The Dickinson Dolphins Swim Team provides kids in our community an opportunity to persue personal excellence, learn valuable life skills and the drive to achieve their highest potential. Our team members go the extra yard to be the best leaders and rolemodels they can be, in and out of the pool.
Group Requirements
Parents,
The following information is the age group promotional expectations. Your swimmer must perform all expected requirements listed before they can be considered for an age group promotion. In most cases, once your swimmer can perform all requirements, they will be moved up at the end of the season and start in their new group at the begining of the following season. There will be some instances where this is not the case, but this will be discussed with you as the parents, and sometimes with the swimmer as well. Our goal as coaches is to constantly better our swimmers, which in this case, would be having them check all their boxes. Please know that we do our best, but sometimes, some swimmers take longer than others to progress. All we ask is that you show your children your support no matter the outcome at the end of the season. Your job, first and most importantly, is to be parents and to be supportive, leave the coaching to us coaches. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email our head coach.
Thank you.
Dickinson Dolphins Coaching Staff
Pre Minnows thru Minnow B Promotion Expectations
- Front Float
- Back Float
- Swim freestyle for half of a 25
- Swim backstroke for half of a 25
- Flutter kick with a board for a 25
- Flutter kick in streamline on back for a 25
- Dolphin kick with a board for a 25
- Streamline underwater on your front with 3 dolphin kicks
- Streamline underwater on your back with 3 dolphin kicks
- In water forward start
- In water back start
Minnows C - Promotion Expectations
- Freestyle for a 25
- Backstroke for a 25 and be able to finish on back
- Demonstrate the understanding of a backstroke count
- Tight streamlines
- Legal breaststroke kick, no scissor kick, for a 25
- Flutter kick with a board for a 50
- Flutter kick in streamline on back for a 50
- Dolphin kick with a board for a 50
- Dolphin kick in streamline on back for a 25
- Know the differences between breaststroke and butterfly
- Forward start at a kneeling position with a tight streamline
Flippers
Requirements: Legal freestyle and backstroke (starts, turns, finishes). Legal dolphin kick and breaststroke kick. Flip turn on freestyle. Streamline every wall. Proper breathing. | Promotion Expectation: Be able to complete 50 free, 50 back (flip turn), 25 fly, 25 breast. Streamline every wall. 2 dolphin kicks off walls. Diving start off the starting block. | Character Development: Respectful of parents, swimmers, and coaches. Respectful of pool and equipment. |
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Social Skills: Good listening skills. Understands lane etiquette, circle swimming, 5 and 10 seconds apart, leaving on top and bottom of clock.. | Nutrition: Parents are expected to offer good food choices. | Time Management: Practices 2 times/week. Parents will make sure athletes are on time for practices and meets. Must compete in one home meet and learn 2 team cheers. |
Age Group 1
Requirements: Legal 4 strokes at 50 yard length (free and backstroke flip turns, open turns, starts). Does underwaters and streamlines every wall. Able to complete 100 IM legally. Understands interval training. | Promotion Expectation: Swim 1 x100 IM legally. Perform 2 x100 Free @ 2:40, 2 x100 Kick @ 3:30. Develop consistent practice attendance. Develop stroke and IM efficiency. Perform all turns and push-offs efficiently. | Character Development: Respectful of parents, swimmers and coaches. Congratulates teammates. Respectful of pool and equipment. |
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Social Skills: Great listening skills. Respectful of other swimmers. No splashing or touching of other athletes. Controls emotions at practice and swim meets. | Nutrition: Parents are expected to offer good food choices. | Time Management: Practice 3-4 times/week. Wears club gear to school at least once a week. Competes in one home meet and one away meet. Learns multiple cheers. |
Age Group 2
Requirements: Legal 4 strokes at 100 yard length (free and backstroke flip turns, open turns, starts). Does underwater and streamlines every wall. Able to complete 100 IM legally. Understands interval training | Promotion Expectation: Swim 2x200 IM legally. Perform 4x100 Free @ 2:15, 4 x100 Kick @ 2:45. Develop consistent practice attendance. Develop stroke and IM efficiency. Perform all turns and push-offs efficiently. | Character Development: Respectful of parents, swimmers and coaches. Congratulates teammates. Respectful of pool and equipment. Open to ideas and understands practice to meet relations. |
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Social Skills: Great listening skills – do not speak over coaches or other athletes. Respectful of other swimmers. Meeting swimmers from other teams. Wears club gear to school at least once a week. Competes in home meets and 2 away meets. Learns multiple cheers. | Nutrition: Brings a water bottle to practice. Understands what a healthy snack is. Parents are expected to give good food choices. | Time/Stress Management: Practice 4 times/week. Informs coach of practice absence and reason. Understands the importance of rest and balancing family, friends, school, and swimming. |
Age Group 3
Requirements: Swim 4x100 free @ 1:45. Kick 4x100 flutter @ 2:25 Swim 4x100 IM at 2:00. Have 4+ State Qualifying times. Willing to swim all events. Dryland 2-3 times/week. Accurately counts practice distances and sets. | Promotion Expectation: Swim 6x100 Free @ 1:40 Kick 6x100 Flutter @ 2:20 Swim 6x100 IM @ 2:00 Competed in all available events. Close in 1 zones, sectional, jr. Nats, or Nats cut time. Leadership/Active with club fundraising and activities. | Character Development: Respectful of parents, swimmers and coaches. Congratulates teammates. Respectful of pool and equipment. Demonstrates proper meet and practice behavior. Leads cheers. Attends home and away meets. |
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Social Skills: Not influenced by negative behavior. Takes responsibility for attendance, habits in practice and how they relate to performance. Respectful of other swimmers and meets swimmers from teams. Wears club gear once a week. | Nutrition: Brings water bottle every day. Eats healthy snacks. Parents are expected to give good food choices. Demonstrates eating a balanced diet. | Time/Stress Management: Practice 5 times/week. Understands rest. Prioritize school work, family time, social activities including swimming. Controls emotions. Understands meet performance. Positive outcomes. |
Senior Nationals
Requirements: Swim 6 x100 Free @ 1:25 Kick 6 x100 flutter @ 1:50 Swim 6 x100 IM @ 1:50 1 Zones, Sectional, Jr. Nats, Nats cut time. Dryland 3 times per week. | Goals: Make sectionals, Junior or National Team. Get college scholarship. Stay a straight A student. Ambassador of the team. Help coaching with younger group. | Character Development: Understands the importance of TEAM. Congratulates teammates regularly. Motivates and leads by example. |
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Social Skills: Meeting swimmers from other teams - be on time to practice. Wears club gear to school. Competes in home and away meets. Leads cheers. Actions show dedication to the team and team values. Attends the highest Meet level the Dolphins Attend. | Nutrition: Bring water bottle to practice. Eats healthy snacks. Parents are expected to give a good food choice. Has a healthy balanced diet. | Time/Stress Management:: Practice 7 times/week. Prioritize school work, family time, social activities including swimming. Shows strength of positive thinking. Practices visualization. |