April 21-27 Peak Performance Swim Camp Greenwich, Connecticut
A Holistic Approach To Competitive Swimming
In order for a swimmer to realize their full swimming potential they must be mentally, technically and physically fit. Contrary to popular belief, physical fitness by itself is not enough. A swimmer must also possess a high degree of mental and technical fitness.
At Peak Performance we pride ourselves in offering a balance between physical, technical and mental training. Referring to the chart below Peak 1 offers a 75/25 blend of physical and technical conditioning while our Peak 2 offers a 50/50 blend of physical and technical conditioning and Peak 3 offers a 25/75 blend of physical and technical conditioning. In addition, all of our camps offer an in-depth mental conditioning curriculum designed to enhance a swimmer's self-esteem, develop focus skills and improve the ability to perform in stressful situations.
Camp Director
Nick Baker
Former Olympic Coach Nick Baker founded Peak Performance Swim Camp in 1996. His vision was to create a holistic approach that would maximize an individual's potential and meet the needs of competitive swimmers of all ages and abilities. Over the past 14 years thousands of swimmers have participated in a Peak Performance Swim Camp
Nick Baker has been involved in competitive swimming since 1961. He swam competitively for 11 years (and qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 200M Breaststroke), coached club swimming for 21 years, and has exclusively run swim camps for the past 17 years.
He started his coaching career in Canada in 1972, and moved to the United States in 1993 to run a competitive swim camp at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
In the year prior to moving to the United States, one of Nick' swimmers, Lisa Flood, qualified for the 1992 Canadian Olympic Team. Nick attended the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games as Lisa's personal coach. Lisa also won the NCAA Division 1 Championships in the 200-meter Breaststroke, medalled at the Pan American Games, and competed in her second Olympics in 1996.
In 1995, Nick published a motivational book for competitive swimmers entitled 101 Winning Ways. The material for the book came from observing the "winning ways" of successful swimmers.
In 1996, Nick founded Peak Performance Swim Camp. Since the camp's inception, Nick has traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad, conducting his one-of-a-kind swim camps. Past international locations include: Antigua, Aruba, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Singapore, Spain, Turkey and Venezuela. Past U.S. locations include: Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Currently, Peak Performance Swim Camp offers more than two dozen swim camps annually. Year-round private camps are also available.
In 2007, Nick formed a dynamic relationship with Nike-US Sports Camps, Inc. (USSC). USSC is the official and exclusive operator of Nike Sports Camps, and the largest provider of sports camps in the United States.
Over the last 38 years, Nick has coached swimmers of all ages and abilities - including Olympic Finalists, Olympic Trial Qualifiers, NCAA Champions, Senior National Champions, Junior National Champions, State Champions, National and Junior National Qualifiers, Zone Champions, and Junior Olympic Champions.
Other highlights in Nick's coaching career include co-creating "The Missing Link Fitness Test" in conjunction with the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida. The test is an all-encompassing, strength and flexibility evaluation for competitive swimmers of all ages. Nick has also presented at numerous, international coaching clinics and consulted for various swim teams worldwide. He currently consults at the Greenwich Y in Greenwich, Connecticut.
PEAK 1:
- Weekend Clinic: April 21-22 (Saturday & Sunday from 9:00am-4:00pm)
- Weekday Camp: April 23-27 (Monday-Friday from 5:30pm-8:00pm)
Open to swimmers ages 11-18 who train 5,000 yards/meters (or greater) per practice.
PEAK 1 is our most challenging camp. It is well suited for accomplished senior-level swimmers and elite-level age group swimmers. Participants must be mentally, technically, and physically prepared to endure the rigors of 4.5 hours of in water training per day plus 1 hour of dry land training per day. Approximately 75% of the total pool time is dedicated to physical conditioning, however all sets include significant technical expectations.
Rather than offer a series of generic training sets, each practice is created to reflect the group's needs and talent level. In addition, we do not condone garbage yardage or mindless meters. Each lap of practice must have purpose!Note: Peak 1 is not well suited for swimmers with swimming related injuries.
All-together PEAK 1 includes: 9-10 challenging in water training sessions; 4-5 dry land training sessions (including yoga); and 2-3 mental conditioning sessions.
PEAK 2:
- Weekend Clinic: April 21-22 (Saturday & Sunday from 9:00am-4:00pm)
- Weekday Camp: April 23-27 (Monday-Friday from 5:30pm-8:00pm)
Open to swimmers ages 8-18 who train between 3,000 to 5,000 yards/meters per practice.
PEAK 2 offers a 50/50 blend of physical and technical conditioning and well suited for medium to elite-level age group swimmers who have qualified for top age group competition in their state/province. Participants must possess the maturity and discipline to handle 4.5 hours of in water training per day plus 1 hour of dry land training per day. In addition, they must exhibit a high degree of physical fitness and technical competency. Participants must be able to perform all four competitive strokes and turns and the three competitive starts (front, back, relay).
Rather than offer a series of generic training sets, each practice is created to reflect the group's needs and talent level. In addition, we do not condone garbage yardage or mindless meters. Each lap of practice must have purpose!
All-together PEAK 2 includes: 9-10 challenging in water training sessions; 4-5 dry land training sessions (including yoga); and 2-3 mental conditioning sessions.
PEAK 3:
- Weekend Clinic: April 21-22 (Saturday & Sunday from 9:00am-4:00pm)
- Weekday Camp: April 23-27 (Monday-Friday from 4:00pm-6:00pm)
Open to swimmers ages 8-13 who train less than 3,000 yards/meters per practice.
PEAK 3 offers a 25/75 blend of physical and technical conditioning and well suited for swimmers with competitive swimming experience of three or less years or who have not yet qualified for top age group competition. Participants must possess the maturity and discipline to handle 2 hours of in water training per day plus 30 minutes of dry land training per day. In addition, they must exhibit a medium degree of physical fitness and technical competency. Participants must be able to perform all four competitive strokes and turns and the three competitive starts (front, back, relay) at a rudimentary (or above) level.
Rather than offer generic sets, each practice is created to reflect the group's needs and talent level.
All-together PEAK 3 includes: 5 in water training sessions, 5 dry land training sessions; and 3 mental conditioning sessions.
Camp Extras
101 WINNING WAYS: Written by former Olympic Coach Nick Baker, this book identifies 101 winning attitudes common to all great swimmers - including Michael Phelps. A must read for swimmers of all ages! Price: $15.00
Read camper reviews
Thank you!
You're a great coach and a super person. You've made such a difference in our daughter's life and we can't thank you enough.
Great Experience!
Thank you for your kind words. Amy really appreciated hearing from you. Her experience at camp this past week has been the best part of her swimming career to date! I have never seen her so excited about improving her technique. We got home last night and she started copying all her notes from the handbook to the poster. She finished this morning and asked to hang the poster on the door that leads to the garage. She said she wanted to be able to see the poster everyday before she went to swim practice. She went to the pool today and practiced many of the drills she worked on in camp, with a constant smile.
Very Impressed!
We thought it only fair to give credit where credit is due. Since Drew came back from camp he has broken four club records (one that stood for nine years), has eight regional cuts and placed first overall in the championships today. We are always blown away, the first time he gets back in the water after being at your camp, because we consistently see improvement. We can't thank you enough.
Peak Performance Camper
Amazing Camp!
Thank you for coaching me and helping me with all my strokes. I had an amazing time in your camp. I just came back from Junior Olympics and I got a medal in every single race. I got a 34.59 in my 50 FL because you helped me with my technique. I also got a first place in my 50 BR and 100 BR because of you. I still wear my Swim Positive bracelet and look forward to training with you again.