes, critiquing the delivery of coaching, meeting with coaches and swimmers and running workshops from time to time. There will be regular combined coaching days held throughout the year. This group will work individually and alongside the 17 18 years group. The combined coaching sessions will be run by the Regional Coaching Coordinator and Coaches appointed to this level of the High Performance Programme. Selection Criteria - Age Type of Bronze Squad Silver Squad Gold Squad Points 16 FINA F 700 / M 660 F 725 / M 685 F 750 / M 700 Mentor Coaches Regional Coaching Co-ordinator Ken Nixon Tier One Coaches Programme - Date Proposed Competition Venue Qualification FINA Points 2015 Camp / Domestic Tour Wellington Wellington F 550 / M 500 2016 Victorian State Championships Australia Central Swimming Qual. 2017 Domestic Camp / NSW State Champs Waikato / Australia Central Swimming Qual. In 2016 the domestic tour will be repeated for Bronze Level only Swimmers moving through from 15 to 16 years in 2016 and who qualify for Silver / Gold will travel to Victoria This will be repeated in 2017 2020 as: - Gold: Domestic camp / NSW State Champs - Silver: Victoria - Bronze: Domestic Tour Page 33

TRAIN ACHIEVE PERFORM SQUAD (TAPS): 17+ YEARS Swimmers who are at this level as at 1 st October 2014 will be fast tracked to enable them to target 2018 as the main pinnacle event. There will be a four year training cycle through to the Commonwealth Games in 2018 with the focus being on achieving 830 FINA points. This will mean a swimmer needs to be at least 780 / 750 points in 2015, then working at achieving 1.5% improvement each year for 4 years. Coaches need to be prepared to change their programme structure to cater for this level of swimmer. Specificity of stroke and event must be coached at the highest level, which will require extra pool space or practice times outside the times set for the majority of their programme. Financial support and life skills planning for targeted 17+ swimmers will be undertaken by Swimming Waikato. This group of swimmers will be fast tracked into the TAPS Programme with competition at World Cups or similar competition in late 2015. Then an intensive 4 week (tbc) campaign in Australia, training and competition, January / February 2016. Selection Criteria Age Type of Bronze Squad Silver Squad Gold Squad Points 17 + FINA F 750 / M 700 F 765 / M 725 F 780 / M 750 Mentor Coaches Regional Coaching Co-ordinator Ken Nixon Tier One Coaches Competitive Pathway Date Proposed Competition Venue Qualification FINA Points 2015 Short Course World Cup s TBA Gold 2016 4 Week Intensive Camp / Competition Australia Gold Queensland State Championships Australia Central Swimming Qual. 2017 American Grand Prix Circuit West Coast USA Gold 2018 Commonwealth Games Australia SNZ Selection 4 Week Intensive Camp/ Competition Australia Gold / Silver 2019 American Grand Prix Circuit West Coast USA Gold Queensland State Championships Australia Central Swimming Qual. 2020 Olympic Games Tokyo Gold Page 34

SUMMARY OF SELECTION CRITERIA Age 12 2500+ AGE 13 F 590 / M 450 XLR8 PPOINTS FINA POINTS NOTES Movement from Bronze to Silver for 13-16 years FINA points represents approximately 3% - 3.5% improvements annually. 17+ years is approximately 1.5% - 2% improvements annually. AGE Bronze Silver Gold (SNZ Pathway) 14 F 600/M 500 F 625/M 525 F 650/M 550 15 F 650/M 550 F 675/M 600 F 700/M 660 AGE Bronze Silver Gold (SNZ Pathway) Age up on 31 st December will allow qualification to Bronze of next age, for 6 months only, and then qualification must be Silver at level. 16 F 700/M 660 F 725/M 685 F 750 /M 700 AGE Bronze Silver Gold (SNZ Pathway) 17+ F 750 / M 700 F 765/M 725 F 780/M 750 The achievement of Gold status in any squad will qualify the swimmer for a Swim Waikato development scholarship. Olympic events only LC events only Age as of 31 st December 1st January 2014 is used as the starting point for initial selection Revision / selection annually after NAGS Qualification any LC throughout the year Open water swimmers 16 years and over will have FINA Points for the 1500 m event as qualification Paralympic Swimmers will use the Paralympic New Zealand s point s tables Page 35

