SWIM LESSONS

Registration for Winter Swim Lessons is open

(Spring Swim Lesson information will be available soon!)

Winter Session I:    December 5-15 (Mon-Thurs for 2 weeks)

Winter Session II:  January 2-26         (Twice a week for 4 weeks)

Winter Session III:  Jan 30-Feb 23      (Twice a week for 4 weeks)

Winter Session IV:  March 5-15   (Mon-Thurs for 2 weeks)

Call 442-9622 or click here for exact times

Helpful Information...

1.  Please bring your child to class on the first day with a suit, goggles, a towel and any supplies to shower with before and after pool use. Long hair needs to be put up or tied back. No lifejackets are needed. Parents will not be in the water unless you have signed up for the Aquatot level.

2. Class ratios of kids to instructors will be kept relatively low at 4:1 for ages 3-5, 5:1 for ages 6-8 and 6:1 for ages 9+. This enables proper amount of one on one work versus group activity.

3.  Remember, it is perfectly normal for a child to repeat a level 2 or 3 or even up to 4+ times.  The YMCA recognizes that each child learns at their own rate and we keep this in mind for all levels. If specialty training is needed, private swim lessons are available.

4.  On the last day of class the instructor will inform each parent/guardian of their child’s progress and which level to sign them up for in the future. Printed progress reports will not be handed out until further notice. If you have any specific questions please ask the instructor during their free time, or contact Aquatics Coordinator Mike Turner at 442-9622 or mike.turner@helenaymca.org

The Helena Family YMCA offers the following levels of swim lessons based on age:

Ages 3 & Under

Aquatots:

Prerequisites: None. Parent accompanies child in water.

Skills Learned: Introduction to aquatic environment and interaction with others in the water. Basic arm and leg movements. Mostly focus on becoming accustomed to water and its properties. Instructor helps the parent teach child to swim.

Ages 3-6

Pike: Very beginner

Prerequisites: No water skills necessary; must be able to learn in a class format

Skills Learned: Water adjustment, blowing bubbles, works towards full submersion of the head, assisted back and front floats (with face submerged), basic arm and leg movements for forward momentum jump from edge to instructors arm.

Requirements to pass: Blow bubbles with mouth and nose, comfortable doing assisted front and back floats, puts head under, roll from front to back and back to front.

Eel: Water adjustment

Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Past Pike Level OR Blows bubbles, comfortable doing assisted back and front floats and putting entire head under water.

Skills Learned: Bobs, full submersion mastered, front and back floats without assistance, kicking techniques (flutter and dolphin) and proper arm movements.

Requirements to pass: Comfortable fully submerging for 5 seconds, front and back floats without assistance for 5+ seconds, idea of kicking and arm motions.

Ray: Swimming readiness

Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Past Eel Level OR Front and back floats without assistance, flutter kick, comfortable submersion of entire body for 5+ seconds.

Skills Learned: Bobs (with emphasis on breath control), front kicking, back finning, dolphin kick, arm motion for freestyle and backstroke, intro to whip kick, intro to treading water, proper push-off position.

Requirements to Pass: Master breath control while doing bobs, kicking on front and back, idea of whip kick, rotary breathing, treading water.

Starfish: Stroke introduction

Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Past Ray Level OR front/back kicking without assistance, idea of whip kick, treading water, dolphin kick, breath control mastered.

Skills Learned: Whip kick refined, freestyle with rotary breathing and backstroke full stroke refined, treading water experimenting with different kicks, dolphin kick/body dolphin, intro to diving.

Requirements to pass: Whip kick mastered, comfortable swim 10-15 yards on front and back, tread water for 45 seconds. When this level is complete, skip ahead to Minnow level.

Ages 6+ or Past Starfish Level

Polliwog: Older beginner and swimming readiness

Prerequisites: None. This is a beginner level designed to help place children closer in age in the same levels. Ages 6+ only.

Skills Learned: Become accustomed to water, bubbles and bobs, work on floats with and without assistance flutter and dolphin kick, and arm motions for freestyle and backstroke, back finning and front kicking, intro to treading water, proper push-off position.

Requirements to pass: Float without assistance on front and back, understand flutter and dolphin kicks, back finning, and front kicking, idea of treading water, and arm motions for free and back.

Guppy: Older stroke introduction

Prerequisites: 6+only. Instructor recommendation OR Past Polliwog Level OR Bobs, float without assistance on front and back, understand flutter and dolphin kicks, back finning, and front kicking, idea of treading water, and arm motions for free and back.

Skills Learned: Freestyle w/ rotary breathing, backstroke, treading water, whip kick, intro to butterfly, bobs w/ breath control. Intro to diving.

Requirements to Pass: Backstroke and freestyle 10-15 yards, tread water 30-45 seconds, whip kick, mastered breath control

Minnow: Stroke development

Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation OR Past Starfish or Guppy levels OR Freestyle and backstroke 10-15 yards, tread water 30-45 seconds, whip kick, rotary breathing, butterfly introduction.

Skills learned: Freestyle and backstroke technique refinement, butterfly full stroke, breaststroke full stroke, treading water using different kicks. Sitting, kneeling and standing dives, and somersaults..

Requirements to pass: Freestyle and backstroke proper technique 15-25 yards, tread water using multiple kicks for 1:00+, intro to butterfly and breaststroke, sitting and kneeling dive.

Fish: Technical growth

Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation OR Past Minnow Level OR Freestyle and backstroke proper technique 15+ yards, tread water using multiple kicks for 1:00+, Intro to butterfly and breaststroke.

Skills Learned: Freestyle and backstroke Technique refinement, Breaststroke and butterfly stroke refinement. Tread water (egg beater), standing dive, somersault and flip turn intro.

Requirements to Pass: Freestyle and backstroke proper technique 15-25 yards, breaststroke and butterfly 10-15 yards, tread water 1:00-2:00 w/ different kicks, dive, and somersault.

Flying Fish: Advanced stroke and technique development

Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation OR Past Fish Level OR Freestyle and backstroke proper technique 15-25 yards, breaststroke and butterfly proper 10-15 yards, tread water 1:00-2:00 w/ different kicks, dive, and somersault.

Skills Learned: Technique refinement for all strokes, as well as increased stamina and endurance, flip turns and open turns, how to read pace clock, how swimming can be used as exercise, using equipment.

Requirements to pass: Freestyle, backstroke for 50 yards with a flip turn, butterfly and breaststroke for 25 yards from a dive, execute an open turn, know how to read a pace clock.

Shark: Endurance training and swim team preparation

Prerequisites: instructor recommendation OR Past Flying Fish Level OR Freestyle, backstroke 50 Yards with a flipturn, butterfly and breaststroke for 25 yards from a dive, open turn, know how to read a pace clock.

Skills learned: How to read a pace clock, basics of training, rules of the sport, increased technique, endurance and stamina, using equipment.

Requirements to Pass: 200 Individual Medley swam legally with proper turns from a dive, be able to swim 50 yard freestyle and know how to read pace clock for a time. Retrieve diving brick from deep end. 3:00+ treading water w/ 5 different kicks.