Practice Groups

ENSA practice groups are based on each swimmer’s current skill level, training ability, and stage of development. Membership plans are selected separately based on the number of pool training hours a swimmer plans to attend each week.

New ENSA group and membership options are designed to allow swimmers to adjust their practice plan throughout the season as their skills progress.

Gray Zone: Pre-Competition Development

Prerequisite: Swimmers must be able to kick with a kickboard and move independently through the water on both their front and back. Swimmers should also have a basic understanding of freestyle and backstroke.

Age: 5 & Up
Practice: 1x per week (60 minutes) & 1 dryland practice per week Recommended Membership: Development I

Gray Zone is designed for swimmers transitioning from swim lessons into a team practice environment. Training focuses on body position, kicking, streamlining, breathing, freestyle, and backstroke while building endurance, confidence, and the ability to follow a structured swim practice. The goal is for swimmers to comfortably swim at least 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke and develop the foundational skills needed to progress into Blue Zone.

Competition Readiness: Gray Zone swimmers are encouraged to gain introductory competition experience through ENSA Block Party meets throughout the season.

Blue Zone: Intro to Competition

Prerequisite: Swimmers must be able to swim 50 yards of freestyle and 50 yards of backstroke without stopping. A basic understanding of breaststroke and butterfly is also required.

Age: 5 & Up
Practice: 1-4x per week (60 minutes) & 1 dryland practice per week Recommended Membership: Development I, Development II, or Competitive Lite

Blue Zone introduces swimmers to the fundamentals of competitive swimming while building the endurance and independence needed to complete structured practices. Swimmers develop all four competitive strokes along with streamlines, starts, turns, kicking, pacing, and basic race skills. The goal is to develop technically sound swimmers who can confidently complete practices, demonstrate legal technique, and begin competing when ready.

Competitive: Blue Zone swimmers are eligible to participate in all ENSA Block Party and USA Swimming-sanctioned meets. Swimmers participating in sanctioned competition must maintain the appropriate USA Swimming membership.

Green Zone: Age-Group Competition Development

Prerequisite: Knowledge of all four competitive strokes and the ability to continuously complete practice sets consisting of 25s and 50s.

Age: 6 & Up
Practice: 2-4x per week (90 minutes) & 1 dryland practice per week Recommended Membership: Development II, Competitive Lite, Competitive Plus, or Performance

Green Zone is designed for swimmers who are comfortable completing structured practices and are ready to develop the physical and technical skills needed for stronger competitive performances. Training emphasizes control in the water to help swimmers improve and maintain stroke efficiency while building speed. Stroke-specific drills, kicking, underwater skills, starts, turns, aerobic training, and race concepts help swimmers better understand how to use strength and technique to enhance performance.

Competitive: Green Zone swimmers are eligible to participate in all ENSA Block Party and USA Swimming-sanctioned meets. Swimmers participating in sanctioned competition must maintain the appropriate USA Swimming membership.

Orange Zone: Advanced Age-Group/Senior Competition Development

Prerequisite: Proficiency in all four swim strokes and the ability to swim at least 500 yards of freestyle without stopping. Ability to swim a series of 50s and 100s continuously to complete practice sets.

Age: 11 & Up
Practice: 2-4x per week (90–120 minutes) & 1 dryland practice per week Recommended Membership: Competitive Lite, Competitive Plus, or Performance

Orange Zone is ENSA’s advanced competitive training group and builds directly upon the strength, control, and technical efficiency developed in Green Zone. Swimmers learn to maintain efficient technique at greater speeds and under increased training demands through higher training volume, race-specific pacing, advanced stroke work, underwater skills, starts, turns, and speed development. The goal is to help athletes understand how strength, technique, timing, and race strategy work together to produce faster and more consistent competitive performances.

Competitive: Orange Zone swimmers are eligible to participate in all ENSA Block Party and USA Swimming-sanctioned meets. Swimmers participating in sanctioned competition must maintain the appropriate USA Swimming membership.