Squads

The Squad program provides a fun and enjoyable environment for all swimmers, with a focus on personal improvement and participation in swimming as a sport.

Junior squads (Mini, development, challenge, teen fit and teen swim) run 48 weeks a year with a 4 week break over the December/January school holidays.

Senior squads (Bronze, silver, gold and performance) run 49 weeks a year with a 3 week break over December/January.

Squad assessments by appointment only. Please fill out the appointment enquiry form below to be contacted for an assessment.

There will be complimentary programs added to the current timetable to assist with streamlining the program. These programs include Teen Swim and Teen Fit, more information about these programs is located below.

If you have any questions about any changes to the squads program, please contact us at akac.enquiries@innerwest.nsw.gov.au.

For all other queries regarding our squads program, please feel free to call the centre on 9392 5400.

Timetables for our squads programs are below, and pdf versions of our competitive squads timetables for all our centres are available for download: 

AAC squad timetable 1 July 2024 (PDF 56.5KB)

AKAC squad timetable 1 July 2024 (PDF 53.2KB)

LPAC squad timetable 1 July 2024 (PDF 72KB)

Squads assessment enquiry form

Mini Squad

Mini Squad is an entry level class designed for swimmers who have graduated from the Learn to Swim program, or have been assessed by the Head Coach as suitable for this squad.

Goals:

• Learn lane etiquette and learn to listen to instructions from the coach who will be out of the water
• Improve basic motor learning and stroke technique in all four strokes using various stroke development drills/skills over short distances
• Improve endurance and introduce speed
• Further develop streamline
• Introduce racing starts, racing finishes and freestyle turns

Time trials are undertaken in Terms 1 and 4 to monitor swimmers performance, develop confidence in racing and prepare swimmers for the school swimming carnivals.

Age guidelines:

Up to 11 years old

Attendance requirements:

Recommended attendance 1-2 per week

Duration:

45 min classes

Development Squad

This squad is designed for swimmers who have learnt the basics of squad training and the basic drill movements in all four strokes.

Goals:

• Improve gross movements and refine the coordination in all four competitive strokes
• Improve endurance and speed
• Improve and further develop their racing skills
• Further develop streamline in all four strokes
• Components include starts and finishes for all four competitive strokes, refinement of freestyle turns and introduction to the other three competitive stroke turns
• Learn how to time their swims over short distances of 25 metres to 50 metres.
• Prepare for School, Zone and Regional swim meets by learning the basic rules  of correct starting instructions and rules of swimming

Time trials are undertaken in terms 1 and 4 to monitor swimmers performance, develop confidence in racing and prepare swimmers for the school swimming carnivals.

Age guidelines:

Up to 12 yrs old

Attendance requirements:

Recommended 1-2 sessions per week

Duration:

60 min lessons

Challenge squad

This squad aims to further develop skilled swimmers with an introduction to more complex drills in all four strokes and refine all aspects of competitive starts, turns and finishes. 

Goals:

• Further develop swimming stamina through more complex endurance and speed swim sets
• Increase mileage whilst still maintaining correct technique and skills (starts, turns and finishes)
• Further develop all four competitive turns through more repetitions and introduce correct individual medley turns
• Prepare swimmers for School, Zone, Regional and other swim meets by learning the rules of correct starting instructions and competition rules of swimming

Time trials are undertaken in terms 1 and 4 to monitor swimmers performance, develop confidence in racing and prepare swimmers for the school swimming carnivals.

Age guidelines:

Up to 13 years old

Attendance requirements:

1-3 sessions per week

Duration:

60 min lesson 

Teen swim

This squad is designed to cater for younger swimmers who want to swim for fitness or for those swimmers who have started their swimming a little later in their years and are more comfortable to swim with swimmers of similar age range.

Goals:

• Learn lane etiquette 
• Improve basic motor learning and stroke technique in all four strokes using various stroke development drills/skills over varied distances
• Develop endurance and introduce speed
• Further develop streamline  
• Introduce stream line, racing starts, racing finishes and freestyle turns

Age guidelines:

Up to 15 years old

Attendance requirements:

1 session per week

Duration:

45 min lesson

Teen-fit squad

This program is for teenagers who want swim for fitness and recreation or to improve their fitness level for school level swimming, triathlon racing or surf lifesaving etc.

