As a member of the Los Alamos Aquatomics swim team, you are also a member of USA Swimming – one of the most successful amateur sports organizations in the world! Please visit the official USA Swimming website, www.usaswimming.org, to get a look at the exciting world of competitive swimming, from the club level all the way up to our Olympic athletes. Masters swimmers are also part of United States Masters Swimming ( www.usms.org).

There are many benefits of swimming, not the least of which is total body fitness. Swimming is one of the only sports that conditions both the upper and lower body (on an equilateral basis) as well as providing an excellent cardiovascular workout. In addition, swimming skills are beneficial for everyone – from 6 to 96 – as a superior way to remain toned and conditioned in the quest for a lifetime of fitness and health! The sport of swimming also fosters positive traits such as self-discipline, goal setting, time management, and personal responsibility, to name but a few. By becoming a member of Aquatomics and with regular participation in your swimming group, you will be on your way to realizing your personal fitness goals!

Team communications and updates

The latest information is posted on the Aquatomics web site: http://www.aquatomics.com. Please refer to this site to obtain updated information regarding dues, practice times, Board of Directors membership, contact information, Board meetings, etc.

Team information is also distributed in periodic Newsletters and email updates. It is the responsibility of all members to maintain a working e-mail address and provide such address to the Publicity Officer and/or coach of the Aquatomics Board. (See Membership Responsibilities below.)

Team philosophy and goals

Who we are

The Los Alamos Aquatomics (LAA), one of the oldest USA Swimming Teams in New Mexico, promotes Age-group, Senior and Masters level swimming. Formed in 1963, LAA is a co-operative non-profit organization run by a volunteer parent board.

Philosophy

The Aquatomics exists as a member co-operative that is run by a volunteer parent board with the assistance of a professional full-time coach. We are a private organization that welcomes swimmers ages 6 & up who can minimally and continuously swim 25 yards of freestyle, with proper breathing mechanics, and 25 yards of backstroke. Approximately 30% of our operative budget is derived from fund-raising activities involving the support of our membership and 70% is derived from member dues.

As a member of the Aquatomics a continual emphasis will be placed on individual member self-improvement, development of passion for the sport of swimming, supporting the Aquatomics as a team, and the character traits resulting from the pursuit of individual and team goals. Our organizational belief is that the lessons learned and personal traits developed during a swimming career closely model those that lead to academic and professional success in life. As a member of the Aquatomics, there is never a requirement for participation in competitive swimming meets but team recognition involves developing swimmers who compete at the state, regional and national level.

Team goals

The Aquatomics has the following prioritized goals:

To actively participate in the development of happy, healthy and well rounded individuals.
To inspire passionate participation by our team members and to encourage self-confidence through the support of all teammates.
To develop individuals to their greatest potential as swimmers while competing as a respected and valuable team member.
To be the most successful youth sports organization in the Los Alamos Community.
To be the most successful youth sports organization in the state of New Mexico.
To competitively participate at the state, regional, and national levels.

Mission statement

Los Alamos Aquatomics provides the best diversified training for competitive, recreational, and health-minded swimmers while concurrently developing the inner strengths and vitality of the individual through the use of goal setting, competition, and effective physiological training.

LAA in context

Los Alamos Aquatomics, is a registered team member of USA Swimming, the organization that oversees competitive swimming in the United States. On a larger scale, USA Swimming, along with United States Water Polo, United States Diving, United States Synchronized Swimming and United States Masters’ Swimming comprise United States Aquatic Sports (USAS). Based on total membership and past competitive successes USAS is the largest and most successful amateur sports organization in the history of the United States and the World. USAS participates as a member federation of FINA ("Fédération Internationale de Natation"), which is the governing body for all worldwide aquatic sports competitions. USA Swimming assures that the competitive rules (stroke, starts/finishes, turns, etc.) are administered according to the international regulations and that competitions (local and national) are uniformly contested and administered through the sanctioning process. Swim meets vary in scope and size from local home town "Open" competitions to national level quadrennial competitions for the purposes of selecting our nation’s Olympic Team.

Nationally swimmer participation is divided into three groups. The first group is known as Age-Group Swimming, which includes swimmers of any age up to and including 18. Competitions in this category are contested in the following age groups 10 & Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18. Due to the small numbers of swimmers in New Mexico and for convenience purposes one may also see age groupings like 15 & Over and Open. The ultimate goal of Age Group Swimming as it is organized is to advance swimmers to the second group that is known as Senior Swimming. This group includes swimmers of any age who have attained a multitude of local and National level qualifying times. This includes meets like Sectionals, Zones, Juniors, Nationals, and Olympic Trials. The ultimate goal of Senior Swimming is to develop athletes to represent the United States in international competitions. The third group is known as Masters’ Swimming, which is separately governed and regulated by US Masters Swimming and includes swimmers ages 19 and over. Competitions in this category are also contested in age groups starting with 19-24, and increasing in 5-year increments. The ultimate goal of Masters swimming is life long fitness and participation in swimming. The Los Alamos Aquatomics has membership participation in all three groups.

