Wilmington, DE Swim Camp Series for Ages 12 & over
Dupont Country Club
1001 Rockland Rd,
Wilmington,
DE 19803
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Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing a series of 2-day swim camps and a special video filming & analysis session for competitive swimmers ages 12 & over at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware during 2025. Below, you will find links for additional swim camps for other ages in Wilmington!
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE SWIM CAMP SERIES (Ages 12 & Over)
-> Fast Butterfly & Breaststroke Technique Swim Camp (April 26 & 27, 2025)
-> Fast Starts, Turns, Underwaters & More Swim Camp (August 23 & 24, 2025)
-> Race Strategy & Execution: IM's & 200's Swim Camp (December 27 & 28, 2025)
VIDEO FILMING & ANALYSIS
April 26, 2025 (12:45-2:45 PM): Provide your swimmer with the chance to receive professional video analysis of their stroke, just like the pros. Choose to have one stroke filmed and analyzed with a single registration, or save by selecting the Camp + Video Bundle, which includes both days of the swim camp along with filming and analysis of all four strokes.
Click the “Curriculum Menu” below for details on each swim camp and the video session.
-> Availability in each session of this swim camp series is limited to ensure the highest level learning experience.
-> SAVE when you purchase a "Bundle” for your swimmer.
ADDITIONAL CAMPS IN WILMINGTON, DE:
-> February 1 & 2 (Ages 9 & Over)
-> Multiple 2025 Dates (Ages 9 to 11)
Select a curriculum below
FAST BUTTERFLY & BREASTSTROKE TECHNIQUE SWIM CAMP: April 26 & April 27, 2025
Butterfly and breaststroke utilize similar body position, “undulating” movements, and an early “catch” to get across the pool with efficiency and speed. They are called the “short axis” strokes because swimmers do not rotate their body at the spine, as is done in freestyle and backstroke. Rather in butterfly and breaststroke, swimmers bend at the hips to generate power and forward momentum. Over two days, your swimmer, no matter their level, will improve their butterfly and breaststroke technique, racing and training skills!
- DAY 1 (Saturday, April 26): BUTTERFLY TECHNIQUE: At the highest level of swimming, butterfly is the second fastest stroke and beautiful to watch because of its rhythmic and powerful strokes. There are some complexities to establishing a smooth, rhythmic fly, but with practice and attention to detail your swimmer can master the stroke and begin swimming it for longer distances and at very fast speeds!
- Bodyline: A butterfly 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. As swimmers mature in the sport and grow physically, their body position shifts and bad habits can emerge. 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 butterfly strokes.
- 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 equally strong, they can positively impact your swimmer’s efficiency and stroke timing! Your swimmer will work on how and when to kick in butterfly for maximum speed.
- Pull: Long and smooth strokes allow swimmers to have a more efficient and fluid butterfly. The pull in butterfly keeps a swimmer accelerating forward. Your clinicians will work with participants to establish an early vertical forearm, “the catch”, enabling the swimmers to put immediate pressure back on the water. Properly completing the stroke keeps the swimmer moving forward efficiently and fast.
- Timing: The timing of the breath in butterfly has a direct relationship on a swimmer’s body position, pull, kick and TIMES! At this camp, we will work with participants on breathing with their chin low to the water... and WHEN to breathe in their stroke cycle so that they develop the most efficient stroke possible!
- DAY 2 (Sunday, April 27): 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.
VIDEO FILMING & ANALYSIS: April 26, 2025
Since so much of the stroke happens below water – it is incredibly important to see what’s going on below the surface! Small adjustments to your stroke can lead to big time drops! This is your opportunity to get beautiful footage of your stroke and get analysis from an expert… and you can review with your coach as well!
- ANALYSIS: Our Fitter and Faster expert will use a video analysis application to record their comments on your technique. They will use slow motion, pause the video at specific points, and draw on the swimmer's video all while explaining where opportunities for improvement are. Each stroke will have approximately 3 to 5 minutes of expert commentary that you can review with your coaches at home!
- DRILL RECOMMENDATIONS: You will receive recommendations for drills to correct the technique of each swimmer.
- SIGN UP: Select to have one stroke filmed. Or, SAVE by choosing to have all four strokes filmed. The "multi-stroke options" are for individual swimmers and cannot be split.
- ARRIVING AT THE POOL (Retain your order number): You will receive an e-mail approximately one week before the filming session with the specific time for your swimmer to check in, warm up, and be filmed. Please retain your order number - this is how swimmers will be identified on that schedule. When you arrive at the pool, you will be greeted by Fitter & Faster staff who will provide you instructions on the filming process.
- WARM UP: Participants will have an opportunity to warm up before filming.
- FILMING: Our camera operator will have you swim two 25s at a strong pace of each stroke purchased (1 stroke or all 4 strokes). The filming of each stroke will take about three minutes. The video will capture a side angle and a front angle below the water to get an accurate view of your technique.
- SESSION LEGNTH: Depending on the number of strokes you are getting recorded, your session time will run between 5 and 15 minutes.
- TIMELINE: All videos will be analyzed and returned within 14 days of the camp. The analyzed videos along with the original video will be sent via email for you to keep!
FAST STARTS, TURNS, UNDERWATERS & MORE SWIM CAMP: August 23 & August 24, 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 (Saturday, August 23): 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 (Sunday, August 24): 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.
