The National Group is a select team of high-performance athletes aged 14 and over who have achieved a time at least 3% away from one Best of the West Fest time standard and are committed to pursuing excellence at provincial, national, and international levels. Training at this level is highly specialized and increasingly individualized, tailored to each swimmer’s needs, goals, and event focus. Athletes are expected to maintain an exceptional level of attendance (90%+), actively participate in the training process, manage advanced, high-volume sets, and consistently communicate with their coach to optimize outcomes. The program emphasizes advanced energy system training, exceptional technical execution across all strokes, stroke and race-specific development, and refined recovery strategies to meet the physical demands of elite training. Swimmers are also expected to balance their performance goals with a strong commitment to academics and recovery outside the pool. The competitive focus follows the Swimming Canada National calendar, including major provincial and national meets, with opportunities for team selections and international competition. Travel and time away from school are expected parts of the season. Dryland sessions follow a layered performance model with weight training, mobility, conditioning, and coordination work. While performance standard, skill level, dedication and age are minimum requirements, final placement in the National Group is determined by the Head Coach based on performance readiness, attitude, and long-term development potential.
Performance: 3% away from Best of the West (BOTW) Time Standards; proven ability to handle advanced, high-volume training sets
Skill Level: Elite technical execution across all strokes; advanced race-pacing mechanics
Dedication: Attendance requirement of 90%+; elite practice effort and proactive athletic leadership
Age: Minimum 14 years old (flexible based on development)