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For Youth Development
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Nurturing the potential of every child and teen.
We believe the values and skills learned early on are vital building blocks for life. At the Y, children and teens learn values and positive behaviors that makes for confident kids today and contributing and engaged adults tomorrow.
Youth Swim Lessons
Our staff work together to promote aquatics readiness, and to teach parents how to guide their children through the water and how to be safe around the water. The Y Swim Lesson program lays a good foundation of basic aquatic skills and safety. At each level, participants are involved in activities related to the five components of: personal safety, personal growth, stroke development, water games and sports, and rescues. We use guided discovery methods and focus on both stroke competence and building endurance.
Swim Lesson Day and Times - Click HERE
What You Need to Know About Youth Lessons - Click HERE
Frequently Asked Questions - Click HERE
IFD: Instructional Flotation Device
PFD: Personal Flotation Device
Parent/Child Swim Lessons - 6 months-5 years with parent. Classes are 30 minutes long
Our parent/child program is developmentally appropriate to your child's age, allowing them explore the water environment and begin to basic skills. All levels incorporate water adjustment skills for parent and child through games and songs, use of PFD's, basic water safety for children and parents, and swimming skills according to child readiness. One adult (16yrs+) must accompany each child in the water.
Parent/Child (6months to 3 years with parents)
Ratio - 10pairs:1 instructor
Class: Water adjustment and safety skills introduce the child to the water environment and basic safety skills for parents. Encourage developmentally appropriate expectations, positive experiences and have fun.
Pike w/Parent (3years - Kindergarten with parent)
Ratio - 10pairs:1 instructor
Class: This class is designed to allow children to explore their own skills in the water. Children are introduced to basic aquatic and boating safety an dallow the child to accept some of the responsibility for safe practices. Parents are in the water for the first few weeks. Prepare for Pike level without a parent.
Skills and Activities: Water adjustment, stroke development, personal safety and rescus skills.
Preschool Classes - 3 to 6years old (Kindergarten) Classes are 30 minutes long
The YMCA Swim program uses a student-centered approach with swimming skills, personal safety and rescus skills. Each level is repeated until the skills are completed and instructor progresses student. Please notify instructor of any medical concerns or learning disabilities which may affect your child's class participation.
Pike (Beginner)
All new swimmers to our YMCA program should register for Pike or Pike with Parent level.
Ratio - 5:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Must be at least 3 years old, no swimming skills, toilet trained, and comfortable without parent. This level is for the beginnger - child who cannot swim on their own more than 10 feet (may be fearful in the water)
Class: Pike is designed for new swimmers being taught basic paddle strokes and kicking skills, develop safe pool behavior, proper use of IFD's and PFD's and comfort while holding their face in the water while blowing bubbles and swimming.
Skills and Activities: Emphasis is on water adjustment, floating, boating safety, front, side and back paddle, water adjustment and comfort submerging face, front and back float with or without IFD, front paddle, back paddle, side paddle (all 10yds with IFD and 5 ft without IFD), and other aquatic skills designed to encourage the child to swim on his/her own with comfort in the water with and without instructional floatation devices.
Must swim 5 feet on front, back and side with no flotation and be confident in the water to pass to Eel.
Eel (Advanced Beginner/Intermediate level)
Ratio - 5:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Pike (ARC level 1)
Class: This is an advanced beginner level. Eel reinforces Pike skills and children should already be comfortable in the water and putting their face in and also can swim 10 yards with flotation and 5 feet without. Children are more confident in the water, but still considered beginners. Swimmers may still require the use of an IFD, but are able to swim longer distances.
Skills and Activities: Front and back float, learn to jump into shallow water, horizontal body position, less use of flotation, and increased independent swimming front paddle with rythmic breathing, back paddle, side paddle and elementary backstroke arms (all 25 yds with IFD and 15 ft without IFD). They also learn basic boating safety and the use of PFD's.
Ray (Intermediate/Advanced level)
Ratio - 6:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Eel (ARC level 2).
Class: This class is an intermediate level. Swimmers must be able to swim on their front, back and side at least 20 feet without flotation and 25 yards with flotation on their front, back and side. Child also must be relaxed in deep water. The IFD is used less and less and only to improve on stroke skills.
Skills and Activities: front and back float, tread water, jump into deep water, front alternating paddles, front symmetrical paddles, back alternating paddle, back symmetrical paddle, and side paddle strokes (all 25 yds with IFD and 25 ft without IFD). Children will learn symmetrical and sidestroke kick along with increasing confidence, endurance, personal safety and rescue skills an dperform more progressive diving skills.
Starfish (Intermediate/Advanced level)
Ratio - 6:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Ray (ARC level 3)
Class: This class is for the advanced pre-school swimmer who can already swimm all stroke 45 feet (front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke and sidestroke). Children at this level review previously learned skills and refine their strokes as well as their personal safety, rescues and floating skills.
