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Swimming and Diving

4 Camps

• Stroke Development Camp
• Elite Camp
• Combination Camp
• Diving Camp

General Information

• Cost
• Tippin Natatorium
• Location
• Camp Staff

“During the past 35 years, the Clarion men’s team has won the conference 24 times and the women’s team has won the conference title 25 times in 29 attempts. With this outstanding record, it’s not hard choosing Clarion as your camp of choice this summer!”
– Coach Van Dyke

Clarion University of Pennsylvania fields one of the strongest NCAA Division II swimming and diving programs in the United States. Both teams consistently place in the top five nationally, and the women’s team has won nationals eight times. That tradition has influenced the highly successful Golden Eagle Swimming and Diving Camps.

This year will mark the 32nd Annual Stroke Development and Diving Camps. Many of our camp graduates have distinguished themselves in USS and YMCA nationals as well as on the high school, college, and Olympic levels. Our goal is to encourage and assist every camper to reach his or her full potential. We hope you decide to join us in this tradition of excellence at Clarion University.

Cost

• $325 per weekly session. Recommended for ages 10 to 18 years. Registration deposit - $100.
• $300 for second child in family, additional weeks, or groups of 10 or more submitted together.
• Includes coaching, room, board, camp T-shirt, stroke outlines, and awards.

Four Camps - 5 Weeks Available

Stroke Development Camp

Best choice for anyone with competitive swimming experience in a USS club, school team, summer club, YMCA, or any organized swim team. The camp offers 80 percent technique work and 20 percent workout training.

• Provides stroke improvement through films, lectures, outlines, demonstrations, and videotaping, both on the surface and from the underwater window.
• Works on starts, turns, stroke mechanics, flexibility, and strength training.
• Provides each swimmer with a surface and underwater videotape analysis of his or her strokes and turns.
• Works on attitudes pertaining to sportsmanship, nutrition, dedication, commitment, etc.
• Provides each swimmer with worthwhile recreational opportunities.

Elite Camp

Best for anyone who has participated in a moderate to heavy yardage program who would like to maintain this training level while improving stroke technique. The camp offers 80 percent workout training and 20 percent technique work.

• Provides two strenuous workouts per day.
• Provides daily strength and flexibility training.
• Provides stroke improvement through films, lectures, outlines, demonstrations, and videotaping both on the surface and from the underwater window.
• Provides each swimmer with a surface and underwater videotape analysis of his or her strokes and turns.
• Provides each swimmer with worthwhile recreational opportunities.

Combination Camp

Best for any swimmer who feels the need for stroke technique work and training workouts for refinement of their swimming skill. The camp offers 50 percent technique work and 50 percent workout training.

• Combines the goals and benefits of stroke and elite camp in a balanced fashion.

Diving Camp

• Best for any diver who has had springboard diving experience.
• Provides instruction in all required dives and appropriate optional dives.
• Introduces new dives by using the spotting belt on the port-a-pit when the diver is ready.
• Improves understanding of diving techniques through discussion and film.
• Provides each diver with an individual videotape analysis of his or her dives.
• Provides each diver with worthwhile recreational experiences.

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General Information

1. Campers are assigned according to preferences on the application. Be sure to list a second and third choice. If only one specific week is possible for you, be sure to indicate it on your application.
2. Residence hall rooms will be assigned two or three per room, with girls and boys on separate floors.
3. Enrollment is limited each week to: Stroke-50, Elite-30, Combination-36, and Diving-30. Swimmers may be moved to the camp best suited for their abilities.

Tippin Natatorium Facilities and Equipment

Swimming – A six-lane, 25-yard competitive pool with deck and balcony area for dry land work; a complete Colorado timing system, including computerized pace clock; an underwater window for videotaping strokes and turns; and strength facilities, including free weights, machines, stretch cords, and exercise area.

Diving – Separate diving well (42-by-42-by-12 feet deep) with two one-meter maxiflex boards and one three-meter maxiflex board; one port-a-pit with a duraflex board, foam rubber landing pit, and an overhead spotting belt.

Location

Sessions are conducted at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, in Clarion, Pa., just two miles off Interstate 80, Exit 64, in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Camp Staff

Mark VanDyke, fifth-year Clarion Head Swimming coach, begins his 17th year coaching the Golden Eagle Swimming and Diving Camps. VanDyke swam at Seneca Valley H.S. and Clarion University, under former Clarion coach Bill Miller, achieving All-State and All-American status. While at Clarion, he held numerous team records in backstroke, freestyle and IM. More than 20 years of coaching has produced many national top-16 rankings and state champions. He emphasizes the importance of stroke development in young swimmers.

Dave Hrovat, Clarion University diving coach, has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Diving Camp for the past 16 years. He was a PA state high school diving champion, Atlantic Coast Conference champion and diver of the year, and NCAA Division I All-American. He has been named NCAA Division II Diving Coach of the Year 13 times in 14 years. In 14 years, his divers have earned 143 All-American awards including 23 national champion finishes.

Christina (Tillotson) Sheets, fifth-year Clarion University assistant swimming coach, graduated from Clarion in 1999. She was a NCAA Division II National Champion in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke, 28-time All-American, and is the school record holder in the 200 and 400 IMs. “Tilly” graduated from Dallastown Area H.S. and Clarion University, and received a master’s degree in sports administration from Ball State University. Her philosophy follows that of former coaches VanDyke and Miller, focusing on perfection of stroke technique and an emphasis on quality.

Bill Miller, former Clarion University head coach, continues working at the Golden Eagle Swimming and Diving Camps. His responsibilities include stroke analysis through video-taping and classroom discussion. Bill’s legacy features an extremely successful career at Clarion, winning Conference and NCAA Coach of the Year honors as well as other coaching awards.

Additional Staff: Frank Supancic, Warren Harding High School; Dave Sheets, Duquesne University; and Kim Hrovat, Clarion University.