OLYMPIC PROSPECTS (OP)

Coach: mARTIN GURRIN
oP program DIRECTOR

Parent Representative:
Parent reps act as a liaison between the coach, the parents, the club and its members. To reach your OP parent rep, email macheadparentrep@gmail.com

Olympic Prospects (OP) is MAC's swimming development program. OP is designed to establish a strong technical foundation in all four competitive strokes while instilling a love of swimming so that children and families enter the sport of competitive swimming with an opportunity for lifelong enrichment.

To join, every new swimmer must go through an assessment. The assessment is required to determine if the swimmer is ready for the program and what level best suits the swimmer. Assessments are by appointment, are conducted in groups of 6-8 swimmers, and lasts 25-35 minutes.

Please email info@markhamaquaticclub.com to book an assessment. Refer to our Membership page for what to bring to the assessment.

SCHEDULES AND LOCATIONS

OP practice calendar September through November 2025

Pool Locations

Swim Meets for OP

OP swim meet calendar 2025/2026

Central Region Time Standards (2026 standards will be posted as soon as they are available)

Regional Division 1 and Division 2 time standards 2025

Results for 2024/2025 OP in-house Swim Meets

OP MiniMeet #1 kick race: results

OP MiniMeet #2 freestyle race (100m, 200m, 400m): results

PROGRAM description

OPB, OPC and OPD swimmers learn stroke drill progressions, to help them attain the general and specific skills that support competitive swimming success. The program moves from smaller group learning to larger group practices, generally for swimmers 10 years old and younger.

OPAA, OPA1 progress swimmers 10 & under from stroke drills progressions into Learning to Train, with challenging interval training requiring pace management and consistent stroke technique under training tension.

OPA2, OPDev, OPDev3, OPDev4 progress swimmers 11 & over from stroke drills progressions into Learning to Train, with challenging interval training requiring pace management and consistent stroke technique under training tension.

Entrance into the OP program

Swim technique in the four competitive strokes and a dive start are assessed at a MAC OP tryout. Tryouts are scheduled by emailing info@markhamaquaticclub.com.

Reassignment within the OP program

1. Learning capacities: Attention, Change, Retention and Flow/Sequencing

An essential criteria for moving through the program, and becoming a better swimmer athlete, is being a self learner, taking responsibility for:

being attentive in practice
being aware of skill changes required to improve strokes, and willing/capable to make those changes
putting effort into retaining changes to skills
taking skill changes and integrating them into full stroke flow/sequencing

2. Skill scores: as measured by stroke technique assessment (all 4 strokes and a dive start, each scored out of 3, total out of 15)

3. Speed: timed 25 kick

Reassignment into TAG, JAG, Bantam programs

Based on training speed, and competitive results

Practice Structure

activation/orientation on deck
swimming and skills and kicking effort
games, relays, speed

Daily Expectations for Swimmers

Listens and tries to do what the coach says
Courteous and respectful with the coaches
Courteous and respectful with other swimmers in the pool
Comes to practice with a good attitude
Fosters teamwork and sportsmanship

Practice Guidelines

Teach and continue to improve the basic swimming fundamentals:

Body Position, stack and lock streamline
Properly kick all four strokes
Properly swim all 4 strokes
Use pace clock and understand lane sharing (circle swimming)
Starts and Turns
Breathing Patterns for Free and Fly
Introduce the concept of body dolphin swimming
Team Cheers
Goal Setting

Competition

There will be 2 developmental swim meets for Olympic Prospects, 3 MiniMeets; as well as 1-4 competitive meets for qualified (based on time standards) swimmers.

Criteria to Exit to TAG, JAG, Bantam groups - based On Coach recommendation

Streamline off every wall with a stack and lock. Be able to push off, back, side, stomach.
Has knowledge and can execute at least three core drills pertaining to each stroke
Is comfortable doing short and long axis turns.
Has four legal strokes maintaining proper body position
Has a legal 100 IM
Has a basic practice habit
Legal starts and finishes.
Understands and can display good sportsmanship
Understands changing pace / speed adjustment