Report To New England Swimming Regarding Age Group Championship Research, Guidelines and Recommendations

Presented by Laura Matuszak, Amy Parratto, Paul Bennett, Matt Craven and Ron Zuwallack.

(Presented at the October 12, 2004 New England Swimming Board meeting.)

 

OBJECTIVE of New England Swimming as stated in its Bylaws:  “The objectives and primary purpose of the NESI shall be the education, instruction, and training of individuals to develop and improve their capabilities in the sport of swimming.  NESI shall promote swimming for the benefit of swimmers of all ages and abilities in accordance with the standards, rules, regulations and procedures of FINA, USS, and NESI and its Articles of Incorporation.”

 

DUTIES of the Age Group Vice-chairman as stated in the New England Swimming, Incorporated Bylaws:  “The Age Group Vice-chairman shall chair and have general charge of the affairs and property of the Division that develops and conducts the age group swimming program of the NESI.”

 

Age Group Swimmers Developmental Research and Recommendations

            The General Chairman of New England Swimming, Ray Grant, assigned our group the responsibility of exploring the research available regarding the physiological and psychological development of children.  Using this research, we have been asked to create a set of guidelines and recommendations for the New England Championship meets for the next quadrennium.  We hope that this report will serve not only as a guide for competition but also as a resource for coaches and parents who strive to offer the highest quality programming for their children.

            Please be advised that these are our recommendations based on a limited scope of research, time and resources.  We provide these recommendations with the knowledge that changes will need to be made when more advanced research and technology is available to New England Swimming.  Finally, please remember that all children are individuals who develop and learn at their own rates.  There is no average child, average swimmer, or average athlete.  There is not plan that can fit all children and all families.  The responsibility lies with the coach to work with his or her own athletes and recommend that best competitive meet schedule for each individual athlete based on the athlete’s needs, interests and abilities.

8 and Younger Swimmers (598 swimmers in New England Swimming as of 5/3/04)

 

Key Research Points

  •  “Training has no effect on the growth of bone in length.  However, training does increase the width and density of bone.  This clearly makes bone more resistant to breakage.  Bones adapt specifically to the stress put on them.  The ‘pull’ from frequently used muscles makes this adaptation.  This indicates that children should not ‘just swim’.  If we want adaptation of bones in a multitude of directions, they need to engage in a multiple of sports” (American Swimming Coaches Association, Level 3 Physiology School, p. 83).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  8 and younger swimmers should be involved not only in swimming but also in several other sports of their interest.
  • “The emphasis should be placed on the fun aspects of swimming which includes participating on a team with their friends.”  “A successful 8 and under program is one where the swimmer is learning new skills, feeling successful while having fun, becoming interested in the sport of swimming” (American Swimming Coaches Association, Coaching Eight and Under Swimmers, p. 14-15).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  8 and younger swimmers should be involved in meets and practices which emphasize skill development, fun and love of the sport.
  • “Recognizing that children are not miniature adults is easy.  Reconciling that fact with a social emphasis on competition and winning is the most difficult task in coaching.  ‘TMTS’ – too much, too soon – is what we strive to avoid.  In the face of the overwhelming evidence presented in a wide range of developmental disciplines it is difficult to avoid making programmatic changes.”  One example of such a recommended programmatic change is:  “3.  Our philosophy of gradual introduction to competition offers more skill-oriented ‘rodeos’ or meets and progresses to more intramural opportunities” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 3).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Competition for 8 and younger swimmers should be more progressive, more skill-oriented, more low-key and more small scale than what we are currently offering.
  • On pages 18-23 of the American Swimming Coaches Association, Coaching Eights and Under Swimmers Book, many important points are presented regarding the proper progression, introduction to, and education about swim meets.  The primary points are as follows:

“The most reasonable philosophy you pursue is that swim meets provide good learning experiences for the children.”  “#1.  We want our swimmers to learn to compete with good sportsmanship.”  “#2.  We want our swimmers to learn that the race is a learning experience.”  “#3.  We want our swimmers to learn to race.”  “#4.  We want our swimmers to learn that they must compete within the rules.”  “#5.  We want our swimmers to understand that swimming well is more important than just going fast.  We can do this by emphasizing goals for the swim, rather than result goals.”

