Victor, NY Swim Camp Series For Ages 13 & Over
Victor Aquatics Center
953 High St,
Victor,
NY 14564
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Introduction
Fitter & Faster is returning to the Victor Aquatics Center in Victor, New York to produce two, 3-day camps for competitive swimmers ages 13 & older in 2024! Click here for the swim camp page for ages 10 to 12.
VICTOR, NY SWIM CAMP SERIES (Ages 13 & over)
-> Fast Freestyle & Race Strategy/Execution Swim Camp (May 10-12)
-> Explosive Starts, Turns & Breaststroke Swim Camp (September 27-29)
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 an "Entire Camp Bundle” for your swimmer.
-> Friday of each swim camp will be for swimmers ages 10 & over, Saturday & Sunday are for ages 13 & over.
Select a curriculum below
FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE & RACE STRATEGY/EXECUTION SWIM CAMP - May 10-12
EXPLOSIVE STARTS, TURNS & BREASTSTROKE SWIM CAMP - September 27-29
Curriculum
Session TimesSession Times & Groups
FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE & RACE STRATEGY/EXECUTION SWIM CAMP - May 10-12
Over 3-days, participants will focus on refining freestyle technique and mastering effective race strategies tailored for 100, 200, and 500 distances. This swim camp will be led by Elite Clinician & Olympic Swim Coach: Todd Schmitz!
- Day 1 (Friday, May 10): FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE: Cultivating good habits to swim high level freestyle 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, pull, and breathing pattern.
- Bodyline: A freestyle race is going to be fastest with the proper bodyline. Even the slightest adjustment of the chin, neck, and/or back can make a huge difference. As swimmers mature in the sport and grow physically, their body position shifts and often bad habits are created. 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 strokes.
- Rotation: Freestyle is fastest and most efficient when a swimmer’s body is “rotating” around their spine with each stroke. This part of swimming freestyle 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.
- Kicking: A swimmer’s kick is the motor behind their freestyle! 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: The pull in freestyle keeps a swimmer balanced and accelerating forward. This is a skill that needs cultivation throughout all swimmers’ careers. Having an early vertical forearm “catch” enables a swimmer to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently. The later the “catch” or not “finishing” the stroke has a negative impact on a swimmer’s bodyline and speed.
- Day 2 (Saturday, May 11): RACE STRATEGY & EXECUTION - 100's & 200's: “How should I swim this race?” How many times have you heard this? Swimmers of all ages and abilities have the same question. There are many different ways to swim a fast 100 and 200 in every stroke. The name of the game is understanding all the different ways to execute the race and seeing what works for you!
- Strategies: At this camp your swimmer will learn various strategies that elite swimmers have executed with top results. Before your camp you will be emailed links to several elite level races of 100 and/or 200 yards/meters across all strokes, along with a brief summary of each. At the camp we will discuss and practice those strategies.
- "Easy Speed": Establishing stroke length with the proper tempo after the breakout is essential to setting up a strong 100 and 200 in any stroke. Going as fast as we can with ease is the key to “easy speed”. We don’t want to kick or pull too hard on the first 25 in the 100 or the first 50 in the 200. This will cause early fatigue. Swimmers will work on techniques to swim as fast as they can in all strokes with “easy speed”.
- Control: Your elite clinician will teach participants how to manipulate their speed and energy at different points in a race.
- Front & Back End Speed: The first half (front-end) and second half (back-end) of the 100 and 200 can be “broken up” to ensure an effective plan. Some swimmers go out really fast and hang on, while others control the first part of their race, then try to “back-end” the race at full speed. Testing new strategies at this camp will give your swimmer confidence in their next race.
- Underwater Kick Count: Underwater Kick Count: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall is essential to a fast 100 and 200. Your underwater strategy is likely to be different in the 100's versus 200’s. A swimmer wants to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. We want to avoid losing our breath and/or taking weak kicks.
- Breathing Pattern: Establishing a breathing pattern will help the swimmer stay focused and relaxed on their own swim. It will also help them finish the race with enough oxygen to close the race at full speed.
- Establishing a Plan: A racer should have a plan for the race before it is swum! What’s your plan for front-end and back-end speed? How much time will you spend underwater before your first breath? How often will you breath each length?
- Test the Plan in Practice: Now we test it! Swimmers will do a complete short set at the end of the session to practice racing the plan and stroke under race conditions. We’ll get off the blocks and practice some front end swims, push some back end swims, and race some straight 100’s or 200’s depending on the sessions.
