Back to School & Back to the Pool
At the start of a season, it’s important to be intentional about how we develop young athletes. At Alto Swim Club, we teach life through swimming! That’s why we treat the pool deck as a positive, challenging, and inclusive classroom environment.
Routine
We coach through through an educational lens. Our coaching staff has a commitment to each swimmer and to the daily process. We teach swimmers that success means showing up consistently, training with intention, and embracing new challenges along the way.
Arriving on time helps swimmers greet coaches and teammates, prepare equipment, and maintain a prepared, positive mindset.
Technical mastery builds a solid foundation that swimmers build on throughout their athletic journey.
Clear expectations are essential! Holding swimmers to a high standard builds ownership, confidence, and autonomy.
Building Habits
Good habits are achieved through hard work and routine. Alto team culture celebrates effort and a growth mindset. The on-deck environment guides and encourages swimmers to try new things and set ambitious goals. Coaches strive to reinforce good habits with praise, rewards, and helpful corrections.
Hard work means no can’ts, no excuses, and no complaining. We learn optimism and positive self-talk. Swimmers try new things with a good attitude!
We work hard to “get it right.” Sometimes that means repeating a lesson or exercise until the group really masters the skill. Repetition is part of the learning process!
Learning takes time, and everyone learns differently. We incorporate all kinds of learning strategies (verbal, visual, hands-on, peer examples, etc)
New Skills
As swimmers grow physically and emotionally, so do the demands of their training. Our progression starts with basic stroke mechanics and increases in intensity and skill as swimmers progress.
Confidence is built through play, movement repetition, and feel for the water.
Re-learning skills, staying patient through all phases, and learning from mistakes makes us stronger.
We compete often, and swim meets are a “skills check” for the swimmer and the coach. Let’s look at every meet as a learning opportunity.
Making mistakes isn’t failure; it’s an opportunity to learn and grow in new ways.
How Parents Can Support Learning
Celebrate your swimmer’s achievements and encourage them to do their best. You are your swimmer’s best supporter, cheerleader, volunteer, and biggest fan! Ask them about their goals and support them with love when they make mistakes. Learning takes time, repetition, and patience. Trust the process and know that we are better when we learn together.
About Alto Swim Club
Alto Swim Club is a year-round USA Swimming club serving Peninsula families in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Menlo Park, Redwood City, Foster City, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Stanford, Atherton, and surrounding Bay Area communities.
From learn-to-swim lessons and stroke development to youth competitive swimming, fitness programs, high school swim training, and high-performance competition, Alto provides professional coaching and long-term athlete development from a swimmer’s first experience through the national level.
Looking for a youth competitive swim team, USA Swimming club, year-round swim program, or swim team tryouts in the Palo Alto area? Explore Alto Swim Club programs and find the right starting point for your swimmer.
Alto offers swimming programs at multiple locations throughout the Mid-Peninsula, including:
Stanford University, Avery Aquatic Center
235 Sam McDonald Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
JLS Middle School
480 E Meadow Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Greene Middle School
750 N California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Alpine Hills Swim & Tennis
4139 Alpine Rd, Portola Valley, CA 94028
Alto Swim Club also offers programs at additional locations throughout Palo Alto and the surrounding Peninsula.
Ready to swim with Alto? Explore our programs, register for swim lessons, or learn more about joining Alto Swim Club.