The Lawrence Aquahawks offer professional technique instruction and training. The program is divided into smaller practice groups based on requirements and expectations. The requirements and expectations are listed below for each group. These requirements are not set in stone and may be altered after the conclusion of the season if the coaching staff sees fit to do so. These requirements are a guide that coaches use to decide which group best fits a swimmer's needs at any given time.

The progression of each swimmer is based on meeting the expectations, time standards, and age. Group advancement is determined by the coaching staff. Swimmers will have the opportunity to advance 3x per year: August, Christmas Break, and the conclusion of the Short Course Season. Please keep in mind the coaches have the best interest of your child at heart. Our program is designed for long-term success and development, not short-term accolades.

The coaching staff for the Lawrence Aquahawks has and will always have a large amount of flexibility when it comes to working with swimmers who are committed and willing to work with the coaching staff to come up with creative solutions to accommodate scheduling conflicts. It is ultimately up to the swimmers and parents of swimmers to communicate with the coaching staff to address possible scheduling conflicts. 

These groups are designed to progress your swimmer properly. We use the guidelines below to teach and progress your swimmer. We will only advance groups when the swimmer is ready.

We do not have a hard practice requirement. We encourage families to try and attend as many practices as they can.  We recommend at least 3x per week in order to see major progress for our mini hawks, bronze, and silver groups. We recommend at least 4x per week for gold and senior 2. We highly encourage swimmers in platinum, senior 1, and high school prep to attend every available practice.

ALL swimmers are encouraged to attend swim meets, especially the ones hosted by the Lawrence Aquahawks. Any swimmer who achieves a championship time standard (district, championship, or higher) will be in attendance at the championship meet.

Mini Hawks - This is our learn-to-swim group. Swimmers will focus on learning all four strokes and essential skills regarding turns and starts. Coaches will be in the water with the swimmers to provide direct instruction. To be eligible for this group, swimmers must be able to swim 5 yards on their front or back solo. Requirements to move up include 50 freestyle and backstroke, legal dolphin and breaststroke kicks, intro to racing starts, and flip turns.

Bronze - Bronze is our beginning swim team group. Swimmers will continue to focus on learning the four strokes and begin building up endurance. Swimmers will need to advance from mini hawks or be placed in bronze via evaluation. Bronze swimmers will be working on the following skills: swimming up to a 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 50-yard legal fly and breaststroke, racing starts, flip turns, and underwater skills.

Silver- Silver is the next level up. Swimmers in silver will have completed all of the skills listed under the bronze group or be placed in silver via evaluation. Silver swimmers will be working on all of the previously learned skills, but adding endurance. They will be able to complete workouts while maintaining the correct technique. Swimmers will work on the following: 500 freestyle, breathing patterns for freestyle, backstroke endurance, fly and breaststroke technique, 100-200 yards of each stroke, IM techniques and endurance, starts, intervals, and turns.

Gold - Gold is the more advanced age group. Swimmers will have completed all of the silver skills or be placed in gold. Swimmers are expected to be able to maintain their perfect technique throughout the entire practice. Gold will be starting to get into written workouts and be expected to follow them all the way through. The overall goal of gold is to finalize the technique work on all four strokes and begin to build the endurance needed for future swimming.

Platinum - This group is our highest age group level. Swimmers in this group are too advanced for the gold technique curriculum and will be focused on swim meet performance. Swimmers in platinum will be working toward achieving district or championship-level time standards. Platinum swimmers will still work on technique but mainly focus on achieving higher time standards. The head coach will promote swimmers in this group once they have completed the gold curriculum.

Senior - The senior group is specifically designed for our high school students. Senior swimmers focus on improving their technique while reaching for the next level of swimming, whether that be high school state, championships, sectionals, nationals, etc. The senior group is where swimmers start to specialize in their best events, strokes, and distances, while maintaining a high level of all around fitness. Swimmers are expected to attend a simple majority of the practices offered in the week, as well as the majority of swim meets. Senior swimmers are the acting leaders of the team and will be held to a higher standard in order to set the example for our younger swimmers. 

High School Prep - High School Prep is an extension of our senior group. This group will have the same practices, goals, and opportunities as the senior group, with the exception of attendance. High School Prep swimmers are allowed to come to a maximum of 3 practices/week. They are still expected to attend all 3 practices per week as well as the majority of swim meets. High School Prep is perfect for the swimmers who love to swim but are committed to other activities.

College Program - This program is for our college-aged swimmers to continue swimming, without having to be worried about financial constraints.  Swimmers in this group are expected to have a high school diploma, individually fund their own swimming and be enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program. Swimmers who wish to join this group need to set up a meeting with the coaching staff to discuss the specifics of this group.