DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM
"LEARNING THE FUNDAMENTALS IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT"
Athletes must be able to swim a minimum of 25 yards of both freestyle and backstroke to enter program. Focus is on mastering fundamentals while refining basic motor learning skills, balance, and coordination in the water. Yardage swum is low-intensity and technique-oriented.
Athletes typically range in age from 5 to 10 years old.
Athletes are introduced to our core values of Grit, Respect, Integrity, Gratitude, Merit and Performance.
Offered at Hilltop and Greenbrier
- Minimum age 5 yrs old
- Offered in sessions: Fall (four payments of $70), Winter (3 payments of $80), Spring (3 paymemts of $62), Summer ($120) for elementary school swimmers only
- No annual contract
- No service hours requirement
Novice is the introductory level for the TIDE Swimming Developmental program. This group is composed of 5-10 year olds and swimmers work on developing the fundamentals of each stroke. The group mainly focuses on freestyle and backstroke, with introductions to butterfly and breaststroke. There is emphasis on swimmers attending practices, age appropriate meets, making new friends, and having FUN.
Practices: Three practices are offered per week. This group is offered in sessions, so swimmers do not have to commit to swimming for the full year:
FALL (Sept 5 - Dec 21), WINTER (Jan 2 - Mar 29), SPRING (Apr 8 - Jun 14), SUMMER (Jun 17 - Jul 31)
Competition: Introduction to competition - athletes participate in 2 or 3 swim meets per session.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo Trialon rubber fins, mesh bag.
Offered at Hilltop and Greenbrier
- Year round group with annual contract
- $100 monthly payment
- Swimmers can resign from the team with 60 days notice
- Parents are required to work a total of 8 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Developmental Silver is the middle level of the TIDE Developmental program. This group is composed of 6-10 yr old swimmers who develop skill sets for each stroke equally (no specialization) with the goal of being legal in all four strokes. Building off the skills learned in Novice, basic skills and drills for each stroke are learned and reviewed throughout the year with increased full stroke swimming and proficiency as the season continues. Strong emphasis on swimmers attending practices, age appropriate meets, making new friends, and having FUN.
Practices: Three practices are offered per week. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training. Should circumstances change, swimmers can resign from the team with 60 days notice.
Competition: Continued introduction to competition - athletes participate in 4 to 6 swim meets per year including end of season Championship meets.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo Trialon rubber fins, mesh bag.
Offered at Mount Trashmore and Greenbrier
- Year round group with annual contract
- $126 monthly payment
- Swimmers can resign from the team with 60 days notice
- Parents are required to work a total of 15 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Developmental Gold is the highest level of the Developmental program and a stepping stone into our Age Group Program. This group is composed of upper elementary school athletes (7-10 yr olds). Swimmers are introduced to sets that combine stroke skills, whole stroke swimming, and race strategy with intervals. Swimmers are learning what time standards are and how to achieve them. The commitment begins to shift from low to high depending on the swimmer's age, love of the sport, and interest in advancing into the Age Group Program. There is an increased focus on team camaraderie and practice/meet attendance throughout both short course and long course seasons.
Practices: Four or five practices are offered per week, depending on site. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training. Should circumstances change, swimmers can resign from the team with 60 days notice.
Competition: Competition is part of the program. Athletes participate in 8 to 10 swim meets per year including end of season Championship meets
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo Trialon rubber fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, mesh bag.
AGE GROUP PROGRAM
"FUNDAMENTALS AND INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING, IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT"
Athletes are able to swim all four strokes and maintain good technique on low intensity work.
Focus remains on teaching fundamentals and developing a strong foundation in all strokes while introducing a culture where hard work is valued and fun.
Attendance standards vary by group, but athletes are encouraged to attend as many practices each week as possible.
Dryland training is expanded.
Athletes typically range in age from 9 to 14 years old.
Team core values are further emphasized as the motivators and concepts that drive behavior.
Offered at Princess Anne Only
- Year round group with annual contract
- $163 monthly payment
- Swimmers can resign from the team with 60 days notice
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Age Group Prep is designed for middle school swimmers age 10-14. Building off the skills learned in Developmental, basic skills and drills for each stroke are taught and reviewed throughout the year with increased full stroke swimming and proficiency as the season continues. Swimmers develop skill sets for each stroke equally (no specialization) with the goal of being legal in all four strokes. Age Group Prep is a group that allows for swimmers to participate on swim team recreationally and helps prepare swimmers for the Age Group Program.
Practices: Three practices are offered per week and this group is only offered in Virginia Beach, in our outdoor, 50m pool. There is no attendance requirement. This group is offered in sessions so swimmers do not have to commit to the full 11-month season.
