Fast Starts & Turns Swim Camp (Ages 10 to 14)
McHenry High School - Upper Campus
4724 W Crystal Lake Rd,
McHenry,
IL 60050
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Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing a 2-day swim camp for competitive swimmers ages 10 to 14 at McHenry High School in McHenry, Illinois on March 15 & 16, 2025! We are also producing a special competitive enrichment swim camp for swimmers ages 7 to 10, click here for more details.
FAST STARTS & TURNS SWIM CAMP (Ages 10 to 14)
DAY 1 (Saturday, March 15): Fast Starts & Breakouts
DAY 2 (Sunday, March 16): Flip Turns, Open Turns & Finishes
Scroll down for details on the curriculum!
-> 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.
START TIMES FOR BOTH DAYS: Check-in 12:30 PM, Camp 12:45-3:15 PM
Suggested Participants
Our top priority is to provide a world-class learning experience for all our camp participants. This camp has sessions for swimmers ages 10 to 14. Participants will range from one-year of competitive swimming experience to AAAA times and faster. If you are the parent of a child under the age of 10, Click Here
Curriculum
Fast, efficient starts, turns, and finishes are essential for every race. A strong block or backstroke start, seamless relay exchange, powerful breakout, and well-executed turns can make all the difference in performance. Swimmers will work with our elite clinicians to refine these skills through focused drills and expert feedback. With improved technique and precision, they’ll carry more speed through every phase of their race, gaining confidence and a competitive edge.
DAY 1 (Saturday, March 15): FAST STARTS & BREAKOUTS
In this session, swimmers will work on executing fast starts and carrying momentum through their breakouts. The skill of generating explosive power at the start will give swimmers a distinct competitive edge!
- 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!
- BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers add movement within their breakout that creates drag and destroys all of the speed created during their underwaters. Participants will work on timing their breakouts to explode into each lap.
- BACKSTROKE STARTS: During this session, swimmers will work closely with elite clinicians to actively learn and practice high-performance backstroke starts. Participants will refine their foot, arm, and body positions, focusing on the technique of powering off the wall with an arched form to seamlessly slice through the water with maximum efficiency.
- RELAY EXCHANGES: Relay exchanges have two advantages over traditional starts. First, you can generate greater momentum by stepping forward with a strong arm swing. Second, reaction time can be almost eliminated with a well timed relay "exchange". At this camp your swimmer will learn skills that the best swimmers in the world use to both leave the block with great momentum and to time the exchange just right while avoiding disqualification!
DAY 2 (Sunday, March 16): 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: 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”.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
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!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
