SUNN Practice Group Descriptions
The year-round team consists of approximately 300 athletes between the ages of 5 and 18. Athletes are instructed in each of the competitive strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) as well as their related starts, turns, and finishes.
SUNN programs offer a fun, friendly, and positive environment emphasizing correct technique for the long-range success of the swimmer.
Regular, year-round attendance is encouraged in all groups, and participation in scheduled competition is strongly encouraged for most groups.
SUNN athletes are assigned to practice groups are based on age, skill level and goals in the sport. Placement into a group is determined by the coaching staff. Group Move-ups will be determined by the coach of the respective group based on progress and skill level.
NOVICE SILVER (NV-S)
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Description: Designed for elementary school athletes, ages 10 & Under, who are still learning to swim the competitive strokes. Emphasis will be put on building self-esteem, learning to practice within a group, and proper stroke technique for Free and Backstroke. In addition, swimmers will be introduced to Breaststroke and Butterfly. Making new friends and having FUN is part of the curriculum, too!
Expectations: Daily attendance is not mandatory; however, Novice Silver athletes should attend practice as often as possible. Consistency is the key to progress. Athletes are expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets
- The group’s coach will decide which meets will be appropriate for individuals to attend
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Kick Board and Full Size Long Fins
AGE GROUP BRONZE (AG-B)
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Description: Designed for athletes who are in elementary school and can swim all four competitive strokes with a basic level of competency (legal racing technique). Emphasis will be put on improving efficiency in all four competitive strokes while learning how to perform basic race skills, such as turns and starts. Making new friends and having FUN is part of the curriculum, too!
Expectations: Daily attendance is not mandatory; however, Age Group Bronze athletes should attend practice as often as possible. Athletes are expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships (if the athlete qualifies)
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 3 swim meets on the Age Group Meet Schedule per year (check with your coach for specific meets)
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Kick Board, Full Size Long Fins, Water Bottle
AGE GROUP SILVER (AG-S)
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Description: Designed for athletes in elementary school who can demonstrate an intermediate knowledge of stroke technique and who attend meets on a regular basis. The emphasis is primarily to give athletes valuable technical improvements, including starts and turns, to prepare them for the next level.
Expectations: Daily attendance is not mandatory; however, Age Group Silver athletes should attend practice as often as possible. Consistency is the key to progress. Athletes are expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships (if the athlete qualifies)
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 3 swim meets on the Age Group Meet Schedule per year (check with your coach for specific meets)
Equipment: Mesh bag, Kickboard, Full Size Long Fins, and Water Bottle
AGE GROUP GOLD (AG-G)
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Description: Designed for athletes in elementary school who demonstrate advanced stroke technique and speed. These athletes are committed to swimming and attend meets on a regular basis. The focus of this group is on continuing proper stroke development, developing self-confidence in and out of the water, strengthening kicking power and endurance, and learning how to push when tired. Having fun and bonding with their teammates will continue to be an important aspect of this group.
Qualifications: Entry into this group is by coach’s consent. Athletes need to have at least three 9 - 10 “BB” times in order to enter this group. In addition, athletes must be able to complete the following sets to qualify for this group:
- 8 x 100’s Freestyle on a 1:50 interval
- 3 x 200’s IM on a 4:00 interval
Expectations: This is our first competitive group in which the expectation is that each athletes is focused on being a competitive swimmer. Athletes are actively trying to make more than the minimum number of practices and are attending swim meets on a regular basis to achieve times for the next level of competition. Athletes in this group need to attend a minimum of 3 practices per week. Athletes are expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships.
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 4 swim meets on the Age Group Meet Schedule per year (check with your coach for specific meets)
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Full Size Long Fins, Buoy, Kick Board, Snorkel, and Water Bottle
NOVICE GOLD (NV-G)
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Description: Designed for athletes, 11-13, who are in middle school and who are still learning to swim the competitive strokes. Emphasis will be put on building self-esteem, learning to practice within a group, and proper stroke technique for Free and Backstroke. In addition, swimmers will be introduced to Breaststroke and Butterfly. Making new friends and having FUN is part of the curriculum, too!
Expectations: Daily attendance is not mandatory; however, Novice Gold athletes should attend practice as often as possible. Consistency is the key to progress. Athletes are expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets
- The group’s coach will decide which meets will be appropriate for individuals to attend
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Kick Board, and Full Size Long Fins
JUNIOR BRONZE GROUP (JR-B)
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Description: Designed for middle school athletes who can swim all four competitive strokes with a basic level of competency (legal racing technique) and have not yet met the swimming qualifications for Junior Silver. Junior Bronze swimmers may also be swimming for fitness, not competitive reasons. Emphasis is on stroke technique, turns and starts, as well as endurance training. Participation in meets is encouraged, but not mandatory.
Expectations: Daily attendance is not mandatory; however, Junior Bronze athletes should attend practice as often as possible. Athletes are expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships (if the athlete qualifies)
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 2 swim meets on the Age Group Meet Schedule per year (check with your coach for specific meets)
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Full Size Long Fins, Kickboard, Buoy, and Water Bottle
JUNIOR SILVER GROUP (JR-S)
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Description: Designed for middle school athletes who can swim in all four competitive strokes legally and who are working to achieve the next level at SUNN. Emphasis is on improving stroke efficiency, developing speed and endurance, building self-confidence and self-awareness, and learning how to set and strive to reach goals.
