White & Bronze Groups

White & Bronze Group Coaches: Amber Pearson & Alexander Brinks

This group is designed for the advance 7-11 swimmers. The focus of this group is to continue teaching the fundamentals of the strokes through a variety of swim drills, enjoyable activities, and the encouragement of self-respect, respect for others, fairplay, and sportsmanship. Swimmers are introduced to all aspects of competitive swimming including goal setting, commitment, and strategies in achieving goals. The foundations are built for future success in competitive swimming. Emphasis will be placed on proper swim technique and improving time, as well as on building endurance and increasing aerobic conditioning. Moreover, workouts provide the basics of the sport of swimming such as reading the pace clock, listening to and understanding swim sets, and swim terminology, as swimmers work towards the Districts (Q3) and Junior Olympics (Q2) level meets.

White Group swimmers will compete at two different level meets: The West Michigan Swim League (WMSL) seasonal competitions will be used as a stepping stone and introduction towards year round USA Swimming sanctioned meets. As the swimmers of this group progress, they will work towards becoming confident at competing in all four strokes. 75-90 minute workouts are offered five times a week and swimmers are encouraged to attend all practices. The prerequisites for this group are that the swimmer must be able to complete 200 yards of I.M. (Individual Medley – all four competitive strokes) without assistance of any kind.

Competition in all four strokes is encouraged for swimmers to display their proficiency and to move forward into the Blue 2 Group. Also, attendance, ability, commitment, maturity level, and attitude will be used to determine advancement to the next level group. Workout attendance is not required, but four to five practices a week are recommended. Practice equipment should consist of goggles, fins, and mesh bag. Swim caps are recommended for swimmers with long hair.