3 Week Swim Technique Clinic & Open Water Skills Clinic (in the pool)

Join Coaches Anne Torrez & Amanda Smith to improve your confidence, technique and knowledge in (and out of!) the water!

We will be running 2 different clinics. During registration, you will have the option to sign up for one, or sign up for both (15% discount).

Clinic 1: 3 week swim technique: Sundays, March 29, April 12 & 19 from 9-10 am, YWCA of Newburyport - all levels welcome, but you must be able to swim 50 yards (1 lap) without stopping

Clinic 2: Open Water Skills in the pool: Sunday, May 3, 9-10:30 am, YWCA of Newburyport - all levels welcome, but you must be comfortable in the deep end

These clinics are co-ed and open to the public. Open to beginner through intermediate open water swimmers, or advanced swimmers who would like to refresh their skills before heading into open water season.

Swimmers should be able to swim in the deep end and be able to swim 50 meters comfortably without stopping. Newer swimmers will focus on fundamentals of swimming, as well as becoming more comfortable and efficient in the water. More advanced swimmers will be able to practice additional skills and strategies to tweak technique and improve performance in the water.

What to bring:

Swimsuit

Cap

Goggles

Water/Hydration

Flip flops for the locker room, shower and pool deck are highly recommended

Fins, such as these, are recommended for the 4 week technique clinic

Showers will be available afterward, so feel free to bring a towel and warm change of clothes

3 week Swim Technique Clinic Description

Whether you're a new or experienced swimmer, you probably have realized how important technique and form is when swimming! Often, swimmers might be very fit and strong, but they struggle to make progress or improve performance in the water. Join us for a 4 week technique clinic where we will focus on the skills needed to be a more efficient, confident swimmer. Beginner to intermediate swimmers welcome, we will have multiple lanes, so there will be a place for you, whether you are new to swimming, or an experienced swimmer looking to tweak your technique to be faster and stronger. In this clinic, we will work on breathing, body position/streamlining, kicking, rotation and stroke.

Open Water Skills Clinic Description

In the Northeast, it can be tough to make the transition from swimming in a pool through the winter to our early season open water or multisport events.

Join us for this clinic focusing on open water skills in the pool, so you can enter the water confidently this season. Remove the lane lines and the pool can be a great place to practice the skills needed to have your most comfortable and efficient swim in the open water. This is a great way to brush up your skills, get more comfortable swimming near others, and practice skills you're nervous about in a more controlled environment.

In this clinic, we will work on on race skills including "seeding" strategy, managing race anxiety/panic in the water, standing, treading water and deep water dock race starts, surging, passing, cornering, sighting, drafting and swimming in crowded/choppy waters.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

If clinic must be rescheduled, due to unforeseen circumstances, an option to attend the reschedule date or a refund less administrative/processing fees may be provided at the discretion of the event organizers. No refunds will be provided if participants do not show, or if your plans change and you are unable to make the clinic date that you signed up for. An option to attend a makeup clinic may be offered on a case by case basis, with 24 hours or more notice.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Have a question you don't see here? Email [email protected] and we can help

3 week freestyle technique FAQs:

Q: Is this only for triathletes?

A: No - we often have pool and open water swimmers who are not interested in multisport/triathlon, but simply want to improve their freestyle and get more efficient, stronger, faster and more comfortable in the water.

Q: What if I'm a beginner? Will I slow everyone down?

A: This might be our most frequently asked FAQ! We have 2 lanes dedicated for newer swimmers. There is always a mix of experience levels at every clinic, but typically, one lane is for the true beginner, who might not be able to maintain freestyle for very long. The other lane is for a more "advanced" beginner, who is comfortable swimming freestyle more consistently, but finds that swimming is their "weak sport" and wants to improve their technique. The only requirement is that you are able to make it down the lane and back at least once without assistance (using any stroke). With 4 lanes and 2 coaches, there will be a place for you, and we can help you choose the lane that is right for you.

Q: What if I'm a very experienced swimmer? Is this going to be too easy for me?

A: We also have 2 lanes dedicated to the more experienced swimmers. These lanes will focus more on drill and form work to help get that extra speed and efficiency in the water. We find that even the most experienced swimmers can benefit from having a coach observe them on deck and providing drills based on what we see. With 4 lanes and 2 coaches, there will be a place for you, and we can help you choose the lane that is right for you!

Q: What skills will be covered?

A: Each lane will have their own focus based on what the swimmers in that lane need, but skills covered will include breathing, body position/streamlining, kicking, rotation and stroke/pull technique.

Open Water Swim (in the pool) FAQs

Q: What if I'm a beginner? Will I slow everyone down?

A: Beginners are welcome! In the clinic, we'll talk everyone through about how to "seed" yourself based on your comfort and experience level in the water. The only requirement we have for this one is that you be prepared to be in the deep end for part of the time. This is a great way to get a sense of what an open water event feels like, and to practice skills in a more controlled environment, that will help you have a better experience in the open water.

Q: Is this only for triathletes?

A: No - we often open water swimmers who are not interested in multisport/triathlon, but simply want to improve skills that will make them more efficient, stronger, faster and more comfortable in the water. If you're a pool swimmer but you are "open water curious," this can be a good way to get a taste for open water events in a more controlled environment.

Q: What skills will be covered?

A: Skills covered will include "seeding" strategy, managing anxiety/panic in the open water, various race/event start formats (standing, treading water and deep water starts), cornering, sighting, drafting, passing and swimming in crowded/choppy waters.