This squad can cover 2 to 3 kilometres in 60mins.

Various training sets are used with the goal of improving endurance and speed for the swimmers chosen water sport.

Goals:

• Improve swimming ability and stroke technique through the use of various drills
• Further develop stroke technique
• School Competition preparation

Age guidelines:

15-18 years old

Recommended attendance:

1-3 sessions per week

Duration:

60 min lesson

Competitive squads

All Swimmers in the Competitive Squads will be selected and assessed by the Head Coach

The Competitive Squads are for those swimmers who wish to take their swimming more seriously and who are motivated to compete at club, inter club, metropolitan, state age, state open, national age, national open and international levels.

All swimmers in the Competitive Squads are expected to be a member of a registered Swim Club and make regular attendance to club races in the summer months.

Swimmers who train in the competitive squads will be identified as having talent and / or the commitment to attaining the above standards.

The Head Coach will inform Swimmers and Parents of their selection into the competitive squad program and ascertain if the swimmer is capable and prepared to commit to the requirements of the program.

Performance and attendance requirements are a pre-requisite for these squads. Please note that if a swimmer does not consistently attend the required number of sessions per week, they will be placed into a squad indicative of their training commitment.

Bronze Squad

This squad is designed for swimmers who have learnt the basics of squad training and the basic drill movements in all four strokes.

Goals:

• Improve gross movements and refine the coordination in all four strokes
• Improve endurance and speed
• Improve and further develop their racing skills
• Further develop streamline in all four strokes
• Components include starts, finishes for all four strokes, refinement of freestyle turns and introduction to the other three competitive stroke turns
• Prepare for school, zone and regional swim meets by learning the basic rules of correct starting instructions and rules of swimming

Attendance requirements:

• 2-3 sessions per week
• Recommended minimum 2 sessions per week

Requirements:

• Become a member of a registered swim club
• Make regular attendance to club races in the summer months
• Be prepared to race at external meets (as recommended by the Head Coach)
• Undertake training on a regular year-round basis, including holiday periods where feasible 

Age guidelines:

Up to 10 years old

Duration:

60 and 75 minute sessions available

Equipment required:

Fins and snorkel

Silver Squad

Goals:

• Develop swimming stamina through more complex endurance and speed swim sets
• Increase mileage while still maintaining correct technique and skills (starts, turns and finishes)
• Further develop all four competitive turns and Individual Medley turns through more repetitions and specific practices
• Prepare swimmers for school, zone, regional and NSW Metropolitan swim meets by learning the rules of correct starting instructions and competition rules of swimming

Attendance requirements:

• 3-6 sessions per week

Requirements:

• Become a member of a registered swim club
• Make regular attendance to club races in the summer months
• Be prepared to race at external meets (as recommended by the Head Coach)
• Set a minimum goal and showing commitment to attaining qualifying standards for the NSW Metropolitan Swimming Championships in either or both Winter and Summer seasons
• Undertake training on a regular year-round basis, including holiday periods where feasible
• Must be willing to attend 3 sessions per week which includes one of the morning sessions for a Term before moving forward to Gold Squad
• Dryland activation sessions available before all sessions

Age guidelines:

Up to 14 years old.

Duration:

• 75, 90 and 105 minute sessions available (depending on location)
• 16 sessions available across 3 sites

Equipment required:

Fins, hand paddles, and snorkel.

Gold Squad

Goals:

• Further develop all training energy systems through more complex training methods
• Increase mileage while still maintaining correct technique and skills
• Build strength and improve flexibility by attending regular dry-land sessions
• Prepare swimmers for school, zone, regional, metropolitan and NSW State Championship swim meets

Attendance requirements:

• 5-7 sessions per week
• Minimum 5 sessions per week

Requirements:

• Become a member of a registered swim club
• Make regular attendance to club races in the summer months
• Be prepared to race at external meets (as recommended by the Head Coach)
• Set a minimum goal and showing commitment to attaining qualifying standards for the NSW State Swimming Championships in either or both Winter and Summer seasons
• Undertake training on a regular year-round basis, including holiday periods where feasible
• Must be willing to attend a minimum of 5 sessions per week
• Must be willing to attend 7 sessions per week for a Term before moving forward to Performance Squad
• Attend at least 1 Dry-Land session per week unless prior arrangements have been discussed with the Head Coach
• Dryland activation sessions available before all sessions

