Palatine, IL Swim Camp Series for Ages 9 to 11
Buehler YMCA
1400 W Northwest Hwy,
Palatine,
IL 60067
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Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing two, 2-day swim camps for competitive swimmers ages 9 to 11 years old at Buehler YMCA in Palatine, IL during 2024! CLICK HERE for the swim camp page for ages 12 & over!
PALATINE, ILLINOIS SWIM CAMP SERIES (Ages 9 to 11)
-> Explosive Starts, Turns, Underwaters & More Swim Camp (October 19 & 20)
-> The Essentials of Sprinting Swim Camp (November 30 & Dec 1)
Click the “Curriculum Menu” below for details about each swim camp!
-> Availability in each session of this swim camp series is limited to 24 participants to ensure the highest level learning experience.
-> SAVE when you purchase an “Entire Camp Bundle” for your swimmer.
Select a curriculum below
FAST STARTS, TURNS, UNDERWATERS & MORE SWIM CAMP: October 19 & October 20, 2024
The momentum generated from explosive starts and turns are the FASTEST that 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! This swim camp will be led by Elite Clinician, Ryan Coetzee!
- Day 1 (Saturday, October 19): EXPLOSIVE 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 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.
- Day 2 (Sunday, October 20): FASTER 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.
THE ESSENTIALS OF SPRINTING - November 30 & December 1: November 30 & December 1, 2024
Swimming fast requires excellent technique, efficiency, power, and dedication. Participants in this swim camp will enhance their skills across all strokes to achieve faster swimming. Now is the time for swimmers to establish and cultivate habits that will enable them to swim shorter races as fast as possible with proper technique, positioning them for future success.
- DAY 1 (Saturday, November 30): ESTABLISHING SPEED: At this session your swimmer will practice the essential components to high performance sprinting.
- Body Position: A competitive swimmer’s body position is the key to fast swimming. Most swimmers are NOT hydrodynamic in the water - and that has a big effect on how fast they “allow” themselves to swim - especially as they get older. Let’s find the right body position for your swimmer.
- Stroke Length: Lengthening their 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: When sprinting short races young swimmers often tend to take too many strokes (“spin their wheels”) and not “hold onto the water”. At this camp we will find the appropriate tempo to maximize their own personal speed.
- DAY 2 (Sunday, December 1): RACING SKILLS: On Day 2, your swimmer will apply the skills that we practiced on the first day of this camp to important segments of every sprint race, including the moment your swimmer pushes off the wall; breakouts; finishes and all out sprinting!
- Breakouts: Many swimmers add movement within their breakout that creates drag and destroys all of the power created during their underwaters. Participants will work on timing their breakouts to accelerate to explode into each lap.
- Sprinting: On Day 1 your swimmer worked on body position, tempo and length of stroke. Today we are going to apply those skills to swimming “all out” on top of the water with efficiency and power.
- Walls, Walls, Walls!: Approaching the wall at top speed in preparation for the fastest turn is vital. Swimmers will work on techniques to get in and out of every wall faster!
- Finishes: Dropping time and even winning or moving up a few spots in the results can all come down to the last stroke! A well-timed finish at full speed, with full-arm extension and head down can make a difference of up to a full second in a race! Your swimmer is going to learn how to take advantage of the finish to drop time!
- Sprinting Application: Swimmers at this session will work on applying their newly developed skills during racing scenarios. As with all the other segments of this camp, the clinicians will provide feedback for your swimmer to take home and apply at upcoming practices and meets.
SESSION START TIMES FOR BOTH CAMPS: 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 years old. 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 9, a would like your child to be considered for this swim camp, please complete this questionnaire.
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!
Ryan Coetzee
Ryan Coetzee maintains a focused learning environment for Fitter & Faster Swim Camp participants by setting clear boundaries to allow the swimmers to have fun and improve their skills. “Kids are at the camps to get something they’re not getting in their regular practice, and I want to ensure they leave with something.”
Sam Hokestra
Sam Hoekstra is known for his role as an important member of some fast relays! He is a two-time All Big-East performer from the University of Louisville. Sam is now a coach with a big personality that swimmers of all ages and abilities can benefit from. Sign up to learn from Sam at this swim camp!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