FALL (Sept 5 - Dec 21), WINTER (Jan 2 - Mar 29), SPRING (Apr 8 - Jun 14), SUMMER (Jun 17 - Jul 31)
Competition: Meet opportunities are available monthly, but not required.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo Trialon rubber fins, mesh bag.
Offered at Mount Trashmore, Great Bridge and Portsmouth
- Year round group with annual contract
- $163 monthly payment
- Swimmers can resign from the team with 60 days notice
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Age Group Bronze is the first level of the TIDE Age Group Program. Swimmers are making a larger commitment to swimming and are beginning to set goals for themselves. Swimmers are training year round, working toward achieving their first time standards, and competing in a wide variety of events. The group's emphasis is on long term athlete development and building strong team camaraderie. In Virginia Beach, this group is separated into two groups: elementary school swimmers and middle school swimmers. In Chesapeake and Portsmouth, all Age Group Bronze swimmers train together in one group.
Practices: Five practices are offered per week. Dryland sessions are offered twice a week to complement swim training. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training. Should circumstances change, swimmers can resign from the team with 60 days notice.
Competition: Athletes compete monthly with focus meets in mid-December, at the end of short course (25yd pools) season, and at the end of long course (50m pools) season.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo small pull buoy, Speedo Trialon rubber fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, mesh bag, jump rope, yoga mat
Offered at Mount Princess Anne, Great Bridge and Portsmouth
- Year round group with annual contract
- $210 monthly payment
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Age Group Silver is the middle level of the TIDE Age Group Program. Athletes in this group are starting to show a self motivation for swimming and a desire to develop their love for the sport of swimming. They have met some performance standards and are working toward achieving age appropriate time standards while attending swim meets on a monthly basis, rarely missing. The group's emphasis remains on long term development but with increased awareness of what the next level of competition looks like. In Virginia Beach this group is separated between 12 and under and 14 and under swimmers. In Chesapeake and Portsmouth this group is combined, with swimmers 11-14 years old.
Practices: Six practices are offered per week, complemented by dryland sessions. Swimmers typically attend 5-6 practices per week. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training.
Competition: Athletes compete monthly with one focus meet per season. Swimmers should be attending the highest level of competition for which they qualify.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo small pull buoy, Speedo Trialon rubber fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, mesh bag, jump rope, yoga mat
Offered at Princess Anne and Great Bridge
- Year round group with annual contract
- $247 monthly payment
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Age Group Gold is the highest level Age Group program on the team, and is composed of middle school aged athletes (11-14 years old). Athletes learn to appreciate the training process and seeing results over time. Athletes continue to establish a strong foundation in all four strokes with little specialization. Coaches place an equal emphasis on long course and short course swimming. Swimmers regularly swim both the 400yd IM and 1000yd freestyle in competition. Age Group Champs is the culminating meet for this group. Additionally, the target is "qualifying up" to attend travel meets on the schedule. In Virginia Beach, this group is separated between 14 and under swimmers and 12 and under swimmers. At Great Bridge & Portsmouth sites this group is combined with swimmers 11-14 years old.
Practices: Six to seven practices are offered per week, depending on site. Athletes also attend dryland training with continued focus on previous work, incorporation of tools, and introduction to resisted movements. Athletes should plan to maintain 85% practice attendance in this group. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training.
Competition: Athletes compete monthly with a focus meet as late in the season as possible. Senior level meets are introduced and consideration is given to attending the highest level meet for which an athlete qualifies. Athletes swim every event at least once per season and are introduced to travel for competition at least once per season.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo small pull buoy, Hydro Tech 2 fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, Arena Elite finger paddles, mesh bag, athletic shoes.
SENIOR PROGRAM
"COMPETITIVENESS IS DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH HARD WORK, CONSISTENCY, MINDFULNESS, AND EMBRACING THE JOURNEY."
The quantity and intensity of the training program increases.
Focus shifts from teaching fundamentals to physiological conditioning.
Attendance standards vary by group, but athletes are encouraged to attend as many practices per week as possible.
Dryland training progresses from core body conditioning to weight training.
Athletes typically range in age from 14 to 18 years old.
Read more about TIDE's Senior Progression HERE.
With a complete understanding of the team core values of Grit, Respect, Integrity, Gratitude, Merit, and Performance, senior swimmers set the standard of behavior that reflects these values, driving team culture.
Offered at Princess Anne, Great Bridge and Portsmouth
- Offered in sessions: Fall (Sept 5 - Nov 30), Spring (Mar 1 - June 30), and July swimming
- $205 monthly payment
- No annual contract
- No service hours requirement
Focus: Athletes learn to find and define success based on personal goals. They continue to build a solid foundation in all four strokes. This group, offered in sessions, allows swimmers and multi-sport athletes the flexibility to choose what they want to get out of the sport. The goal of the group is still to develop and move athletes through the program. Coaches balance establishing a base of technique and aerobic systems with catering to individual needs and goals of each athlete.