SQUAD PROTOCOLS Within sits its High Performance Programme which is the home of the Train Achieve Perform Squad (TAPS). To be part of this squad, swimmers must be resident and in a coaching programme in the Waikato Region. To remain a member of the High Performance Programme, swimmers must demonstrate a high level of commitment expected of a high performance athlete, in their home programmes and at any time the various squads are assembled in camps and on tour. The following protocols relate to the Train Achieve Perform Squads (TAPS) 13 17+ years. While there will be a separate code of conduct for the squads, to cover camps and travel, the following protocols relate to the attendance at practice sessions, performance margins annual % improvements in competition and general minimum training requirements. Minimum training requirements for TAPS members Age 13-14 yrs 15-16 yrs 17+ yrs No. of Sessions (per week) 7-9 8-10 10 Pool Hours (per week) 13 15 18 Dry land Hours (per week) 3 3 4 Kms swum (per week) 35 40-45 45-60 The performance margin at any time of the season in any competition is not expected to be outside of 3% of personal best time. The only exception is the last 4 weeks prior to a pinnacle event when the performance margin should narrow to 2% -1% of PB s and finals in pinnacle events always swum faster than heats, resulting in PB s. Once swimmers reach 16 years, it is expected that the annual improvement in times in competition is 1% - 1.5%. Log books must be kept by all members of the squads and made available to the Regional Coaching Coordinator when visiting, on camps and competition. Personal equipment taken to practice should consist of kick board, fins, and paddles, stretch cords, skipping rope, drink bottle, cap, goggles and training slate. Annual review and selection of TAPS are made after the last national long course meet of the summer season. Page 36 A list of domestic meets that squad members must attend will be announced as soon as regions finalise calendars. The first list will be announced in 2015.

All swimmers in the TAPS programme, aged 13 to 17+ years, will be expected to attend all Swimming NZ national competitions for their selected events National Age Groups SNZ Open Championships (17+ years and Paralympic swimmers) SNZ Short Course Championships (including Paralympic swimmers) Open Water Championships Page 37

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING SUPPORT Swimming Waikato have partnered with Wintec and Athletes House to develop, teach and monitor a strength and conditioning programme, designed to help each and every one of our swimmers succeed. Wintec s swimming specific Strength & Conditioning Programme will Develop physical capability Increase flexibility Reduce injury Whilst the programme and the facilities will be accessible for every swimmer in the Region, a selected squad will receive additional support to assist with their swimming development. This support includes Nutrition Workshops Sports Psychology Workshops Nutritional Booklet David Galbraith Book Training Pack including a skipping rope, rollers and bands In addition, Wintec will utilise their Sport Science and Human Development students to provide Swimming Waikato with testing data to support the development of our athletes. Data will be collected at camps and training days and will be analysed to identify trends with a view to improving the way we coach our athletes. ACADEMIC SUPPORT Shaun Paterson is one of Wintec s Academic Staff Members, working in the Sport Science and Human Development School at their Rotokauri Campus. Shaun has undertaken to carry out a PHD on swimming at a Regional level. This is an exciting and unique opportunity, allowing us to identify how best to train a swimmer from the start of their swimming career. So often, research is carried out at an elite level and we believe that research at a regional level will provide significant benefits for all our swimmers for years to come. Page 38

SWIMMING WAIKATO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME ATHLETES BACKGROUND - Over the past few years, we have had many discussions with Swimming New Zealand about the gap in our Swimmers Pathway the huge leap required to move from being a top regional swimmer into the Swimming NZ squads, and once there, the significant gap between our elite swimmers and the world s best. As a Board, we believe in giving our swimmers the very best opportunity to bridge this gap and be the best swimmer they can be. Swimming Waikato has been campaigning for a couple of years now about the urgent need to address how our swimmers are being developed. Statistics show that the sporting codes within New Zealand who have implemented a well planned development pathway for their athletes are achieving world class results. Rowing is an example where the introduction of RPC s has seen their international medal tally rise from 11 in the preceding 10 year period, to a staggering 60 since the introduction of the RPC s. As mentioned above, we are committed to investing in our athletes success. Our investment in swimming in the region started with the engagement of Clive Power as Swimming Waikato s Regional Coaching Co-ordinator in July 2014. Clive s swimming Bio is impressive and in consultation with the Coaches in our Region, Swimming Waikato will implement its tiered Development Pathway for our swimmers in early 2015. This plan includes the introduction of TAPS (Swimming Waikato s Train Achieve Perform squad ). TAPS is our High Performance Programme, it s a New Zealand first, and we believe it is the entity which will allow our swimmers to achieve at the highest level. SCHOLARSHIP MODEL In previous years, Swimming Waikato had a goal to promote competition and encourage participation at National meets through the provision of Scholarship payments that rewarded success in the pool. In 2015, the scholarship focus will shift from simply rewarding one-off success to supporting athletes who have reached the selection criteria for TAPS. Whilst scholarships will be paid to athletes from our region who achieve outstanding results, the majority of scholarship payments will be for our TAPS athletes. These athletes will be our region s most dedicated swimmers they will have identified their swimming goals and have made a commitment to achieve these. The TAPS programme will include significant travel costs as the athletes embark on this development pathway and Swimming Waikato s scholarship programme will support this commitment. TAPS Programme Scholarships - Scholarships will be available on an application basis and at the discretion of the Board of Swimming Waikato. The scholarship acceptance will be made available to all swimmers who achieve the selection criteria. Please note that the payment of any scholarships will be conditional on funding becoming available for this purpose. Page 39