Skills and Activities: front and back float, tread water, jump into water from height, front alternating paddle with rhythmic rotary breathing, front symmetrical paddle, back alternating paddle, back symmetrical paddle, side paddle strokes (all 25 yds with IFD and 45ft without), all while increasing endurance and advanced safety skills.
Cannot advance to Youth until 1st grade
Youth Swim Lessons - 6 to 13 years old (first grade and up). Classes are 45 minutes long
The YMCA Swim Program uses a student-centered approach to lay a good foundation of basic aquatic skills and safety. Participants in each level are involved in activities related to the five components of: personal safety, personal growth, stroke development, water games and sports, and rescues. We will use guided discovery methods and focus on both stroke competence and building endurance. Each level is repeated until skills are completed and instructor progresses student. Please notify instructor of any medical concerns or learning disabilities which may affect your child's class participation.
Polliwog (Beginner)
All new swimmers to our YMCA program should register for Polliwog level.
Ratio - 6:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Must be at least 6 years old, no swim skills necessary.
Class: This is our beginner level for those who are uncomfortable in the water or haven't ever taken swim lessons. We teach basic water skills including floating and kicking. Swimmers in this level require help from an IFD or assistance from their instructor at all times.
Skills and Activities: Children will learn water adjustment and feel comfortable submerging face, front and back float with or without IFD, front paddle, back paddle, and side paddle (all 45ft without IFD).
Guppy (Advanced beginner level)
Ratio - 7:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Polliwog (ARC level3)
Class: This class is for the swimmer who can swim front, back and side for 45 feet without flotation, are comfortable in jumping into deep water and float front and back for 30 secons each.
Skills and Activities: improve front and back float, tread water, jump into deep water, front alternating paddle, back alternating paddle, and side paddle. They will be introduced to front symmetrical paddle strokes (all 25yds without IFD), deep water skills, more synchronized swimming, as well as some diving skills.
Minnow (Intermediate level 1)
Ratio - 7:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Guppy (ARC level 4)
Class: This is the initial intermediate level. This class is for the swimmer who can swim 25 yards of the pool on front and back using alternating and symmetrical paddles (front crawl, backstroke, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke)
Skills and Activities: resting flat, tread water for one minute, learn to perfect front and back alternating stroke with over arm recovery and rotary breathing, become more confident in deep water, become proficient in rudimentary breaststroke, sidestroke, and elementary back stroke (all 25yds without IFD). They will be introduced to additional diving skills learned and rescue breathing.
Fish (Intermediate level 2)
Ratio - 8:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Minnow (ARC level 5)
Class: This class is for the swimmer who can swim 25 yards in most strokes using alternating and symmetrical paddles (front crawl, backstroke, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke, and the dolphin kick for Butterfly).
Skills and Activities: fine tune front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke, and side stroke (all 50yds with turns). Learn rudimentary butterfly 25 yards with fins and 15ft without. Increase strength and edurance, tread water for 2 minutes, introduction to masks and fins and more synchronized swimming movements.
Flying Fish (Advanced level 1)
Ratio - 8:1 instructor
Prerequisites: Fish (ARC level 6)
Class: This class is for the swimmer who can swim four lengths of front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, elementary backstroke and butterfly in good form.
Skills and Activities: Children will learn lifesaving stroke and bilateral breathing along with more advanced synchronized swimming and safety skills, competitive turns and starts.
Shark (Advanced level 2)
Ratios - 8:1 instructor
Prequisites: Flying Fish (ARC level 7)
Class: This class is for the swimmer who can swim four lengths of front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, sidestrokes, elementary backstroke and butterfly in good form.
Skills and Activities: Refining all skills, working on speed and endurance, flip turns, 200yds for all strokes and individual medley, treading water one minute no hands, personal safety, inverted breaststroke, over arm sidestroke an dtrudgeon crawl introduced.
Youth Specialty Lessons
Stroke Mechanics
Prerequisites: Must be 6-14 years old, Minnow level or higher (or swim evaluated)
Class: competitive swim lessons. For those swimmers who want to focus on being competitive swim ready. This class will provide stroke development for the four main competitive strokes including starts, drills, and turns. Swimmers must have completed Minnow level or all four competitive strokes.
Water Sports and Games
Prerequisites: Must be 8-14 years old, Minnove level or higher (or swim evaluated)
Class: will learn the basic skills related to and participate in water polo, like dribbling, shooting, passing, and defensive offensive skills. They will also learn about snorkeling and how to properly use a mask and fins with safety concepts regarding skin diving. Also included are synchronized swimming skills and routine building and playing water games.
Teen and Adult Swim Lessons - Non-swimmers, Beginner/Intermediate (Ages 13+)
Classes are for all ability levels. Participants work at their own pace in a peer group setting.
Our Hours are:
Monday - Friday
5:00 am - 10:00 pm
Saturday
5:30 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday
11:00 am - 6:00 pm