    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Competition for 8 and under swimmers should be organized to reward effort and technique over speed.
  • On pages 20-21 of the American Swimming Coaches Association, Coaching Eights and Under Swimmers Book, a recommended progression of swim meet formats for 8 and under swimmers is presented.  The recommendation is to progress from “in practice” swim meets, to a swim meet with another team, to a USA Swimming 8 and under meet, to a swim meet with mixed age groups.
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Competition for 8 and under swimmers should progress slowly and gradually, culminating with a meet where mixed age groups are swimming.  There is no specific need for a championship meet for 8 and under swimmers.
  • “With less anaerobic capacity for children, the difference between aerobic capacity and total capacity will not be as great as in adults.  This means that children can train effectively much closer to their maximum speeds without becoming fatigued.  It also means that they cannot ‘raise the level of performance’ as much in competition, due to a lesser degree of anaerobic capacity.  Meet performance may not differ that much from practice performance” (American Swimming Coaches Association, Level 3 Physiology School, p. 84).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Rewarding meet speed does not take into account the physiological development of younger swimmers.  Rewarding effort, technique, skill level and improvement should be the focus of meet rewards rather than rewarding absolute speed.
  • The cognitive development of children ages eight and under must be considered when contemplating meet readiness.  According to USA Swimming’s Sport Science Summit, “For the competition to be meaningful, the young athlete must be able to conceptualize the competition from the opponent’s perspective and engage in social comparison. . . Furthermore, as discussed earlier, research has identified sequential stages of development in terms of role taking abilities (Selman, 1976).  And, it is not until around age 12 that individuals develop the ability to engage in formal reasoning and put oneself in numerous roles.  In sum, it seems that prior to age 12 (roughly) young children do not possess the social cognitive abilities to understand and experience the competitive process” (p. 18).  In addition, USA Swimming points out that: “It has been found that prior to around age 12, children are not able to distinguish between effort and ability in explaining successes and failures.  These young athlete, therefore, do not have the attributional abilities to accurately assess competence based on competitive performances.  ‘These developmental shifts in causal reasoning influence not only how children of different ages will assess their competence based on performance outcomes but also how they will respond emotionally to those outcomes, what their future performance aspirations and success expectancies will be, and how they will approve or disapprove of other children based on those children’s outcomes (Passer, 1987)’” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 18).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Our championship meets must be structured with an understanding of child cognitive development and must include a different competitive model than that of our more senior swimmers.  Children under the age of 12 have a different ability to understand competition than children older than 12.  We want our championships to encourage swimmers to put forth great effort and move on to the next level in our sport.

 

Championship Meet Recommendations:

In the short course season, 8 and younger swimmers who have experience racing in USA Swimming Meets with multiple age groups and who have achieved a minimum time standard can compete in the New England Regional Meet.  This meet will provide a local end-of-season meet for experienced 8 and younger swimmers that allows them to have fun with their teammates, younger and older, and learn more about the sport.  We recommend that heat winner prizes and best time ribbons be awarded to de-emphasize placing and emphasize personal improvement and effort.  We also recommend that all swimmers ages 8 and younger receive a fun prize bag with stickers, pencils, small toys, swimming trivia cards, and other fun items.  Finally, we recommend that the coaches are encouraged to reward the process goals of their swimmers by awarded special team prizes or emphasizing process goals with their swimmers.