In order to provide the best local administration and still allow for national guidelines, USA Swimming is divided into 59 Local Swimming Committees (LSC). The LSC of which LAA is a member is known as New Mexico Swimming whose boundaries coincide with those of the state of New Mexico. Each LSC adopts a standard set of bylaws upon incorporation, and then may make amendments to address unique local considerations. Each LSC is responsible for hosting Age-group and Senior championships, conducting developmental clinics, exhibitions, allocating benefits, sanctioning all meets within its boundaries, and determining participation criteria for member athletes at Regional and Zone competitions. In order to reduce travel distances for athletes and provide equitable quality competitions, USA Swimming is also divided into 4 Zones and 14 Regions. New Mexico Swimming is a member of the Western Zone, which includes all states west of (and including) Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, and also includes Hawaii and Alaska (i.e., 13 states and 17 LSCs in total). New Mexico Swimming is a member of Region 10 along with Arizona, Border, Colorado, and Utah Swimming.

Board Governance

Board members

Eight elective Board members are selected by the team membership for 2-year periods of duty. Four members are selected each year. The duties of the Board members are specified in the team bylaws and the current membership can be seen on the Aquatomics web pages.

Parent assistant coaches

The team uses parent assistant coaches to fulfill temporary needs that may arise from vacation, travel, sickness, etc of the Head Coach and paid assistant coaches. These parent assistant coaches may also assist the team coaches at swim meets.

Even though the periods of activity of such parent coaches are very limited, full certification from NM Swimming (USA Swimming) is required. This involves CPR, First Aid, and Coaches Safety training as well as membership with NM Swimming. Training courses and tests usually take place at the Aquatic Center. The team pays all required training, fees and membership dues. In order to reduce team costs, parent assistant coaches are requested to assume such duties for yearlong periods, typically starting in October. Active duty is expected to be only a couple weeks a year.

Some swimming background is highly recommended but not necessary

Budget

The Aquatomics Board of Directors establishes and approves a budget for each fiscal year (September-August). This budget is available to the public through the team web site at http://www.aquatomics.com.

Program descriptions

The Aquatomics provides a sequential and progressive swimming program that adheres to the psychological and physiological developmental needs of children and youth outlined by USA Swimming. It is the belief of the Aquatomics organization that career training includes preparation of athletes from the age of 6, at the beginning of competitive swimming, until and including retirement. Developmentally swimmers experience "sensitive" periods during which proper emphasis can significantly improve their ultimate potential in the sport. Inappropriate and/or extraordinary stress prior to the "sensitive" period will suppress response when the sensitive period occurs. This will limit rather than enhance potential.

The Los Alamos Aquatomics has organized its programs to adhere to these sensitive periods and lead the swimmer towards his or her best possible long-term development as an athlete. The guidelines used by the team in its programs are summarized in Appendix A.

Age-groups

Copper – this is the Aquatomics entry-level practice group. Generally the swimmers in this group are new to swimming and require swimming aides to easily complete 25-yard swimming segments. Requirements for joining this group are minimal: 6 or older, continuous 25 yards of freestyle with proper breathing mechanics, and 25 yards of uninterrupted backstroke. This is not meant to be a learn-to-swim program. This group practices 30-45 minutes three times a week. The focus for this practice group is aquatic environment familiarization, breath control and management, refinement of freestyle and backstroke, introduction of breaststroke and competitive starts/finishes/turns and some very basic endurance training.

Bronze – this is the Aquatomics first group that focuses on preparation for competitive swimming. Requirements for joining this group are demonstrated competence in freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke and the associated starts/turns/finishes. This group practices 45-60 minutes five times a week. The primary focus for this practice group is an introduction to butterfly, improved balance and timing during all strokes, lessoning of dependence on swimming aides and a small increase in basic endurance training and IM training. [IM, short for individual medley, is a distance combination of all four strokes in the order: fly, back, breast and free.]

Silver – this is the Aquatomics first practice group that focuses on the development of swimmer independence and clock management. Requirements for joining this group are demonstrated competence in all four strokes, starts/turns/finishes and the IM. This group practices 60-90 minutes five times per week (2,000-4,000 yd/practice and 10,000-14,000 yd/week). The focus for this group is continual refinement of stroke mechanics, swimmer independence, successful independent completion of short training sets including proper clock management, and the introduction of racing strategies, psychological development and coping skills.

Gold – this is the Aquatomics first practice group that focuses on long-term career oriented endurance training. Requirements for joining this group are the likelihood of attainment of New Mexico Swimming state qualifying times in at least two strokes. This group practices 120 minutes five times per week. The focus for this group is continual development/refinement/personalization of stroke mechanics. Swimmer independence and the accomplishment of extended training sets in the prescribed energy zones are expected (Appendix A). There will be a greater emphasis on distance and IM training, and competition in all events as designated by the coaching staff will be expected.

Senior – this is the Aquatomics most advanced practice group. The primary focus will be on training swimmers for participation at the regional and National level. Requirements for joining this group are entering 9^th grade, demonstrating a year-round commitment to swimming, the psychological development of long-term goals and the dedication and desire to participate in Sectionals, Juniors and Nationals Championships. Regular attendance will be expected, and a commitment to setting and working towards individual goals and participation in team events is expected.

The Aquatomics endeavors to mentor all of its members to strive for and achieve the limits of their individual ability. The Aquatomics coaching staff will not modify nor tailor its training programs for swimmers not properly conditioned or committed to year round support of attaining individual and Aquatomics team goals.

