Tag Archives for mini

Mini Squad Entry and Promotion Criteria

Entry from Grades 7,8 or 9 dependent on:

  1. Times achieved in Galas (open and development)
  2. Kick: 50s under 1.30 mins, 100s under 3 mins.
  3. Aerobic. T15. Minimum distance 600m
  4. Sprint: 16 x 50 on TRT 1.30

Technique:

  • FC, BC, BR as 200m swims
  • FLY as 4 x 25

Test Sets:

  • 6×100 TRT 2.45
  • 2 x 200 TRT 6

Grade 9. (Complete a set lasting 800m)

  • + Competitive starts and turns
  • Need to include Timed Swim as part of the promotion process a couple of weeks before final assessments are due.

Grade 8. (Complete a set lasting 600m)

TRTs less demanding than required for Mini Squad.

Grade 7. Aerobic demands and repititions a long way short of Mini Squad requirement.

Promotion from Mini Squad to Bronze

  • Dependent on Minimum attendance of 2 out of 4 sessions offered per week. (3 ought to be the minimum)
  • Competition circuit for County Times and expected level of qualification
  • Minimum Open Meet Entries: 4
  • Attitude and application. Excellent

Therefore, for any swimmer to be promoted from Grades 7 or 8 they need

a) to be pressing towards County Standard times

b) be proficient at all strokes

c) have the skills d) prove their commitment by regular attendance, certainly 2 if not 3 times a week

e) achieve the time swim and other aerobic tests.

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LTAD Learn to Train Girls 8 -11. Boys 9 – 12 years

Learn to TRAIN

LEARN TO TRAIN (SWIM SKILLS)

(Girls 8 to 11 years. Boys 9 to 12 years)

If you experienced it as a parent or saw it over several years through the swimming club, you will have a view on how boys and girls differ and the quite different growth spurts they go through, both physically and mentally.

Personally I’d teach boys separately from the girls ’til they are 15 or 16 – not achievable though.

Don’t you find you have a class splits down the middle where there are equal numbers of girls and boys? And how a boy on his own in a group of girls might not last long? If we’re going to address the problem of so few boys being attracted to or staying in the sport, then clubs should get their heads around the gender differences.

In our club this learn to train phase is at the top end of teaching groups, say grades 7 to 10 (here treating Mini Squad as a teaching level).

Whilst we promote on merit, skills and times being achieved, meeting the entry requirements for squads, if not training groups, we ought to be more conscious of the need to get competent girls out of teaching as they reach 11, while with boys we could run for another year.

Mini Squad at present has girls and boys 8-12 and splits into two distinct groups. To achieve our long-term goals to gain Swim21 Competitive Development Status we need more coming in age 8 (girls), age 9 (boys) so that they are ready to compete for in the age 9 category.  This in turn means bringing them through teaching stages faster, but with not less efficiency. This can only be achieved is the more committed swimmers a) start younger – age 7 into the club; b) swim more often – twice a week initially and three times a week+ from age 8/9; c) talent spotting to fast track skills and stamina into skills groups at both pools.

PHYSICAL

At this stage young athletes show no fear but lack the skill level so accidents can occur. They are extremely active, but they still need to rest. As ligament growth is not yet complete they still cannot withstand too much stress.

COGNITIVE

They show short attention spans and enjoy repetition of fun activities They are eager to learn.

EMOTIONAL

They are sensitive to criticism and need oodles of positive feedback. They are eager to please the coach and are prone to sneak on each other are cliquish & competitive!

THE KEY DRIVERS HERE FOR ME ARE:

Positive feedback

Swimming drills are repetitive anyway, so try to make them fun with constant variety.

Use their eagerness to learn, a few minutes on the side of the pool every week and they can quickly pick up all kinds of valuable lessons.

 

 

T2T3 and MINI, One hour. IM with work on turns.

T2T3 and MINI

A mixed 45 mins to 60 mins aerobic session based on IM, with  emphasis on turns.

WARM UP + fins

Mini as 75s. T2T3 as 100s.