In the long course season, 8 and younger swimmers can compete at an 8 and Under Fun Meet that is offered at the end of the long course season after the Qualifier Meet.  This meet will offer  8 and younger swimmers who have experience racing in USA Swimming Meets with an end-of-season meet that allows them to have fun with their peers and learn more about the sport.  We recommend that heat winner prizes and best time ribbons be awarded to de-emphasize placing and emphasize personal improvement and effort.  We also recommend that all swimmers ages 8 and younger receive a fun prize bag with stickers, pencils, small toys, swimming trivia cards, and other fun items.  Finally, we recommend that the coaches are encouraged to reward the process goals of their swimmers by awarded special team prizes or emphasizing process goals with their swimmers.

 

10 and Younger Swimmers (1090 9-10 year old swimmers in New England Swimming as of 5/3/04;  1688 10 and younger swimmers in New England Swimming as of 5/3/04)

 

Key Research Points

  • USA Swimming has recently provided a recommended progression of  athlete development.  Specifically, this chart recommends that children between the ages of 6 and 9 years old become involved in the sport at the “Preparation” level.  They are to learn stroke technique, gain aerobic development and conditioning, become efficient in their strokes, develop a joy of participation and participate several times each week.  USA Swimming further recommends that children between the ages of 9 and 12 continue to develop their stroke technique and aerobic base.  Additionally, they recommend that children in this age rage begin developing muscular endurance, competition behavior, teamwork and learn to understand maturational differences. (USA Swimming, Suggested Progressions for Athlete Development,http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=417&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&mid=648&ItemId=1318)
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Children under the age of 12 are still developing their stroke technique, aerobic training and understanding of the sport.  Competitions should be progressive and introduced gradually.  Skill and technique is emphasized by USA Swimming over competition experience.
  • “It is suggested that pre-pubescent athletes (ages 9-12/15) focus on longer distances (i.e., longer repeats and longer competitive events) for reasons related to both skill development and aerobic capacity development” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 5).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Swim meets for children under the age of 12 should emphasize longer competitive races to enhance skill development and aerobic development. 
  • “As a youth coach, it is important to recognize that 7-10 year olds are expressive, spontaneous, and egocentric. . . Because these children are in the process of learning acceptable means of achieving goals, coaches should take care to make clearly explained distinctions between what is acceptable and what is not” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 8).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Children under the age of 10 are sill learning acceptable means of achieving goals and often seek egocentric ways of getting what they want.  Coaches play a large role in helping swimmers understand the rules of sportsmanship, competition and fair play. 
  • “From about ages 8-12, there is a gradual decline in the importance of feedback from parents as a source of competence information, an increase in coach technical knowledge as a source of competence information, and a gradual increase in the importance of peer comparison in making competence judgements. ‘I beat Joe which means I am a good swimmer’” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p/ 9).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Children under the age of 12 combine coach feedback and comparisons with their peers in judging their own performance.  Championship meets allow swimmers under the age of 12 to compare themselves to their peers and receive positive feedback from their coaches.
  • “Tracking of ‘outstanding’ kids in elementary school found that only 25% were still outstanding in later years, suggesting that early success does not predict later success” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 5).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Championship meets for swimmers under the age of 12 should allow swimmers to race and compete against their peers, receive positive feedback from their coaches.  However, additional awards and recognition for personal improvement and for participation will allow more swimmers to feel pride and success in the sport.  Remembering that only about 25% of our outstanding 12 and younger swimmers will continue to have a high level of success in the sport, we strive to help all of our younger swimmers stay motivated and enthusiastic about their swimming.
  • “A conservative careful approach to age group training, with an emphasis on learning skills and endurance training is the best approach to a quality experience for the athlete, consistent with physiological and overall development.
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Meets and training for 12 and younger swimmers should focus on developing stroke skills and learning racing technique for the longer events.  The emphasis for these swimmers, like the 8 and younger swimmers, should still mainly be on skill development.