Masters

The Masters program focuses on the promotion of the total health and well being of adult swimmers. The Aquatomics Masters program is not specifically geared towards competition, participation at swim meets or high volume training. Nevertheless, participation in meets can facilitate goal setting, provide motivation, and measure improvement. Instead, the LAA Masters’ program provides an environment in which its members can achieve their unique individual goals. These goals may include: stroke refinement and/or development, fitness management, social camaraderie, preparation for participation in triathlons, and preparation for competition in Master’s meets at any level. This group practices 60 minutes three times per week.

Assigned practice times

Age-group swimmers

Age-group swimmers are assigned to specific practice groups by the coaching staff. This assignment is based on the staff’s professional assessment of the swimmer’s present skill level, age, stamina, and the same characteristics of the rest of the practice group. The goal of the Aquatomics coaching staff in making this assignment is to provide the best most uniform coaching environment and have the best most uniform swimming experience.

An over/under skilled/stamina swimmer will not be able to cohesively participate with the wrong practice group and will require a disproportionate amount of attention from the coach in charge. Parent/swimmer self-assignment unnecessarily endangers every swimmer in that practice group and exposes LAA to cancellation of its group liability insurance. Therefore it is not an option to attend other practice sessions without first consulting a member of the coaching staff.

Failure to comply will result in the coaching staff notifying the team president that the age-group swimmer is in violation of the Aquatomics Code of Conduct. Repeated failure to comply will result in the age-group swimmer being dismissed from the pool deck, and thus experiencing unsupervised time.

When a swimmer is reaching the point where promotion to a more rigorous practice group is warranted, then this action will be initiated by the coaching staff and communicated to the parents well in advance of the change. Such reassignments may be temporary (trial period) or permanent. The individual progress of each swimmer is the primary concern of the coaching staff, and open communication between the staff and parents regarding any issues involving a swimmers development is important and encouraged.

The Aquatomics as an organization believes that a young swimmer of exceptional skills should not advance too quickly from an exercise physiology and developmental psychology point of view. Future social adjustments, swimming skill, peak strength, and agility may be compromised if advancement is accelerated too much.

Masters swimmers

Masters swimmers may attend any practice group as their schedule permits/dictates.

Membership requirements

The Aquatomics exists as member co-operative where approximately 30% of its operative budget is derived from fund-raising activities involving the support of its membership and 70% is derived from member dues. Aquatomics is also a registered team member of USA Swimming. These team characteristics lead to the following requirements being imposed on its members.

USA Swimming or USMS registration

All Aquatomics swimmers are required to have a current registration with either USA Swimming (for Age-group members and/or Masters members) or US Masters Swimming (for Masters members only). The team carries insurance paid by these two organizations through member fees. USAS and USMS registrations are processed by the team registrars and need to be renewed annually. Please refer to the team web sight for up to date information on the team Registrars for each parent organization.

Current medical form

A recent medical form, not older than 2 years, is required for participation in any and all Aquatomics programs. Completed forms are kept in confidence by the team Registrars and a copy is given to the Head Coach. The current versions of these forms are available on the team web pages or from the coaching staff. Please note that different forms are to be used for Age-group/Senior swimmers and Masters swimmers.

Acknowledgement of Code of Conduct

A signed copy of the Code of Conduct, located in Appendix B, will be collected at the beginning of the fall season or when joining the team for the first time (Age-group and Senior swimmers only). This is a requirement for all team members prior to commencement of participation in any Los Alamos Aquatomics activity. Signature on the Code of Conduct document constitutes unconditional agreement to comply with the Code as set forth by the Los Alamos Aquatomics.

Even though no specific Code of Conduct is requested for Masters Swimmers it is the team expectation that all Masters follow good citizenship and sportsmanship practices. It is also the responsibility of each Master swimmer to obey any and all "no-swim" conditions imposed upon the swimmer by the Board. Attending practices while such condition is in place is considered a violation of the team membership requirements and may lead to the permanent termination of such membership. In no case will a Master swimmer be released from his or her financial obligations towards the team.

Dues and participation

Dues are assessed to all team participants based on the group/level at which they participate. A full description of these dues is provided in "Team dues" section of this Handbook. Members are also required to contribute to the co-operative efforts of the team. This program provides team members the flexibility to participate in the team effort in any or all of the following ways:

Directly participating in the fundraising programs.
Providing time in any of the following capacities:

team governance and management,
officiating at meets,
conducting or participating in fund-raising activities, and
planning or volunteering at hosted meets

Help at meets hosted by Aquatomics

The team, as part of its goals and fundraising efforts, hosts at least two USA Swimming sanctioned meets each year. Hosting these meets brings in nominally $10,000/yr in income to the team, provides an opportunity for team members to compete locally (no travel), and gives the team positive exposure within the community. Approximately 600 hours of assistance, without counting officials and work that takes place before the first day of the meet, are needed to perform all of the duties associated with the meet. Aquatomics members participating in these meets are asked to provide this assistance as a requirement for meet participation.

Team families will be requested to volunteer in the planning and conducting of meets and the associated fund-raising activities (concessions and equipment sales, for example). Parents or members officiating at the meet are recognized as helping Aquatomics in hosting the meet.

