Course Description
An Overview of Swim Program Class Levels
Parent & Child Aquatics
PCAPrerequisite: Child must be able to walk to participate in this class.
Suggested Age Group: 12 Months – 36 months
Course Description: A wonderful bonding experience for parent and child designed to give children an early foundation in aquatic fundamentals preparing the way for their advancement into learning to swim.
In this program, participants:
- Learn various ways to enter and exit the water in a safe manner
- Feel comfortable in the water
- Explore submerging the mouth, nose, eyes, and completely submerging
- Explore buoyancy on the front and back positions
- Change body position in the water
- Learn how to play safely in water
- Experience wearing a US Coast Guard-approved life jacket
- Establish expectation for adult supervision
- Explore submerging in a rhythmic pattern
- Glide on the front and back with assistance
Pre-School Levels
Pre-School 1
PS1Prerequisite: None
Suggested Age Group: 3 – 5 years
Course Description: Orients children to the aquatic environment and helps them gain basic aquatic skills.
Activities include:
- Enter and exit the water using ladder, steps, and the side
- Blow bubbles through the mouth and nose
- Completely submerge mouth, nose, and eyes
- Open the eyes underwater and retrieve submerged objects
- Front and back glides and recover to a vertical position
- Back float and recover to a vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread with arm and hand actions
- Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on the front and back
- Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on the front and back
Pre-School 2
PS2Prerequisite: PS1 or skill evaluation
Suggested Age Group: 3 – 5 years
Course Description: Helps children start to gain basic swimming propulsive skills to be comfortable in and around the water.
Activities include:
- Enter the water by stepping and jumping in
- Exit the water using ladder, steps, and side
- Fully submerge and hold the breath
- Open eyes underwater and retrieve submerged objects
- Bobbing (submerging in a rhythmic pattern)
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Front, jellyfish, and tuck floats
- Front & back float Front & back glide
- Recover from a front or back float or glide to a vertical position
- Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back
- Tread water using arm and leg actions
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- Finning arm action on back
Pre-School 3
PS3Prerequisite: PS2 or skill evaluation
Suggested Age Group: 3 – 5 years
Course Description: Helps children start to further develop basic swimming propulsive skills to be more comfortable in and around deeper water.
Activities include:
- Enter the water by stepping and jumping in
- Exit the water using ladder, steps, and side
- Fully submerge and hold the breath
- Open eyes underwater and retrieve submerged objects
- Bobbing (submerging in a rhythmic pattern)
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Front, jellyfish, and tuck floats
- Front & back float Front & back glide
- Recover from a front or back float or glide to a vertical position
- Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back
- Tread water using arm and leg actions
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- Finning arm action on back
Standard Skill Levels
Level 1 - Introduction to Water Skills
L1Prerequisite: None
Course Description: Helps participants feel comfortable in the water as they begin to learn to swimming fundamentals.
Skills:
- Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side
- Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
- Bobbing (submerging in a rhythmic pattern)
- Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
- Front and back glides and floats
- Recover to vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread water using arm and hand actions
- Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back
- Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
Level 2 - Fundamental Aquatic Skills
L2Prerequisite: Level 1 or Skill Evaluation
Course Description: Gives participants success with fundamental skills as they gain independence from flotation aids.
Skills:
- Enter and exit water by stepping or jumping from the side
- Fully submerge and hold breath, bobbing
- Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
- Front, jellyfish and tuck floats
- Front and back glides and floats, recover to vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back
- Tread water using arm and leg actions
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- Finning arm action
Level 3 - Stroke Development
L3Prerequisite: Level 2 or Skill Evaluation
Course Description: Builds on the skills in Level 2 through additional guided practice in deeper water and begin to develop recognizable strokes.
Skills:
- Enter water by jumping from the side
- Bobbing while moving toward safety
- Rotary breathing
- Survival float
- Back float
- Change from vertical to horizontal position on front and back
- Tread water
- Flutter, scissor, dolphin and breaststroke kicks on front
- Front crawl and elementary backstroke
Level 4 - Stroke Improvement
L4Prerequisite: Level 3 or Skill Evaluation
Course Description: Develops confidence in the skills learned and improves aquatic skills.
Skills:
- Swim under water
- Feet first surface dive
- Front crawl and backstroke open turns
- Tread water using 2 different kicks
- Survival Swimming
- Front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly
- Flutter and dolphin kicks on back
Level 5 - Stroke Refinement
L5Prerequisite: Level 4 or Skill Evaluation
Course Description: Provides further coordination and refinement of strokes.
Skills:
- Shallow-angle dive from the side then glide and begin a front stroke
- Tuck and pike surface dives, submerge completely
- Front flip turn and backstroke flip turn while swimming
- Front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly
Level 6 - Swimming and Skill Proficiency
L6Prerequisite: Level 5 or Skill Placement Evaluation
Course Description: Refines the strokes so participants swim them with ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances.
Focus: Fitness Swimmer - Develops swimming endurance and advanced skills
For more information about our swim programs or to register, please contact our office.