- Confidence: One of the essential elements to dropping time and swimming fast is being willing to try new strategies when swimming a race. It’s ok to feel nervous and a little bit uncomfortable before your race! Entering a race with a strategy will help your swimmer with their confidence… and that confidence will help propel them to the results they aim to achieve.
- Day 3 (Saturday, May 12): RACE STRATEGY & EXECUTION - The 500: Each elite swimmer has a way to break down their mid-distance events so that their race plan enhances their strengths and minimizes their weaknesses. Some swimmers will take the race out fast and hope to hang on at the finish; some will save their energy and finish strong, while others will hit consistent splits to balance those two strategies.
- Distance Per Stroke: One way to increase a swimmer's efficiency is to take fewer strokes. Counting the number of strokes and improving technique to decrease that number will save energy. However, participants will work with our elite clinicians to find the appropriate distance per stroke for their 500's.
- Tempo: A swimmer's tempo is how fast or slow a stroke is completed. Having a slower tempo allows swimmers to conserve energy by taking fewer strokes, while a faster tempo is more tiring but much faster. Altering tempo based on event distance and fatigue level will help participants swim as fast as possible in their 500's.
- Utilizing Splits, Intervals & Sets: Swimmers will work with our clinicians on using splits, intervals, and sets to their advantage while training. Swimmers can take their ideal race times and break them down into splits, guiding them on what times they should be hitting in practices. As they progress, swimmers can hold those times during different intervals during their sets! If you don't do it in practice, it won't happen in a meet!
- Mental Toughness: The 500 requires mental toughness, unlike any of the other events. You have to have the ability to push through the fatigue that will inevitably hit and maintain the focus required to finish strong. The clinician will give your swimmer tools to achieve and maintain a strong mindset for the 500 free.
- Video Race Reference: Before you arrive at the camp, you will receive videos of world-class swimmers racing the SAME race with VERY different strategies to visually compare different tactics!
EXPLOSIVE STARTS, TURNS & BREASTSTROKE SWIM CAMP - September 27-29
Over 3 days, swimmers will work with our elite clinicians to refine starts, turns, underwaters, breakouts, and elevate their breaststroke technique!
- Day 1 (Friday, September 27): 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 (Saturday, September 28): 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, 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.
- Day 3 (Sunday, September 29): BREASTSTROKE TECHNIQUE: Out of the eight finalists at the Olympic Games, you might see eight different styles of breaststroke! A swimmer's timing and ability to eliminate resistance are hallmarks of an efficient and powerful breaststroker. 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: A breaststroke race is going to be fastest with a proper bodyline. Even the slightest adjustment of the chin, neck, and/or back can make a huge difference. Elite breaststrokers focus on minimizing drag by “catching water” on their hands and feet as quickly as possible, so they can shoot back into a “straight bodyline” where they can glide at top speed.
- Kick: The kick creates a lot of the power in breaststroke. Swimmers need to keep their knees high in the water and snap their feet quickly around and back to create a powerful kick. Our clinicians will work with participants to strengthen their kick for the ultimate propulsion forward!
- Pull: The name of the game in breaststroke is to create as much propulsion as possible in the pull while minimizing resistance… and then quickly getting back into a straight bodyline to establish a high speed glide. Participants at this session will focus on setting up a proper "catch" and keeping their hands and elbows high on the water throughout the entire pull. The techniques your swimmer will practice will minimize resistance and enable them to maintain forward momentum for the fastest breaststroke.
- Timing: Fast, flowing breaststroke is the result of proper timing between a swimmer’s hands and feet. Establishing proper timing in your swimmer’s breaststroke will allow for more fluidity, power and speed. Participants in this session will learn how elite swimmers time their breaststroke for ultimate efficiency and the fastest races.
SESSION START TIMES FOR BOTH CAMPS:
- Day 1 (Fridays): Check in 6:15 PM, Camp 6:30-9 PM
- Day 2 (Saturdays): Check in 12:45 PM, Camp 1-4 PM
- Day 3 (Sundays): Check in 12:15 PM, Camp 12:30-3:30 PM
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!
Todd Schmitz
Todd SCHMITZ has coached 7 Olympians from different countries in events ranging from the 50 Free to the 400 IM. Todd has also coached NCAA finalists in all four strokes and the IM. Todd has run clinics in 13 countries and 18 states since 2010. Todd coaches all levels including state champions, nationals champions, World Record Holders, and Olympic Champions.
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