Membership responsibilities

E-mail communication channel

Team announcements, like changes in practice times, meetings, parties, etc., are distributed through e-mail. It is the responsibility of all team members to keep a working e-mail address and to provide this address to the Publicity Officer of the LAA Board and/or coach. It is additionally recommended that members register on the team web site to receive announcements of updates to the content of the web site. These email listings will not be publicized or made available to other entities and are for the sole use of enhancing team communications.

Attention should be paid to ensure that such e-mail address is receiving the announcements from the team and they are not, for instance, being filtered-out as spam.

Staying informed is the member’s responsibility!

Feedback to the Board

The Board desires feedback from its membership regarding all matters pertaining to the performance of the Aquatomics in managing and implementing its swimming programs. Such information can be either e-mailed to the Head Coach or Board President or presented during the open part of the monthly Board meetings. These meetings are announced on the Aquatomics team web page. The first 30 minutes of each meeting are open to member comments.

The Head Coach receives an annual performance evaluation. Aquatomics members are encouraged to provide feedback to the Board on a regular basis so that this evaluation may be as reflective as possible. As the Head Coach is the supervisor of all assistant coaches, matters pertaining to the performance of any and all assistant coaches should first be reported to the Head Coach, and then if not satisfactorily dealt with, to the Board President. Reports regarding assistant coaches performance made directly to the Board, circumventing the Head Coach, will be redirected through appropriate channels and receive no board action.

Parent involvement during practices

Parents are welcome and encouraged to observe practices from the bleachers. The coaches are certified and legally responsible for all the swimmers in the water and on deck during practices and it is critical that they not be distracted by your attendance. Parents either talking with the coach or attempting to instruct/coach their children voids the team’s liability insurance coverage should something happen during the time that the coach has been distracted.

Regular communication between the Aquatomics coaching staff and the parents is encouraged. The Head Coach is available by appointment during non-practice hours to answer questions and respond to individual issues. These meetings can be arranged by contacting the Head Coach via personal e-mail.

Talking to the coaches during practices is not only potentially dangerous but it is also unfair to other swimmers in the water.

Team dues

Los Alamos Aquatomics is a co-operative organization run by Age-group/Senior parents and Masters swimmers. Nevertheless, no parent or swimmer receives any salary. Every effort is made by the team government to keep the dues as low as possible while providing all of the benefits expected from a team such as Aquatomics (see "Budget" section of this Handbook). These efforts are reflected in the team having approximately 30% of its operating income being provided by fundraising efforts. In this way the Aquatomics intends to facilitate all community members to join the team, regardless of other economic requirements that they may have.

Age group, Senior and Masters fees are published on the team web site. Please note that the fees published do not include access to the Aquatic Center, USAS or USMS registration, or registration for swim meets. Pre-pay options are available with discounts ranging from 5% to 20%. No refunds are given for months pre-paid and not swum.

No swimmer will be allowed to practice without being in good standing regarding his or her dues. Statements are mailed at the end of the preceding month and are payable by the 7^th day of the month, a late fee of 20% will be charged past this deadline. If the dues and late fee are not paid by the last day of the month the account will be placed in delinquent condition.

Once a swimmer’s account has been placed in delinquent condition the Head Coach will be requested not to allow the swimmer into practices - a "no-swim" condition for the swimmer. It is the responsibility of the family or Master swimmer to contact the team Treasurer in order to pay all outstanding charges and fees.

Upon clearing the swimmer’s account (zero balance), the Treasurer will notify the Head Coach in order to lift the "no-swim" condition and allow the swimmer back into practices.

Any swimmer attending practices while a "no-swim" condition is in place will be reported to the Board President by the Head Coach. This may lead to the permanent termination of team membership. Under no circumstance will a member family or Master swimmer be released from his or her financial obligations towards the team.

A limited number of scholarships may be available for swimmers with financial need. The number of scholarships and duration are based on budget available and awarded on a first come basis. Families interested in this program should contact a Board member.

Swim meets

Swim meet selection

The Aquatomics swim meet schedule is set by the coaching staff with the goal of exposing members to appropriate level and amount of competition. Meets that require attainment of qualification times will be labeled as such. All members of the team are encouraged to attend as many meets on the calendar as possible. Attendance at any meet is never required. It is expected that newer and more novice members of the team will probably only attend meets in Los Alamos or meets within a shorter travel distance. Regular competition is a strong contributor to swimmer development.

Multiple notifications for all upcoming meets will be sent to all members of the Aquatomics. Coaches will discuss with the swimmers individually at practice the appropriateness of attending a specific meet, and encourage them to respond to the notifications. There will be a clearly stated deadline to respond to a meet notification. No response will be considered a negative response. The coaching staff, based on positive acknowledgment from the swimmers, will prepare the meet entries for the swimmer. This includes relay teams. Meet fees, with the exception of relay fees and all championship meet fees, are the responsibility of the swimmer. Once a meet entry is transmitted there will be no refunds unless the hosting team provides them.

All entry fees are payable by the last practice day before the meet starts. No show swimmers are expected to pay fees expended on their behalf. Relay fees and all championship fees (State, zones, sectionals, junior nationals, senior nationals, and Olympic trials) are paid by the Aquatomics team.

