The Canoe City Swim Club is our year-round competitive swim team. Our program emphasizes teamwork, sportsmanship, and personal development while working with athletes to improve stroke mechanics, endurance, race strategy, and confidence in and out of the pool. From young swimmers curious about the sport to high school-aged athletes looking to compete in college and beyond, we are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment where all children reach their full potential in the water and in our community.
Our team offers eight unique training groups, allowing our experienced and dedicated Coaching Staff to foster positive relationships among peers while creating developmentally appropriate practices tailored to the individual goals of our athletes at all levels, and provides opportunities to participate in YMCA and USA Swimming meets across Maine and New England throughout the year.
AGE GROUP PROGRAM
Our age group program consists of four training groups with an emphasis on growing confidence, building character, and fostering connections with our teammates, community, and the sport of swimming while improving stroke technique and building excellent foundational habits. Our goal is to place each athlete in a training group that will best fit their inclination and ability.
This is an entry-level developmental group for ages 10 & Under. To be eligible for this group, athletes must demonstrate excellent listening and behavioral skills, be able to pass the Old Town – Orono YMCA’s Deep End Test, have the ability to consistently and confidently perform 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke while demonstrating proper technique and streamlines, and have a foundational understanding of both breaststroke and butterfly.
This is a group for ages 8 – 12 and is designed to build upon technical skills in all four competitive strokes while also developing a strong aerobic foundation and learning about training discipline. Skills will be taught with an emphasis on fun and teamwork to ensure that all athletes develop a long-term love for the sport. Athletes will also focus on starts, turns, streamlines, and aerobic development. Athletes may also participate in basic dryland training during regularly scheduled practice times with an emphasis on balance, coordination, and body awareness.
This is a competitive training group designed for ages 10 – 14 to prepare athletes for state and regional levels of competition. The emphasis of this group is on developing leadership and communication skills, consistent and committed training habits, and mastering the following key skills: training etiquette, stroke mechanics, race strategies, goal setting, nutrition, mental preparation, and the ability to handle an increased volume and intensity of training. Athletes will participate in a dryland program to help develop strength, body control, and coordination with an emphasis on keeping the body healthy and injury-free.
This is the most competitive age group training group. This group is designed for athletes 11 – 14 to prepare them for YMCA and USA Swimming state, regional, and national levels of competition. The emphasis of this group will be on continued mentoring and leadership opportunities; increased focus on goal setting, mental training, and peak performance management; and developing aerobic capacity through increased training volume, intensity, and kicking with a continued focus on stroke mechanics, race strategies, training habits, and nutrition. Athletes will also participate in a specifically designed dryland program.
SENIOR PROGRAM
Our senior program consists of four groups with a continued emphasis on leadership and stroke technique and an increased focus on values and integrity, goal setting, race strategies, training and competitive performance, nutrition, confidence building, and physical conditioning. Our goal is specific training for our senior athletes geared towards challenging each individual and developing them to reach their full potential in the water and in our community.
The Senior 1 group is for 12 & Over athletes generally striving to compete at the New England Swimming Age Group Championship level. This group focuses on learning how to achieve at the senior level of the sport while growing the skills necessary to be positive role models and leaders on our team and in our community. The introduction of advanced stroke technique and dryland skills are an integral part of the Senior 1 training program to help athletes meet their individual goals.
The Senior 2 group is for 12 & Over athletes generally at the Eastern Zone Age Group & New England Senior Championships level. This is a highly committed and internally motivated group focused on learning to balance increased leadership opportunities with growing mental and physical training emphasizing time management, nutrition, hydration, sleep, peak performance management, and positive self talk. For Senior 2 athletes, swimming has likely become one of their main activities, with consistent meet and practice attendance becoming more critical to achieving short and long term individual and group goals.
The Senior 3 group is for 13 & Over athletes generally at the YMCA National and USA Swimming Sectionals level or above. Athletes in this group are expected to regularly mentor Senior and Age Group athletes in addition to their training responsibilities. This is a maximum commitment, high achieving training group where swimming is a mainstay in the lives of all athletes. Attending meets and practices is crucial, expected, and monitored to maintain the integrity of this culture. The training focus of this group is to prepare athletes for national and international levels of competition while giving them the tools to be successful in collegiate swimming and beyond.
The High School group is for 14 & Over athletes who are relatively new to the sport or want to continue their athletic progression as a balanced part of their high school lives. The focus of this group is to provide the opportunity for each athlete to develop at their own pace with training tailored to their individual goals and an emphasis on technique development while helping athletes succeed during their high school seasons. Volunteering and community service opportunities are a cornerstone of the High School group as we help our future community leaders and changemakers develop confidence in and out of the pool.
All athletes must maintain an active Old Town – Orono YMCA membership in good standing to participate.
