Advancement/Evaluation

Objectives of Training

PIKE offers training for all age and ability levels.  Swimmers progress through the training program as their skills progress.  Each swimmer begins in the Bronze group and once certain requirements are met can move to the Silver and Gold, and then eventually to the Senior groups.  The general training objectives are:

• Enjoyment of the sport of swimming.

• Develop competitive swimming skills.

• Learn all facets of competition.

• Establish achievement goals.

• Teach self-discipline, sportsmanship and life skills.
    

Training Group Assignment/Advancement

In the world of swimming, the easiest method of evaluation is meet performance. Swimmer’s time can be misleading as the coaching staff is emphasizing different priorities during the swimming season. In our evaluation process, the coaches are looking over all aspects of the swimmer’s development, not just the swimmer’s meet performance. 

The coaching staff will evaluate swimmers approximately three to four times per year. During these evaluations, information on the swimmer attendance, training performance, biomechanics, and meet performance will be shared with the parents. Our objective is to give the big picture of the progress your child is making in our program.

In conjunction with swimmer evaluations, the coaching staff meets approximately three times per year to discuss group sizes and movement of swimmers within each training group. The objective in moving an athlete is to make sure the child is prepared for the additional expectations for the higher group. 

The criteria used to determine training group placement for an athlete is as follows:

• Biomechanics of the athlete

• Athletic Development of the athlete

• Character of Athlete 

• Training Attendance

• Training Performance

• Meet Attendance

• Meet Performance

Group coaches will meet with the parents of an athlete before any movement of groups will take place. At that meeting, the coach will discuss their swimmer’s progression, the expectations of the new training group, and answer any questions the parents may have in regards to the new training group assignment. All group placements are at the discretion of the Head Coach and are subject to change from season to season.