RACE STRATEGY & EXECUTION: IM's & 200's SWIM CAMP: December 27 & December 28, 2025
“How should I swim this race?" How many times has your swimmer asked this question? Finding the right answer can be tricky because pacing during a race is based on "feel" rather than calculated splits. This swim camp is designed to empower your swimmer with the skills and strategies they need to succeed. They will learn how to channel their effort—whether it’s in their pull, kick, or underwater techniques—throughout the race. The first session focuses on navigating the IM, the second on 200 races. By the end of the camp, your child will understand their own racing style and gain the confidence to approach their next competition with a solid plan.
- DAY 1 (Saturday, December 27): IM RACE STRATEGY: IM races are among the most exciting to watch because each swimmer brings unique strengths and strategies to the pool. In this camp, swimmers will focus on key skills that benefit all IM athletes, such as stroke transitions, while also developing a personalized race strategy tailored to their individual skill set.
- Learning by Doing: Swimmers will learn through hands-on practice, executing segments of the IM race to build a comprehensive race plan. By actively working through each part of the IM, swimmers will gain a deeper understanding of how to put their strategy into action.
- IM Strategy: Every IM swimmer has a race strategy that evolves with years of practice and experience. In this session, our Elite Clinicians will guide swimmers in identifying their unique strengths and weaknesses, helping them create a customized race plan to improve performance. While it may seem counterintuitive to some, a common strategy for younger swimmers is to focus on efficiency in their strongest strokes while putting more effort into their weaker strokes to balance the race.
- IM Transitions: Efficient IM transitions are critical to success in IM races. Swimmers will learn to execute smooth transition turns and develop the ability to seamlessly shift between muscle groups while maintaining ideal technique, timing, and effort as they move into the next stroke.
- Stroke Pacing: There are many ways swimmers can adjust their strokes to optimize efficiency and speed. Lengthening stroke distance at critical moments in the IM can conserve energy, while prioritizing tempo can help accelerate or finish strong. By focusing on specific elements of their stroke—such as the kick, pull, or core—swimmers can better balance speed in the current stroke with the needs of the next. Elite athletes understand how to adjust these elements seamlessly, and our clinicians will help participants learn how to fine-tune their strokes for maximum effectiveness.
- Strategy Reinforcement & Training: Swimmers will work closely with our clinicians to refine the techniques learned throughout the session. They will also complete a training set designed by the Fitter and Faster coaching team to help them maintain their strategy and technique even as fatigue sets in.
- DAY 2 (Sunday, December 28): 200 Race Strategy: The 200-yard race is a unique challenge that combines speed, endurance, and strategy. In this session, your swimmer will explore the nuances of pacing and technique required to excel in the 200. Through hands-on practice and insights from our elite clinicians, participants will learn how to find their rhythm and develop a race plan that suits their strengths.
- Experience-Driven Learning: Your swimmer will learn best by doing! Each practice session will focus on the feel and strategies necessary for racing. Through hands-on activities, they will practice different segments of the race, helping them understand how to put it all together effectively.
- Pacing and “Feel” Insights from Elite Swimmers: Our elite clinicians will share valuable insights on various strategies for the 200, illustrating the pros and cons with real examples from elite-level races across all strokes. They’ll explore how top swimmers balance "front-end speed" and "back-end speed," teaching your child to break down the race into manageable segments of effort or technical emphasis.
- Stroke-Specific Strategies: Different strokes require different strategies, especially in the 200. We’ll discuss how to manage energy in freestyle and backstroke versus handling muscular fatigue in butterfly and breaststroke. Your swimmer will learn to navigate these unique challenges and avoid common pitfalls.
- Control & “Easy Speed”: The beginning of every race often feels effortless. Our clinicians will teach your swimmer how to control their effort while maintaining speed, a skill that can make all the difference in race performance.
- Optimizing Underwaters for Efficiency: Underwater kicks are key for efficiency in the 200! Many swimmers use underwater kicks at the start of the race, but not at the end. We’ll help your swimmer develop a balanced strategy for using underwaters effectively while ensuring they’re getting enough oxygen throughout the race.
- Mental Preparation for Success: Every great race starts with the right mindset. Our clinicians will guide your swimmer in building mental resilience and excitement specific to the 200, preparing them to tackle the race with confidence.
START TIMES:
- APRIL (Both Days): Check-in 9 AM, Camp 9:15-12:15 PM
- AUGUST (Both Days): Check-in 7 AM, Camp 7:15-10:15 AM
- DECEMBER (Both Days): Check-in 12 PM, Camp 12:15-3:15 PM
- Depending on the number of strokes you are getting recorded, your session time will run between 5 and 15 minutes.
- The Video Filming & Analysis session is separate from the swim camp. Camp registration does not include this session.
- You will receive an email a week before the filming session with the specific time for your swimmer to check in, warm up, and be filmed.
- April 26, 2025: Swimmer's scheduled time will be between 12:45-2:45 PM.
- Elite Video Filming & Analysis is for ALL swimmers ages 7 & 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!
Elite Clinician
Fitter and Faster clinicians are Olympians and National Team members who have achieved at the highest level of the sport of swimming... and who have the unique skill to teach what they know from a technical perspective to swimmers of all ages and abilities.
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!