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Team Group Structure
The YMCA Westside Silver Fins team is divided into five groups. Each of these groups has specific dynamics and goals. Swimmers progress through the groups as they improve in skill, endurance, work ethic and personal growth. The movement of a swimmer to a new group is decided by the coaches and will be discussed with the swimmer and their family.
BLACK GROUP
Our black group is our developmental group and is designed to introduce young athletes to the sport and to the team. The black group focuses on teaching the fundamentals of each of the four competitive strokes, as well as practice etiquette, diving, racing, goal-setting, and developing the basics to create a lifetime love of swimming. The black group encompasses many ages and is usually split between a few coaches based on each swimmers skill and age.
Practices for the black group are held four days a week for one hour.
BLUE GROUP
Our blue group is the next step in the WSF age group program. It is for swimmers who have a strong understanding of each of the four competitive strokes and who have mastered the basics of competition and are ready for more challenges in practice. This group introduces the importance of interval training, as well as using different training techniques, such as practice equipment, dry land, and race strategy.
Practices for the blue group are held five days a week for one and one half hours.
SILVER GROUP
Our silver group is the highest level in our age group program. This group is for swimmers who have excelled in the beginning levels of our age group program and who are physically and mentally ready for the challenges of training much more often and at a higher intensity. This group of swimmers has goals such as competing at the state, regional and sectional level. This group has a much higher intensity in practice and in dry land workouts and requires swimmers to set higher goals and dedicate more time to reaching those goals.
Practices for the silver group are held six days a week for two hours.
SENIOR GROUP
Our senior group is for our high school aged swimmers and older. This is the highest level of training on the YMCA Westside Silver Fins team and offers the most intense workouts and level of commitment from our athletes. Swimmers in this group have a strong understanding of competitive swimming and all that it encompasses. Swimmers in this group are asked to make goals and work towards those goals in practices that involve dry land and in-the-water practices every day.
Practices for the senior group are held six days a week for two-three hours. They practice twice a day , most days of the week.
SENIOR 2 GROUP
Our senior 2 group is for high school aged swimmers and older who want to train with our team but may not be able or want to train at the intensity of our senior group. Many of our senior 2 swimmers have competed for high school or summer recreation teams but may have never been a part of a competitive team. Our senior 2 group will be introduced to the same training techniques as our senior group, but at a lower intensity and with fewer practices throughout the week. Practices for the senior 2 group are held three days a week for two hours.
PRE-COMPETITIVE GROUP
Our pre-competitive group is a stepping stone for athletes who have swim lesson or recreational swimming experience but are not quite ready for the commitment of our competitive training groups. This group focuses on teaching the fundamentals of each of the four competitive strokes, as well as an introduction to racing basics.
Practice for the pre-competitive group is held one day a week for one hour. Athletes in the pre-competitive group do not participate in sanctioned swim meets.
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