As per Swim Nova Scotia's Winter Training Policy, summer swimmers are permitted to train “full time” with a coach OR in a parent-directed program from June 1 until October 31. However, from November 1 to May 31, summer swimmers are not permitted to train more than two hours weekly with a coach or in a coach-guided or parent-directed program.

They may take swimming, diving and synchronzed swimming lessons, play water polo and do some lane swimming on their own, in addition to their two coached hours per week. Swim-a-thons are exempt from the two-hour rule rule and all swimmers may attend one training camp during the winter season.

We are very fortunate to be in an indoor facility as it allows us the opportunity to offer a year-round training program designed to include winter maintenance. As older and more experience summer competitive swimmers know, training twice per week during the off-season will not keep them at the same fitness level they achieved by the end of the summer season; however, it will help them continue to refine and maintain their current skills as well as it will provide them with a base swimming level for the next spring.

While training in the summer months is intense and our athletes learn a lot, it can also be interrupted by family activities and other simmer acuities, and missed training sessions can result in slower progression on many levels, especially in the newer and younger athletes. The longer timeframe over the fall and winter months allows everyone to continue to work through skill progressions as they develop and grow. Also, growing athletes benefit by maintaining some of their stroke coordination over the winter months through their growth spurts.

Our athletes are broken into four training groups, depending upon age and ability - Gusts, Thunder, Lightning and Tropoical Storm. Each group receives one session focused on technique and one on endurance and fitness. Our winter program not only helps to refine and maintain skills acquire during the summer season, it keeps the athletes together as a team.

Spring/Summer     About Training