WFYD Swim Team

MAKE A SPLASH BECOME A DOLPHIN WALLINGFORD FAMILY YMCA

TABLE OF CONTENTS About the Dolphins

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Swimmer Quiz

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Practice Groups

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Squads 1 & 2 Pods 1-3 Super Pods 1 & 2

Specialty Groups

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Narwhal Club Adaptive Dolphins

WFYD Team Clinics

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Welcome to WFYD Shaping Up for Squads Prepping for Pods Technique Tune-Up A & B

Additional Training

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USA Swimming USA Swimming Bootcamp Dryland Private Coaching Mentoring Clinic

FAQ

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Contact Us

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ABOUT THE DOLPHINS The Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins Swim Team is a year-round competitive program serving those in the town of Wallingford and its surrounding communities by helping swimmers of all abilities reach his or her highest potential. Organized and operated by the Aquatics Department at the Wallingford Family YMCA, the Dolphins apply the four YMCA Core Values of CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT and RESPONSIBILITY to all aspects of the sport while also focusing on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. This program also instills commitment, dedication, teamwork & a love of swimming within each & every member of the team and builds a strong foundation for a lifetime of healthy fitness habits. The Dolphins Swim Team participates in YMCA competitions at the local, state, regional and national level. The team also competes as a part of the USA Swimming Association offering those swimmers who meet specific criteria the opportunity to swim at the local, regional, state, zone and national competitive level.

“The water is your friend.

You don’t have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move.” -A. Popov

SWIMMER QUIZ Discover which WFYD Practice Group should be yours!

1. How old are you?

A. 8 or under B. 9 to 10 C. 11 or 12 D. 13 or over 2. Have you ever been on a competitive swim team before?

A. No - but I know the front and back crawl!

B. No - but it seems like swimming could be fun.

C. Yes - I’ve been on another team.

D. Yes - I am a Dolphin!

3. True or False: I can do all four strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) legally.

A. False B. True C. If the officials aren’t looking…

4. During a streamline, I should look like Superman with my head up and arms separated up & over my head!

A. What is a streamline?

B. Who is Superman?

C. True - of course I want to be like Superman!

D. False - that’s the only time I don’t want to be like Superman!

5. Have you ever done a dive off of the starting blocks?

A. What’s a starting block?

B. Off of that platform thing? No way that’s high! I can dive off of the side though.

C. Diving… isn’t really my thing.

D. Flawlessly! Let me get in the pool now and I’ll show you!

6. Do you want to be a Dolphin?

There’s only one answer - YES!

Add up your points!

(1) A=1, B=2, C=3, D=5 (2) A= 2, B=1, C=3, D=3 (3) A=4, B=1, C=2 (4) A=1, B=0, C=1, D=4 (5) A=1, B=2, C=1, D=4 (6) A=1 20+ points: Super Pod 1 or 2 15-19 points: Pod 2 or Pod 3 7-14 points: Squad 2, Pod 1, or Pod 2 Under 7 points: Squad 1 or Pod 1

PRACTICE GROUPS Practice groups are divided by age, ability and skill level: Squads are for swimmers 8 & under, 9-12 year olds are in Pods, and any swimmer 13 and older would be in a Super Pod. Take our Swimmer Quiz to find out which group should be yours!

More information about USA Swimming is on page 11.

SQUAD 1 Squad 1 is perfect for swimmers 8 or under who need extensive work on their racing strokes and/or have never participated on a competitive swim team before! Swimmers must be able to swim 25 yards on their stomach with their face in the water as well as 25 yards on their back.

Focus at these practices will be on introducing the competitive racing strokes, mastering diving off of the starting blocks, as well as working on endurance. We will improve on all these areas through demonstration and drills. These swimmers will practice twice a week for one hour each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season.

SQUAD 2 Squad 2 is for swimmers 8 or under with competitive swimming experience and/or swimmers with advanced technique, as determined by the head coach.

Swimmers should be able to demonstrate 25 yards of each of the competitive stroke. Focus at these practices is on stroke development, racing starts, legal finishes and turns, as well as swimming endurance. We will improve on all these areas through demonstration and drills. These swimmers will practice three times a week for one hour each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season. These swimmers will also have the option to register for USA swimming at the start of the season.

