This camp will help participants refine their technique across all four strokes and develop skills for faster racing. On Thursday, there will be a session for specifically designed to help parents best support their swimmer’s development. Friday will cover the “short axis” strokes of butterfly and breaststroke. On Saturday, swimmers will focus on freestyle on backstroke. Sunday’s session will cover explosive starts and fast turns for better racing in any event.

Leading each session will be Olympic Coach Brett Hawke and Bahamian Olympic legend Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace. Brett coached Arianna as the Head Coach of the Bahamian Olympic Team in 2012 and collegiately at Auburn University. Arianna competed in three Olympics for the Bahamas, earning multiple international medals and breaking numerous national records. They will share their passion for swimming and provide world-class instruction for each swimmer in a fun learning environment. Scroll down for more information about the curriculum.

Session Times:
Thursday Parent Session:
Check in 6:15 PM, Session 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Friday-Sunday Clinic Sessions:
11 & Under: Check in 10:00 AM, Clinic 10:15 AM-12:15 PM
12 & Over: Check in 1:00 PM, Clinic 1:15 PM-3:15 PM

Suggested Participants

SAVE: Sign up before prices increase or the sessions fill up.

Brett and Arianna will lead three sessions for each age group. This camp is recommended for swimmers with at least one year of competitive swimming experience. Swimmers younger than 8 years old are not recommended without their coach's approval.

Curriculum

JANUARY 9TH: PARENT SESSION

As parents, you only want the best for your swimmer, but you may not know the best strategies to support them as they develop in the sport. In this special Parent Session, Olympic Swimmer and Coach Brett Hawke will explain how swimmers develop and the parents’ role to help their swimmer have fun, stay motivated, and swim fast.

SUPPORTING YOUR SWIMMER’S DEVELOPMENT: A parent’s role should be that of a cheerleader. Whether a swimmer has a good race or a bad race, is struggling in training or improving every day, parents should always encourage their swimmer to work hard and have fun. It is the coach’s responsibility to provide technical instruction, race critique, and feedback, not the parent’s. Even if you are your child’s coach, it can be beneficial to leave the swimming talk on the pool deck.
HANDLING EXPECTATIONS: Kids progress at different rates. Some swimmers achieve a high level of success at a very early age while others don’t develop until later on. Brett will discuss strategies to not only manage parents’ expectations for their swimmer, but also the swimmer’s expectations for themself.
SPORT SPECIALIZATION: Studies show that athletes are more successful when they participate in a variety of activities as a child rather than specializing in one sport or one event at a young age. This can help swimmers stay interested and motivated in the sport as well as avoid injuries and burnout down the road.
NUTRITION: Learn how to help your swimmer perform at their highest level! Nutrition is different before, during, and after training sessions, as well as at meets. Coach Brett Hawke will provide guidelines for parents to make sure their swimmer has the fuel they need to perform at their best.
QUESTION AND ANSWER: Parents are invited to ask Brett Hawke questions on any of the topics discussed during this session or anything else they would like to know on how to best support their swimmer’s development.

DAY 1 (FRIDAY): HIGH PERFORMANCE BUTTERFLY AND BREASTSTROKE

Butterfly and breaststroke are called the “short axis” strokes because swimmers undulate at their hips, giving the strokes their distinct up and down motion. These strokes share many other technical attributes, and can be challenging strokes to master due to the importance of rhythm and timing. Working on these two strokes together will deepen a swimmer’s understanding of the technique required to swim with more efficiency and speed.

BUTTERFLY: Perfect the complexities of balancing power and fluid rhythm in one of the most dynamic athletic strokes. Elite butterfliers maintain forward momentum by setting an immediate high catch with a perfectly timed kick. They are committed to a breathing pattern, perfecting their distance per stroke, and maintaining a horizontal body position. Brett Hawke and Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace will help your swimmer become committed to these same skills to create better habits every time they swim butterfly!
BREASTSTROKE: Learn to utilize the same technique and strategies as world-class breaststrokers. Your swimmer will continue the process of reducing drag in this rhythmic stroke. We will focus on the timing of the kick and pull; swimming in a horizontal plane with a small powerful kick; keeping the hips high throughout the whole stroke; and generating forward power in their recovery.

DAY 2 (SATURDAY): HIGH PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE AND BACKSTROKE

Freestyle and backstroke are called the “long axis” strokes because swimmers rotate their hips and torso from side to side. Freestyle and backstroke utilize the same kick, body position, posture, rotation, and an early catch; improve these complex skills to become a faster and more powerful swimmer! Olympians Brett Hawke and Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace will cover drills and skills to break down these strokes into easy-to-understand movements that will come together for a faster, stronger, and more efficient stroke technique.

FREESTYLE: Participants will reinforce holding a straight and solid body line so that they can cut through the water with less drag. Practice keeping a still and low head position (especially during the breath!) while driving a strong flutter kick. Brett and Arianna will also teach participants how to get an early and powerful press backwards on the water in the arm pull to get more out of every stroke. From the 50 to the mile, your swimmer will learn skills that will allow them to drop time in every freestyle race.
BACKSTROKE: Engaging the core not only allows swimmers to swim stronger, but it also allows them to hold the proper body position. Brett and Arianna will help participants learn the importance of rotation and how to use it to their advantage for more power in each stroke. The arm pull in backstroke should press the water all the way through using the whole arm to achieve maximum propulsion. Backstrokers are often the fastest kickers on their teams, find out why and learn to have a stronger kick!

DAY 3 (SUNDAY): STARTS & TURNS

Mastering the details of a race make be the difference between a good swim and a great one. The fastest your swimmer will be moving is after the start and turn, so maximizing this momentum is a critical way to drop time. Elite swimmers maintain their momentum through a quick turn and have a powerful push off every wall. Olympians Brett Hawke and Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace will lead participants through a series of drills to have explosive starts and compact, fast turns in any race.

STARTS: Your swimmer’s proper hand and foot placement on the block can allow them to drive forward with a lot of explosive power. Brett and Arianna will work with your swimmer to find the best position on the block as well as how to launch their body forward efficiently into a tight streamline and enter the water through a small hole.
FLIP TURNS: Your swimmer will learn to carry their momentum through the turn to get in and out of every wall faster. Swimmers will practice accelerating into the wall, using their core and arms to get through the turn, and planting the feet on the wall for a powerful push off in the perfect streamline. Swimmers will learn drills and exercises to help them master this athletic skill!
OPEN TURNS: Think about the open turn differently! Your swimmer should not be making an open turn to touch the wall and swim the next lap; if they’re doing this, they are actually stopping and then trying to regain speed. An expertly executed open turn involves spinning backwards, enabling your swimmer to carry momentum into the push off.

ASK QUESTIONS

Swimmers and parents are invited to ask Brett and Arianna questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into their training philosophies, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.

PRACTICE DRILLS

Learn the same drills that Brett teaches his swimmers like Arianna to achieve fast and efficient techniques. Then get the chance to practice and get feedback from an Olympic coach!

PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST

Practice what you've learned by taking your stroke to your top speed with a set from one of the best coaches and one of the best swimmers in the world! Hold on to your form while having the opportunity to challenge yourself.

Take a photo with Brett and Arianna, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster Collector’s Bag Tag for each day they are at the camp. Collect all 37 and trade with your friends!

Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!

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