Group Descriptions - Competitive

National

National is a select group of top level athletes. Training at the National level becomes more individualized and specialized to swimmers needs and event selections. Swimmers will be expected to maintain a high level of attendance in the program. The intensity of training requires swimmers to maintain the best possible recovery practices as well as maintaining a strong focus on their education. National swimmers should be active participants in their training program and maintain constant communication with the coach to maximize their seasonal outcomes.

Competition: The National group is targeted at the SNC National calendar each season with a particular eye on selection opportunities for Provincial, National and International Teams.  Swimmers will be required to travel extensively each season and may be required to miss school several times throughout the year.

Dryland: A multi layered approach to dryland with weight training, flexibility, conditioning, speed, and coordination.

Provincial

Provincial athletes are learning to become accountable and active participants in creating their best training habits, and are becoming their own independent athlete. They will begin to explore how heart rate relates to energy systems and how this affects their own training, recovery, and competitions. Provincial swimmers will be expected to maintain a high level of attendance in this group. Provincial athletes will learn the mental skills to succeed and fail within a controlled environment, and apply these skills to competitions. 

Competition: Provincial swimmers will compete locally, provincially, and nationally.

Dryland: Strength development becomes an increased focus for Performance athletes. Continued development of agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S).

Regional

The training load and expectations will increase substantially at the Regional level. Swimmers will be expected to maintain a high level of attendance. There will be an introduction to higher level skills and equipment, such as heart rate (HR) and how to apply it to training and racing, crossover turns, and an introduction to paddles and bands for technical progression. An advancement of mental skills and its integration into day to day training to succeed under the increased training load. 

Age: 10+ at start of season

Competition: Regional swimmers will compete locally, regionally, provincially, and may have opportunity to compete nationally.

Dryland: Continued development of agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S) with the addition of strength development will become a critical part of the AGP swimmer’s program. 

Senior Competitive

Senior Competitive (SC) is intended for athletes who are either 15 y/o or who will be turning 15 within the season. SC swimmers are learning to become accountable and active participants in creating their best training habits, and are becoming their own independent athlete. They will begin to explore how heart rate relates to energy systems and how this affects their own training, recovery, and competitions. Senior Competitive swimmers will be expected to maintain open communication with their coach so they are aware of the swimmers schedules and swimming goals. SC athletes will learn the mental skills to succeed and fail within a controlled environment, and apply these skills to competitions. 

Age: 15y/o+ or turning 15 within the season

Competition: Senior Competitive swimmers will compete locally, provincially, and nationally.

Dryland: Strength development becomes an increased focus for Performance athletes. Continued development of agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S).

Junior Age Group (9 - 13 years old)

JAG (13 years old & under)

Junior Age Group (JAG) swimmers will develop mastery of basic skill elements such as streamlining and underwater kicking, advancing skill elements of starts and turns, and introducing higher level stroke components like Distance Per Stroke (DPS). An introduction on mental preparation for training, racing, and personal development will be developed in the JAG group, as well as understanding the purpose of tactics and strategies for racing and training. 

Age: 9-13* at start of season

Competition: JAG swimmers will compete in local, regional & provincial level competitions. Interprovincial opportunities may arise for selected JAG swimmers. Focus on racing all strokes with a balance of speed and endurance events. Sufficient competition experience will be required to move from OW to JAG

Dryland: Continued development of agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S) with the addition of body weight strength movements taught for further strength development. 

Standards: Swimmers in the JAG group will have shown an ability to compete at the Provincial level in one or more events, or will have the training ability to do so within the season.

JAG swimmers will be competitive in all four strokes and will train and race a broad spectrum of events throughout the season. Swimmers will develop training and racing routines that will lead them to further success in subsequent groups, and see a significant increase in kick specific fitness.

*These ages are subject to coaches discretion and athlete development. The OSC Coaching staff always has the best interests and long term development of each individual athlete in mind when making these decisions.

Olympic Way (12 & Under)

OW (12 years old & under)

Olympic Way (OW) swimmers will continue development of all four competitive strokes, skills, starts and turns with an emphasis on advancing technical stroke components and introducing fundamental racing components such as a minimum of three (3) dolphin kicks in a streamline, and not breathing the first stroke off of every wall.

Age: 8-12* at start of season

Competition: In-house competitions as well as some local and regional invitational meets will be offered at this level. Swimmers should be trying to achieve the Festival North and/or Provincials Meet Qualifying Standards and should attend if they qualify. 

Dryland: Continue to develop agility, balance, coordination & speed (ABC’S).

Standards: Swimmers should be familiar with basic training and racing etiquette, and will continue to develop their swimming terminology. The swimmer is learning to become more self aware as an athlete.

• Do you know how to read a clock? Can you adhere to pace times and get your time? 
• Can you push off the wall on time and in streamline?
• Learn to pass other swimmers safely
• Learn to properly use a snorkel

Swimmers who have shown stage appropriate development on all four strokes and skills will be qualified to advance into the OW program. 

Outcomes: Swimmers in this group will improve on skills and techniques taught at the JOW level and see significant development of body position kick. These swimmers will be prepared for advancement to the JAG program by understanding the general concepts of training in a group and taking both individual and group instruction.

