Children's Instructional Skill Level Descriptions
Age 6 Months - 3 Years
Class Size: 10 Child/Adult Pairs
Prerequisites: Must be at least 6 months of age and wear a swimmy diaper AND a rubber/plastic swim diaper cover on top
Pool Playtime is the perfect opportunity for your little one to gain comfort in the water while in the arms of a parent or caregiver, someone he or she knows and trusts.
This is not an instructed program but the lifeguard will be happy to provide information about safe ways to get into the pool with an infant, how to keep infants more comfortable in the water, and appropriate ways to teach swimming precursor skills. Parents/caregivers and infants are able to socialize with other parents/caregivers and infants during the class.
The goal of this class is not to “drown-proof” infants, as infants cannot be drown-proofed, nor is it to teach infants to swim. This is an opportunity to use movement and repetition of skills to increase comfort in the water and introduce water safety concepts and the elements that make the foundation of swimming that will be beneficial when a child has the strength and cognition to be ready to learn to swim.
Age 12-35 Months Only
Class Size: 4 Child/Adult Pairs
Prerequisites: Must be at least 12 months of age and wearing a swimmy diaper with a rubber/plastic swim diaper cover on top.
This class will introduce your children to essential water safety skills in a fun and engaging environment. They will have the opportunity to practice these skills with your support and guidance. Please note that children must be three years old to advance to the next level. However, they are welcome to repeat this class as many times as they'd like.
The following skills are developed in Toddler with Adult Instructional Program
Place face in the water and blow bubbles
Safety enter/exit pool using the wall and the ladder (supported)
Jump into the water from a seated and standing position (supported)
Kick on front (supported or on a noddle with support)
Kick on back (supported)
Crawling along the wall (supported and independently)
Supported front float
Supported back float
Scooping and super-man arm positioning
Submerging face and entire body
Age 3
Class Size: 5
Prerequisites: Must be 3 years of age, toilet trained, and able to be independent of a caregiver for 30 minutes
In Splash students develop confidence and independence while learning basic water safety skills and having fun. Students advance to Level 1 at age 4. Students are encouraged to take this class multiple times.
The following skills are developed in Splash
- Place face in the water and blow bubbles
- Jump into the water (with instructor)
- Straight leg flutter kick on front—with barbell or noodle boat
- Straight leg flutter kick on back-with barbell
- Instructor supported front float
- Instructor supported back float
Ages 4+
Class Size: 5
Prerequisite: Children must be able to pay attention to an instructor for 30 minutes.
Students learn correct body position and breathing for efficient swimming while continuing to focus on comfort in the water and safety skills.
Successful completion of Level 1 requires:
- Bobbing under water 5 times with rhythmic breathing
- Independent horizontal straight leg flutter kick on front
- Independent horizontal straight leg flutter kick on back
- Front & back streamline push-offs from wall on surface
- Retrieve pool ring from bottom of teaching pool
- Safely enter/exit the pool independently
- Independent front float (hold for 10 seconds)
- Independent back float (hold for 10 seconds)
- Independent back sculling
Ages 4+
Class Size: 5
Prerequisite: Level 1 Skills
For Level 2, students must be able to propel themselves through the water with a straight leg kick (while holding a barbell), maintain a horizontal body position while breathing, and hold a 10-second unassisted front float (with head in the water), and a 10-second unassisted back float.
Successful completion of Level 2 requires:
- Roly Poly Oly - Kicking in streamline position on stomach, rolling onto back to breathe, and then rolling back to the stomach
- Rhythmic bilateral side breathing, face aligned in water, straight leg kicks, and correct body position
- 6-1 Backstroke - Kicking on back with one backstroke arm stroke every 6 kicks
- Front and back underwater streamline push-offs from wall with flutter kick
- Flip Turn Drill (front kick on wall, somersault, and back shooter)
- Introductory dolphin kick (maintain feet together)
- 30 seconds independent treading water
- Somersault
Ages 4+
Class Size: 5
Prerequisite: Level 2 Skills
Level 3 introduces students to the foundations of freestyle, the fundamental stroke, and many will repeat this level in order to master the skills. Students are also introduced to backstroke, swimming underwater, and kneeling dives.
Successful completion of Level 3 requires:
- Introductory breaststroke kick (with proper timing and glide between each kick)
- Complete a streamline kneeling dive with push and hands-first entry
- Freestyle "Catchup" Drill - pausing in a superman position
- Introductory breaststroke
- Introductory butterfly
- Backstroke flipturn
- Freestyle flipturn
- Full Backstroke
Ages 4+
Class Size: 5
Prerequisite: Level 3 Skills
Level 4 builds on the freestyle and backstroke skills learned in Level 3.
