Bradley Farm Wave

"The purpose of the Herndon Swim League is to promote sportsmanship through friendly competition between amateur swimmers. The league is developmental in nature, designed to teach good swimming techniques for each swimming stroke to all team members and to provide participants with aquatic skills that they can use throughout their lives. Every swimmer is to be a participant in league meets, and coaches are required to rotate their swimmers so that each has an opportunity to swim all strokes."

- Section 1 of the 2024 Herndon Swim League Rules

Core Values

The Herndon Swim League was founded to promote sportsmanship through friendly competition between amateur swimmers, and the Bradley Farm Wave has developed a set of Core Values to help us achieve the goals of our league.

The Core Values of the Bradley Farm Wave are:

• Community: We view ourselves as part of a larger community, and encourage connections within and across families, neighborhoods, and towns.
• Inclusion: We are better when we can learn from different backgrounds and perspectives.
• Competition: We encourage everyone to find ways to improve themselves and be proud of their accomplishments.
• Excellence: We strive to help everyone become the best version of themselves.

Each of these core values has a role in helping us promote sportsmanship through friendly competition between amateur swimmers, and these core values are at the heart of our instructional program.

Learning Goals

The instructional program has been developed to help our swimmers pursue the following learning goals:

1. Develop basic aquatic skills and confidence in one's swimming abilities.
2. Learn all four competitive strokes: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly.
3. Compete in all swim meet events, including medleys and relays.
4. Refine technique to improve competitive results.

The way we help our swimmers to pursue these goals is through a structured program that introduces aquatic skills in an incremental way, so that swimmers get enough attention and instruction at each level. In addition to the traditional swim team goals of winning races and beating personal records, this approach aligns with the developmental nature of our league and gives us the opportunity to focus on (and celebrate) achievement of these learning goals by our swimmers. This approach also lets us focus on a smaller number of achievable milestones that each swimmer can realistically work on during the short 9-week-long season.

Learn more about each of the milestone levels in the instructional program for the Junior Wave:

Junior Wave Step 1

At this level, swimmers will practice aquatic skills with the use of the wall or floatation devices, in order to become acclimated to the pool.

Step 1 Techniques

• Blowing bubbles to establish breathing techniques
• Kicking on the wall
• Kicking using a kickboard supported by a coach
• Floating with coach assistance on front and back
• Stroke techniques (kicking feet and pulling arms) using kickboards and noodles
• Using "crab hold" to walk hand-to-hand along the side of the pool

Junior Wave Step 2

At this level, swimmers begin learning basic floatation and movement skills.

Step 1 Techniques

• Kicking solo on a kickboard with coach in front or beside
• Pushing off the wall and swimming to coach with 1-2 kicks/strokes
• Floating with coach assistance on front and back
• Floating comfortably on their stomach and their back by themselves
• Moving arms and kicking legs together with coach supporting under the belly
• Learning to use bottom of the pool to jump up to surface

Junior Wave Step 3

At this level, swimmers practice basic stroke techniques in increasingly independant exercises to build confidence in their swimming ability.

Step 1 Techniques

• Practicing how many strokes they can independantly swim away from the wall, with coach in arm's reach.
• Floating horizontally using arms and legs to keep belly up.
• Repeated practice of independant swimming techniques to build confidence.

Learn more about each of the milestone levels in the instructional program for the competitive team:

Freestyle Fundamentals

Swimmers at this level have completed the three steps of the Junior Wave program and have demonstrated that they can swim independently, but do not yet have the stamina to swim 25 yards.

Core Skills for Freestyle Fundamentals

Swimmers will continue to learn Freestyle techniques and participate in basic conditioning exercises until they can swim 25 yards, and will work on earning a recorded time for swimming a Freestyle event during a swim meet.

Additional Skills for Freestyle Fundamentals

Swimmers will continue to learn about aquatic safety and will be introduced to team practice routines.

Swim Meet Participation for Freestyle Fundamentals

Swimmers will be encouraged to compete in the Freestyle event.

Objective for Completion of Freestyle Fundamentals

Swimmers will progress to the next level when they have a recorded time for an individual Freestyle event (e.g., 25 Freestyle or 50 Freestyle) at a swim meet or Time Trials.

