Past Clinic: Bainbridge Island Swim Club Private Swim Camp!
Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center
8521 Madison Ave N,
Bainbridge Island,
WA 98110
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Bainbridge Island, WA.
Past Clinic
Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing a 2-day PRIVATE SWIM CAMP for the Bainbridge Island Swim Club on Friday & Saturday, May 12-13, 2023! The primary focus of the camps for each group is Backstroke and each session will be led by Elite Clinician and Olympic Gold Medalist Backstroker - Nick Thoman!
PRIVATE SWIM CAMP:
-> Essentials of Fast Backstroke: Bronze/Silver Groups
-> Comprehensive Backstroke Racing: Copper/Gold and Champs/Senior Groups
-> Parent Session: Being a Supportive Swim Parent
Click the Group Buttons below for curriculum details!
-> SAVE 100%: When registering, please use the discount code provided to you courtesy of BISC Boosters Club to save 100% of the registration fee!
-> Swimmers ages 13 & Older who are interested in attending, please reach out to your coach to know if you should register for Copper/Gold session or the Champs/Seniors session
Select a curriculum below
Bronze & Silver Groups: Essentials of Fast Backstroke (May 12 & 13)
ESSENTIALS OF FAST BACKSTROKE SWIM CAMP: Over 2 days, swimmers will work with Fitter and Faster’s world-class clinicians to strengthen their backstroke starts, turns & underwaters as well as racing techniques that will lead to better performances in their competitions!
- DAY 1: BACKSTROKE STARTS, TURNS & UNDERWATERS (May 12): The better a swimmer’s technique is off the starting block, the more speed they will carry into the water. Day 1 of this swim camp will help your swimmer improve their start, underwater dolphin kicking and breakouts!
- Backstroke Starts & Water Entry: Your swimmer is going to learn and practice starting a high performance backstroke race. We’re going to work on a “clean”, fast water entry in which the athlete carries the momentum from the start into their streamline, underwater dolphin kicking and breakout.
- Flip Turns: Flip turns are an opportunity for your swimmers to increase momentum in the middle of a race! Flip turns in which the athletes slow down or have “mechanical” movements negatively impact the speed at which a swimmer comes off the wall. We will work with your swimmer to produce fast flip turns so that they can explode off the walls at maximum speed.
- Streamlines: Immediately following the flip turn, a swimmer needs to get into the most perfect, hydrodynamic streamline. Many people think a streamline is very simple, but it’s not! The streamline is the fastest an elite swimmer travels while in the water! Proper streamlines are even faster than underwater dolphin kicking. Even the most elite swimmers in the world are constantly working on improving their streamline. Your swimmer will get tips to improve their streamline and get a better appreciation of what they need to do after every single turn in practice and in races.
- Initiating Underwater Dolphin Kicking: Elite swimmers want to maximize their streamline on every single lap. They don’t want to start their underwater dolphin kicking while they’re still achieving maximum speed in their streamline. They also don’t want to start the underwater dolphin kicking after their streamline has begun to slow. We will teach your swimmer how to time when to begin their underwater dolphin kicking!
- Powerful Underwater Dolphin Kicking: There are a few different techniques that swimmers use when underwater dolphin kicking. The common theme of these techniques is that the best swimmers kick up and down with equal power. We will show your swimmer the different techniques that elite swimmers use and teach them how to implement.
- Number of Underwater Dolphin Kicking: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall, for each race, is essential to fast swimming. Elite swimmers want to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. They want to avoid losing their breath and taking weak kicks.
- DAY 2: ESSENTIALS OF FAST BACKSTROKE TECHNIQUE (May 13): Cultivating good habits to swim high level Backstroke begins as soon as you learn the stroke. Even if your swimmer is already in high school - it’s never too late to begin practicing techniques that will drastically improve their efficiency, power and times. Today, your swimmer will work on techniques to strengthen their bodyline, catch, kick, and pull - resulting in faster backstroke races.
- Bodyline: A competitive swimmer’s bodyline is the key to fast swimming. The name of the game is to eliminate all extra movement of the body including even the slightest bobbing, wiggling. Participants will learn and practice proper posture and engagement of their core to have a strong foundation for better technique - creating a full-body connection for more hydrodynamic and efficient backstroke.
- Rotation: Backstroke is fastest and most efficient when a swimmer’s body is “rotating” around their spine with each stroke. This part of swimming Backstroke has a big effect on maintaining a proper bodyline. Participants will practice activating their core muscles to form a powerful connection from head to toe with every stroke - resulting in faster backstroke!
- Kick: A swimmer’s kick is the motor behind their Backstroke! There are obviously proper and improper ways to kick which we will review at the camp. Just as important, however, is practicing the complexities of how and when swimmers need to “shift gears” in their legs to become stronger and faster racers.
