Club Training

Group 1 –

Group aims – The first group is focused on developing fundamental techniques and introducing swimmers to competitive skills across all four strokes as well as competitive skills such as diving and using the starting blocks, competitive turns, the rules of the sport and also how to train.

Group Eligibility –

• This group is mostly aimed at swimmers aged 7-12 unless identified and selected by the head coach.
• All swimmers must be able to swim all four strokes
• All swimmers must have the ability to cope with the training demands of the group
• Swimmers will attend team galas is considered appropriate
• Swimmers will attend in-house galas
• The head coach will have the final decision on all group moves

Equipment required Fins, kick board, small pull-bouy and drinks bottle

Group 2 –

Group aims – This group are developing their technical and stroke skills, learning how to train and pace their swims accordingly, and understand that every training session and swim is practice. They should be learning what their pb’s are (personal bests) and learning how to compete and race. Swimmers should be aspiring to compete in level 2/3 meets.

Group Eligibility –

• This group is mostly aimed at swimmers aged 9-14 unless identified and selected by the head coach.
• All swimmers must be able to swim all four strokes well and will be working around a 200 IM base.
• All swimmers must have the ability to cope with the training demands of the group and will be building their aerobic engines and speed work
• swimmers are able to do legal turns and dive off the blocks.
• Swimmers will attend team galas is considered appropriate
• Swimmers will attend in-house galas
• The head coach will have the final decision on all group moves

Equipment required Fins, kick board, small pull-bouy, finger paddles, snorkel and drinks bottle

Group 3 –

Group aims – swimmers in this group will be either competing on a regular basis, aiming to compete more or are swimming for fitness and enjoyment but are able to meet the requirements of the group. This group will be working on race technique and skills with work on threshold and pace work.

Group Eligibility –

• This group is mostly aimed at swimmers aged 11-16 unless identified and selected by the head coach.
• All swimmers must be able to swim all four strokes well and will be working around a 400 IM base.
• All swimmers must have the ability to cope with the training demands of the group and will be building their fitness and racing skills.
• Swimmers will attend team galas if selected
• Swimmers will attend in-house galas
• The head coach will have the final decision on all group moves

Equipment required Fins, kick board, pull-bouy, finger paddles, hand paddles, snorkel, skipping rope and drinks bottle

Group 4 –

Group aims – swimmers in this group are all 16+ and are either swimming for fitness and enjoyment or are competing in masters meets (age 18+). This group often has swimmers who are also competing in triathlons, open water or just attend for fun.

• Group eligibility – This group is mostly aimed at swimmers age 16+ unless identified and selected by the head coach.
• All swimmers must have the ability to cope with the training demands of the group and will be building their fitness.
• The head coach will have the final decision on all group moves

Equipment required Fins, kick board, pull-bouy, finger paddles, hand paddles, snorkel, skipping rope and drinks bottle

Training equipment

What Training Equipment do I need and what are they all for?

This is a list of equipment that the swimmers will need to get the most out of their training throughout their swimming journey. Please note that note that not all groups will use all this equipment so before you go out and purchase kit, please check which equipment your swimmer will need further down this page.

Drinks Bottle – swimmers should bring a drinks bottle onto poolside at each training session, and should drink small but frequent quantities throughout the session which is essential to prevent de-hydration. Water or diluted cordial drinks are best. Avoid fizzy drinks, which will bloat the stomach. Ideally, the sports drink bottles are best, if they are closed you don’t loose all your drink, the caps are easy to open and take some drink between swims without having to unscrew the bottle and they are not easy to break/damage!

Kickboard – a board (usually foam) held to maintain buoyancy whilst isolating the legs to kick. If your swimmer is small/young then do not buy the full-sized kick board, as it alters the body position. Smaller floats are better for small swimmers, if you are unsure please check with our head coach before buying a large board.

Pull-Buoy – a flotation device held between legs whilst swimming. It keeps the legs afloat without having to kick, thus isolating and allocating the work to the arms. Again there are large and small pull bouys, we recommend all children use the smaller pull bouys, especially in groups 1 and 2. The larger ones can lift the simmers behinds too high resulting in them changing their body position and/or arching their backs.

Flippers (Fins) – provides stability for the upper-body part of the stroke working best on short-rest repeats, drills and sprint sets. Are also used during kick sets to help strengthen swimmers kick and muscles. Should be the short training style fins, the long ones can cause issues with ankle flexibility.

Snorkel (Swim Specific) – the snorkel can be used to improve just about anything you can think of in the water—from developing a more balanced stroke, to doing kick work that mimics proper body position, to doing sculling properly (and not with your head up).

Finger Paddles – similar to hand paddles but smaller and strapped to the fingers to correct and strengthen strokes, increasing sensory awareness for proper technique

Hand Paddles – specially designed plastic paddles which are strapped to the hands to increase the demands on the arm-strength/power needed to swim (available in junior/senior sizes)

Carry bag – many swimmers put their equipment in a mesh style bag. This allows easy carrying, allows them to be moved around poolside if needed, swimmers are less likely to loose equipment. Most mesh bags have somewhere to write a name, and some also have an extra front pocket, ideal for storing hats and goggles.

What equipment do I need for my group?

• Group 1 – Fins, kick board, small pull-bouy and drinks bottle
• Group 2 – Fins, kick board, small pull-bouy, finger paddles, snorkel and drinks bottle
• Group 3 – Fins, kick board, pull-bouy, finger paddles, hand paddles, snorkel, skipping rope and drinks bottle
• Group 4 – Fins, kick board, pull-bouy, finger paddles, hand paddles, snorkel, skipping rope and drinks bottle

Where do I buy equipment from?

There are many online retailers that sell the equipment you will need for training. A quick internet search will provide lots of options so you can choose the best one for you. If you have any questions regarding kit please speak to your coach. Don’t forget to visit our club shop for club kit, our hoodies are ideal for after training!