About BEAT

Bay’s Edge Aquatic Team
 
BEAT uses a "progressive" age group program designed to develop the child physically, mentally and emotionally in a systematic fashion. A well-defined, long-term approach of gradually increasing degrees of commitment is essential to reach peak performance levels during a swimmer’s physiological prime. The emphasis in the early stages of participation is placed on developing technical skills and a love for the sport. In the later years, a more demanding physical and psychological challenge must be introduced to the training program. In this respect, "too much too soon" is more often the cause of failure to achieve maximum potential in senior swimming than in the reverse situation.
 
In addition to emphasizing long-term rather than short-term results, it is also important that we establish a progression of training groups with swimmers who are compatible in respect to abilities, commitment levels and goals. Unfortunately, this is not always the most convenient approach to take, but it is always the most productive.
 
At each level, the goals and objectives are specific and directed toward meeting the needs of the swimmer. The long term goal of total excellence is always in mind. As each child is different, he/she will progress at his/her own rate. The coaching staff recognizes this fact by making team assignments based on a swimmer’s physical, mental, and emotional level of development.
 
Our Leadership
BEAT is a member of the USA Swimming, the national governing body of the sport in the U.S.  USS sponsors the United States National Team and the Olympic Team at the international level of the sport.  We are also a part of Texas Swimming and South Texas Swimming, the state and region organizations.  We are a non-profit organization, governed by a club-elected Board of Directors, and we are located at the Corpus Christi Natatorium.  BEAT takes pride in being a part of the Club Excellence Program.
 
Our Training
You will see that we have divided our athlete’s development into 4 phases and developed 5 Training Groups to accommodate the specific needs of each individual as they progress in their athletic careers.  Our goal is to develop a program which can an athlete from a Bronze Team beginner to the most elite levels of USA and International Competition.  Specific training information can be found under the "Training Groups" Tab and a basic outline of USA Swimming’s competitive levels is available under the "USA Swimming Pyramid" Sub-Tab.
 
 
Our Design
 Our design is based around five “Factors for Success” or commonalities that can be found amongst every winning athletic program around the world. These five traits come from years of research and experience and represent your child’s greatest chance for athletic success and fulfillment.
  1. Physical activity during childhood and adolescence/ Specialization: A recent study compared two groups of children – one a multilateral training group (involved in multiple sports or varied training programs) and the other an early sport specialization group. Athletes in the multilateral training group achieved their best performances at 18 years and older, had fewer injuries and longer careers. The early specialization group had best performances at 15-16 years and the majority had dropped out by 18 years. At BEAT we recognize the importance of commitment, but we never rush our athlete’s development. Younger athletes will be encouraged to participate in multiple sports and will rarely, if ever, participate in specialized training until later in their careers.    
  2. Long-term development: Successful programs take a long-term view of training and competition. This long term approach takes into consideration concepts such as gradually developing of factors critical to endurance performance (VO2 Max, Anaerobic Threshold, etc.), yearly volumes that will facilitate continual improvements, progressive strength training/development, and an emphasis on training over competition during the season. Each of these factors is taken into consideration when assigning our athletes to training groups and planning for their development.
  3. Training volume and intensity during adolescence and young adulthood: There is no time in a child’s development that is more critical to their long-term success than during early adolescence. Due to the physiological changes taking place this time represents the greatest potential for athletic adaptability. Effectively designed and properly administered training during this time will have a substantial impact on an athlete’s long-term potential for success. (It is suggested that high training volume in addition to variations in training intensity during late adolescence are the key factors influencing the increased aerobic capacity that is necessary for success in sports like swimming.)
  4. High quality coaching: NOTHING HAS A GREATER IMPACT ON AN ATHLETE’S DEVELOPMENT THAN THEIR COACHING! At BEAT we stress three principles that are common to all successful programs. They are: (1) knowledgeable design and structure of training, (2) effective coach-athlete-parent communication, and (3) daily analysis of training and performance.
  5. Training partners and team atmosphere: At BEAT we strive to create a positive, supportive, and competitive environment. Our team is designed to allow athletes with similar interests, abilities, and goals to train and compete together. We believe this atmosphere will challenge our athletes to succeed while creating an enjoyable environment that allows them to contribute to their teammate’s success.