- Pull: Just like in freestyle, the pull in backstroke keeps a swimmer balanced and accelerating forward. Essentially the best swimmers are creating a paddle with every stroke. The clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm “the catch”, enabling the swimmer to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
Copper & Gold Groups: Comprehensive Backstroke Racing (May 12 & 13)
COMPREHENSIVE BACKSTROKE RACING CAMP: Over 2 days, swimmers will work with Fitter and Faster’s world-class clinicians to strengthen their backstroke technique and apply racing and training tactics that will lead to better performances in their competitions!
- DAY 1: FAST BACKSTROKE TECHNIQUE (May 12): Cultivating good habits to swim high level Backstroke begins as soon as you learn the stroke. Even if your swimmer is already in high school - it’s never too late to begin practicing techniques that will drastically improve their efficiency, power and times. Today, your swimmer will work on techniques to strengthen their bodyline, catch, kick, and pull - resulting in faster backstroke races.
- Bodyline: A competitive swimmer’s bodyline is the key to fast swimming. The name of the game is to eliminate all extra movement of the body including even the slightest bobbing, wiggling. Participants will learn and practice proper posture and engagement of their core to have a strong foundation for better technique - creating a full-body connection for more hydrodynamic and efficient backstroke.
- Rotation: Backstroke is fastest and most efficient when a swimmer’s body is “rotating” around their spine with each stroke. This part of swimming Backstroke has a big effect on maintaining a proper bodyline. Participants will practice activating their core muscles to form a powerful connection from head to toe with every stroke - resulting in faster backstroke!
- Kick: A swimmer’s kick is the motor behind their Backstroke! There are obviously proper and improper ways to kick which we will review at the camp. Just as important, however, is practicing the complexities of how and when swimmers need to “shift gears” in their legs to become stronger and faster racers.
- Pull: Just like in freestyle, the pull in backstroke keeps a swimmer balanced and accelerating forward. Essentially the best swimmers are creating a paddle with every stroke. The clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm “the catch”, enabling the swimmer to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
- DAY 2: BACKSTROKE RACING AND TRAINING SKILLS (May 13): On Day 1, participants practiced high performance backstroke techniques. Now, let’s leverage these skills to develop strong racing and training habits. Learning to prioritize tempo and length of stroke, while maintaining efficiency has a huge impact on maximizing speed in backstroke.
- Length of Stroke: A long stroke will enable your swimmer to “catch” and hold onto more water to propel them as they swim. Whereas, a short stroke is inefficient and not sustainable for very long. The clinicians will work with participants on this important skill for fast swimming.
- Tempo: Tempo is the rate at which a swimmer is moving their arms and legs. When sprinting short races many swimmers often tend to take too many strokes (“spin their wheels”) and not “hold onto the water”. At this camp we will explore different tempos that suit your swimmer for their backstroke races.
- Pacing/Control: A swimmer’s tempo will change depending on the backstroke race that they are swimming. It may also change at different points during the same race! Your elite clinician will teach participants how to manipulate their tempo, speed and energy at different points in a race. This is called Pacing or “Control”.
- Backstroke Starts: The fastest part of every single race is the start - that’s no different for backstroke! Your swimmer is going to learn and practice starting a high performance backstroke race. We’re going to work on a “clean”, fast water entry in which the athlete carries the momentum from the start into their streamline, underwater dolphin kicking and breakout.
- Speed Set: At the end of this session your swimmer will do a short and fast swim set to practice everything they have learned over the past two days.
Champs & Senior Groups: Comprehensive Backstroke Racing (May 12 & 13)
COMPREHENSIVE BACKSTROKE RACING CAMP: Over 2 days, swimmers will work with Fitter and Faster’s world-class clinicians to strengthen their backstroke technique and apply racing and training tactics that will lead to better performances in their competitions!
- DAY 1: FAST BACKSTROKE TECHNIQUE (May 12): Cultivating good habits to swim high level Backstroke begins as soon as you learn the stroke. Even if your swimmer is already in high school - it’s never too late to begin practicing techniques that will drastically improve their efficiency, power and times. Today, your swimmer will work on techniques to strengthen their bodyline, catch, kick, and pull - resulting in faster backstroke races.
- Bodyline: A competitive swimmer’s bodyline is the key to fast swimming. The name of the game is to eliminate all extra movement of the body including even the slightest bobbing, wiggling. Participants will learn and practice proper posture and engagement of their core to have a strong foundation for better technique - creating a full-body connection for more hydrodynamic and efficient backstroke.
- Rotation: Backstroke is fastest and most efficient when a swimmer’s body is “rotating” around their spine with each stroke. This part of swimming Backstroke has a big effect on maintaining a proper bodyline. Participants will practice activating their core muscles to form a powerful connection from head to toe with every stroke - resulting in faster backstroke!
- Kick: A swimmer’s kick is the motor behind their Backstroke! There are obviously proper and improper ways to kick which we will review at the camp. Just as important, however, is practicing the complexities of how and when swimmers need to “shift gears” in their legs to become stronger and faster racers.