Practices: Six practices are offered per week. Swim training is complemented by dryland training.
THIS GROUP IS OFFERED IN SESSIONS: FALL (Sept 5 - Nov 30); SPRING (Mar 1 - June 30); SUMMER (June 1 - July 31). Instead of a Winter session, swimmers train with their high school teams.
Competition: Athletes are encouraged to compete monthly, especially those who are looking to progress through the program.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, kickboard, small pull buoy, Hydro Tech 2 fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, mesh bag, yoga mat, jump rope
Offered at Princess Anne, Great Bridge and Portsmouth
- Year round group with annual contract
- $231 monthly payment
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Focus: Athletes learn to find and define success based on personal goals. They continue to build a solid foundation in all four strokes. The goal of the group is still to develop and move athletes through the program. Coaches balance establishing a base of technique and aerobic systems with catering to the individual needs and goals of each athlete.
Practices: Six practices are offered per week. Swim training is complemented by dryland training. Athletes are expected to maintain 70% practice attendance. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training.
Competition: Athletes are encouraged to compete monthly, especially those who are looking to progress through the program.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, kickboard, small pull buoy, Hydro Tech 2 fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, mesh bag, yoga mat, jump rope.
Offered at Princess Anne, Great Bridge and Portsmouth
- Year round group with annual contract
- $269 monthly payment
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Focus: Athletes are encouraged to find creative ways to reach their potential. Group members possess a strong technical foundation in all four strokes and a focus on long term development. One emphasis is on building an aerobic base for both short term and long term success. Slightly more emphasis is placed on long course swimming vs short course swimming.
Practices: Six to seven practices are offered per week, depending on site. Dryland includes weight programming. Athletes are expected to maintain 80% practice attendance. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training.
Competition: Athletes compete monthly with one focus meet per season and the possibility of a mid-season meet to gauge progress. Athletes should be working to seek success in multiple ways not just defined by dropping time.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo small pull buoy, Hydro Tech 2 fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, Arena Elite finger paddles, Finis tempo trainer, jump rope, mesh bag.
Offered at Princess Anne and Great Bridge
- Year round group with annual contract
- $279 monthly payment
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Focus: This group of high school aged athletes (aged 14-17) have been identified as potential National level athletes. They will prepare to move into the National group following a year or two in the Pre-National group. Athletes in the group are making the sacrifice that swimming, family, and school are their main priorities. Athletes in this group are single sport athletes focused on high performance in the sport of swimming.
Practices: Six to seven practices are offered per week, depending on site. Dryland includes weight programming. Athletes are expected to maintain 90% practice attendance. This is a year round group and swimmers commit to eleven months of training.
Competition: Athletes compete monthly with one focus meet per season and the possibility of a mid-season meet to gauge progress. Athletes should be working to seek success in multiple ways not just defined by dropping time. Additionally, attending out of town competitions is an expectation of this group.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo Pull Kick Pull Buoy Kickboard, Speedo small pull buoy, Hydro Tech 2 fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, Arena Elite finger paddles, mesh bag, extra tubing for paddles, jump rope.
Offered at Princess Anne only
- Year round group with annual contract
- $289 monthly payment
- Parents are required to work a total of 25 service hours at Tide hosted meets over the course of the season. Parents can earn credit for timing at other teams' meets when TIDE is asked to provide timers.
Focus: Maximizing athlete potential. Athletes continue development of all 4 strokes with a balanced training plan that allows for specificity of training in distance and stroke while setting athletes up for future success in college swimming with a solid aerobic base. Technical precision and efficiency are a focus of both the athletes and the coaches. Valuing the ability to race effectively in all events is key, but training also allows for specialization.
Practices: Seven practices are offered per week. Close to 100% practice attendance is expected. Dryland is held 5 times per week, including twice weekly weight training.
Competition: Athletes compete monthly with 1 focus meet per season and 1 mid-season meet to gauge progress or qualify for next level meets. Athletes strive to qualify for USA Swimming meets (Olympic Trials, Nationals, Jr Nationals, Futures, Sectionals). Travel to major competitions is increased and expected.
Equipment: TIDE cap, goggles, Speedo kickboard, Speedo Pull Kick Pull Buoy Kickboard, Speedo small pull buoy, Hydro Tech 2 fins, Speedo bullet head adult snorkel, Strokemaker paddles, Arena Elite finger paddles, mesh bag, extra tubing for paddles, jump rope.
Registration for current Tide members opens AT 7:00AM on August 2.
Registration for new members opens on August 9.
**Registered families brand new to TIDE can change their mind and quit the team up through September 16. You will pay the first monthly installment payment on September 1 and your Tide Registration Fee will NOT be refunded. All other contractual obligations will be forgiven.**