3x 75m as 25m FC kick, 25m FC drill, 25m FC swim                          45/60

3 x 75m as 25m BC kick, 25m Bc Drill, 25m BC swim                         45/60

600m

Emphasis on streamlined drive off the wall with extended UW phase in turns

1 x25m FC UW for as far as possible, scull to breathe.

8 x 50m in IM order as 50m of each twice: (Possibly lane clear/or as a relay so up to 2 mins rest between each)

FLY

BC

BR

FC

1 x25m FC UW for as far as possible, scull to breathe.

450m

From the blocks for a competitive  start and aim for a technically correct and competitive turn every time.

FC 4 x 100m

1 x 100m FC kick                                                                             r.10

1 x 100m FC Zip up drill                                                              r.10

1 x 100m FC arms only                                                                 r.10

1 x 100m FC swim                                                                            r.10

400m

TURNS

3 x fc

3 x bc

3 x br

3 x fly

(RELAYS IF THERE IS TIME/or 25m sprints)

SWIMDOWN

100/200m as 2 x 50 or 2 x 100 as reduced stroke on FC

or Silent swimming on FC/BC

Skills and Mini, Dives into transition

Skills Group

Dives and Transition in FC and BC

Fun warm up

  • Streamline position
  • Dolphin kick/bum and tum
  • (Hot potato- team building with mini)
  • Jumping intro streamlined position
  • Running with hands in the air
  • Running using hands
  • Push and glide on front
  • Push and glide on bac

Deep End

  • Dolphin Kick by lane rope
  • Dolphin kick on back
  • Dolphin kick on front

Dive

  • Re-cap
  • Jump
  • Jump from block
  • Topple and jump
  • Topple and dive
  • Reach for the flags/whack woggle away and glide

 

  • Dive, glide and dolphin kick (distance challenge)
  • Back start, glide and dolphin kic
  • Break-out into FC
  • Break-out intro B
  • Turn into transition on FC and BC

 

RELAYS

 

BREASTSTROKE G6, G7, G8, G9, Mini and Bronze

A versatile 45 mins to 60 mins aerobic session based on Breaststroke, with breaststroke progressions, starts and turns and some fun alternative activities.

WARM UP

2 x 100m alt FC into BC                              200                            5 mins                     r.15

2 x 100m alt BR into FC                              200                             5 mins                    r.15

Emphasis on streamlined drive off the wall in turns

4 x 75m as FLY, BC, BR.                             300                            8 mins                       r.10

Drive at start from the blocks.

 

BR 8 x 50m

2 x 50 BR kick                                          r.10

2 x 50 BR extended glide                   r.10

2 x 50 as 2K1P (3K1P for higher grades)

1 x 50 stroke

 

SPRINTS

 

4 x 25m alt. 25m kick, 25m full stroke

Mini and Bronze 3 x 50

Mut be a whip kick into the glide getting the hips high.

 

STARTS AND TURNS

Dive, from 10m out, turn and finish x 4

 

Alternative Activities

 

Cannon Ball Roll

Cat and mouse

Tandem Swim

Pish of war

Relays

 

 

Mini One Hour (varied)

WARM UP

1 x 50 FC DRILL Zip UP 1.15/1.30

2 x 25 Head Up FC + Water Polo Ball 2.00/2.15 (Steady head, kick hard)

1 x 100 as 100 FC SMOOTH 2.30

1 x 100 as 100 BC SLO MO 2.30

300m 12 MNS

MAIN SET

2 x 50 FC HFTP 2.00 (so lots of rest)

2 x 50 No.1 FO HFTP 2.30

200m 8 MNS

12x 50 IM Order. FLY, BK, BR, FC,

1 x KICK 1.30 1 x DRILL 1.15 1 x STROKE 1.15

20 MNS

DIVES, TURNS, FINISHES

Dive max, break-out to half-way; half-way into wall, turn and return to half-way; half-way to the end. Climb out and repeat. X 4, as x2 FC, x2 Choice

12 MNS

SWIMDOWN

6 x 25m FC as Hypoxic breathing every 5th,7th,9th,5th ….

125m 8 MNS

925m 60 MNS