Group Descriptions and Requirements

PREP - This is the beginning group in the ASA program. It is designed to provide the transition from lessons to swimming with the team. Practices feature more one on one instruction with the coaches in the water, but the swimmer will learn how to take instruction from the coach in a group setting. The Prep group will focus on establishing the core components of the 4 competitive strokes. For entry into the Prep group, the swimmer's ability is to be evaluated by the coaching staff. Some swimmers will be ready without any previous lesson experience. Others will be referred to a lesson program offered in Kirksville.  The Prep group is generally comprised of swimmers who are either new to the team, who are young, or who desire to remain recreational swimmers only.

• Primary focus: Stroke Instruction
• Prep group will concentrate on aerobic work such as kicking, drills, and technique. Strokes will be worked on alternating by week.
• Practice is offered 45 min – 1 hour, with choices of practice times throughout the week.
• The prep group is labor-intensive coaching, and coaches often get in the water to work with the swimmers.
• Requirement for entrance to Prep goup: swim 50 yards unassisted

Example of PREP practice workout:

• Dryland: push-ups (# of your age, nothing too strenuous), streamline holds, and practicing stroke technique.
• In Water:
  
• Warm up: 200 free 50 swim fs / 50 k / 50 swim choice / 50 k choice
• 4 x 25 perfect streamlines @ coaches go
• K 4 x 50 @ coaches go
• 12 x 25 stroke drills @ coaches go
• 6 x 50 @ 1:30 no free / free perfect streamlines
• Total practice = 1,100 yards

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WHITE - Training intensity and yardage increase once swimmers move to the White group, but there is still a strong focus on stroke technique. Entry into the White group will require a coaching evaluation, plus the swimmer's attendance at 60% or more of Prep group practices. Swimmers should also be able to make appropriate pace sets and handle a practice with less one-on-one instruction (able to handle group learning in the pool).  The White group is generally comprised of both competitive and recreational swimmers of various ages.

• Primary focus: stroke development, introduce aerobic development, skill instruction, introduce competition.
• Requirement: 500 freestyle and 200 IM must be legal
• Practices offered at 1 hour - 1.5 hours, with several days throughout the week to choose from. 
• Training focus: 500 free and 200 IM
• The white group is still labor intensive with more outside planning.

Example of WHITE practice workout:

• Dryland: Mix of abs, push-ups, static holds and other core exercises, 10-15 minutes.
• In Water:
  
• Warm up: 600 swim / kick / IM / pull / drill / swim x 100
• 16 x 25 @ 45 IM order perfect streamlines
• K 4 x through 75 easy, fast, easy by 25 @ 2:00
• 50 fast, easy by 25 @ 1:20
• 25 fast @ 40
• Main set: 3 times through 4 x 50 drill/ swim @ 55, 1:00, or 1:05 – fly, back, or breast
• 4 x 25 odds moderate, evens fast @ :40, or :45 fly, bk, or br
• 4 x 50 Free @ :50, :55, or 1:00
• Total yards: 3,100yds

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RED - In the Red group, the training intensity and yardage per practice begin to increase even more, and swimmers in this group practice to prepare for some competitions. Entry into the Red group will require a coaching evaluation, plus the swimmer's attendance in the White group at 70%. Swimmer is progressing steadily and shows a commitment to the sport, and they are able to handle longer yardage sets. The swimmer must also learn how to work well in group learning situations.  The Red group is mostly comprised of middle and high school aged swimmers who have a high interest level in swimming and/or desire to swim competitively.

• Primary focus: aerobic development, introduce anaerobic development (race training), stroke development, skill development, preparation for senior level swimming.
• Requirements: able to complete all training requirements of 2,000 freestyle set on 1:45 base, 1,600 IM set on 2:00 base.
• Training focus: 400 IM, 1,000 freestyle, 200s of strokes
• Practice: 1.5 hours - 2 hours in water most days of the week, with the addition of dryland workouts on some days.

Example of RED practice workout:

• Dryland: push-ups, dips, abs, lunges, core, running 1-2 miles
• In Water:
• Warm up: 3 times through 200 free @ 3:30
• 4 x 50 dr / sw alternate strokes by set
• Breast @ 1:05
• Back and fly @ 1:00
• K 10 x 100 5 @ 2:00
• 5 @ 1:50
• 12 x 75 4 50 dr / 25 swim free @ 1:25
• 4 IM @ 1:25
• 4 50 dr / 25 swim no free @ 1:35
• Main set: 8 x 100 free @ 1:25, 1:30, 1:35, or 1:40
• 4 x 200 IM @ 3:15, 3:25, 3:35 or 3:45
• 8 x 100 free @ 1:20, 1:25, 1:30, or 1:35
• Total yard: 6,100 yards

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• Primary focus: College prep, aerobic development, anaerobic development, race specific training, intense work load.
• Requirements: 3,000 free set @ 1:15 base, 3,000 IM @ 1:30 base, and kick 1,000 @ 1:45 base
• Practice: 2 hours 6 days a week and dry land 30-45 minutes 5 days a week. Possibly 3 one hour AM workouts.

Example of BLUE practice workout:

• Dryland: push-ups, abs, stretch cords, med balls, vasa, run 2.5 – 4 miles two times a week.
• In Water:
• Warm up: 16 x 150
• 4 100 free / 50 IM order kick / swim @ 2:20
• 4 100 free / 50 IM order drill / swim @ 2:20
• 4 100 free / 50 IM order swim @ 2:10
• 4 free @ 2:00
• 4 times through: 3 x 100 k @ 1:40
• 6 x 50 free @ :35, or :40
• Main set: 30 x 100 FS
• 15 @ 1:15
• 10 @1:10
• 5 @ 1:30 hold As fast as possible
• Total yards: 7,800