The Norwich YMCA Dolphins swim team is hosting a competitive swim camp this summer. There will be two groups working on various skills and techniques to get in shape and welcomes new and returning swimmers. (Submitted Photo)

NORWICH – Coming off of a spectacular 2023-24 season, the Norwich YMCA Dolphins Swim Team will be hosting their competitive swim camp this summer. This year, there are two groups that swimmers can register for. Registration is ongoing with an $80 fee for YMCA members and a $100 fee for non-YMCA members. The swim camp will be held at the Norwich Family YMCA, located at 68 North Broad Street, Norwich.

Group “A” will run Monday through Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. starting July 1 through July 25. Group A is a great fit for new athletes that do not have any previous swim team experience. While not swim lessons, this session is perfect for those individuals, age seven to 18, that may have phased out of swim lessons and/or are looking to get into a sport, change sports, or stay in shape. Criteria for new swimmers include: being able to swim at least one lap of the pool in either freestyle (front crawl), backstroke, or breaststroke and be comfortable in the deep end of the pool without external floatation support.

Group A will focus on some of the fundamentals of competitive swimming including ready position, streamlines, and entries (starts) in the beginning, then shift to more technique and drill focused workouts. Each week will focus on a new stroke as well as prepare swimmers for racing. Swimmers from group A will also be mixed with group B, whom are our experienced swim team members, from time to time.

Group B, running Monday through Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. starting July 8 through August 1, is for swimmers with previous swim team experience. This includes current / returning YMCA Dolphins swimmers and modified/ varsity swimmers from the surrounding school districts. Group B will also go through technique and drill focused workouts but will incorporate more yardage than Group A. Group B will also focus and discuss more goal setting for their upcoming season and racing strategies that will help them reach those goals.

The coaches want to stress that the schedule is flexible. While greater improvements will be made the more the swimmer is in the water, the coaches also understand that families are busy. If a swimmer can only be in the water a couple times a week or may miss an entire week due to a family vacation, etc., that is okay. The coaches will reincorporate the athlete upon their return. Depending on the level of turnout, the coaches may adjust the time frame of practice or combine the groups as the sessions progress.

Both groups will be combined at the end of the session for a mock meet. This will be a great opportunity for both groups to showcase their new skills, get a base-line time for their upcoming season, and for new swimmers to get a feel for what the exciting sport of competitive swimming is all about.

-From the Norwich YMCA Dolphins