Team and family travel

If possible, the coaching staff will designate and plan one team travel meet each season. They will also arrange and publish a travel itinerary and assign an appropriate number of chaperones for the swimmers attending. The attending swimmers will travel as a team with the coaches and chaperones. Parents wishing to attend the meet are welcome to do so, but they are encouraged to make separate arrangements for travel, lodging, etc. Chaperones will be randomly selected from a chaperone sign-up list, and each swimmer attending the meet will be asked to pay a small chaperone fee. Chaperones will not be charged for their travel expenses with the team. Age and gender appropriate guidelines will be established for housing the attending swimmers. 12 & Unders will be housed in a room with an adult in each room. 13 & Overs will selectively be permitted to stay in rooms without an adult chaperone. The number and gender of chaperones will be arranged in advance.

For all other meets on the schedule, parents will be responsible for all travel and chaperone duties. It is strongly encouraged that parents cooperate and communicate with other families when making travel and meet attendance plans to help facilitate attendance. Swimmers should not be limited in attending meets because parents feel they also have to attend. Meets and travel to meets are great bonding experiences that make swimming more meaningful and exciting. As a cooperative volunteer organization it is our goal to expose as many members as possible to the full range of swimming experiences. Sharing in those experiences only makes them more meaningful. When a swimmer cannot attend a meet due to his or her parent inability to go, the swimmer should seek out alternate arrangements with other Aquatomic members.

Some common sense tips for travel when attending in-state meets and for eating while attending any meet are included in Appendix D.

Coach travel policy

In-state meets

The Aquatomics will compensate the coaching staff for their travel expenses to attend any in-state swim meet when 5 or more swimmers attend. There are many swim meets in the state that do not appear on the Aquatomics calendar. Team members can chose to attend any meet not on the team calendar. It is strongly encouraged that they do not attend a meet of their choosing in place of a team-scheduled event. A swimmer attending a meet not on the team schedule can formally request the coaching staff to attend by offering to assist in their travel expenses, or by encouraging 5 or more swimmers to attend. The coaching staff may also elect to attend at their own expense.

Out-of-state meets

If possible, at least one out-of-state meet will be planned per season. This may or may not be the team designated travel meet. Traveling out of state usually focuses and enhances swimmer enjoyment and performance. It is also an exceptional bonding experience. For out-of-state meets the team will attempt to arrange the most affordable travel arrangements to encourage attendance. Again, coaching staff will only be compensated for their attendance when 5 or more swimmers attend.

Championship meets

The Aquatomics want to achieve its best possible team placement at all championship meets (states, zones, sectionals, junior nationals, senior nationals, Olympic trials). All swimmers who qualify for any championship meet in two or more events will be expected to attend. The team will pay for all entry fees.

Master’s meets

Although the Masters program is not specifically geared towards competition, participation at swim meets can facilitate goal setting, provide motivation and measure improvement. Meets will be selected by the swimmer(s) and attendance at meets is entirely the choice of each swimmer. Masters wishing to attend a meet can formally request the coaching staff to attend by offering to assist in their travel expenses, or by encouraging 5 or more swimmers to attend. The coaching staff may also elect to attend at their own expense.

Assignments at New Mexico Swimming State Championships

At the New Mexico State Championships, the member teams are required to provide timers at each session for which they have an athlete competing. These duties are assigned in helping the host team run a successful meet for everyone’s benefit. Assignment slots are to be filled by family members or friends present at each session. Duties are in proportion to the number of swimmers each family has competing in a particular session. Parents acting as officials during a session are exempt from filling a timing slot. Swimmers not providing timers may be scratched.

Appendix A: Training guidelines

Swimming is a complex sport with many different separate physical qualities being involved in a well-developed athlete. As outlined by USA Swimming, different physical qualities have different times of onset and rate of improvement. Therefore each physical quality has its own sensitive periods for development. During these sensitive periods, the fastest rate of development in that physical quality will occur if appropriately emphasized.

Duration and time of sensitive periods
Physical Quality	Age for Boys	Age for Girls
Flexibility	7-13	6-12
Balance	9-11	8-10
Agility	10-12	9-11
Endurance	12-14	11-13
Strength	14-16	13-15

The above chart is taken from the article, "Long-Term Training in Swimming", by Genadijus Sokolovas, Ph.D. and Larry Herr, MS as it appeared in Coaches Quarterly (The Science and Art of Coaching), USA Swimming, Volume 8, Number 2, September 2002.

It is the premise of the article that there are many factors, which influence a long-term (career) training plan in the sport of swimming. Among the factors that should be evaluated are: changes in performance times throughout the career, workload distribution at a given age, and biological maturation of the athlete. Biological maturation refers to the timing and tempo of the progress toward the mature state. Athletes begin different phases of biological maturation at different chronological ages and progress at different rates. As a result, the age of peak performance may occur differently for each event and for each athlete. Plateaus are generally explained by a program that has lost its element of progression and/or entered into a training emphasis at an inappropriately early age.

Duration of stages in career training
Swimmers	Preliminary Preparation	Basic Training	Specialization	Peak Performance	Maintenance of High Performance
Female Sprinters	8-10	10-12	12-17	17-20	20&More
Female Distance	8-10	10-12	12-16	16-18	18&More
Male Sprinters	8-10	10-13	13-18	18-22	22&More
Male Distance	8-10	10-13	13-17	17-20	20&More

In general extensive dry land and weight lifting regiments should not be incorporated into a swimmer’s training program until it is believed that they have entered into their period of peak performance. This is usually the last element added to a swimmers program to achieve maximum potential and to prevent injury while strengthening connective tissues in the absence of normally occurring humane growth hormone.

