SQUADS & TRAINING
Trainings form the bulk of our club’s operations and will be where your swimmer will spend most of their time. Training is where the correct movement, patterns, and skills are taught and ingrained by our team of passionate coaches, with these learnings later being used in racing situations.
Junior Squads
Our junior squads are filled predominantly with swimmers aged up to 12 years, as well as older swimmers who are newer to the sport. These squads bridge the gap between learn to swim and squad swimming. Whilst in these squads, swimmers will be focussed on having fun, learning & refining stroke mechanics & skills and putting these into practice with consistency. The challenges for swimmers in these squads will predominantly be mental focus & co-ordination.
Penguins Squad
2 x 30 minute sessions p/w
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2 x 30 min sessions per week (minimum 1 session). Squad only for siblings of other members.
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Focus on general water confidence, stability/control whilst in the water and kick. Sessions are geared around fun and keeping new swimmers interested and engaged.
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Penguins can participate in Club Nights with the use of fins.
Kingfish Squad
3 x 45 minute sessions p/w
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3 x 45min sessions per week (minimum 2 sessions).
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Build and maintain water confidence and begin transferring that to competence over Free, BK, BR & Fly kick (butterfly stroke taught for timing only).
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Swimmers are exposed to a large variety of drills and skills with fun still being the main focus. Kingfish are encouraged to participate in Club Nights once they are settled into their squad.
Dolphins Squad
3 x 1 hour sessions p/w
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3 x 1hr sessions per week (minimum 2 sessions).
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Trainings are still centred around fun and skill acquisition through a myriad of drills and skills. Stability/control in the water is maintained.
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Aim to increase competence over longer distances/increased repetitions for Free, BK & BR, and have swimmers complete a length of Fly with good form. Dolphins should be regularly participating in Club Nights.
Marlins Squad
3 sessions p/w from 1 hour
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1x1:30, 2x1:15, 1x1hr session per week (minimum 3 sessions)
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Introduction to lower mileage squad trainings – swimmers will cover an average of 1.5-2.5kms per session. Trainings are still centred around fun, but swimmers are at training to get better/faster.
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Aim of the squad is getting swimmers to compete in and complete the 200IM without disqualification whilst maintaining technique.
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12&U squad members are training to compete at the Aquaknights Junior Festival.
Senior Squads
Our senior squads are typically filled with long term club swimmers and swimmers aged 13 years and above. These are of the more “traditional” swimming squad mould, ie: training is based around getting fitter & faster and performing when in race conditions. Whilst improvement is the focus, sessions and squad placements are always mindful of where swimmers are in their physiological & mental development (see below discussion for more details). This is important as senior squad trainings introduce a gradually increasing physiological focus.
Senior squads are expected to be at the pool twenty minutes before the start of every training session to go through a self-directed dryland warm-up. This is a requirement for all senior squad members and aids in injury prevention as well as instilling good habits they can carry through their sporting lives.
Orcas Squads
3 sessions minimum p/w
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4x1:30 pool sessions per week (minimum 3 sessions)
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3x dryland sessions.
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Increased training intensity & mileage from Marlins, with swimmers covering 2.5km+ most sessions.
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Training is still focussed on technique and broad skill acquisition, but swimmers are now challenged to hold form over longer distances and at higher intensities. Swimmers are expected to be mentally & physically engaged with trainings. Introduction to dryland training, centred around core strength, stability & co-ordination.
Makos Squad
4 sessions minimum p/w
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2x1:30, 2x1:45, 2x2hr sessions per week (minimum 4 sessions),
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4x dryland sessions
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Fully periodised competitive swimming training program geared towards performances at Division II Championships, Secondary School Championships, and regional championship meets.
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Swimmers do not specialise (ie: aim to qualify in as many events/strokes as possible). Focus on athlete driven training & performance. High mileage per session (3.5km+ per session) with technique being maintained across all intensities.
Performance Squad
6 sessions minimum p/w
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2x1:30, 4x1:45, 2x2hr sessions per week (minimum 6 sessions)
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multiple dryland training sessions or personalised strength & conditioning programs are required.
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Athletes are consistently working towards being at the pinnacle of swimming for their age & stage of physical development. Athlete driven training & performance “If it is to be, it is up to me!”.
WSC Training Sessions - What to Expect
GENERAL INFO
As a swimming club, as opposed to a swim school, we can enrol kids once they are at a post-LTS level of proficiency. In our case means they can swim one unassisted length of the outdoor 33m pool in either Freestyle, Backstroke, or Breaststroke.
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The training content & and focus of each of the club’s squads differ and are based upon a range of both psychological & and physiological criteria. Below you will find a brief explanation of the criteria for each of the squads. Note that these are only guidelines and that our coaching team has the ultimate say on squad placement & and movement. Please get in touch with your swimmer’s coach should you have any questions in this space.
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Visit Club Nights & Swim Meets for more information on where we test our skills. Or view our live squad training timetable at Events Calendar​
TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
WASC aims to develop 'thinking swimmers' at ALL levels. We want kids to be asking coaches the right questions and be engaged right from Penguins through to Performance. Junior swimmers should be able to understand why they’re performing a certain aspect of technique. Senior swimmers should have/wish to have a full understanding of technique and develop a grasp of the physiological reasons behind different types of training and corresponding training cycles.
TRAINING SCHEDULE
Your swimmer is essentially re-learning to walk, four different ways, in a medium for which the human body was not designed. Performing physical activity horizontally with restricted access to oxygen in an environment roughly 700 times denser than air, does not come naturally, and thus requires a very large amount of practice to adapt to. Swimming is also unable to be learned or practiced passively in everyday life like walking is, which makes every minute spent in the water crucial to initial competence & eventual mastery.
SWIMMER BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT PROCESS
To ensure class efficiency we have implemented a Behaviour Management Process. It is important that children respect other squad members, there learning, and our coaching staff.
Please review our Swimmer Behaviour Management Process that we'd like all parents to be aware of.