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POD 1 Pod 1 will include swimmers ages 9-12 swimmers who need extensive stroke work and/or with no competitive swimming experience. Swimmers must be able to swim 25 yards freestyle with rudimentary alternate (rotary) breathing, 25 yards backstroke and must demonstrate knowledge of breaststroke and butterfly. Focus at practices will be on stroke development, legal starts, turns and finishes, as well as swimming endurance and will be improved through the use of drills and demonstration. These swimmers will practice four times a week for forty-five minutes each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season. Swimmers in this group are also required to purchase and maintain an equipment bag with fins, kickboard and pull buoy.

POD 2 Pod 2 is for swimmers ages 9 & 10 with competitive swim team experience. Swimmers should be able to demonstrate 50 yards of each stroke legally with correct turns and finishes. Swimmers should also be able to dive into the water from the starting blocks. Focus at practices in this group will be on stroke development, swimming endurance, and race strategies. These swimmers will practice four times a week for up to 75 minutes each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season. Swimmers in this group are also required to purchase and maintain an equipment bag with fins, kickboard and pull buoy. These swimmers will have the option to register for USA swimming at the start of the season.

POD 3 Pod 3 is for swimmers ages 11 & 12 with competitive swimming experience with advanced stroke technique. Swimmers should be able to swim 100 yards of each stroke legally, know and be able to demonstrate appropriate starts, turns and finishes, should understand how to use a pace clock and finally should be starting to understand and form short & long term goals. These swimmers will practice five times a week for up to 90 minutes each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season. Swimmers in this group are also required to purchase and maintain an equipment bag with paddles, fins, kickboard and pull buoy. These swimmers will also have the option to register for USA swimming and participate in USA sanctioned swim meets.

Participation in the Dolphins Dryland program is encouraged.

SUPER POD 1 Super Pod 1 is available to those swimmers ages 13 and up with competitive swimming experience, swimmers looking to swim in high school or high school swimmers. Swimmers must meet all qualifications of Pod 3 and should have goals of making YMCA New Englands, USA Regional Championships or equivalent. Swimmers in this group are also required to purchase and maintain an equipment bag with swimming snorkel, paddles, fins, kickboard and pull buoy. Super Pod 1 swimmers will practice five times a week for up to two hours each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season. These swimmers will also have the option to register for USA swimming and participate in USA sanctioned meets. Participation in the Dolphins Dryland program is highly recommended. Swimmers will be asked to meet with the Competitive Swimming Coordinator (Head Coach) at the beginning of each season for a goals meeting and a technique evaluation.

SUPER POD 2 Super Pod 2 is for swimmers ages 13 and up with extensive competitive swimming experience and advanced skills. Swimmers must meet all qualifications of Pod 3 and Super Pod 1 and should have goals of making YMCA Nationals, USA Age Groups, Zones, or equivalent. Swimmers in this group are also required to purchase and maintain an equipment bag with swimming snorkel, paddles, fins, kickboard and pull buoy. Super Pod 2 swimmers will practice five times a week for up to two hours each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season. These swimmers will be required to register for USA swimming and participate in USA sanctioned swim meets. Participation in the Dolphins Dryland program is highly recommended for these swimmers.

Swimmers will be asked to meet with the Competitive Swimming Coordinator (Head Coach) at the beginning of each season for a goals meeting and a technique evaluation.

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SPECIALTY GROUPS 12

NARWHAL CLUB

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The Narwhal Club is for our more mature swimmers trying to transition from group/private lessons to swim team or those who believe they are interested in swim team program.

This club is for ages 13 and over with no formal team experience and for older swimmers who want to compete, but still need to work on fundamentals. These swimmers will practice 3x a week for forty-five minutes each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets.

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ADAPTIVE DOLPHINS Adaptive Dolphins is a competitive swim team training group for athletes aged 10 to 21 with intellectual disabilities who want to be a part of a competitive swim team but learn new skills at a slower pace. Swimmers must have a parent chaperone for the duration of the swim meet to aide at competition. It is encouraged that all Dolphins participate in swim meets. These swimmers will practice twice a week for forty-five minutes each practice session and will compete in YMCA meets throughout the course of the season.