The following tables suggesting swimmer workload and workload distribution during their career were assembled from the article cited above and from interviews with the athletes and coaches of the members of the all-time Top 100 times list published in 1996 by USA Swimming. Achieving these suggested goals is the responsibility of the Aquatomics coaching staff while setting up the training program, and of the parents and swimmers themselves when setting performance and attendance goals.

Male Swimmers

Suggested workload progression in career training for male distance swimmers (in yards and as a percentage of total), as recommended by USA Swimming.
Age	Total	REC-EN1	%	EN2-EN3	%	AN1-AN2	%	SP1-SP2	%	yds/wk	yds/hr	hrs/wk
10	380,000	351,880	93%	19,000	5.0%	5,700	1.5%	3,420	0.9%	7,917	2,000	4.0
11	506,924	468,810	92%	26,644	5.3%	7,512	1.5%	3,958	0.8%	10,561	2,400	4.4
12	580,000	533,282	92%	32,658	5.6%	9,514	1.6%	4,546	0.8%	12,083	2,800	4.3
13	1,180,361	1,055,951	89%	92,937	7.9%	22,983	1.9%	8,490	0.7%	24,591	3,200	7.7
14	1,315,760	1,139,067	87%	130,273	9.9%	34,576	2.6%	11,844	0.9%	27,412	3,300	8.3
15	2,432,730	1,967,094	81%	356,755	14.7%	83,022	3.4%	25,859	1.1%	50,682	3,400	14.9
16	2,699,322	2,076,786	77%	474,902	17.6%	113,116	4.2%	34,518	1.3%	56,236	3,600	15.6
17	3,288,872	2,411,622	73%	676,517	20.6%	154,275	4.7%	46,458	1.4%	68,518	3,800	18.0
18	3,431,298	2,473,623	72%	738,471	21.5%	168,575	4.9%	50,629	1.5%	71,485	4,000	17.9
19	3,557,834	2,548,120	72%	779,388	21.9%	177,166	5.0%	53,159	1.5%	74,122	4,200	17.6
20	3,600,000	2,574,000	72%	792,000	22.0%	180,000	5.0%	54,000	1.5%	75,000	4,400	17.0

Female Swimmers

Suggested workload progression in career training for male distance swimmers (in yards and as percentage of total), as recommended by USA Swimming
Age	Total	REC-EN1	%	EN2-EN3	%	AN1-AN2	%	SP1-SP2	%	yds/wk	yds/hr	hrs/wk
10	380,000	351,880	93%	19,000	5.0%	5,700	1.5%	3,420	0.9%	7,917	2000	4.0
11	546,390	504,368	92%	29,640	5.4%	8,217	1.5%	4,164	0.8%	11,383	2400	4.7
12	899,694	815,009	91%	62,403	6.9%	15,877	1.8%	6,404	0.7%	18,744	2800	6.7
13	1,487,741	1,288,814	87%	150,494	10.1%	36,161	2.4%	12,272	0.8%	30,995	3200	9.7
14	2,158,618	1,739,757	81%	320,859	14.9%	74,678	3.5%	23,324	1.1%	44,971	3300	13.6
15	2,660,974	2,000,546	75%	508,619	19.1%	116,493	4.4%	35,316	1.3%	55,437	3400	16.3
16	2,931,199	2,125,540	73%	621,581	21.2%	141,527	4.8%	42,551	1.5%	61,067	3600	17.0
17	3,051,241	2,187,263	72%	666,874	21.9%	151,607	5.0%	45,497	1.5%	63,568	3800	16.7
18	3,100,000	2,216,500	72%	682,000	22.0%	155,000	5.0%	46,500	1.5%	64,583	4000	16.1

What does attaining the suggested yearly totals look like in terms of attendance and commitment? The "yds/wk" and "yds/hr" columns in the tables above show the average yards per week and the average yards per hour planned for the different practice groups. Parents and swimmers can then use the last column of these tables ("hrs/wk") to estimate how much to swim each week. On average, females developmentally mature 1-2 years earlier than their male peers.

The "Energy Phases" in the two tables above indicate the level of power training as measured by the swimmer’s heart rate. The different energy phase are shown given in the following table:

Energy System	Color	Description	Heart Rate	Work:rest Ratio	Example Set (% T3000)
REC	White (easy)	Minimum aerobic	>120	R:10 to R:30 (Variable)	400 S,K,P (Warm-Up)
EN-1	Pink (moderate)	Aerobic	120-150	R:10 to R:30 (20-120 min)	1-2,000 Pull (85-98%)
EN-2	Red (uncomfortable)	Threshold	140-170	R:10 to R:40	8x400 @ R:20 (98-104%)
EN-3	Blue (very tiring)	VO2 Max	160-190	R:20 to 1:1	20x100 @ R:20 (102-107%)
AN-1	Purple (painful/fatiging)	Lactate tolerance	170-200	1:1 to 1:2 (5-40 min)	5x50 @ 2:00/ 20x50 @0:45 (105-108%)
AN-2	Green (very painful)	Lactate production	Max	1:2 to 1:8 (0:30-10 min)	4x(50+25 EZ) @ 2:00 (108-111%)
SP-1	Gold (fast/not hard)	Speed/Power	N/A	>1:8 (6-30 sec)	25’s resisted (N/A)
SP-2	Platinum (fast/not hard)	Speed	N/A	>1:2 to 1:8 (6-15 sec)	25’s w/o assist (N/A)

There are other significant factors that should be taken into consideration when planning a swimming career. Swimmers do not benefit from progressing through the specified workload at an accelerated rate. Achieving these yardage totals at significantly younger ages than suggested frequently has negative consequences. It should be noted that these suggested yearly totals are average; there certainly are swimmers and programs exceeding these suggestions and likewise programs with totals significantly under these guidelines. Yardage alone does not determine the success or failure of a swimmer during the scope of their career. Nevertheless, staying within one year of this career chart is advised.

