The Calne Alpha County Squad is for swimmers who will commit to 3 – 6 hours swimming per week three hours per week swimming under the supervision of fully qualified teachers / coaches.  Swimmers will need to have completed all stages of NPTS assessed by one of our teachers at being at that level   

Entry Criteria

1.     Completed all NPTS stages

2.     Successful completion of all skills criteria from Calne Alpha Development Squad

3.     Own their own kick board, pull buoy, training fins and snorkel

Swimmers will undertake the following during their lessons/ coaching sessions:

a)    Focus on  development of strokes and drills for all four strokes

b)    Focus on development of stroke efficiency for all four strokes

c)    Focus on all legal skill movements for all 4 strokes including starts turns and finishes

d)    Further develop underwater skills

e)    Full understanding of lane disciplines

f)     Continuing development of kicks on all four strokes

g)    Focus on turns for Individual medley

h)    Continuing development of sculling techniques

i)     Work on swimming 100 and 200 IM

j)     Work on aerobic swimming , swimming distances greater than 200m

k)     Use the pace clock during all sets

l)     Introduction to competitive swimming i.e. gala s and league swimming

m)   Develop basic aerobic development whilst holding set skills.

n)    Develop and understanding of the competitions and the LTAd pathway in British swimming

 

Notes for this squad

Times are not important for this squad; swimmers should be aiming for county qualifying times whilst maintaining stroke skills. Skill development and maintaining good technique is of great importance

 

Criteria for moving to the development squad / what swimmers will achieve by the end of this stage:

1.     Complete a set lasting 4500 on a specific time turn around set by the coach (e.g. 1.45 for 100m’s 3:30 for 200m and 7:00 for 400m)

2.     Perform kick sets on the turnaround time given by the coach

3.     Show improvement on all 4 legal strokes

4.     Perform a legal competitive track and grab start with use of competitive underwater phase for all strokes

5.     Be able to perform a legal competitive backstroke start with use of competitive underwater phase

6.     Qualifying and competitive in level 3 and level 2 competitions

7.     Perform legal competitive turns on all strokes consistently

8.     Perform legal competitive starts on all strokes consistently

9.     Consistently achieve the skills list below during sessions

 

Swimmers will achieve the following skill list consistently during sessions

Freestyle

  • No breathing on breakout
  • No breathing last 5 m
  • 4-5  kicks or more off every wall
  • Breathe every 3 to 4 strokes

Backstroke

  • Breakout past the flag on competitive push offs
  • Finish on back
  • 3 – 4  kicks or more off every wall
  • Perform legal competitive backstroke turns with use of legal underwater phase

Breaststroke

  • Hold underwater phase for 2 seconds
  • Turn and finish with two hands
  • Legal start and turn
  • Count stroke every length
  • Use of dolphin kick within underwater phase

Fly

  • Breathing every two strokes
  • 3 - 4 kicks off every wall
  • Turn and finish with two hands
  • No breathing last 5 m
  • Breakout past the flags

Additional skills

  • Perform all legal competitive starts with full use of underwater phase
  • Streamline position off every wall
  • All strokes turns and start performed to FINA rules