Ages: 4 – 8 years old

To participate at this level, children must have the basic swim skills to hold their breath underwater and propel themselves with arms & legs and recover air without touching bottom. Children must be able to swim to the side or lane line or grab a rescue tube for assistance should they get tired. THERE IS NO INSTRUCTOR IN THE WATER.

SWIM TEST IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THIS GROUP. Schedule with Coach Jodi 928.713.4824 (Golden Ticket Holders are already tested). 

Group Dynamic: This pre-competition group develops the fundamentals basic competitive strokes, water safety, and a solid foundation of swimming technique. Children transition at this level from having an instructor in the water with them to taking instruction from a coach on deck.

With a focus on kicking and drill progressions, the swimmers acquire the skills needed for efficient swimming. Once sufficient body coordination and control are achieved, swimmers are ready to gradually develop the skills to swim up to 300 yards to be considered a "strong swimmer."

After completing the four 1-month levels of the pre-competition classes, most swimmers will be ready to move to the Novice swim group with Race Pace Club AZ (3x per week for 1 hour). Students who demonstrate skills suitable for that group may be moved up by coach's discretion.

Swimmers focus on streamlining, developing body awareness and coordination within the water, having fun safely, and fostering interest in the sport of swimming.

Entrance into group: Must demonstrate the ability to swim unassisted without stopping with face in the water and air recovery. Enrolling a child in our Swim School can get them ready for this stage.

Training Frequency: 30  to 45 min 3x/week - We start at 30 minutes until swimmers have enough muscle to keep their bodies warm for longer periods of time. Practice may be shorter (about 20 minutes) on days when cold wind or low pool temperature make it difficult for swimmers to maintain their body heat.

Schedule 

Winter 2023-24

M - W - F  4:30 to 5 p.m. (we may increase up to an hour as your child is ready and can maintain body heat).  See “How to Keep Your Swimmer Warm”, below.

Yards: 300

Equipment: A pair of goggles, swim fins, and an unbreakable water bottle. A silicone cap is recommended as it holds in body heat. 

How to keep your swimmer warm:

Our pool is heated to between 82 and 84 degrees. That said, young children lose body heat particularly quickly.  There are ways you can help your swimmer maintain their body heat. Being uncomfortably cold is the #1 reason little swimmers stop swimming during the winter months.

Silicone Cap:  Wearing a cap is the No 1 way to help your swimmer stay warm. The silicone is thick enough to block wind and hold in heat lost through the scalp.  Swimmers don’t usually like them at first as they “feel funny” but on windy or cold days they will notice the difference, so please be persistent. 

Wetsuit: I recommend a type of wetsuit designed for children to swim in pools called Warmbellies. The suit is sleeveless and the velcro shoulder straps adjust to let the wetsuit grow with the child.  

Important: Make sure the wetsuit fits snugly or close to the skin.  Baggy wetsuits let in too much cold water (thus being ineffective) and the loose material acts like a bucket and creates drag that makes it more difficult for your child to swim.

Hooded towels + parkas.: You can bundle up your swimmer right out of the pool and pop them in the car for the ride home knowing they’ll stay toasty when you layer a thirsty hooded towel under a swim parka. This was my favorite combo when swimming during icy winter mornings.  Buy them on our Swim Outlet app and you’ll benefit the team as we get a very small percentage of each sale. 

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How to move up to the next group