Qualifications: In order to get into this group, athletes must be able to comfortably complete the test set requirements below:
- 8 x 100’s Freestyle on a 1:50 interval
- 4 x 200’s IM on a 3:40 interval
Expectations: There is a 3-day minimum attendance requirement for this group, but 4 – 5 practices each week is strongly encouraged for the highest level of improvement. Athletes are expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships (if athlete qualifies)
- Junior Olympics and Far Westerns (if the athlete qualifies)
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 6 swim meets on the Age Group Meet Schedule per year (check with your coach for specific meets)
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Full Size Long Fins, Kickboard, Paddles, Buoy, Snorkel, and Water Bottle
JUNIOR GOLD GROUP (JR-G)
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Description: Designed for our advanced middle school athletes. This group focuses on advanced stroke technique, setting and working towards goals, developing and understanding pace for distance events, and how to build a race plan. Athletes in this group begin learning that success comes from effort and desire.
Qualifications: 6th – 8th Grade. Entry into this group is by coach’s consent. Athletes need to have at least five 11 - 12 “BB” times in order to enter this group. In addition, they need to have a solid technique base in all four strokes, have strong social skills (working with others, respect for teammates and coaches). In addition, athletes must be able to complete the following sets to qualify for this group:
- 12 x 100’s Freestyle on a 1:20 interval
- 5 x 200’s IM on a 3:00 interval
- 12 x 50’s Kick on a :50 interval
Expectations: All athletes in this group are required to attend at least 4 out of 6 practices per week, but 100% attendance is encouraged in order to gain the greatest benefits of this group. Athletes are also expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships
- Junior Olympics and Far Westerns (if the athlete qualifies)
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 4 swim meets on the Age Group Meet Schedule per season (check with your coach for specific meets)
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Full Size Long Fins, Kickboard, Paddles, Buoy, Snorkel, Ankle Lock, Water Bottle
SENIOR BRONZE GROUP (SR-B)
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Description: This group is for high school aged athletes who have not yet met the swimming qualifications for Senior Silver or who are looking to swim for fitness reasons, not necessarily for competitive goals. Emphasis is placed on proper stroke technique, building endurance and speed, strengthening self-confidence, and learning how to get out of their “comfort zone”.
Expectations: Daily attendance is not mandatory; however, regular attendance is highly encouraged in order to develop the skills and speed to move to the next group. Athletes should also attend:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 4 swim meets on the Age Group or Senior Meet Schedule per year (check with your coach for specific meets)
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Full Size Long Fins, Kickboard, Paddles, Buoy, Snorkel, Water Bottle
SENIOR SILVER GROUP (SR-S)
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Description: This group is for our high school athletes who are competitive, and attend meets regularly, but not yet met the swimming qualifications for Senior Gold. In this group we will focus on perfecting stroke habits, maximizing both speed and power, having the self-awareness to make adjustments to technique or pace while swimming, and learning to push through the pain to reach goals. Athletes will develop skills in time management, responsibility, and holding themselves and their peers to a high standard of excellence.
Qualifications: 9th – 12th Grade. An athlete must achieve at least five 13 - 14 “BB” times and have a solid stroke technique base in all four strokes to move into this group. In addition, athletes must be able to complete the following sets to qualify for this group:
- 20 x 100’s Freestyle on a 1:25 interval
- 8 x 200’s IM on a 3:10 interval
- 20 x 50’s Kick on a :55 interval
Expectations: Athletes in this group are required to attend at least 5 out of the 8 workouts per week, but athletes are expected to make as many of the 8 practices as possible. Athletes, not parents, are also expected to communicate with their coach if they are going to miss practice. Athletes are also expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships
- Far Westerns, Sectionals and Western Zone Senior Championships (if the athlete qualifies)
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 2 swim meets on the Senior Meet Schedule per season (check with your coach for specific meets)
- Travel meets, while not required, will be strongly encouraged
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Full Size Long Fins, Kickboard, Snorkel, Paddles, Water Bottle
SENIOR GOLD GROUP (SR-G)
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Description: This group is for our fastest high school athletes who are focused on achieving the highest level they can in USA Swimming. In this group we will focus on perfecting stroke habits, maximizing both speed and power, having the self-awareness to make adjustments to technique or pace while swimming, and learning to push through the pain to reach goals. Athletes will develop skills in time management, leadership, responsibility, and holding themselves and their peers to a high standard of excellence.
Qualifications: 9th – 12th Grade. Entry into this group is by coach’s consent. An athlete must achieve at least five 15 - 16 “BB” times and have highly efficient stroke technique in all four strokes to move into this group. In addition, athletes must be able to complete the following sets:
- 20 x 100’s Freestyle on a 1:15 interval
- 10 x 200’s IM on a 2:50 interval
- 20 x 50’s Kick on a :55 interval
Expectations: Athletes in this group have chosen to achieve the highest levels of the sport of swimming and should to commit to attending all practices offered each week; 7 out of 8 is the minimum (time management becomes an important skill in achieving one’s goals and/or dreams). Athletes, not parents, are also expected to communicate with their coach if they are going to miss practice. Athletes are also expected to attend the following swim meets:
- All SUNN hosted meets and Zone 1 North Championships
- Far Westerns, Sectionals and Western Zone Senior Championships (if the athlete qualifies)
- In addition to the meets listed above, athletes in this group should attend at least 3 swim meets on the Senior Meet Schedule per season (check with your coach for specific meets)
- Travel meets, while not required, will be strongly encouraged
Equipment Needed: Mesh Bag, Full Size Long Fins, Kickboard, Snorkel, Paddles, Arena Elite Finger Paddles, Water Bottle