- Pull: Just like in freestyle, the pull in backstroke keeps a swimmer balanced and accelerating forward. Essentially the best swimmers are creating a paddle with every stroke. The clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm “the catch”, enabling the swimmer to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
- DAY 2: BACKSTROKE RACING AND TRAINING SKILLS (May 13): On Day 1, participants practiced high performance backstroke techniques. Now, let’s leverage these skills to develop strong racing and training habits. Learning to prioritize tempo and length of stroke, while maintaining efficiency has a huge impact on maximizing speed in backstroke.
- Length of Stroke: A long stroke will enable your swimmer to “catch” and hold onto more water to propel them as they swim. Whereas, a short stroke is inefficient and not sustainable for very long. The clinicians will work with participants on this important skill for fast swimming.
- Tempo: Tempo is the rate at which a swimmer is moving their arms and legs. When sprinting short races many swimmers often tend to take too many strokes (“spin their wheels”) and not “hold onto the water”. At this camp we will explore different tempos that suit your swimmer for their backstroke races.
- Pacing/Control: A swimmer’s tempo will change depending on the backstroke race that they are swimming. It may also change at different points during the same race! Your elite clinician will teach participants how to manipulate their tempo, speed and energy at different points in a race. This is called Pacing or “Control”.
- Backstroke Starts: The fastest part of every single race is the start - that’s no different for backstroke! Your swimmer is going to learn and practice starting a high performance backstroke race. We’re going to work on a “clean”, fast water entry in which the athlete carries the momentum from the start into their streamline, underwater dolphin kicking and breakout.
- Speed Set: At the end of this session your swimmer will do a short and fast swim set to practice everything they have learned over the past two days.
Parents: Being a Supportive Swim Parent (May 13)
HOW TO BE A SUPPORTIVE SWIM PARENT: Being a swim parent requires as much dedication as your swimmer and your swimmer's coach! During this session, Your Elite Clinician & Olympic Gold Medalist Nick Thoman will lead a parent information session after your swimmer's session on day 2.
- Actively Participating in your Swim Community: Being an "active swim parent" in your swim community is a HUGE way to support both your swimmer and your swimmer's team. Nick will talk about different ways you can support in the swimming community!
- Trust the Coach: Your Coach and your swimmer work daily on your swimmer's stroke, race plan, technique, mental strategy and more! This session will help you understand how you can support your swimmer and their coaches plan!
- Pathways to Swimmer's Success: There are multiple pathways to success and the elite level of the sport! Nick will take you through ways the many stages of success and how to celebrate the steps in the overall process!
- Swimmer's Recovery: After a hard practice or meet your swimmer will need to have a recovery plan in place to help their body prepare for the next day, week, and month of swimming ahead of them! Nick will talk about different recovery tactics that will help your swimmer's soreness and energy levels!
This swim camp is exclusively for swimmers on the Bainbridge Island Swim Club! DAY 1: Friday, May 12th Bronze/Silver: Check-in 3:15 pm, Camp 3:30-4:30 pm (@ Nakata pool) Copper/Gold: Check-in 4:45 pm, Camp 5-6:30 pm (@Ray pool) Champs/Senior: Check-in 7 pm, Camp 7:15-9:15 pm (@Ray pool) DAY 2: Saturday, May 13th Copper/Gold: Check-in 8:45 am , Camp 9-10:45 am (@Ray pool) Bronze/Silver: Check-in 11:15 am, Camp, 11:30-12:45 pm (@Ray pool) Champs/Senior: Check-in 1:15 pm, Camp 1:30-4 pm (@Ray pool) Parent Session: 4:30-5:45 PM (@Nakata A Room)
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask the clinicians questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into their training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIANS
Observe clinicians swim at full speed and demonstrate a progression of perfectly executed drills to achieve powerful, efficient and fast swimming.
PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST
Swimmers will get to practice what they've learned by taking their stroke to your top speed with some of the best swimmers and coaches in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.
Take a photo, get autographs, and chat with your clinicians!
Evgenii Somov
Evgenii creates an energetic environment by running fun drills, and giving participants opportunities to race between drills that helps keep thier attention and makes the camp enjoyable. He works to help the next generation of swimmers by getting them excited about the sport and teaching that having fun is a huge aspect to swimming fast! You don't want to miss a camp with Evgenii, sign up now!
Nick Thoman
Size matters so much less when you have great technique... and your clinician is living proof of that. At one point, Nick Thoman was known as the world's greatest short course swimmer in the world. His starts and turns were a weapon - he was shorter than most of his top competition, but HE was the world record holder in the 100 short course meter backstroke AND he is an Olympic gold medalist. Learn to weaponize great technique, no matter your size or strength, to improve at this clinic with Nick Thoman!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
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