This practice group is open for athletes based on the following criteria:  The person has been identified by an agency or professional as having intellectual disabilities  The person has a cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as intelligent quotient or "IQ" testing or other measures that are generally accepted within the professional community as being a reliable measurement of the existence of a cognitive delay  The person has a closely related developmental disability. A "closely related developmental disability" means having functional limitations in both general learning (such as IQ) and in adaptive skills (such as in recreation, work, independent living, self-direction or self care)

WFYD TEAM CLINICS WELCOME TO WFYD This clinic is for new swimmers to the YMCA Dolphins swim program who can complete at least one lap of the pool on their stomach and one lap on their back. This clinic is intended to be an introduction to the team, coaches, competitive racing strokes, diving and more! After the successful completion of this clinic the WFYD coaching staff will then place swimmers into practice groups for the Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins swim team for the next season.

SHAPING UP FOR SQUADS This clinic is intended for swimmers ages 8 or under who have either previously been a member of the Wallingford Dolphins swim team or have some other kind of competitive swim team experience. The special focus for practice sessions will be on developing breaststroke and butterfly technique as well as learning efficient flipturns.

The clinic is intended to prepare swimmers for the “Squad” practice groups on the Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins swim team for the next season.

PREPPING FOR PODS Prepping for Pods is for swimmers ages 9-12 with little to no competitive experience or as recommended by the WFYD coaching staff. Through drills and demonstration, participants will build upon previous knowledge of the four competitive racing strokes to develop better technique. Practice, after all, does make perfect! The clinic is intended to prepare swimmers for the “Pod” practice groups on the Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins swim team for the next season.

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TECHNIQUE TUNE-UP (A) Technique Tune-Up (A) is for swimmers ages 9-12 with extensive competitive swimming experience who want to improve their technique with special emphasis on starts, turns, and streamlines. On day one of the clinic swimmers will be filmed and the coach will go through that film with each swimmer over the next two sessions. Swimmers will be filmed again on day four of the clinic to see where they have improved and this video clip will be emailed to the parent/guardian email address provided on the registration form with notes from the coach. The clinic is intended to prepare swimmers for “Pod 2” or “Pod 3” practice groups on the Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins swim team for the next season.

TECHNIQUE TUNE-UP (B) Technique Tune-Up (B) is for swimmers ages 13-18 with extensive competitive swimming experience who want to improve their technique.

On day one of the clinic swimmers will be filmed and the coach will go through that film with each swimmer over the next five sessions.

Swimmers will be filmed again on day six of the clinic to see where they have improved and this video clip will be emailed to the parent/guardian email address provided on the registration form with notes from the coach. The clinic is intended to prepare swimmers for “Super Pod” practice groups on the Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins swim team for the next season.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING USA SWIMMING As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education.

USA Swimming membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success.

As a member of the YMCA Dolphins, you are also eligible to become a USA Swimming member. Becoming a member of USA Swimming grants different opportunities for competition, helps athletes get to know swimmers from different areas and is FUN! There is an additional free associated to becoming a USA Swimming member, so please go to the USA Swimming website (http://www.usaswimming.org/) or talk to Coach Alex for more details!

USA SWIMMING BOOTCAMP This program is open to swimmers competing in USA Swimming who want to get a jumpstart on for the Spring/ Summer season. It incorporates endurance training, strength training and swimming.

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DRYLAND When watching fast swimming, more casual followers of the sport often attribute a swimmer’s speed to skill. It is widely accepted amongst beginner or even novice swimmers that swimming is not about trying to tame the water by muscling through it, but rather using excellent technique to slide through the water. There are some athletes, however, that can maintain picture-perfect technique without generating any speed. The main difference between this kind of swimmer and others is strength. The mechanics of swimming are not based on technique alone but also on the application of force and power. By adding strength to skill, faster swimming is possible. For these reasons and more the Dolphins will be unveiling the Dolphins Dryland Program for the upcoming season. Please stay tuned for more details!

PRIVATE COACHING Private and semi-private coaching sessions give competitive swimmers the opportunity to work one on one with a certified coach. These sessions perfect strokes, turns, starts and finishes for competitive swimming. Coaches will employ drills to help the swimmer achieve better and legal starts, turns and strokes.

