Carlisle, PA Swim Camp Series (Ages 9 to 11)
Keystone Aquatic Center
103 Midway Drive,
Carlisle,
PA 17015
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Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing a series of swim camps for competitive swimmers ages 9 to 11 at the Keystone Aquatic Center in Carlisle, PA during 2025 and 2026! Please click here for the swim camp page for ages 12 & Over!
CARLISLE, PA SWIM CAMP SERIES (Ages 9 to 11)
-> Fast Starts, Turns, Underwaters & More Swim Camp (November 29 & 30, 2025)
-> Fast Butterfly & Breaststroke Technique Swim Camp (April 18 & 19, 2026)
Click the “Curriculum Menu” below for details about each swim camp.
✔️ Availability in each session is limited to 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience.
💡 SAVE when you purchase the “Entire Camp Bundle” for your swimmer's age group.
Select a curriculum below
FAST STARTS, TURNS, UNDERWATERS & MORE SWIM CAMP
FAST STARTS, TURNS, UNDERWATERS & MORE SWIM CAMP: November 29 & November 30, 2025
The momentum generated from explosive starts and turns are the FASTEST that top age group swimmers and elite swimmers are moving in a race! The more efficient, powerful and hydrodynamic your swimmer is, directly impacts their speed and distance they travel in the water before taking their first stroke!
- DAY 1: Starts, Underwaters & Breakouts: 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! This sequence is not only the fastest part of every race, but it is also the part of the race in which elite swimmers cover the most ground with the most efficiency.
- Block Starts: To ensure an explosive start, a swimmer needs to set themselves up properly on the block. The elite clinicians will work with participants on the optimal positioning of your swimmer’s entire body to allow for a quick reaction time and optimal speed.
- Water Entry: Starting the race with a smooth entry into the water will boost your swimmer's speed and carry the momentum generated off the block or wall. Becoming skilled at the water entry is crucial for any start and significantly contributes to your swimmers' overall race!
- Streamline: The streamline - when done properly - is the fastest a 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 a better appreciation of what they need to do on every single wall in practice and in races.
- Initiating Underwater Dolphin Kicking: Top age group and elite swimmers maximize their streamline on every single lap. They don’t 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. Your swimmer is going to learn 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 Kicks: 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.
- Breakouts: Many swimmers unintentionally add movements in their breakouts that reduce speed by creating drag. In this camp, participants will focus on perfecting their breakout timing to maintain momentum and power into each lap.
- DAY 2: Flip Turns, Open Turns & Finishes: Quick, powerful turns and finishes are crucial to fast times and winning close races. The top age group and elite swimmers aren't using walls just for turning around - they are used to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Elite swimmers are constantly working their turns and looking for areas to improve them. Today, we're going to work with your swimmer on taking this crucial part of every race (and practice) to the next level!
- Momentum: At the elite level of swimming, walls aren’t just used for turning around - they are used to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Outside of the elite ranks, most swimmers stop or slow down while going into the wall, which kills their momentum! We will work with participants on the intricacies of approaching every wall at top speed and seamlessly initiating their “turn”.
- Flip Turns: The fastest swimmers use walls to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Outside of the elite ranks, many swimmers stop or slow down while going into the wall, which kills their momentum! We will work with participants on the intricacies of approaching every wall at top speed and seamlessly initiating their “turn”.
- Open Turns: Elite butterflyers and breaststrokers utilize speed from their last lap to create momentum and even more speed at the beginning of the next lap. Their open turns are actually not “turns”, but more like high-speed pivots. Participants in this session will work on these techniques to have much faster open turns!
- Streamline, Underwater Dolphin Kicking, Breakout Progression: At this session participants will continue to work on the progression covered on Day 1.
- Finishes: Setting yourself up for a fast finish is very similar to setting yourself up for a strong turn in any race. Races are won and lost by hundredths-of-a-second at every swim meet. Many races come down to the last few strokes. At this camp, your swimmer will learn techniques to set themselves up for a well-timed finish when they are still about 10 yards from the wall.
