FINS PRACTICE GROUPS

Choose the group you feel your swimmer currently belongs in.

Tiny Turtles

Ages 3 to 6
Very Beginner

little-fins

Little FINS

Ages 4 to 7
Beginner 1

seahorses

Seahorses

Ages 5 to 8
Beginner 2

swordfish

Marlins

Ages 7 to 10
Intermediate

sharks

Sharks

Ages 10 to 14
Advanced

marlins

Swordfish

Ages 11 to 15
Intermediate

dolphins

Dolphins

Ages 13 to 18
Advanced

FINS Training Group (FTG)

Ages 9 to 18
Advanced and Training

Tiny Turtles

Ages 3 to 6
Very Beginner

little-fins

Little FINS

Ages 4 to 8
Very Beginner

seahorses

Seahorses

Ages 5 to 8
Beginner

swordfish

Marlins

Ages 7 to 10
Intermediate

sharks

Sharks

Ages 10 to 14
Advanced

marlins

Swordfish

Ages 11 to 15
Intermediate

dolphins

Dolphins

Ages 13 to 18
Advanced

FINS Training Group (FTG)

Ages 9 to 18
Advanced

*NEW GROUP* Tiny Turtles - Outdoors ONLY

Ages 3 to 6 - Very Beginner

Primary Focus:

  • To further our swimmers’ comfort in and around the water with song, game, and play-based instruction, help develop and strengthen general water safety skills, and introduce foundational skills for freestyle and forward swimming.

  • Tiny Turtles will typically learn in the shallow end (2-3 ft.) of the pool with 5-10 minutes of most practices in deeper water (4.5+ ft.).

    • *Note: This group is currently offered only at outdoor locations.

Requirements:

– Be able to enter and exit the water safely

– Feel happy in and around the water and in a group setting without their grown-up present– Swimmers must be toilet-trained

Group Goals:

– Become comfortable and confident submerging

– Learn basic skills required for floating on front and back, blowing bubbles, kicking, and treading water

– Learn to practice alongside teammates and feel comfortable in a team setting

Little FINS

Ages 4 to 7 - Beginner 1

Primary Focus:

  • To further our swimmers’ comfort in and around the water, help develop and strengthen general water safety skills, learn the basic elements to a successful freestyle, and introduce foundational skills for backstroke swimming

  • Little FINS will typically practice:

    • In a 25 yd/m indoor “main competition pool” at Georgetown Prep (completing half to full lengths)

    • In the shallow end (2-3 ft.) of the pool with 10-15 minutes in deeper water (4.5+ ft.) at outdoor facilities

Requirements:

– Comfortable submerging and blowing bubbles

– Comfortable floating unassisted on back and front 

– Comfortable jumping in and swimming in deeper water (4.5+ ft.)

– Has foundational kicking skills and can move forward on a kickboard for 15 yd/m without touching the bottom

– Can attempt to move across the pool with forward motion and horizontal body position independently for 5-10 yd/m

Group Goals:

– Become comfortable and confident swimming unassisted for 15-25 yd/m

– Develop the foundational components of freestyle swimming including body position, kicking, and roll over breathing

– Learn the introductory components of backstroke swimming including body position and kicking

– Learn to practice alongside teammates and feel comfortable in a team setting

  •  

Seahorses

Ages 5 to 8 - Beginner 2

Primary Focus:

  • Strengthening of basic components and foundational skills of freestyle and backstroke and an introduction to breaststroke and butterfly strokes

  • Seahorses will typically practice:

    • In a 25 yd/m “main competition pool” at Georgetown Prep

    • In the diving well at Old Farm & Seven Locks

Requirements:

– Feel comfortable in deep water (4.5+ ft.) independently

– Swim across a 25 yd/m pool unassisted with elements of a freestyle stroke

– Kick across a 25 yd/m pool unassisted on the back

Group Goals:

    • – Continue to develop freestyle swimming by learning side breathing and how to add arm strokes to their freestyle kick

    • – Continue to develop backstroke swimming by learning how to add arm strokes to their backstroke kick

    • – Learn the introductory components of breaststroke and butterfly kicking

    • – Introduction to technical swimming skills such as streamlines, send offs, and diving

    • – Introduction to swimming drills and swimming vocabulary

    • – Learn to practice alongside teammates and feel comfortable in a team setting

  • Marlins

    Ages 7 to 10 - Intermediate

    Primary Focus:

    • Refining freestyle and backstroke, strengthening the basic components of breaststroke and butterfly, and developing technical skills including starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.

    • Marlins will practice:

      • In a 25 yd/m “main competition pool”

    Requirements:

    • Comfortable swimming beyond 25 yd/m of the pool

    • – Has a clear understanding of freestyle including kicking, arm strokes, and side breathing

    • – Has a clear understanding of backstroke including kicking and arm strokes

    • – Can attempt a “frog” breaststroke kick and “dolphin” butterfly kick for 25 yd/m of the pool

          • *Note: Most athletes in this group are swimmers who have spent time on a swim team or have received some type of organized swim instruction.  They feel confident swimming back and forth with ease, but their strokes are still in need of fine-tuning.  Divisions within this group will exist based on swimmer abilities.

