JUNIOR
GROUP
Practice:
Junior
practice is offered 6 times per week. Practice duration is
approximately two and half-hours.
One hour and forty five minutes of that time will be spent
in the water. Thirty minutes will be dedicated to dryland.
The Junior group is where swimmers will start to build
their aerobic base, which is essential for continued
improvement when they are senior swimmers. Even though
aerobic development continues throughout a swimmer’s
career, the largest gain can be made during the period of
one year before puberty to one year after. 11-13yrs for
girls/12-14yrs for boys. The practice direction, structure
and difficulty will be designed to meet that end, years
down the road.
Junior swimmers should attend a minimum of 80% attendance
to see continued improvement, and to make sure they are
building enough skills and endurance to ensure future
improvements.
Requirements to enter Junior Group
Candidates should complete 4 of
the following 6:
- 11-12 NES qualifying times in 5 or more events
- Racing history in every event available
- Show willingness to learn
- 8x100@ 1:30
- Under 2:30 in 200yd freestyle
- Kick 1x50 under :40 with fins
Goals
of the Junior Group
- Achieve
USA Swimming Top 16 time standard
- Final in all events at Age Group Champ Meet
- Win all relays at Age Group Champ Meet
- Achieve Age Group Champ time standard in every stroke
- Continue to develop goal setting skills
- Improve proficiency in turns
- Use underwater fly kicking as a tool in racing
- Continue becoming more fluid in swimming (no splashing)
- Kick 50yd with fins under :30
- Begin to actively improve distance per stroke
- Learn leadership skills
- Using the pace clock to monitor training pace
- Improve understanding of race strategies and how they
correlate with training
Training
Equipment & Team Training Apparel
For
equipment fill out Practice equipment order form.
Required Training Equipment:
- 1/2 Fins (soft rubber in appropriate shoe size)
- Water bottle (mixture of 50% juice/ 50% water)
- Pull buoy
- Hans hand paddles
- Kick board
- Running shoes
- Appropriate dry-land attire for any weather
- Goggles (two pair)
- Blue MAG cap (on team apparel order form)
- Mesh bag to hold equipment
- Warm hat and gloves for dry-land
- Finis snorkel
Competition Apparel (on team apparel order form)
Required:
- MAG team suit
- White MAG cap (silicon or latex)
- MAG t-shirts (1 grey and 1 blue)
- Swimmers in the Junior Group are not to purchase "special
suits" for championships
Regular cut team suits are appropriate for competition.