Swimming Information
Simply put, competitive swimming is racing in the water. Each athlete has the opportunity to advance and to grow to the best of their ability each season. What was it about swimming that attracted you and your child to summer swimming? Whatever it was that captured your imagination and interest, we hope to turn that motivation into a life long positive experience.
Some positive values of swimming are:
1. Swimming is healthy: Injuries are few (and mild). The sport has proven to be one of the best programs for overall conditioning of the body. It provides cardiovascular fitness, muscular fitness and increased flexibility.
2. Swimming develops a sense of high quality. One measure of success is derived from doing the strokes properly. Technique is vital learning. The swimmer learns that their individual success depends on “doing it right”.
3. Swimming teaches self-discipline: No one can force a person to swim. Our athletes develop an inner sense of discipline as they devote themselves to the sport. In comparison with most team sports, (e.g. hockey, baseball, etc.) you will notice a dramatic increase in time commitment for both training and competing.
4. A swimmer must organize their daily and weekly activities carefully to balance free time and training in order to maximize their results.
5. Swimming offers direct and individual rewards: The definition of success in swimming is impartial. It is a time clock. Each swimmer gains immediate success through the achievement of personal best times. The better you work, the greater your reward. Each swimmer learns to evaluate their efforts, setting realistic goals and working towards them. This personal development philosophy will stay with our young people for life.
6. Swimming teaches people to work together: Individual success and team success depends on the relationships, cooperation and efforts of a large number of people. Parents and swimmers alike must work together to ensure a successful season of competitive swimming.
Our swimmers focus on four primary strokes for their races: FREESTYLE, BACKSTROKE, BREAST STROKE, AND BUTTERFLY. The training and instruction our swimmers receive is intended to maximize each individual’s performance in these four strokes.
Stroke Descriptions
Freestyle (Free):
Freestyle is just what the name implies: FREE-Style, in this event, the competitor is allowed to use any style of stroking, or any combination of styles. All that is required is that they swim the full distance without interfering with any of the other competitors in the race, walk on the bottom of the pool, pull on the lane rope or the side of the pool. At each turn some part of the body must touch the end wall to prove that the swimmer has covered the required distance.
Backstroke (Back):
Backstroke is “Freestyle” on your back. During the race, swimmers must remain on their back (they cannot roll past a 90 degree line through their shoulders). During the turn in one continuous movement, the swimmer is permitted to roll over and execute a turn, pushing off the wall on their back.
Breaststroke (breast):
The swimmer must perform this stoke with a high degree of accuracy in technique to avoid disqualification. They must remain on their front (no rolling from one side to the other is permitted. Hands/arms pull simultaneously from in front of the head down to above waist level. The kick is a “frog” or “whip” kick with both feet coming up together, thrusting down and outward with toes pointed away from the center line of the body. The movement of both legs must be simultaneous. Up and down movements of the legs (“flutter” or “dolphin” kicks) are not permitted. The head must break the surface of the water each pull-kick cycle. At the end of each length, while executing a turn, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands at the same time. At the end of the race the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands at the same time.
Butterfly (Fly):
This is normally the last of the four strokes to be mastered. It requires coordination and strength. The various body movements and rhythms involved are complex and difficult. The rules require that all forward movements of the arms above and below the water and be made simultaneously. The swimmer must remain on their front with their shoulders on a horizontal and even plane throughout. The leg action can either be the breaststroke kick described above or a dolphin kick where both legs move up and down at the same time. In Fly, the swimmer may use one or both kicks and alternate back and forth as they desire. When turning, both hands must touch the wall at the same time. The finish must be with both hands simultaneously, on the same level plane, above or below the water.
Individual Medley (IM):
As the name suggests, the IM is a medley of the four strokes described earlier. They must be performed in the following order: Fly, Back, Breast and Front crawl. During this event, the touch on the end of the length where the swimmer switches to the to the next 14 stroke, is treated the same as a finish touch. Mid distance turns (where the swimmer continues in the same stroke) are treated as a turn. Each of the strokes must be in accordance with the rules of the stroke being swum. Divisions 1-3 perform a 100 metre event, Divisions 4 and up perform a 200 metre event. Relays:
There are two types of relays. In each type, the team consists of 4 swimmers. Each swimmer performs a 50 metre distance. Once the race has started the swimmer in the water must touch (according with the rules for the stroke performed) prior to the next swimmer leaving the block.
Medley Relay:
Each swimmer performs a different stroke. The strokes must be performed in the following order: BACKSTROKE, BREASTSTROKE, BUTTERFLY, FRONT CRAWL.
Freestyle Relay:
Swimmers may use any stroke. Most common is front crawl.
