Swim School
See below for swim class options.
Ages 9 months and up
At the Y, we believe swimming is a crucial life skill. Our swim school helps children build a strong foundation by teaching fundamental skills. As they progress, they'll become proficient in stroke and technique and build stamina and endurance. In each session (approximately 9 weeks), participants gain confidence and strength in their skills. View the details of classes offered in our current program guide.
Swim Class Options
Adult required in water for each registered participant
Our adult/child series for children 9-36 months, will introduce infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment and begin to introduce safety skills to parents and children to help keep them safe in and around aquatic environments. Parent/guardian participation is required.
Water Discovery (9-18 months): Introduces caregivers and their children to the aquatic environment.
Water Exploration A (12-24 months): Focuses on exploring body positions, blowing bubbles, and fundamental aquatic skills such as becoming comfortable submerging in the water and becoming comfortable with putting their face in the water.
Water Exploration B (20-36 months): For the swimmer who is comfortable putting their face in the water and completely submerging into the water with assistance from adult. Child must be comfortable with their face, head, and ears getting wet.
3-5 years (30 minute duration)
In our preschool series, we will help 3-5-year old swimmers build confidence in the water by increasing their comfort with underwater exploration, encouraging forward movements in the water, and developing self-rescue skills such as swimming to safety and rolling from front to back. Additionally, as students progress through the preschool program, they will start to work on basic stroke and breathing techniques on their front and back.
Preschool Stage 1 - P1: Qualifications: No experience necessary, entry level class
Preschool Stage 2 - P2: Qualifications: Must be comfortable going underwater and fully submerging their eyes, ears, and head in the water. Must be comfortable swimming with the assistance of an instructor putting their face in the water. The goal of PS 2, will be for the swimmer to float on their back and front, and swimming a short distance independently.
Preschool Stage 3 - P3: Qualifications: Must be able to float on their back and front for 10 seconds independently. Must be able to swim at least 10 feet independently with a forward-facing movement and eyes in the water. The goal of PS 3 will be for the swimmer to swim the width of the pool independently using front crawl, kicking on their back for the width of the pool, and being introduced to breathing techniques while swimming.
Preschool Stage 4 - P4: Qualifications: Must be able to swim the width of the pool using front crawl, breathing independently without any assistance from an instructor. Participant should be able to kick on their back the width of the pool. The goal of this class will be for participants to learn front crawl with side breathing, back crawl using backstroke arms, and building stamina by swimming up to 15 yards at a time on front and back.
Preschool Stage 5 – P5: Qualifications: Must be able to swim half the length of the pool using front crawl, breathing independently without any assistance from an instructor. The participant should be able to kick on their back the length of the pool. The goal of this class will be for participants to continue to refine their front crawl with side breathing, back crawl using backstroke arms, and building stamina by swimming up to 1 length of the pool at a time on their front and back.
30 minutes duration
Our school age and youth/teen program will focus on water safety, stroke technique, and building endurance and stamina. If a child is aging out of preschool (3-5 years old) and moving to school age classes, please make note they will not fall in the same level # from pre school lessons due to the expectation of distance a swimmer is expected to swim as they get older.
School Age Stage 1 - S1
Qualifications: No experience necessary, entry level class. Goal of the class is to learn to swim independently using the front crawl with breath control for at least the width of the pool. Participants will also begin to tread water and will be introduced to swimming on their back.
School Age Stage 2 - S2
Qualifications: Must be comfortable swimming the width of the pool using front crawl with proper breath control, and kicking on their back. Participants will learn front crawl with side breathing and will work on building endurance to swim the length of the pool efficiently on their front and back. Students will also work on elementary backstroke arms, treading water for 30 seconds, and beginning to dive.
School Age Stage 3 - S3
Qualifications: Must be able to swim 1 length (25 yards) front crawl unassisted, 1 length kicking on back unassisted, and tread water for at least 30 seconds. Participants will learn front crawl with rotary breathing, backstroke, elementary backstroke, kneeling dives, and will build stamina treading water for up to 1 minute.
School Age Stage 4 - S4
Qualifications: Must be able to swim 2 lengths (50 yards) front crawl, 2 lengths (50 yards) back crawl, and tread water for at least one minute. Participants will master freestyle and backstroke with proper technique and breathing.
School Age Stage 5 - S5
Qualifications: Must be able to swim 4 lengths (100 yards) freestyle, 4 lengths (100 yards) backstroke, and must be familiar with breaststroke and butterfly kick. Swimmers will be introduced to breaststroke and butterfly arms, while continuing to work on kicks and coordination. Swim team based skills such as starts/turns, diving may be introduced.
School Age Stage 6 - S6
Qualifications: Must be able to swim 4 lengths (100 yards) freestyle, 4 lengths (100 yards) backstroke, 25 yards breaststroke, 25 yards dolphin kick, tread water for 1 ó minutes. Participants will master breaststroke and butterfly while continuing to work on conditioning and diving, starts/turns. Participants will learn skills to help them best prepare for swim team and/or lifeguarding classes.
Pre-Teen Starters:
For the beginner to intermediate swimmer who is becoming confident in the water. Swimmers will learn the basics of front crawl and backstroke. The goal of the class will be to build up stamina to swim 50 yards of front crawl using rotary breathing and backstroke.
Pre Teen Advanced: For the advanced intermediate to advanced swimmer. Swimmer must be able to swim at least 2 lengths of freestyle using rotary breathing and 2 lengths of backstroke without stopping. Participants will work on building endurance and stamina and will be learning the fundamentals.
Teen Starters: For the beginner to intermediate swimmer who is becoming confident in the water. Swimmers will learn the basics of front crawl and backstroke. The goal of the class will be to build up stamina to swim 50 yards of front crawl using rotary breathing and backstroke.
Teen Advanced: For the advanced intermediate to advanced swimmer. Swimmer must be able to swim at least 2 lengths of freestyle using rotary breathing and 2 lengths of backstroke without stopping. Participants will work on building endurance and stamina and will be learning the fundamentals of breaststroke and butterfly.