There are also developmental psychology considerations when assigning a swimmer to a practice group. Female swimmers possess a higher incidence of intrinsic motivation and tend to thrive on a dense training regiment at a significantly younger in age than their male counterparts. Male swimmers posses a higher incidence of egocentric motivation and tend to thrive in a program emphasizing competition and short term goals.

Consideration should also be given to the fact that all developmental traits mimic a bell-shaped spectrum and in this sense it is statistically improbable that any one individual embodies all of the most positively skewed traits at once and hence he/she will rarely commence a training program significantly out of line with their age appropriate prescription.

Appendix B: Code of conduct

This Code of Conduct applies to all team members participating in the Age-group and Senior programs. Signature of the Code of Conduct document constitutes unconditional agreement to comply with the Code as set forth by the Los Alamos Aquatomics.

Team Membership Responsibilities

As a family member of the Los Alamos Aquatomics Swim Team (LAA) it is the responsibility of each family to obey any and all "no-swim" conditions imposed upon the swimmer by the Treasurer. Attending practices while such condition is in place is considered a violation of the Code of Conduct.

Swimmer’s Responsibilities

As a member of the Los Alamos Aquatomics Swim Team (LAA), swimmers understand and will comply with the following guidelines as set forth by LAA, its Board of Directors, its coaching staff, and the Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center. The intent of these guidelines is to insure that the behavior of each athlete is consistent with the LAA policies and objectives. Team members shall be construed to mean any swimmer athlete who is representing the Los Alamos Aquatomics.

Team members will display proper respect and sportsmanship towards coaches, lifeguards, administrators, fellow athletes, pool patrons, parents, meet officials, fellow competitors, and the general public.
Team members will refrain from any illegal or inappropriate behavior that would detract from a positive image of Los Alamos Aquatomics. This includes, but is not limited to:

Disrespect, destruction, and/or theft of facilities and equipment.
Use of LAA or Aquatic Center equipment without permission.
Use of tobacco products and/or alcoholic beverages.
Use of drugs, other than those prescribed by a physician.
Sexual misconduct as well as any form of inappropriate sexual behavior or sexual harassment.

Team members are required to follow all regulations set forth by the Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center and to comply with any instruction given by the pool lifeguards and administrators.
Before, during and after practices, team members should:

Follow the directions given by the coach.
Arrive and leave at the scheduled practice times.
Be positive and supportive of all swimmers.
Put away the equipment used once practice ends.

While at meets and on meet travel, team members are required to:

Attend all team functions set by the LAA coach in charge. These include, but are not limited to: meetings, warm-ups, and individual and relay events.
Obey all schedules and curfews established by the LAA coach in charge.
See the LAA coach in charge before and after each event.
Be supportive of all swimmers and respectful to all competitors, coaches and officials.

Parent’s responsibilities

All parents and guardians of Los Alamos Aquatomics team members are expected to adhere to simple practices that contribute to the development of the swimmers as athletes and individuals. These practices include, but are not limited to:

Parents/guardians will inform the coach of any physical disability or ailment that may affect the safety of the swimmer or the safety and health of others.
Parents/guardians will not engage in any kind of unsportsmanlike conduct with any official, coach, athlete, or parent such as booing and taunting; refusing to shake hands; or using profane language or gestures.
Parents/guardians will not encourage any behaviors or practices that would endanger the health and well being of the athletes.
Parents/guardians will not ridicule or yell at his or her child or other participants for making a mistake or losing a competition.
Parents/guardians will respect the officials and their authority during meets and will not question, discuss, or confront coaches or officials at the meets. Instead, LAA encourages parents to take time to speak with them at an agreed time and place regarding conflicting issues.
Parents/guardians will refrain from coaching his or her child or other swimmers during meets and practices, unless he or she is one of the LAA certified coaches and is in charge at the time.

Implementation of the code of conduct

Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary actions, which may include but are not limited to:

Suspension from further team activities for a specified duration set forth by the Board of Directors and coaching staff.
If on team travel, immediate return to home at the expense of the parent/guardian.
Permanent termination of team membership.

If a team member or parent is involved in any behavior that can be construed as being against the code of conduct stated in this document, the following sequence of events will occur:

1) It is the responsibility of the Head Coach to contact the acting Board President or next in line immediately to inform the Board of the alleged behavior.

2) The team member (or parent) will be required to attend a meeting that will occur within (7) days of the alleged incident. Present at this meeting will be: the team member or parent/guardian committing the alleged infraction, his or her parent/guardian in the case that the alleged infraction has been committed by an Age-group or Senior swimmer, the Head Coach, other staff member(s) present when the alleged infraction occurred and the Board President or his/her designee as well as all other Board members available.

