Elite Squad       Coach:Richard Skirving

Training Sessions and Location:

Age Criteria:      Females 12+

Males 13+

Attendance:

Elite has 11.5 hours (6 sessions) per week of training. Swimmers will be expected to attend a minimum of 4 sessions a WEEK including land training.

Focus areas – Endurance and Technique:

Swimmers will improve through natural growth and development; however optimal improvements will be through technique and an increase in endurance training. At this stage a leap in commitment is required; training targets cannot be achieved without attendance / an increase in training volume and hours. Session plans will include specific sets to increase aerobic capacity influencing long-term

improvement. The quality of training is expressed in terms of maintaining efficient and effective techniques over progressively greater seasonal loads. Whilst the focus in this squad is very much on the volume of training, speed and sprint work is never ignored.

Discipline:

Swimmers' behaviour and attitude will be taken into consideration; each swimmer should demonstrate high standards both technically, physically, and mentally. Swimmers will also need to demonstrate good lane discipline and courtesy towards other swimmers in the lane.

To maintain the standards expected in this squad swimmers will need to:

1. Maintain injury prevention - Perform regular exercises outside of normal training, not limited to just stretching, with the use of resistance bands / small weights etc
2.  Demonstrate a good understanding of the importance of hydration and nutrition strategies
3. Work towards Kent County qualifying times
4.  Work towards S/East Regional qualifying times
5.  Achieve a T2000 time of Sub 28 mins (minimum entry requirement)

Swimmers in this squad will be expected to be able to swim the following:  

1. 20 x 100 Freestyle @ 1:40
2. 16 x 100 IM @ 2:00 or 16 x 100 butterfly @ 2:00 or 16 x 100 Backstroke @ 1:50 or 12 x 100 Breastroke @ 2:15
3. 10 x 25 @ 25 seconds
4. T2000 target sub 28 minutes

NOTE: THESE ARE GUIDELINES, AND ARE AT THE COACH’S DISCRETION