Swim Lessons: Youth
YMCA Youth Swim Lessons are designed to help children feel comfortable in the water, recognize water safety and develop the four main strokes of swimming.
Youth Lessons are 45 minutes long and intended for children ages 6-14 years old.
For each child to benefit most from swim lessons, it is important that
children are able to complete all of the skills required at each level before advancing. This may require that a child remains in the same level for more than one session or even several sessions in a row before moving on.
Any Swim Lesson marked with an astir is a NEW program as of this Spring. Please refer to the descriptions below to place your child in the proper level.
Pre-Polliwog
This class is for children ages 6 - 7 years who wear floatation belts and feel nervous in the water. Pre-Polliwog will teach children water safety, increase confidence and begin the basics of stroke development. This class designed for beginners is kept at a 6:1 child to instructor ratio opposed to 8:1 like other youth levels.
Polliwog I & II
Paddle stroke, rhythmic breathing, elementary back stroke, front and back floats, reaching and throwing assists are all covered in this beginner level Youth Lesson. Child to instructor ratio is 8:1.
Guppy
This class is designed for Advanced Beginners and promotes endurance, stroke refinement in the front crawl, rotary breathing, backstroke, elementary backstroke and side paddle strokes.
Minnow
This level further enhances skills to develop front crawl with rotary breathing, rudimentary back stroke, sidestroke and elementary backstroke with increased emphasis on endurance and personal safety.
Fish
Fish is an intermediate class that develops endurance and stroke refinement to produce longer, stronger strokes. Emphasis is on front crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and side stroke (50 yards each) and butterfly (25 yards), as well as basic First Aid and Rescue skills.
Flying Fish
This advanced intermediate class promotes improved skills such as the following: front crawl with bilateral breathing, backstroke with open turns, elementary backstroke with glide, back crawl with open turns, sidestroke with alternating kicks and sides (100 yards) and butterfly (50 yards). Lifesaving stroke, flip turns and diving are practiced as well.
Shark
This class is for Advanced swimmers only and focus is on refinement of the four basic strokes of swimming, front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Dives and flip turns will also be taught.
Blue Fins
This class is for advanced swimmers who are thinking about joining our Summer Swim Team. The Blue Fins class will be run as a typical Swim Team practice and children will be given workouts to complete to help build strength and endurance.
Special Instruction
This class is for any child with special needs who may need a smaller instructor to child ratio.
Lesson Times
Monday |
4:15 - 5:00 |
|
Tuesday |
6:15 - 7:00 |
6:15 - 7:00 Stroke Development |
Wednesday |
4:45 - 5:30 |
|
Thursday |
6:15 - 7:00 |
|
Friday |
5:00 - 5:45 |
|
Saturday |
10:00 - 10:45 |
11:15 - 12:00 |