In addition to the provision of scholarships, Swimming Waikato will endeavour to provide these athletes with other personal development opportunities which could include An introduction to seeking corporate sponsorship Information about other scholarship opportunities Swimming Waikato s Mentoring Workshop Opportunity to attend the Wilss Young Leaders Course The Scholarship Tiers are - Scholarship Tier Gold Squad Silver Squad Bronze Squad Maximum Scholarship Level $1,500 pa $700 pa $ 300 pa TAPS Scholarship Criteria - Details of the qualifying criteria for TAPS is included in Swimming Waikato s Regional Development Pathway Plan which is available on Swimming Waikato s website. To be eligible for selection, athletes must be living and training in the Waikato region. Athletes moving to the region to attend University and train in a Waikato club will be required to give an undertaking that they will remain in the region for a minimum three year period. Acknowledgement of excellent performances Elite performances will be acknowledged as follows Breaking a New Zealand Open Long Course Record - $500 Breaking a New Zealand Age Group Long Course Record - $300 Top 3 placing in Open Water (must have swum the 1500m at the LC Nationals) - $150 The top 5 highest FINA Points from both the Open Nationals and NAGS (not medals) - $150 The top 3 highest combined XLR8 points from Junior Nationals (not medals) - $100 ATHLETE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - As in previous years, Swimming Waikato will recognise athletes who achieve Top 5 placings at National Events through the provision of a ticket for the Annual Swimming Waikato Awards Dinner where their achievements will be formally acknowledged. In addition, ALL swimmers who meet the standards of this Scholarship Criteria document will receive a complimentary ticket for this event which is an opportunity for us to celebrate swimming in the Waikato. Page 40

SWIMMING WAIKATO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME COACHES BACKGROUND - At the heart of our 23 affiliated swimming clubs are our Coaches. Our Coaches are tasked with helping our swimmers achieve their swimming goals, regardless of the swimmers individual ability or their personal focus. Our Coaches work early mornings, early evenings and many weekends. They are often our swimmers key motivators and are an important confidant who provides support when training isn t going so well. Through our Swimming Waikato Scholarship Programme, we are committed to continuing to support our Coaches as they develop their coaching skills which, in turn, directly support our swimmers. SCHOLARSHIP MODEL Scholarships will be available for Coaches involved with Swimming Waikato s Regional Development Pathway. Scholarship payments will be available to Coaches, on application, who have identified a Professional Development opportunity that will directly impact on their ability to deliver swimming in the region. This could include Shadowing an Australian Coach working in a similar programme Attendance at the annual NZSCAT Conference Attendance at the Australian Swim Coaches Conferences Completing Swimming New Zealand Coach Qualifications SCHOLARSHIP VALUE - Scholarships will consist of a contribution towards registration, accommodation and travel costs, with coaches to apply to Swimming Waikato on the official form. Coaches must be affiliated to the NZSCAT Association and have been part of the Waikato Coaching programme for two years prior to the scholarship application being lodged. In addition, ALL Coaches who are coaching competitive swimmers at a Swimming Waikato affiliated Club will receive a complimentary ticket for the Swimming Waikato Awards Evening which is an opportunity for us to celebrate swimming in the Waikato. Page 41

Note 1 Swimming Waikato will provide a maximum of two $2,000 scholarships per annum to support two Coaches to shadow an Australian Coach in a similar programme or some other equivalent professional development area. Coaches receiving this scholarship will be required to deliver a coaching clinic to share their learnings on their return. Note 2 Swimming Waikato will provide a maximum of five $500 Scholarships per annum to support additional Coach Development opportunities. Page 42