 

Championship Meet Recommendations:

In the short course season, 10 and younger swimmers who have experience racing in USA Swimming Meets with multiple age groups and who have achieved a minimum time standard can compete in the New England Regional Meet.  This meet will provide a local end-of-season meet for experienced 10 and younger swimmers that allows them to have fun with their teammates, younger and older, and learn more about the sport.  We recommend that heat winner prizes and best time ribbons be awarded to de-emphasize placing and emphasize personal improvement and effort.  We also recommend that all swimmers ages 10 and younger receive a fun prize bag with stickers, pencils, small toys, swimming trivia cards, and other fun items.  Finally, we recommend that the coaches are encouraged to reward the process goals of their swimmers.

In both the short course and the long course swimming, more experienced and higher achieving 10 and younger swimmers who have achieved the minimum time standard, may compete in the New England 12 and Under Championship Meet.  We recommend that the 10 and under swimmers race in timed final events.  While the current medals, ribbons and high point trophies are acceptable, we recommend that additional best time ribbons and fun prize bags are awarded to the 10 and younger swimmers to encourage their participation and enthusiasm for the sport, regardless of overall placing in the meet.  Finally, it is recommended that for both the short course and the long course season, a pool with warm-up and warm-down space be utilized for the 12 and Under Championship Meet.  As these swimmers grow and develop in the sport, they need to learn and understand proper warm-up and warm-down procedures. 

 

11-12 Year Old Swimmers (1349 11-12 year old swimmers in New England Swimming as of 5/3/04)

 

Key Research Points

  • “Swimmers must maximize their potential during the rapid increase of physical capacities during maturation.  This period begins before the adolescent growth spurt (about age 10 or 11 in girls and age 12 or 13 in boys) and extends past maturation to about age 14 or 15 for girls and age 16 for boys. . .  During this period the objective is to extend the volume of training progressively.  Training volume becomes a critical factor in long-term improvement.  The quality of training in expressed in terms of maintaining efficient and effective technique over progressively greater seasonal loads” (Sweetenham and Atkinson, 2003, p. 209).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Swimmers aged 11-12 begin experiencing vast physiological changes and development.  At this time, training loads become critical for long-term development in the sport.  Swimmers should begin training more intensely, with greater volumes in each workout and greater frequency of workouts per week.  Swimming will become a child’s primary sport at this time, if he or she is interested in putting the training in that will be required to long term success.
  • “For 11-12 year olds, training can become much more serious.  Occasional long swims of 30 minutes to 1 hour should be included.  This is a critical time for developing the endurance systems” (ASCA, Level 3 Physiology School, p. 85).  “VO2max shows significant growth from 10-13 to 14 years and peaks between 17-21 for males and 12-15 for females.  This time frame, when significant growth can occur (sensitive period), should be maximized in the training program to develop the athlete’s long term potential” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 5).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Swimmers aged 11-12 must start training with a greater focus on endurance and with a higher level of seriousness.  Championships for these swimmers, then, will take on new meaning because of their increased focus and training.
  • “The older athlete (12-13) begins to recognize that both ability and effort impact performance.  Prior to this, the athlete cannot distinguish between the two concepts” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 9).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Swimmers aged about 12 and older have a better understanding of the way performance is affected by one’s ability and effort.  The start to comprehend the meaning of place in a swim meet and the way that one’s skill level and training effect one’s overall placing in a race.  Championships become an environment where they can assess their relative skill level and training efforts.
  • “Children between the ages of 11 and 12 develop a significant number of cognitive skills.  These skills include conservation of volume, reversibility, deductive thinking, concepts of space and time and sorting items by complicated combinations of attributes.”  From the age of 12 and beyond, “thinking becomes logical, more flexible, and capable of abstraction.  They can apply logic to ideas and problems that violate reality and can entertain many possible solutions of a problem” (Hetherington and Parke, 1999, p. 325).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Children, beginning at the age of 11, begin to develop more advanced cognitive skills.  These cognitive skills allow them to understand the value of competition in their swimming development and the value of championships within the swimming season.
  • “And, it is not until around age 12 that individuals develop the ability to engage in formal reasoning and to put oneself in numerous roles.  In sum, it seems that prior to age 12 (roughly) young children do not possess the social cognitive abilities to understand and experience the competitive process” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 18).  “’These developmental shifts in causal reasoning influence not only how children of different ages will assess their competence based on performance outcomes but also how they will respond emotionally to those outcomes, what their future performance aspirations and success expectancies will be, and how they will approve or disapprove of other children based on those children’s outcomes’” (Passer, 1987 cited in USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 18).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  11-12 year old swimmers have the cognitive and emotional skills to handle competition.  Championships for these swimmers will provide meaning and value to their swimming experiences.

