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YOTA Swim Team

Developing Character, One Lap at a Time

The YOTA Swim Team is an association-wide team comprised of competitors of all ages and skill levels. 

 

Explore YOTA Swim Team

The YMCA of the Triangle Area YOTA Swim Team is an association-wide team comprised of competitors of all ages and skill levels. YOTA offers opportunities for swimmers of many different levels and abilities. This is a year-round activity that emphasizes teamwork, sportsmanship and personal achievement.

The YOTA Swim Team is dedicated and committed to consistently leading the Triangle, North Carolina, and USA Swimming in developing athletes and individuals who achieve success at the highest reaches of their potential, both in and out of the pool.

Swimmers are placed into groups based on age and ability. Each group practices and competes together. YOTA Swim Team practices at the following locations:

A.E. Finley YMCA
Alexander Family YMCA
Chapel Hill - Carrboro YMCA
Downtown Durham YMCA
Hope Valley Farms YMCA
Kerr Family YMCA
YMCA at Meadowmont
Northwest Cary YMCA
Taylor Family YMCA

For more information, please visit the YOTA Swim Team website. 

YOTA Swim Team Program Levels

Swimmers on the YOTA Swim Team are assigned to Swim Levels

The YOTA Age Group Program emphasizes stroke technique and foundational skills. In this program, swimmers are placed in groups based on their age and abilities. Within this group there are:

Swim Team Prep

The YOTA prep program provides a great bridge between swim lessons and swim team for swimmers ages 7 - 11. It's the ideal opportunity for swimmers who want to continue their swimming development. Our goal is to help build self-confidence and a love for swimming. 

Critical skills to be taught

  • Flip turns
  • Legal Individual Medley
  • Endurance
  • Freestyle lap swimming
  • Legal backstroke
  • Understand a YOTA practice
  • Legal breaststroke
  • Legal butterfly

Junior Prep

The Junior prep group is for 11-Over swimmers that want to continue their progression in the team or are relatively new to the sport and are not ready to commit our competitive program. The focus of this group is primarily technique development along with an increase in volume and intensity at various points throughout the season.

Critical skills to be taught

  • Flip turns
  • Legal Individual Medley
  • Endurance
  • Freestyle lap swimming
  • Legal backstroke
  • Understand a YOTA practice
  • Legal breaststroke
  • Legal butterfly

Green: Age Group Beginner Competitive

This is an entry-level developmental group for ages 6 - 9. The minimum standards and expectations for entry into this group are:  

  • The ability to swim 25 yards of freestyle while demonstrating proper technique and streamlines
  • The ability to swim 25 yards of backstroke while demonstrating proper technique and streamlines

In addition, swimmers must have understanding and knowledge of both butterfly and breaststroke. Acceptance into this group is based on specific site space and needs as determined by the YOTA Swim Team Site Director.

White: Age Group Moderately Competitive

This is a group for ages 9 - 11 and is designed to build upon technical skills in all four competitive strokes, while also developing a strong aerobic foundation and learning about training disciplines. Skills will be taught with an emphasis on fun and teamwork to ensure that all athletes develop a long-term love for the sport. Athletes will also focus on:

  • Starts
  • Turns
  • Underwater streamline
  • Underwater kicking
  • Conditioning work

Swimmers will also participate in some basic dryland conditioning. Acceptance into this group is based on specific site space and needs as determined by the YOTA Swim Team Site Director.

Purple: Age Group Competitive

This is a competitive training group designed for ages 10 - 12 to prepare swimmers for state and regional levels of competition.  The emphasis of the Purple group is on mastering the following skills necessary to be successful competitive swimmers:

  • Training etiquette
  • Advanced stroke mechanics
  • Race strategies
  • Proper Nutrition
  • Mental Preparation
  • Ability to handle increasing training workloads
  • Developing consistent and committed training habits is a priority in this group.

Swimmers will participate in a dryland program.

Silver: Age Group Highly Competitive

This group, open to swimmers ages 12-15, trains them for YMCA and USA Swimming state, regional and national levels of competition. Acceptance into this group is based on specific site space and needs as determined by the YOTA Swim Team Site Director.

The emphasis of the group will be on developing aerobic capacity through:

  • Increased swimming volume, intensity and kicking
  • Develop of progressive stroke technique
  • Race strategies
  • creating proper nutrition habits
  • Individual goal setting
  • Importance of proper mental preparation
  • Training will also include a specifically designed dry land conditioning program.

For swimmers in this group, swimming is becoming the main activity in their lives, thereby meet and practice attendance is more important, including in the summer months. 

 

The YOTA Senior Program is designed for swimmers ages 13 & up who are ready to begin their competitive swimming career. There are three levels within this program.  

Each level emphasizes progressive stroke technique and racing strategy. Maximum desire in all aspects of training, including practice, competition, nutrition, physical conditioning, integrity and leadership, are expected of swimmers in this program. 

Age Group Select

The Age Group Select Team consists of those swimmers ages 13-15 years of age who exhibit an elite level based upon USA Swimming age group time standards, coaches’ evaluation, and commitment to a national level training program.  

The Select athlete is willing to make the commitment to perform at the highest level that YOTA offers age group swimmers. Admittance and continuation in the group is by invitation only, based on Coach's decisions, Technique and dryland skills are an integral part of the program to help the athlete reach their potential. 

Senior I

The Senior I Group is for 15-Over swimmers generally at the YMCA National level and/or with comparability to the current training level of the group. “Generally at the YMCA National level” is defined as athletes within 3% of a YMCA National Championship standard. This is a maximum commitment, high achieving training group where swimming is a mainstay in their life. '

Attending meets and practices are crucial, expected, and monitored to maintain the integrity of this culture. Admittance and continuation in the group is by invitation only, based on coach considerations/decisions.

This group focuses on each athlete's need to excel in the sport. Technique and dryland skills are an integral part of the program to help the athlete reach their potential. 

Senior II

The Senior II Group is for swimmers ages 15 and over who are swimming at the North Carolina Swimming State Championship level. This is a highly committed group focused on achievement at the senior level of the sport. Meet and practice attendance is critical, including during the summer months.

This training group should begin to take a higher priority in instances of conflict with outside activities. The focus of this group is eventual advancement to the Senior I Group.  Admittance and continuation in the group are by invitation only, based on coaching decisions as well as:

  • Proven commitment
  • Attendance
  • Ability
  • Work ethic
  • Time management
  • High character standards
  • Willingness to adapt and accept coaching
  • This group focuses on each athlete’s needs to excel in the sport. 


 

 

The word “Masters” has nothing to do with your skill level or current ability in the pool; just your age. Master Swim is open to adults 18 and older who are looking to improve their fitness through the sport of swimming.

Workouts vary throughout the week and focus on speed, endurance, and technique.

Each workout is coached by a certified YMCA of the Triangle YOTA Swim Team coach who will provide tips and feedback to improve your swimming ability.