Stingray Practice Groups

 

The Tucson J Stingrays offers training and practice groups for swimmers of all ages and ability levels. It is the goal of the coaching staff to offer age-specific training for all of our athletes geared toward challenging each individual and developing them to the best of their abilities. Our groups are loosely based on age but more focused on skill level, athletic ability, motivation, and mentality.

 

There is a lead coach for each group, but all coaches will work with every group to some extent. We see the value in athletes knowing all of the Stingrays coaches. There might be meets where only one coach is in attendance, and all swimmers should be able to identify that coach and be aware of that coach’s expectations. Swimmers should also be willing and able to take direction and tips from that coach. Interacting with the entire coaching staff during practices facilitates that. 

 

The Head Coach, along with input from the assistant coaches, sets the plans, goals, and directions for each group on a seasonal basis. The Lead Assistant Coach for each group writes the practices for their group. Practices may vary day-to-day in focus and week-to-week in intensity. Practices–including test sets, burnout sets, kick sets, and drills–for all groups may be repeated from time to time. This helps to assess each swimmer’s progress and any needed modification to the season’s plan. Just as in any sport, repetition of a skill continues until the skill is mastered, and then it continues further to ensure the skill is retained. In swimming, this applies to drills to work on technique and interval-sets to work on pace, among other things. All athletes are expected to trust in the process, work hard, and maintain a positive attitude, no matter what challenges the coaching staff presents them with or what the set is for that day. 

 

The Tucson J Stingrays follow the USA Swimming/USOPC’s Quality Coaching Framework (QCF) and USA Swimming’s American Development Model (ADM). The ADM is a tool used by coaches around the country to create a plan for and assess athlete development through the Team. Athlete development is focused on helping athletes develop a positive relationship with sport, increase engagement in and connection to swimming, and learn skills that will help athletes be successful in all facets of life. The ADM has four athlete-centered outcomes–Competence, Character, Confidence, and Connection–each with six levels of development. 

 

While we do have expectations and goals set out for each group below, we also recognize that all swimmers are individuals and some athletes or families might have unique circumstances. In those cases, we do adjust expectations and goals on a case-by-case basis after full communication with the athlete and/or their support network.

 
 

Goals & Expectations for all Athletes

Goals:

  • Have fun swimming and learn to promote team values during practice, competition, and in daily life 
  • Progress through the USA Swimming American Development Model 
    • The ADM is a helpful tool for athletes, coaches, and RAs to use in gauging progress through the Team, in sport, and in life. Group-by-group completion goals are listed under each group’s section below. 
 

Expectations: 

  • Come to practices and meets to work hard and have fun: a positive mindset—no matter the challenges Coach presents you with—will go a long way to improvement 
  • Follow the Athlete Code of Conduct 
  • Follow and promote team values and act with kindness and respect to all participants  
  • Commit to being coachable: your coaches are here to help you succeed, and you must meet us halfway 
  • Be on time to practice & follow the Lombardi Rule (see the Practice Schedules section for more information)
  • Be open to trying new techniques and drills 
  • Demonstrate a willingness to learn the fundamentals and complexities of competitive swimming 
  • Come to practice and meets prepared to succeed: that means following uniform requirements and bringing required gear 
  • No drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine consumption
 

 

Group Placement Policy 

 

New swimmers will be placed in the appropriate practice group based on their ability and age. Evaluations for existing swimmers (advancing to a higher group or placement into a lower group) are made by the coaching staff throughout the season. Placement is decided by the coaches who may use their discretion in deciding the best learning environment for each individual swimmer. Recommendations will be communicated to the swimmer and their guardians

 

All prospective athletes are required to try out prior to joining the Stingrays Swim Team. Open tryouts will be held each month, with dates and times to be posted on the Stingrays website. During open tryouts, athletes will be asked to demonstrate a lap of all four strokes to the best of their ability. Upon completion of the tryout, the coaches involved will determine which group would be the best fit and follow up within a few days. Although tryouts are open, prior communication to Coach Evan is heavily recommended.

 

 

 

Group Move-up Pillars 

There are three main pillars that guide the move-up process from one group to another. Ultimately, the coaching staff has the final say in whether a swimmer is ready to progress to the next group.

  1. Attendance
    1. Meets or exceeds their group’s monthly attendance requirement
    2. Consistently communicates absences (especially in older groups)
    3. Demonstrates commitment to showing up on time and improving
  2. Training Benchmarks
    1. Interval mastery (e.g., consistently makes 10×100 freestyle @ 1:30)
    2. Stroke technique & mastery in all four strokes
    3. Strong performance in challenge/test sets
    4. Leads by example: focused effort, lane leadership, asks questions when needed
  3. Coach Evaluation
    1. Final move-up decisions are made by the coaching staff
    2. Displays maturity, coachability, and respect for teammates
    3. Completes sets and intervals with effort and consistency
    4. Has the mindset and ability to thrive in the next group—not just survive

 

 

Equitable Participation Accommodations

 

If you believe having accommodations would benefit your opportunity to equitably participate in this program, please contact us to advocate for modifications. We will do our best to ensure our program is accessible to you.