FAST BUTTERFLY & BREASTSTROKE SWIM CAMP
FAST BUTTERFLY & BREASTSTROKE SWIM CAMP: April 18 & April 19, 2026
Butterfly and breaststroke are known as the "short-axis" strokes because the power comes from undulation around the hips. The potential for large drag forces means these strokes require a high degree of technical precision and body control to maintain efficiency. This camp builds on the natural connection between the two strokes to enhance technical development in both. Over two days, your swimmer, no matter their level, will improve their butterfly and breaststroke technique, racing and training skills!
- DAY 1: Butterfly Technique: Butterfly is powerful, rhythmic, and beautiful when done well—but challenging to master. We’ll break it down into fundamental skills and help swimmers understand how to swim fly efficiently across all distances. An efficient butterfly is a fast butterfly!
- Bodyline: Fatigue often breaks down butterfly technique late in races. We’ll work on maintaining a strong bodyline and high hips using a solid downkick on hand entry, an effective chest press, and a long reach out front. A strong core connection will help swimmers stay streamlined and efficient from start to finish.
- Kick: Each butterfly stroke has two kicks to propel the swimmer towards the other end of the pool! If the kicks are properly timed and strong, they can aid your swimmer’s efficiency and stroke timing! Your swimmer will work on how and when to kick in butterfly for maximum speed.
- The Catch: A proper catch starts with a well positioned hand entry. Hands should enter flat (not thumbs down), setting up a high-elbow catch that drives forward momentum. At the highest speeds, the momentum of the entry can be used to generate power on the water. For greater efficiency swimmers should reach forward and extend in the glide phase of the stroke.
- Pull Pattern: Once swimmers establish a vertical forearm, the pull should move straight back toward the feet. Wrist angles must shift to keep the palms facing backward. We’ll emphasize exiting the stroke with momentum—without flipping water up, which wastes energy and drives the body down.
- Breathing: Breath timing in butterfly affects everything—bodyline, pull, kick, and speed. Swimmers will learn to start their breath during the catch phase of stroke when their power is highest in order to support lifting their head and shoulders without their hips falling. They will also learn to keep their head low to the water in order to maintain the most efficient body position.
- DAY 2: Breaststroke Technique: Breaststroke is unique—no two swimmers look the same at the elite level. It’s all about reducing resistance, perfecting timing, and finding what works for each individual. We’ll build a foundation and then help each swimmer refine their style for maximum speed and efficiency. No matter your swimmer’s level, this session will strengthen their technique and lead to faster and more efficient breaststroke races… and faster IM’s!
- Bodyline: With the most drag of any stroke, breaststroke demands constant attention to body position. We’ll work on keeping the head, hips, and spine aligned and moving forward at every point in the stroke—especially during the crucial first strokes off each wall.
- Kick: A strong, powerful kick is key in breaststroke. In every breaststroke kick, the ankles should stay outside the knee. The optimal size of the kick varies by each swimmer and is highly dependent on knee and ankle flexibility. Swimmers who view themselves as “bad” at breaststroke kick often only need to focus on decreasing the size of their kick and they can unlock unknown potential.
- Pull: To have a great breaststroke pull, swimmers need to keep their elbows near the surface of the water and out in front of their shoulders at all times. Once the hands turn in and begin the “recovery” phase they need to move quickly to full extension in front of the body to reestablish bodyline. The pull pattern varies based on a swimmer’s kick. We’ll help swimmers match their pull width and tempo to their natural kick style—maximizing propulsion and efficiency.
- Timing: Elite breaststrokers are constantly tweaking their timing to achieve the ideal combination of power and efficiency. Our clinicians will introduce key drills that help connect the pull, kick, breath, and glide into a smooth, powerful cycle.
SESSION START TIMES FOR ALL SESSIONS: Check-in 9 AM, Camp 9:15-11:45 AM
SUGGESTED PARTICIPANTS: Our top priority is to provide a world-class learning experience for all participants at all of our camps. This camp has sessions for swimmers ages 9 to 11. Participants will range from one-year of competitive swimming experience to AAAA times and faster. If you are the parent of a swimmer under the age of 9 and would like for your swimmer to be considered this camp, please complete this questionnaire.
CLICK HERE for the swim camp page for ages 12 & Over
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
Throughout the camp, swimmers will practice what they've learned with some of the world's most elite Swimmer Clinicians and coaches!
Take a photo, get autographs, and chat with your clinicians!
