National/Pre-National:
Ages 14-18 (8th grade or older)
Attend a minimum of 80% of sessions, including during high school season and summer season (water practices, dryland, AM's)
Goal setting with qualifying for YMCA Nationals in mind. If already, qualified- improving on placements from previous years is a goal.
Practices are comprised of ~10-20% Technique/Racing Skills, ~80-90% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout)
Practices are 2-2.5 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
10x100 Free @ 1:25
10x100 IM @ 1:35
10x100 Kick @ 1:50
Senior:
Ages 14-18 (8th grade or older)
Attend a minimum of 70% of sessions, including during high school season and summer season (water practices, dryland, AM's)
Goal setting with qualifiying for YMCA States, JO's, and other equivalent meets in mind. YMCA Nationals is the next progression once at a Pre-National level
Practices are comprised of ~10-20% Technique/Racing Skills, ~80-90% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout)
Practices are 2-2.5 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
10x100 Free @ 1:30
10x100 IM @ 1:40
10x100 Kick @ 2:00
Senior Prep 1:
Typical age range 12-14 (or older as necessary) (6th grade or older)
Goal seeting with qualifying for YMCA Districts, YMCA States, MA Silver Champs, JO's, and other equivalent meets in mind. YMCA Nationals can be a goal even in this group, and is the next step when moving up from this group.
Practices are comprised of ~20-30% Technique/Racing Skills, ~70-80% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout)
Practices are 1.5-2 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
10x100 Free @ 1:40
10x100 IM @ 1:50
10x100 Kick @ 2:10
Senior Prep 2:
Typical age range 12-14 (or older as necessary) (6th grade or older)
Goal seeting with qualifying for YMCA Districts, YMCA States, MA Silver Champs, JO's, and other equivalent meets in mind. YMCA Nationals can be a goal even in this group, and is the next step when moving up from this group.
Practices are comprised of ~30-40% Technique/Racing Skills, ~60-70% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout)
Practices are 1.5-2 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
10x100 Free @ 1:50
10x100 IM @ 2:00
10x100 Kick @ 2:20
Junior 1:
Typical age range 10-12 (or older as necessary) (5th grade or older)
Goal setting with qualifying for YMCA Districts, MA Silver Champs, and other equivalent meets in mind. YMCA States and JO's are also goals for those progressing in this group to the next level.
Practices are comprised of ~40-50% Technique/Racing Skills, ~50-60% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout).
Practices are 1.25-1.75 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
5x100 Free @ 1:50
5x100 IM @ 2:00
5x100 Kick @ 2:20
Junior 2:
Typical age range 8-12 (or older as necessary)
Goal setting with qualifying for YMCA Districts, MA Silver Champs, and other equivalent meets in mind. YMCA States and JO's are also goals for those progressing in this group to the next level.
Practices are comprised of ~50-60% Technique/Racing Skills, ~40-50% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout).
Practices are 1-1.25 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
5x100 Free @ 2:00
5x100 IM @ 2:10
5x100 Kick @ 2:30
Novice 1:
Typical age range 6-10 (or older as necessary)
Goal setting with qualifying for YMCA Districts, Charlie Hartley, and other equivalent meets in mind.
Practices are comprised of ~70-80% Technique/Racing Skills, ~20-30% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout).
Practices are 0.75-1.25 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
5x50 Free @ 1:10
5x50 Stroke @ 1:20
5x50 Kick @ 1:30
Novice 2:
Typical age range 6-10 (or older as necessary)
Goal setting with qualifying for YMCA Districts, Charlie Hartley, and other equivalent meets in mind.
Practices are comprised of ~80-90% Technique/Racing Skills, ~10-20% aerobic, anaerobic, and equivalent energy system work (with a mind for technique and stroke skill still interspersed throughout).
Practices are 0.75-1 hours in length
Example Test Sets in SCM include, not are not limited to:
5x50 Free @ 1:20
5x50 Stroke @ 1:30
5x50 Kick @ 1:40
Novice 3:
Typical age range 5-8 (or older as necessary)
Goal setting with qualifying for brand new swimmers to competitive swimming in mind.
Practices are comprised almost exclusively of technical and fundamentals work.
Practices are 0.5-1 hours in length