Backstroke Fundamentals

At this level, swimmers have demonstrated that they can swim the Freestyle stroke in compliance with USA Swimming rules. They are now ready to focus on the Backstroke.

Core Skills for Backstroke Fundamentals

Swimmers will learn fundamental Backstroke techniques and will work on earning a recorded time for swimming a backstroke event at a swim meet.

Additional Skills for Backstroke Fundamentals

Swimmers will refine their front crawl technique in order to improve their Freestyle performance and may be introduced to the Breaststroke and Relays.

Swim Meet Participation for Backstroke Fundamentals

Swimmers should continue competing in the Freestyle event and will be encouraged to start competing in Backstroke events and Relays.

Objective for Completion of Backstroke Fundamentals

Swimmers will progress to the next level when they have a recorded time for an individual Backstroke event (e.g., 25 Backstroke or 50 Backstroke) at a swim meet or Time Trials.

Breaststroke Fundamentals

At this level, swimmers have demonstrated that they can swim the Freestyle stroke and backstroke in compliance with USA Swimming rules. They are now ready to focus on the Breaststroke.

Core Skills for Breaststroke Fundamentals

Swimmers will learn fundamental Breaststroke techniques and will work on earning a recorded time for swimming a breaststroke event at a swim meet.

Additional Skills for Breaststroke Fundamentals

Swimmers will refine their freestyle, backstroke, and relay techniques, and may be introduced to the Butterfly.

Swim Meet Participation for Breaststroke Fundamentals

Swimmers should continue competing in the Freestyle and Backstroke events and relays and will be encouraged to start competing in Breaststroke events.

Objective for Completion of Breaststroke Fundamentals

Swimmers will progress to the next level when they have a recorded time for an individual Breaststroke event (e.g., 25 Breaststroke or 50 Breaststroke) at a swim meet or Time Trials.

Butterfly Fundamentals

At this level, swimmers have demonstrated that they can swim the Freestyle stroke, Backstroke, and Breaststroke in compliance with USA Swimming rules. They are now ready to focus on the Butterfly.

Core Skills for Butterfly Fundamentals

Swimmers will learn fundamental Butterfly techniques and will work on earning a recorded time for swimming a butterfly event at a swim meet.

Additional Skills for Butterfly Fundamentals

Swimmers will refine their Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Relay techniques, and may be introduced to the Individual Medley.

Swim Meet Participation for Butterfly Fundamentals

Swimmers should continue competing in the Freestyle, Backstroke, and Breaststroke events and relays, and will be encouraged to start competing in Butterfly events.

Objective for Completion of Butterfly Fundamentals

Swimmers will progress to the next level when they have a recorded time for an individual Butterfly event (e.g., 25 Butterfly or 50 Butterfly) at a swim meet or Time Trials.

Stroke Development

At this level, swimmers have demonstrated that they can swim all strokes in compliance with USA Swimming rules. They will now continue refining their stroke techniques and will focus on the Individual Medley.

Core Skills for Stroke Development

Swimmers will refine their stroke techniques and participate in conditioning exercises to build endurance for longer distances, so that they can earn a recorded time for swimming the Individual Medley at a swim meet.

Additional Skills for Stroke Development

Swimmers are encouraged to learn leadership skills in a coaching staff role on the team.

Swim Meet Participation for Stroke Development

Swimmers should continue competing in the Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly events and relays, and will be encouraged to start competing in the Individual Medley.

Objective for Completion of Stroke Development

Swimmers will progress to the next level when they have a recorded time for the Individual Medley at a swim meet or Time Trials.

Conditioning

At this level, swimmers will work on developing strength, stamina, and endurance in order to apply their skills to longer distances.

Core Skills for Conditioning

Swimmers will participate in conditioning drills to isolate, refine, and practice advanced stroke techniques.

Additional Skills for Conditioning

Swimmers are encouraged to learn leadership skills in a coaching staff role on the team.

Swim Meet Participation for Conditioning

Swimmers should compete in all events.

Objective for Completion of Conditioning

Swimmers may remain in this level through their final year of eligibility for the team.