Each package includes 3 hours with a WFYD coach. Private coaching is a 1:1 student to instructor ratio. Semi-Private coaching a 2:1 student to instructor ratio. Semi-Private coaching requires both individuals to be approximately the same skill level.

Please obtain a Swim Instruction Request Form at the Welcome Center.

This form needs to be completed and submitted to the Dolphins Head Coach to begin the process of setting up this program.

MENTORING CLINIC This new & exciting program is for swimmers 8 & under and focuses on improving technique through drills and demonstration to get your swim season started right! Encouraging community partnerships with our local high school swim teams, swimmers are partnered with Sheehan High School and/or Lyman Hall Swimmers, with a certified WFYD coach leading all sessions. These older swimmers will share their experience and love of swimming to the 8 & unders and hopefully mentor not just for clinic, but for the duration of their swimming careers The swimmer must be 8 years of age or under for the duration of the clinic.

FAQ What is a ‘Pod’ and why do I want to be in one?

In the wild, Dolphins are highly social animals that live in pods. Here in Wallingford, our Dolphins are divided into practice groups according to their age and swimming ability, modeled after pods! After all, these kids are highly social animals too!

How many practices am I required to go to in one week?

How many should I attend?

How many practices you are required to attend and how many practices you should attend are very different questions! As a member of the Dolphins swim team, you are required to attend at least 2/3 of the practices offered to you. You should, however, take your goals for the season into consideration and plan accordingly! For instance, if your goal is to make YMCA Nationals, you should do your best to attend all practices offered.

How many swim meets should I go to, and how long are they?

There are several meets during the course of the season. There are dual meets, which are meets against another team in the Yankee Cluster League. There are invitational meets where many different teams come together to compete against one another. Finally, there is our Yankee Cluster Championship meet where all of the teams in our league compete against one another to crown a league champion! These meets can last from a few hours to multiple days!

Follow-up question: What is the Yankee Cluster League?

The YMCA Yankee Cluster Swim League is composed of various YMCA swim teams throughout the state of Connecticut. The purpose of the YCSL is to provide young boys and girls an opportunity to participate in competitive swimming, under conditions that will foster skillful aquatic ability, good fellowship, team association loyalty, a finer appreciation of swimming for its own sake and not just for winning; and sportsmanship of a high type on the part of spectators, as well as swimmers and officials.

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What does WFYD stand for?

WFYD stands for the Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins. You will see these letters on our swim caps, suits, our team website, twitter page, Facebook and on heat sheets at swim meets.

Follow-up question: What are heat sheets?

Heat sheets are meet programs that tell us when a swimmer will be swimming!

What kind of suit should I wear to practices? Meets?

Females should wear one-piece bathing suits to practice, whereas males should wear either jammers or speedos. Preferred brands for suits include Speedo, TYR, Nike, and more! For swim meets, you should wear your WFYD team suit, which we will order at the beginning of the swim season.

The team suit is not included in the program fee, so it is an additional cost.

What do I bring to swim practice?

You should wear a bathing suit, goggles, and a cap at practices. In addition, you should bring a water bottle to keep hydrated! Depending on which practice group you register for, you may be required to purchase additional equipment.

How can I remain informed about what is going on with the Dolphins?

There are so many ways to stay informed! We have our team website, (http://www.wallingforddolphins.org) which keeps you updated on team events, has information about the swim team, and more! We also have a Facebook and a Twitter page, which you should “friend” and “follow.” We also keep our bulletin board updated on the observation deck at the YMCA, and you can always stop in to the Aquatics Office!

How long is the swim season?

The Fall/Winter season runs from September until the end of February for most swimmers, culminating in the Yankee Cluster Championships. If a swimmer makes any additional championship swim meets, then their season will be extended. The Spring/Summer season runs from April to mid July.

Have questions or want more information?

Contact Alexandra Hunter, Competitive Swimming Coordinator & WFYD Head Coach, at 203-269-4497 x30 or ahunter@wallingfordymca.org

WFYD WALLINGFORD FAMLY YMCA DOLPHINS SWIM TEAM 81 S Elm Street Wallingford, CT 06492 203-269-4497 wallingforddolphins.org