Skills Squad

Squad Overview

This squad is the next step from learn to swim lessons and helps set children up to become strong swimmers. Training is heavily skill-focused, working on all four strokes as well as starts, turns and finishes. Swimmers can select 1, 2 or 3 sessions per week. Swimmers aged 7 are limited to 1 session per week.

Swimmers aged approx. 8–11yrs.

Skills Squad Aims – New Swimmers
  1. Perform a Track dive from the block
  2. Perform tumble turns for front crawl as part of a 50m swim
  3. Know stroke counts from flags to the wall for backstroke turns and finishes
  4. Attempt backstroke turns as part of a 50m swim
  5. Understand the breaststroke underwater phase and perform in the correct order
  6. Perform breaststroke turns as part of a 50m swim
  7. Swim 25m Butterfly breathing every 2/3 strokes
  8. Display high-quality streamlining off the walls
  9. Attempt underwater dolphin kicks on push-offs
Skills Squad Aims – Additional
  1. Perform legal track starts for Fly, Free and Breast
  2. Perform a legal Backstroke start into a 25m swim
  3. Perform legal turns for Back, Breast and Free
  4. Perform a legal Fly turn from 10m out
  5. Be ready to attempt the Competitive Start Award
  6. Complete 25m of legal Butterfly
  7. Attempt all Medley turns from mid-pool
  8. Comfortably perform 6 × 50m Freestyle off 1:30
  9. Start to understand the pace clock
Suitable Competitions & Opportunities
  • Half-term skill workshops
  • Twice-annual Mini-Meets (age 7+)
  • Twice-annual Duel in the Pool galas (age 8+)
  • September Sprints (age 7+)
  • Club Championships (age 9+)
  • Occasional competitions for swimmers near the top of the squad