Swim Lessons

The Y is the starting point for many youth to learn about becoming and staying active, and developing healthy habits they’ll carry with them throughout their lives. And the benefits are far greater than just physical health. Whether it’s gaining the confidence that comes from learning to swim or building the positive relationships that lead to good sportsmanship and teamwork, participating in swim lessons is about building the whole child, from the inside out.

All children between the ages of 3-12 who have not taken a swim lesson at the YMCA must start at Level 1.

Youth (Ages 3 & up)

Each level of our swim lesson program is designed to teach new skills while fine-tuning what students have already learned. Endurance and safety are stressed at each level and as a student progresses through the program the skills will become more difficult to learn.

We have established a 35-minute time frame for our youth swim lessons. The 35-minutes allows for the instructors to plan for a perfect mixture of learning and fun. As a child progresses through the levels more emphasis will be placed on learning skills in preparation for swim team.

Water Discovery (Ages 6-18 months)

This is a 30-minute parent-child class to allow your child to get comfortable in the water and have fun. Class consists of acclimating children to the water through songs and play. Parent(s) or a guardian must get in the water with the child.

Water Exploration (Ages 18-36 months)

This is a 30-minute parent-child class to allow your child to continue to get comfortable in the water, as well as begin to learn how to move through the water. Basic skills such as kicking, paddling, and blowing bubbles are taught as well as basic pool safety. Parent(s) or a guardian must get in the water with the child.

Stage 1

This is a beginner level for children. This level allows children to become acquainted with the pool, the use of flotation devices and floating. Students will work on forward movement in the water, front and back glides, and how to safely exit the water. Other skills introduced include: bobbing underwater, swim-float-swim, jump-push-turn, roll from front to back and back to front with assistance and treading water.

Stage 2

Students will continue to practice and build upon basic skills from Level 1, without assistance from an instructor, and perform more skills with limited aid of a flotation device. In Stage 2, students build up endurance to swim 10 to 15 yards on their front and back. Students are introduced to integrated arm and leg action, submerging face while swimming, diving in the deep end, and submerging to retrieve an object from the bottom of the shallow end. Before moving up to Stage 3, students should be able to swim 10-15 yards without the use of a floatation device or an instructor’s assistance.

Stage 3

Students further refine the skills they have learned and build them to become more like those normally when swimming. In Stage 3, students will learn the breaststroke kick and the butterfly kick. Instructors will work on stroke technique for front and back crawl, as well as build on diving skills. By the end of this stage students should be able to swim multiple lengths of the pool, in different strokes.

Stage 4

In Stage 4, students work to further improve their stroke technique, as well as endurance for the crawl stroke, elementary backstroke, back crawl, breaststroke and butterfly. Children will be introduced to fins, flip turns, open turns, and some swimming competition terms. By the end of this stage students should be able to swim 50 to 100 yards of various strokes.

Swim Team Prep

Private Swim Lesson

Private swim lessons are available for adults and children, ages 5 and older, who wish to learn to swim on an individual basis. Lessons will be scheduled based on the instructor’s availability, pool availability, and student’s/instructor’s schedule.