Guppies: FUNdamentals

The Guppy group is made up of young swimmers able to swim 25 yards of legal backstroke + freestyle, may be familiar with breaststroke and butterfly, and tread water for 30 seconds without rest. They must  be comfortable putting their face in water and using competition goggles. Guppies will have two to three one hour practices a week. We will have two Guppy groups that will all swim together on Mondays and then alternate practice days one additional day a week and have additional alternating practices on Sundays when the team does not have a meet. 

The Guppy group’s focus is to establish a strong foundation of skills and techniques in a fun environment that encourages continued participation in the sport. Athletes and parents are introduced to competitive meets. Swimmers may have opportunities to qualify for championship-level competitions.

Bronze:

The Bronze swimmers should be able to swim 50 yards of all four strokes legally with flip turn for freestyle and backstroke. They must be able to perform a legal dive from the starting block. These swimmers are transitioning from learning stroke fundamentals to starting to learn how to practice and swim sets on intervals. They should be working towards MASI 10&U championship qualifying times. Practices are offered for one hour, four days per week.

Silver: 

The Silver group is made up of age group swimmers able to complete a 50 of each stroke, 100 IM and 100 freestyle legally with flipturns. Swimmers in this group are working toward or have already obtained MA Swimming Junior Championship or Silver Championship qualifying times. Practices are offered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, 4x per week with additional time for dryland.

In the Silver group, swimmers will build on the fundamental skills and techniques taught in the Bronze group. They will progress to an advanced level of learning that requires implementing specific skills in practice sets, including clock management and set-reading. Establishing good habits in a practice setting translates to better performances at meets, as well as long term development in the sport of swimming. Silver division athletes will try new events to promote and reward versatility in age group swimming as they compete at the local, state, and possibly regional level.

Gold: 

The Gold group is made up of age group swimmers who are able to complete a 100 of each stroke, 200 IM and 500 freestyle legally. Swimmers in this group are working toward or have already obtained MA Swimming Junior Championship or Silver Championship qualifying times. Practices are offered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, 5x per week. 

In the Gold group, swimmers’ focus broadens substantially. Swimmers learn about the effect their decisions and behavior outside of the pool has on their performance in the pool. Athletes continue to build on good practice habits with progressive skills, drills, and a variety of techniques, working to challenge themselves and prepare for the senior level. Gold group swimmers compete at the local, state, and regional level. Competing at the highest level meet they are qualified for starts to become a priority to give them a glimpse of their future swimming experiences. 

Platinum: 

The Platinum group is made up of more experienced senior swimmers who are able to complete a 200 of each stroke, 400 IM and 1650 legally. Swimmers in this group are working toward or have already obtained MA Swimming Junior Championship, Senior Championship or Silver Championship qualifying times. Practices are offered for 1 hour and 30 minutes or 2 hours, 5-6x per week. Depending on the sets, swimmers, and schedule, there may be some practices during which the Gold and Platinum swimmers get to do parts of practice together.

In the Platinum group, swimmers continue to learn and be taught progressively, but emphasis is placed on taking ownership of their individual goals and the path to achievement. Swimmers will take greater ownership over their goals and pathways to achieve their goals and discuss potential collegiate swimming opportunities. As the most senior group of SVAC, the members of this group are also expected to serve as positive role models for their younger counterparts on the team and may be asked to partake in a variety of volunteering opportunities within team events.