 

Championship Meet Recommendations:
            In the short course season, 11-12 year old swimmers with experience in the sport who achieve a minimum standard may compete at the Regional Meets.  These meets will allow swimmers to race locally within a team environment with their peers.  The medals and ribbons will provide good motivation for achievement for these swimmers.  Additionally, the Regional Meets, with the “slower than” cut times, will allow 11-12 swimmers to compete with other swimmers of similar ability level.  This can provide the necessary positive feedback to swimmers and encourage them to reach for the next level of Age Group Championships.  In the long course season, the New England Qualifier Meet can serve the same purpose as the short course Regional Meets. With fewer swimmers involved in long course swimming in New England, the Qualifier Meets at 1-2 sites will provide similar opportunities and benefits to 11-12 swimmers as the Regional Meets do in the short course season.

            In both the short course and the long course swimming, more experienced and higher achieving 11-12 swimmers who have achieved the minimum time standard, may compete in the New England 12 and Under Championship Meet.  We recommend that the 11-12 swimmers race in preliminary heats in the morning session and that the top 24 swimmers from preliminaries race in the finals session at night.  The current award system, of medals, ribbons and high point awards, works well to motivate and encourage 11-12 swimmers.  We recommend that New England Swimming also award a Distance High Point award to the 11-12 swimmers who score the most points in the 400 I.M., 500/ 400 Free, 1000/ 8000 Free and 1650/ 1500 Free.  Finally, it is recommended that for both the short course and the long course season, a pool with warm-up and warm-down space be utilized for the 12 and Under Championship Meet.  As these swimmers grow and develop in the sport, they need to learn and understand proper warm-up and warm-down procedures. 

 

13-14 Year Old Swimmers (1263 13-14 year old swimmers in New England Swimming as of 5/3/04; 1540 15 and older swimmers in New England Swimming as of 5/3/04; 2803 13 and older swimmers in New England Swimming as of 5/3/04)

 

