Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club SMAC

SMAC PRACTICE GROUPS ARE STRUCTURED TO SUPPORT NEW AND COMPETITIVELY FOCUSED SWIMMERS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF INTERESTS AND ABILITIES. WE PROVIDE A PROGRESSIVE AGE GROUP PROGRAM DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THE ATHLETE TECHNICALLY, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY IN A SYSTEMATIC FASHION. AT THE EARLY LEVELS, TECHNIQUE IS THE TOP PRIORITY AND AS EACH ATHLETE MATURES MORE EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON MAINTAINING TECHNIQUE WHILE PROGRESSIVELY DEVELOPING THE ATHLETE'S PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPACITIES. AT EACH LEVEL OF OUR PROGRAM WE CONTINUALLY TRY TO EVALUATE AND ADAPT TO THE MULTITUDE OF FACTORS THAT IMPACT THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG ATHLETES. THESE GROUPS REPRESENT BROAD AGE RANGES AND ABILITIES. THE PRACTICE SESSIONS WILL SPAN A RANGE OF SWIMMING ABILITIES. WE STRIVE TO HAVE 2-3 COACHES ON DECK TO WORK WITH LANES IN THE PRACTICE SESSION. THE LANES FOR EACH PRACTICE SESSION WILL BE FLUID, AS SWIMMERS PROGRESS THEY MAY MOVE FROM ONE SET OF LANES TO ANOTHER. BASED ON THE WORKOUT FOCUS COACHES MAY MOVE THE SWIMMERS AROUND EVEN FROM ONE PRACTICE TO ANOTHER. SWIMMERS ARE EVALUATED FOR GROUP PLACEMENT AT THE END OF EACH SWIM SEASON WHEN COACHES RE-EVALUATE GROUP PLACEMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. OCCASIONALLY COACHES MAY RECOMMEND MOVEMENT TO A DIFFERENT GROUP MID-YEAR.

SMAC COACHES WILL SELECT APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MEETS PER YEAR FOR THE TEAM TO PARTICIPATE IN AS A GROUP. SWIMMERS IN THE AGE GROUP PERFORMANCE, SENIOR, AND SENIOR PERFORMANCE GROUPS ARE EXPECTED TO SWIM IN ALL TARGETED MEETS. AGE GROUP AND STROKE DEVELOPMENT SWIMMERS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED TO SWIM IN MEETS. MEETS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR CATFISH SWIMMERS. FOR SOME OF THESE MEETS THE TEAM WILL SELECT ONLY ONE OF TWO WEEKEND DAYS FOR MEETS. SMAC WILL ALSO HOST IN-HOUSE MEETS FROM TIME TO TIME AND ENCOURAGES ALL SWIMMERS TO PARTICIPATE.