Competitive Program

Collegiate Aquatics provides instruction and training for competitive swimmers ages 5-18.  Swimmers are evaluated by the coaching staff prior to beginning practice and placed in a level/training group based on swimming ability, maturity, and age. 

Collegiate's competitive swimming program is broken into four training groups based on the four basic phases of athlete development in age group swimming.[1] At each level of the program, we continually try to evaluate and adapt to the multitude of factors, both scientific and sociological, that impact the growth and development of young athletes. Experience has taught us that the perfect age group program is a moving target that changes as the population we serve changes and as we learn more about the development of young people. Once swimmers begin in our program, we want to give them the preparation and tools they will need to make swimming a lifetime activity.

Clinics are offered in the spring and late summer for conditioning and teaching or reviewing stroke progressions.  Collegiate coaches encourage swimmers to participate in the spring and late summer clinics, as well as a summer program, in order to facilitate their progression through Collegiate Aquatics competitive swimming levels.

 Collegiate Aquatics Training Groups

Novice Group: Basic Skill Development

This phase is the introductory level of competitive swimming. In order to begin in the novice levels of our program, swimmers must be able to swim a minimum of 25 yards freestyle and backstroke. The focus is almost entirely on teaching fundamentals and developing basic motor learning skills, balance, and coordination in the water. It is vitally important to make swimming fun and enjoyable. We believe the most significant responsibility for novice coaches is teaching young people to love the water and to love the sport.

Training Opportunities: 3 days a week

Age Group Green: Basic Training Development

After the swimmer has completed the fundamentals of the novice program, swimmers move into the second level of our age group program. Swimmers who move into these practice levels are able to swim all four strokes and maintain good technique on low intensity interval work. This phase is a transitional level where the emphasis begins to change from primarily teaching to a relatively equal balance of technique work and physiological development. The focus is still centered on teaching fundamentals and developing a strong foundation in all strokes. A high priority continues to be placed on kicking all four strokes.

Training Opportunities: 4 days a week

Age Group Blue: Progressive Training

The quantity and intensity of the training program increases, once swimmers move into the blue training group. For the first time, the program structure calls for more time to be devoted to physiological conditioning than to teaching fundamentals. Dry land training is introduced at these levels with the emphasis primarily being on the development of core body conditioning and teaching swimmers how to work with medicine balls. Swimmers are encouraged to attend as many practices each week as possible. Although low intensity aerobic conditioning is still the highest priority, we have athletes begin to do more anaerobic threshold work. It is critical that technique is not compromised as swimmers swim faster in practice a greater percentage of the time.

Training Opportunities: 5 days a week

Senior Group: Advanced Training

Swimmers with the appropriate dedication, desire, experience, and talent are invited to the advanced training level of our program at 12 years of age. The training program is very demanding with a heavy emphasis on distance based physiological training. While mileage completed is an important consideration, attention to detail and improvement in stroke technique is very highly valued. Coaches continually stress efficiency and technical precision as key components to success at the elite levels. The commitment level required at these levels of the program is very high with swimmers expected to attend at least 90% of all training sessions during the school year and 6-8 practices per week during the summer. Strength training is a standard part of the training program.

Training Opportunities: 6 days a week

Specific training questions can be answered by one of the coaches.  You may speak with a coach not engaged with a practice or by writing to CollegiateAquatics@yahoo.com.

See Practice Information about practice schedule times.

Collegiate Coaches

Although Collegiate Aquatics may be new to the central PA region in name and organization, the team has a committed group of knowledgeable coaches committed to building a successful program.  The Collegiate coaching staff is by no means "new" and boasts extensive experience in developing and training swimmers of every skill level.  Each member of the coaching staff shares the vision to develop athletes that not only achieve their goals, but exemplify the values of self-motivation and good sportsmanship.

Erich & Kurt Sprowls

Residents of Mechanicsburg, coaches (and brothers) Erich and Kurt Sprowls have provided quality swimming instruction to hundreds of swimmers in the Harrisburg and West Shore area for over the past fifteen years.  Previous team affiliations have been with the Mechanicsburg Aquatic Club, Harrisburg East Shore Y (HESY), West Shore YMCA, Camp Curtin YMCA and Latshmere Swim Team.  

Kirsten Kenyon

Rounding out the coaching staff is assistant coach Kirsten Kenyon.  A competitive age-group, high-school, collegiate and master swimmer for over 25 years, she is in her fourth year coaching at Collegiate, and fourth year in coaching for Latshmere Swim Team.