Successful completion of Level 4 requires:
- Swim 25 yards freestyle or two widths of the pool with proper body position, kicking and aligned bilateral side breathing
- Swim 25 yards backstroke with streamline shooter push-offs, proper head and body positions, shoulder and hip rotation, aligned entries and kicks, and shallow-depth pull pushing water back
- 25 yards breaststroke
- Breaststroke pullout
- 25 yards butterfly
- Standing dive
- Open turn
Ages 4+
Class Size: 5
Prerequisite: Level 4 Skills
Level 5 builds on the breaststroke and butterfly skills learned in Level 4. Students increase endurance and demonstrate the ability to swim all 4 strokes with proper techinique.
Successful completion of Level 5 requires:
- 50 yards freestyle with streamline shooter push-offs, proper head and body position, rotation, high elbow catch, 6-beat kick, aligned recovery and bilateral side breathing
- 50 yards backstroke with streamline shooter push-offs, proper body position, shoulder and hip rotation, aligned entries and kicks, and shallow-depth pull pushing water back
- 50 yards breaststroke (whip kick, correct pull, timing and extension in separation drill)
- 50 yards butterfly (arms out of water, legal body position)
- Backstroke start
- Racing start
- 100 IM
Adult Instructional Skill Level Descriptions
Class Size: Max 5
New to the water? Hesitant or fearful? Can’t float, or swim?
Beginner 1 students focus on safety and comfort in the water, and skills for correct body position and breathing for efficient swimming.
Successful completion requires:
- Put face in the water and blow bubbles
- Fully submerge head/bobs/ring off the bottom
- Moving from horizontal to vertical position (swimming to standing)
- Sculling (lateral motions of the hand/arm to produce lift and propulsion)
- Independent front float (hold for 10 sec)
- Independent back float (hold for 10 sec)
- Introduction to front and back flutter kicks and basic freestyle (moving from point A to point B with arms and legs)
- Shallow jumps/aided deep water jumps
Class Size: Max 5
Students learn correct body position, propulsive flutter kick on front and back, and are introduced to freestyle with side breathing and basic backstroke.
Successful completion requires:
- Straight leg flutter kicking on front and back (T-Press)
- Streamline/glides on front and back
- Introduction to breaststroke arms
- Introduction to freestyle with side breathing
- Introduction to backstroke
- Foundation of treading water
- Unaided deep water jumps
- 25 yards continuous swimming
Class Size: Max 5
Students continue to develop freestyle fundamentals with an emphasis on breathing, timing, and forming the correct pull pattern. Backstroke skills continue to build and students progress to sculling with breaststroke and dolphin kicks.
Successful completion requires:
- 50 yards thumb touch catch up freestyle
- 50 yards backstroke with rotation
- 25 yards 6 kick and roll on back
- 25 yards breaststroke kick
- 10 yards underwater streamline on front
- Introduction to underwater back streamlines
- Introduction to somersaults
- 1-minute treading
Class Size: Max 5
Students continue to develop freestyle with the addition of rotation, high elbow catch, and improved breathing. At this point, a combination of technique and fitness elements are introduced. Students will be competent enough to begin swimming longer distances in freestyle and backstroke, maintaining a steady kick--increasing cardio output while continuing to master technique. Lessons will shift to include drills and continuous swimming, averaging 500 to 1000 yards per session.
Successful completion requires:
- 100 yards of freestyle with correct body position, pull pattern, 6 beat kick, and rotation
- 50 yards backstroke with correct body position, pull pattern, 6 beat kick, and rotation
- 25 yards breaststroke
- Underwater streamlines on front and back
- Continue dive progression
- Introduction to flip and open turns
- 200 yards continuous flutter kicking
Class Size: Max 6
With increased confidence, students at this level are now able to swim longer distances in both freestyle and backstroke, while continuing to work on technique. The pace clock will be used as a tool for managing workouts and gauging overall times. Flip turns and breaststroke pullouts are introduced.
Successful completion requires:
- 100 yards freestyle with flip turns
- Backstroke flip turns
- 50 yards breaststroke with pullouts
- Racing starts
- Dolphin kick
Class Size: Max 6
Students at this level should feel confident attending a Master’s Team program workout, comfortable swimming multiple repeats of varying distances in three of the four strokes. Fitness becomes increasingly important. Students will be able to complete 500 yards of continuous swimming, freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke, and will be introduced to interval sets.
Successful completion requires:
- 500 yards freestyle with flip turns
- Starts and breakouts
- 10 x 50 yards kicking at 1:00 w/fins
- 100 yards breaststroke with pullouts
- Optional intro to butterfly work