3) The team member (or parent) will be allowed to present any information or evidence at that time and a decision will be rendered as to any further course of action.

Appendix C: Fundraising programs

The Aquatomics team is periodically involved in various fundraising programs, for example:

Smith’s Bucks
Entertainment Books
Corporate sponsorship
Meet sponsorship
Swim-shop sales

It should be noted that the team governing Board might at any time discontinue one or several of these programs and/or implement new ones. The current fundraising activities are updated on the team web pages.

Smith’s Bucks

The team sells Gift Cards from Smith’s Food and Drug Stores, the main grocery store in both Los Alamos and White Rock communities. These cards or certificates, most commonly known as "Smith’s Bucks", are available in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 denominations. Any amount of give certificates purchased is worth exactly the same amount to purchase any product(s) at Smith’s. In other words, getting $100 worth of Smith’s Bucks from the team, results in a $100 of purchasing ability at Smith’s. These certificates can even be used at the U-Scan stations and there is no minimum purchase amount. Smith’s Bucks use is in accordance with store policy.

The team makes 5% of the certificates sold. In other words, when the team gets $100 in certificates from Smith’s to later sell, it only pays $95 for them.

To purchase Smith’s Bucks please contact the Smith’s Bucks coordinator listed in the Aquatomics web page.

Entertainment books

The "Entertainment books" are coupon books from Entertainment Publications with discounts for local (Santa Fe) restaurants, shops and entertainment. Each book is sold for $35.00 and the team gets to keep $7.25 from the book publisher. Books can be bought at LANB in Los Alamos or in White Rock.

Books can also be given in commission for short periods of time (like a weekend) to any member or group of members interested in setting up a fundraising booth at local events or in front of local stores.

To participate in this program please contact the Entertainment Books coordinator listed in the Aquatomics web page.

Corporate sponsorships and donations

The Ways and Means officer of the Board solicits donations from area businesses. These donations may be earmarked for special purchases, such as upgraded timing equipment, or for to support team scholarships. Sometimes, the donations are allowed to be used to offset general costs. Recognition of participating stores and businesses is provided on the team web page, in the periodic team Newsletter and during LAA hosted meets.

For more details on sponsor recognition and participation in this fundraising program, please contact the Ways and Means officer listed on the Aquatomics web page.

Meet sponsorship

The Aquatomics team seeks sponsors for the swim meets it hosts. These sponsors will be allowed to place advertisements in the meet program (a.k.a. heat-sheets) with a full-, half-, or quarter-page ads. To participate in this fundraising program please contact the Ways and Means Director of the Board or specific information on the team website.

Swim-shop sales

The Aquatomics team carries out at least two swimsuit sales each year. These take place at the beginning of each season (September-October for the Short Course season and March-April for the Long Course season). Through its contracts with brand vendors and/or distributors the team is able to obtain swimsuits and other swimming equipment at competitive prices.

Appendix D: Tips for meets

Common sense travel tips when attending an in-state meet

New Mexico is a big state, and driving several hours in the morning to save on hotel costs is common. Swimmers do not perform well after sitting in a car for more than 45-60 minutes (especially if they fall asleep) unless they are provided an extended warm-up time and a good meal with several hours for digestion. If you are attending a meet that is further than Santa Fe, swimmers are strongly encouraged to arrive at the meet 3-4 hours in advance or travel the night before when that isn’t practical. When traveling long distance like to Las Cruces, swimmers should make arrangement to arrive the day before.

Common sense eating tips when attending meets

Dramatically changing swimmers dietary habits within 10 days of any major competition will usually result in cravings and headaches that inhibit athletic performance. Young swimmers perform their best by maintaining what is a normal diet for them. If a swimmer is going to make a change, it should be a long-term and permanent change. Swimmers should eat a fairly large well-rounded meal 2-3 hours before the start of competition. Then once at the meet, the swimmers should frequently eat small snacks that they enjoy (avoid pure sugar) during the competition (pieces of fruit, half-sandwiches, some treats are fine in conjunction with other foods). If the swimmer ever feels hungry, their blood sugar has already dropped sufficiently to inhibit performance. After their competition is complete the swimmer should vigorously warm-down for 20-30 minutes, and then eat another fairly large well-rounded meal within an hour when possible. The body will absorb replenishing nutrients at a higher rate for about 90 minutes after strenuous exercise. For morning sessions, it is a good idea to get the swimmer up early, feed them, and then let them get leisurely ready for the trip to the pool. This is often a good time for a final shave and listening to motivational music. Letting the swimmer sleep in until the last minute, then eating a bagel in the car on the way to the pool will usually yield unsatisfactory results. Swimmers should try to avoid eating too late at night if there is a session the following morning. If that is the only chance to eat, the size of the meal should be reduced, knocking out all caffeine and sweets and making up for it in the morning. Overall daily caloric intake should be slightly higher than normal during a swim meet weekend. A hard fought weekend meet is harder on the body than 2-3 days of practice, and the energy expenditure and recuperative requirements are different. It is probably a good idea to have a slightly higher than normal carbohydrate intake while at a meet. That doesn’t mean bloating out on spaghetti. Vegetables, fruits and grains are a better source of carbohydrates than pasta. Also eating some meat and fats would be desirable. Don’t rule out a pizza!