Before things get complicated, swimmers are expected to be ready to begin a scheduled KYD activity at their scheduled practice time. This usually means being prepared to jump in the water at that practice time. Swimmers should not be arriving at the YMCA at their scheduled practice time. To be early is to be on time.

1. Swimmers need a snack after school prior to practice. Period. Snacks.
2. Swimmers must have a water bottle. They can fill it with water or an appropriate workout drink. Gatorade and Powerade are not appropriate workout drinks.
3. Swimmers must have two pairs of goggles. One is none. Two is one. See the Equipment page for recommended goggles.

The most important part of a swim practice is The Warmup. Swimmers are significantly more prone to injury if they miss The Warmup. It's usually a 15-20 minute set of swims incorprating easy, slow, aerobic swimming and skill/drills. The remainder of the workout can vary significantly by practice. Swimmers more than 15 minutes late should simply not attend practice. They're missing The Warmup. They're stressed out about showing up late. They're embarrassed on the pool deck in front of their peers. There is never an extra lane for a swimmer to warm up in. Skip practice and show up on time for the next practice.

As mentioned in previous sections, pool time is a commodity. The swim team is alotted 4-5 lanes over 2.5 hours to train 60 swimmers. This sometimes results in 6-7 swimmers per lane. All of the swimmers in each lane are doing the same thing: the same stroke at the same distance at the same speed. There is no space for an injured swimmer to come in and paddle around during practice times. Deckinetics(dryland) and each swim practice's warmup are crucial to the prevention of injury. Injuries are significant setbacks in competitive swimming. Returning to one's practice group in the middle of the swim season is a significant challenge following an injury. The coaching staff focuses on injury-prevention at every practice with specific Deckinetics and swimming drills.

Physical Conditioning and Swimming Technique develop consistently over the course of every season. Swimmers must practice frequently and consistently to maintain this progression in their practice group. Kids don't like practicing with those younger than themselves. They get into a social groove with their practice group. This social energy becomes a crucial part of their motivation to practice.

If swimmers can develop their own motivation to practice they will be far more successful than those pushed by their parents to practice. This isn't baseball. This is a 7-month(and perhaps year-round) group effort. If participants don't feel good about it, it's simply not going to be constructive.