*These ages are subject to coaches discretion and athlete development. The OSC Coaching staff always has the best interests and long term development of each individual athlete in mind when making these decisions.

Junior Olympic Way (11 & Under)

JOW (11 years old & under)

Swimmers in Junior Olympic Way (JOW) will continue to develop all four competitive strokes, skills, starts and turns. Overall physical development with an emphasis on FUN short duration speed and endurance. Introduce and teach basic training requirements such as lane etiquette and pace clock use. 

Age: Swimmers must be 11 years* & under at the start of the season. 

Competition: Swimmers that are 10&Under as of the first meet in the series (November 14th, 2020) will be eligible to compete in all four (4) meets of this series. All athletes in JOW will have the opportunity to compete in select invitationals throughout the season.

Dryland: Promote agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S).

Standards: Swimmers must pass Mini O’s Gold or the equivalent (as determined by an individual assessment) and be 7-11 years old. 

JOW swimmers will develop further confidence in the water and a progression in the technical aspects of all four competitive strokes, turns and starts. They will develop a general understanding of how a swim meet is run as well as an overall increase in speed and endurance in and out of the pool.

*These ages are subject to coaches discretion and athlete development. The OSC Coaching staff always has the best interests and long term development of each individual athlete in mind when making these decisions.

Junior Development (Competitive) (18 & Under)

JD Competitive (18 years & under)

Swimmers in Junior Development (JD) will be introduced to all four competitive strokes, skills, starts and turns. Overall physical development with an emphasis on FUN short duration speed and endurance.

Age: Swimmers must be 18 years* and under at the start of the season and are new to the sport of competitive swimming.

Competition: JD Competitive swimmers are able to compete at OSC offered competitions, so long as the swimmer meets the competition standards.

Dryland: Promote agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S) 

Standards: Swimmers must be capable of swimming 50m by themselves unassisted. Swimmers must be comfortable swimming in deep water (>6 feet). Swimmers have the desire to develop a basic understanding of all four competitive strokes, turns and starts. They will develop a general understanding of how a swim meet is run as well as an overall increase in speed and endurance in and out of the pool.

*These ages are subject to coaches discretion and athlete development. The OSC Coaching staff always has the best interests and long term development of each individual athlete in mind when making these decisions.

Junior Development (Non-Competitive) (18 & Under)

JD Non-Competitive (18 years old and under)

Swimmers in Junior Development (JD) will be introduced to all four competitive strokes, skills, starts and turns. Overall physical development with an emphasis on FUN short duration speed and endurance.

Age: Swimmers must be 18 years* and under at the start of the season and are new to the sport of competitive swimming.

Competition: JD athletes are able to compete in three (3) competitions each year. OSC Home Opener (September), OSC Double Double (February), OSC Blue & White (June)

Dryland: Promote agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S) 

Standards: Swimmers must be capable of swimming 50m by themselves unassisted. Swimmers must be comfortable swimming in deep water (>6 feet). Swimmers have the desire to develop a basic understanding of all four competitive strokes, turns and starts. They will develop a general understanding of how a swim meet is run as well as an overall increase in speed and endurance in and out of the pool.

*These ages are subject to coaches discretion and athlete development. The OSC Coaching staff always has the best interests and long term development of each individual athlete in mind when making these decisions.

High Performance

National is a select group of top level athletes. Training at the National level becomes more individualized and specialized to swimmers needs and event selections. Swimmers will be expected to maintain a high level of attendance in the program. The intensity of training requires swimmers to maintain the best possible recovery practices as well as maintaining a strong focus on their education. National swimmers should be active participants in their training program and maintain constant communication with the coach to maximize their seasonal outcomes.

Competition: The National group is targeted at the SNC National calendar each season with a particular eye on selection opportunities for Provincial, National and International Teams.  Swimmers will be required to travel extensively each season and may be required to miss school several times throughout the year.

Dryland: A multi layered approach to dryland with weight training, flexibility, conditioning, speed, and coordination.

Performance

Provincial athletes are learning to become accountable and active participants in creating their best training habits, and are becoming their own independent athlete. They will begin to explore how heart rate relates to energy systems and how this affects their own training, recovery, and competitions. Provincial swimmers will be expected to maintain a high level of attendance in this group. Provincial athletes will learn the mental skills to succeed and fail within a controlled environment, and apply these skills to competitions. 

Competition: Provincial swimmers will compete locally, provincially, and nationally.

Dryland: Strength development becomes an increased focus for Performance athletes. Continued development of agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S).

Age Group Performance (10 & Over)

The training load and expectations will increase substantially at the Regional level. Swimmers will be expected to maintain a high level of attendance. There will be an introduction to higher level skills and equipment, such as heart rate (HR) and how to apply it to training and racing, crossover turns, and an introduction to paddles and bands for technical progression. An advancement of mental skills and its integration into day to day training to succeed under the increased training load. 

Age: 10+ at start of season

Competition: Regional swimmers will compete locally, regionally, provincially, and may have opportunity to compete nationally.

Dryland: Continued development of agility, balance, coordination and speed (ABC’S) with the addition of strength development will become a critical part of the AGP swimmer’s program.