Age guidelines:

13+ years old

Duration:

• 90 minute - 2.5 hour sessions (2.5 hour with dryland activation)
• 21 sessions available across all 3 sites

Equipment required:

Fins, hand paddles, and snorkel

Performance Squad

Goals:

• Continue developing all training energy systems through more complex training methods
• Increase mileage while still maintaining correct technique and skills
• Build strength and improve flexibility by attending regular dry-land sessions
• Prepare swimmers for Metropolitan, NSW State, National Age and Open Championship swim meets

Attendance requirements:

• 7 - 9 Sessions per week
• Recommended 9 sessions per week

Requirements:

• Become a member of a registered swim club
• Make regular attendance to club races in the summer months
• Be prepared to race at external meets (as recommended by the Head Coach)
• Set a minimum goal and showing commitment to attaining qualifying standards for the Australian Swimming Championships
• Undertake training on a regular year-round basis, including holiday periods where feasible
• Must be willing to attend a minimum of 7 sessions per week
• Attend Dry-Land session unless prior arrangements have been made with the Head Coach

Age guidelines:

Minimum age 13 years 

Duration:

• 90 minute - 2.5 hour sessions (2.5 hour with dryland activation)

All swimmer movements will be at the discretion and encouragement of the Head Coach

Equipment required:

Fins, hand paddles, and snorkel

For a list of recommended products, please email john.bladon@innerwest.nsw.gov.au.

Bronze, Silver and Gold Squad Timetable 

• Bronze squad: 2-3 sessions per week. Must be a member of Swim Club.
• Silver squad: 3-6 sessions per week. Must commit to a minimum of 3 sessions per week and attend either a Wednesday or Saturday session for a term before being invited to Gold Squad. Must be a member of Swim Club.
• Gold Squad: 5-7 sessions per week. Must commit to a minimum of 5 sessions per week. Must be a member of Swim Club.
• Silver and Gold Squad swimmers aged 14 and over will have the opportunity to have an individualised gym program written and access to the gym included in squad membership.
• Silver Squad swimmers can attend the 4pm, 75min session or the 5.15pm 105min session. Dryland activation is optional but recommended.

Adult squads

Adult Swim-Fit

A one hour session is specifically designed for the ‘not so confident squad’ swimmer.

The swimmer should be able to swim at least 200m of freestyle non-stop.

The sessions aim to extend the swimmer in their strength and endurance. The Swim-Fit class aims to develop more confidence, achieve personal goals and create good lifestyle habits (and maybe get a little addicted along the way!).

Swimmers can use this squad to help them make the transition to the adult squad classes. Flippers, pull buoy and hand paddles are required for this squad. 

If you are an adult swimmer and think you meet the requirements for the squad you can join in at any time.

Adult Squad

The Adult Squad is designed for advanced swimmers who are able to swim 2km or more. Most sessions cover between 3km-4km.

The Adult Squad caters for those who enjoy their swimming and wish to do so for fitness or enjoyment, as well as providing challenging sets for fitness swimmers, tri-athletes, ocean, and masters swimmers.

Flippers, pull buoy and hand paddles are required for this squad. Swimmers can join at any time.

Single entry can be purchased at reception, or a muti-visit pass can be purchased through AKAC online for both Adult Swim-Fit and Adult Squad.

Joining the squad program

To join our squads program please make an appointment with the Head Coach of Squad Programs by submitting an enquiry using the form located at the top of the page.

Assessments are free of charge and take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Equipment required for squad swimmers

• Swim Cap (All Squad Levels)
• Goggles (All Squad Levels)
• Flippers (All Squad Levels)
• Water bottle (All Squad Levels)
• Mesh kit bag (All Squad Levels)
• Pool Buoy - (Performance, Gold Squad, Adult Swim-Fit and Adult Squads only)
• Front breathing snorkel – (Bronze, Silver, Performance & Gold squad only)
• Hand Paddles - (Silver, Performance, Gold Squad, Adult Swim-Fit and Adult Squads only)