    Group Goals:

    – Refine freestyle and backstroke swimming

    – Gain further mastery of breaststroke and butterfly

    – Gain exposure to race pace swimming

    – Develop technical skills (starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.)

    – Further swimming vocabulary and learn new drills that help swimmers understand the different components that make up every stroke

    •  

    Swordfish

    Ages 11 to 15 - Intermediate

    Primary Focus:

    • – Refining all four strokes and all technical skills including starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.

    • Swordfish will practice:

      • In a 25 yd/m “main competition pool”

    Requirements:

    – Comfortable swimming beyond 25 yd/m of the pool in freestyle and backstroke

    – Must have a clear understanding of all four strokes including kicking and arm strokes- strokes may not be refined, but swimmers are familiar with the general motions that make up every stroke

    *Note: Most athletes in this group are swimmers who have spent time on a swim team or have received some type of organized swim instruction.  They feel confident swimming back and forth with ease, but their strokes are still in need of fine-tuning.  Divisions within this group will exist based on swimmer abilities.

    •  

    Group Goals:

    – Refine all four strokes

    – Gain exposure to race pace swimming

    – Become more proficient with all technical skills (starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.)

    – Further swimming vocabulary and learn new drills that help swimmers understand the different components that make up every stroke

    •  

    Sharks

    Ages 10 to 14 - Advanced

    Primary Focus:

    – Perfecting all four strokes and all technical skills including starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc. and becoming race ready in all four strokes

    Sharks will practice:

    In a 25 yd/m “main competition pool”

    Requirements:

    • Comfortable swimming beyond 50 yd/m of the pool in all four strokes

    • – Display strong refined skills in all four strokes

    • – Display a strong understanding of technical skills (starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.)

    • – Feel comfortable swimming different speeds in all four strokes

        • *Note: Most athletes in this group have spent several seasons on their summer swim team or under some type of organized swim instruction.  They have spent time working on different drills to be comfortable swimming all four strokes 50 yd/m. or more at a time.  Most of these swimmers have racing and aerobic swimming experience.

    Group Goals:

      • Work to perfect all four strokes

      • – Master advanced swimming drills

      • – Work to perfect all technical skills (starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.)

      • – Gain further exposure to aerobic and race pace swimming

    Dolphins

    Ages 13 to 18 - Advanced

    Primary Focus:

    • – Perfecting all four strokes and all technical skills including starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc. and furthering swimmers’ abilities to take on aerobic swimming

    • Dolphins will practice:

      • In a 25 yd/m “main competition pool”

    Requirements:

    • Comfortable swimming beyond 50 yd/m of the pool in a continuous fashion in all four strokes

    • – Display strong refined skills in all four strokes

    • – Display a strong understanding of technical skills (starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.)

    • – Feel comfortable swimming different speeds in all four strokes

        • *Note: Most athletes in this group have spent time working on different drills to be comfortable swimming all four strokes 50 yd/m. or more at a time.  They are looking to prepare for high school swimming and/or seeking additional aerobic exercise.

    Group Goals:

      • Work to further perfect all four strokes

      • – Master advanced swimming drills

      • –  Work to perfect all technical skills (starts, flipturns, breaststroke pull outs, underwater kick-outs, breakouts, etc.)

      • – Gain further exposure to aerobic swimming with higher levels of yardage in addition to race pace swimming

      • – Gain exposure to race strategy and meet preparation

    FINS Training Group (FTG)

    Jr Group - Ages 9 to 12 - Advanced
    Sr Group - Ages 13 to 18 - Advanced

    Primary Focus:

    • – Excelling at challenging workouts that maintain a focus on technique, while swimming longer distances, engaging in race style sets, and succeeding with interval based training and conditioning style practices. 

    FTG will practice:

    In a 25 yd/m “main competition pool”

    Requirements:

    – Comfortable swimming beyond 50 yd/m (FTG Juniors) or 100 yd/m (FTG Seniors) of the pool in a continuous fashion in all four strokes.

    • – Display strong refined racing skills in all four strokes.

    • – Display a strong understanding of technical skills (starts, turns, streamlines, underwater kick-outs, etc.)

    • – Feel comfortable swimming different speeds in all four strokes

    • – Have a desire to participate in practices that are 60+ min. and include more of a focus on endurance and interval-based training

        • Note: Most swimmers in this group have spent several seasons on their summer team or under some type of organized swim instruction. They have spent time working on different drills to perfect all four strokes. Most of these swimmers have racing and aerobic training experience.

    Group Goals:

      • – Become fitter, stronger, and more confident with fitness, aerobic, and race based swimming. 

      • – Work to further perfect all four strokes.

      • – Master advanced swim drills.

      • – Work to perfect all technical skills (turns, starts, breaststroke pullouts, underwater kick-outs, breakouts etc.).

      • – Learn to use a pace clock and feel comfortable engaging in interval based workouts