Key Research Points

  • “13-14 year olds may be training much like senior swimmers, at least in the water.  Females are past puberty, and training will be critical to their success.  Males will continue to improve through growth, but as they compete in longer events, training will be important” (ASCA, Level 3 Physiology School, p. 85).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  This is a transitional time for our 13-14 year old swimmers.  They are training harder than ever and moving toward the senior/elite swimming level.  As such, their racing should also help them move toward the senior/elite swimming level.
  • “Males and females differ in the growth and development process; both when the growth spurt occurs and ensuing physical changes.  It is important to take these differences into account when training adolescent males and females as well as to educate them on the developmental process.  Because of the numerous and sometimes drastic changes, it is crucial to allow time for young athletes to get comfortable (physically and emotionally) to their changed bodies.  Additionally, adaptation to the growth changes lags behind so expect it to take some time for the athlete to be able to take advantage of changes” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 5).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  During adolescence, girls and boys are developing at different rates.  Additionally, all young people develop at different rates and experience this development differently.  The responsibility lies with the coach to educate his or her swimmers on this process, to provide training that is appropriate for each individual based on his or her development and to provide meet opportunities that are appropriate for each individual based on his or her development.
  • “Adolescents (14-17 years) face the challenge of exploring who they are and how they fit into the world in which they live.”  “As a coach, be tolerant and accepting of the various identities the athlete ‘tries on’.  Allow athletes to explore and test new and different identities as long as they do not put themselves in danger and as long as their actions are not in conflict with team goals or philosophy” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 9).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  Adolescents, as they explore their role in the world, will require multiple options within the swimming world.  While some may chose to move toward the senior/elite level, some may choose to take swimming less seriously. 
  • “A ‘task’ goal orientation increases with age while ‘outcome/win’ goal orientation decreases with age” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 9).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  As athletes age, their focus on place and race outcome is replaced by process goals.  They value effort, ability, and task achievement over place, external rewards and winning.
  • Adolescent swimmers who have been in the sport for 4-6 years are in the process of moving from the middle phase of learning in the sport to the later years of learning in the sport.  As such, they are still focused on developing their technical skills, they are working with a “master” coach, their parents are making sacrifices of time and money and they are transitioning from being a recreational swimmer to being “a swimmer” (USA Swimming, Sport Science Summit, p. 12).
    • What this means for New England Swimming:  During adolescents, swimmers are encouraged to adopt the role of “a swimmer”.  As swimmers explore this role, they will require different opportunities to test their abilities and efforts in order to determine their place in the swimming world.

 

Championship Meet Recommendations:

In the short course season, 13-14 year old swimmers with limited experience in the sport who are still developing their skills and who achieve a minimum standard may compete at the Regional Meets.  These meets will allow swimmers to race locally within a team environment with their peers.  The medals and ribbons will provide good motivation for achievement for these swimmers.  Additionally, the Regional Meets, with the “slower than” cut times, will allow 13-14 swimmers to compete with other swimmers of similar ability level.  This can provide the necessary positive feedback to swimmers and encourage them to reach for the next level of Open Championships.  In the long course season, the New England Qualifier Meet can serve the same purpose as the short course Regional Meets. With fewer swimmers involved in long course swimming in New England, the Qualifier Meets at 1-2 sites will provide similar opportunities and benefits to 13-14 swimmers as the Regional Meets do in the short course season.

            In both the short course and the long course swimming, more experienced and higher achieving 13-14 swimmers who have achieved the minimum time standard, may compete in the New England Open Championship Meet.  We recommend that the 13-14 swimmers race in preliminary heats in the morning session with the entire field of athletes qualified for the Open Meet.  This will mean that swimmers of all ages who achieve the New England Open qualifying time will race one another in preliminaries.  Additionally, we recommend that the top 24 swimmers, regardless of age, swim at finals at night to determine final placing.  The next 8 swimmers who are 13-14 years of age only will swim in a fourth final heat.  This will allow 13-14 year old swimmers an additional opportunity for a final swim at a championship level meet.  This 13-14 heat should be included in the team scoring.  Team may also enter two 13-14 only relays that can be included in the team scoring.  The current award system, of medals, ribbons and high point awards, works well to motivate and encourage 13-14 swimmers.  We recommend that New England Swimming continue to award a Distance High Point award to the 13-14 swimmers who score the most points in the 400 I.M., 500/ 400 Free, 1000/ 8000 Free and 1650/ 1500 Free. 

In the short course season, the most talented and well-trained 13-14 swimmers who have achieved the minimum time standard may compete at the New England Senior Championship Meet.  This high level, New England meet will allow 13-14 year old swimmers an opportunity to race the fastest swimmers in New England, regardless of age.  It is the hope that this meet will encourage 13-14 year old swimmers to take on the training and the attitude necessary to become a senior/elite athlete.  The Senior committee will determine the meet rules and standards.

Please note that in the short course season, swimmers must choose to attend either the New England Senior Meet or the New England Open Meet.

 

Review of the Final Championship Meet Recommendations:

  • Regional Meets (4+ meets in the short course season) or Qualifier Meets (1-2 meets in the long course season)
    • All age groups: 8 and Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-19
    • Allows for developmentally appropriate racing for swimmers new to the sport, for 10 and younger swimmers, for less skilled swimmers, for less committed swimmers and for late maturing swimmers.
    • These are local, fun, low-key meet opportunities.
    • Fun goodie bags, best time ribbons and heat winner prizes for the 10 and younger swimmers.
  • New England 12 and Under Championships (short course and long course)
    • 10 and Under qualifying times and 11-12 qualifying times.
    • Allows for more competitive racing experiences for swimmers who have more experience in the sport, for more skilled swimmers, for more committed swimmers and for swimmers who have matured early.
    • Trials and finals in both the short course and the long course season for the 11-12 swimmers to encourage and support their development toward senior swimming.
    • Distance high point awards to encourage endurance swimming in our developing swimmers.
    • Fun goodie bags, best time ribbons and heat winner prizes for the 10 and younger swimmers.
  • New England Open Championships (short course and long course)
    • One qualifying time for all ages.
    • Allows for competitive racing experience for swimmers who have more experience in the sport, for skilled swimmers, for committed swimmers and for early maturing 12 and younger swimmers.
    • Trials and finals for all swimmers with the top 24 regardless of age plus the next 8 13-14 older swimmers racing in finals.  Finals and consolation swimmers as well as the 13-14 heat will score point for their teams.  Two 13-14 only relays per team may be entered and may score points for the team.  It is hoped that these changes to the meet format will encourage our 13-14 swimmers toward senior level swimming.
    • Distance high point awards to encourage endurance swimming in our developing swimmers.
    • This meet is designed to support developing adolescent swimmers, to provide them with challenging race experiences and motivate them to be senior swimmers.
  • New England Senior Championships (short course only)
    • One qualifying time for all ages.
    • Allows for the most competitive racing experience in New England Swimming for our top level swimmers.  This allows our most skilled and most dedicated swimmers a chance to race each other in New England before traveling to Eastern Regional, Junior National, or National level competitions.
    • The Senior Committee will determine the rules and regulations of this meet.

 

Final Committee Planning:

            In an effort to gain a clear picture of the developmental landscape of our New England Swimmers, the New England Age Group Committee will be compiling a Team Manager database for New England Swimming.  This will allow us to track the performance of our swimmers throughout the years of our championship meets.  We will be able to quantitatively determine which top level youth swimmers move through New England Swimming to become senior level swimmers and which lower level youth swimmers improve through New England Swimming to become senior level swimmers.  Additionally, we will be able to track all of the individual developmental differences in between.

            As more research on child development, athletic performance, and swimming in general comes to light, this proposal will need to be revised and reworked to meet the needs of our New England Swimmers.

 

Resource List and Sources

            American Swimming Coaches Association. Coaching Eight and Under Swimmers.  Fort Lauderdale, FL:  American Swimming Coaches Association.

            American Swimming Coaches Association.  Level 3 Physiology School.  Fort Lauderdale, FL:  American Swimming Coaches Association.

            Hetherington, E. M. and Parke, R. D.  (1999).  Child Psychology:  A Contemporary Viewpoint (5th Edition).  Boston, MA:  McGraw-Hill College.

            Sweetenham, W. and Atkinson, J.  (2003).  Championship Swim Training.  Champaign, IL:  Human Kinetics.

            United States Swimming.  Progressions for Athlete Development.  Colorado Springs, CO:  United States Swimming.

            USA Swimming.  (1998).  Sport Science Summit.  Colorado Springs, CO:  USA Swimming.

            USA Swimming Sport Science.  The Science in the Science and Art of Coaching.  Colorado Springs, CO:  Chuck Wielgus.

            USA Swimming, (2004). Suggested Progressions for Athlete Development,  http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=417&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&mid=648&ItemId=1318

           

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the New England Age Group Committee: 

 

Laura M. Matuszak 10/12/04