Did you know that ONE swim lesson reduces the likelihood of drowning by 88%? At the Helena Family YMCA, we believe the ability to swim is a critical life skill. In swim lessons, we use a variety of fun methods to help kids overcome fears, build confidence in the water, learn water safety, and develop skills that last a lifetime. Our qualified swim instructors are excited to help teach your child to swim!
Aquatot: Water Discovery/Water Exploration (Tue/Thurs)
Pre-School: Water Acclimation (Tue/Thurs)
Level 1: Water Movement (Tue/Thurs)
Level 2: Water Stamina (Tue/Thurs)
Level 3: Stroke Introduction (Tue/Thurs)
Aquatot: Water Discovery/Water Exploration (Tue/Thurs)
Pre-School: Water Acclimation (Tue/Thurs)
Level 1: Water Movement (Tue/Thurs)
Level 2: Water Stamina (Tue/Thurs)
Level 4/5 Stroke Development & Mechanics (Tue/Thurs)
Level 1: Water Movement (Tue/Thurs)
Level 3: Stroke Introduction (Tue/Thurs)
Level 4/5 Stroke Development & Mechanics (Tue/Thurs)
Prerequisites: None. Parents accompany children in this stage, which introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment through exploration and encourages them to enjoy themselves while learning about the water. Parents work with their children to explore body positions, floating, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.
Skills Learned: Blow Bubbles, Front Tow, Front Float, Back Float, Back Tow, Roll, Wall Grab, Monkey Crawl
Prerequisites: None. Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.
Students in this stage focus on the following:
Exploring the aquatic environment and personal skills with instructor help
Developing basic skills to propel and glide through the water with instructor help
Learning basic aquatic safety and accepting some of the responsibility for safe practices
Skills Learned: Submerge, Front Glide, Front Float, Back Float, Back glide, Water Exit, Roll
Level 2: Movement
Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Passed Pre-School. In this stage, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.
Students in this stage focus on the following:
Exploring the aquatic environment and personal skills without instructor help
Developing basic skills to propel and glide through the water without instructor help
Learning basic aquatic and boating safety and accepting some of the responsibility for safe practices.
Skills Learned: Submerge, Front Glide, Front Float, Back Float, Back glide, Water Exit, Roll, Tread Water
Level 3: Stamina
Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Passed Level 1. In this stage, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.
Students in this stage focus on the following:
Integrating arm action, leg action, and rhythmic breathing in back and front glides
Developing forward movement on the front and back
Practicing skills and safety techniques in deep water
Skills Learned: Submerge, Swim on Front, Swim on Back, Water Exit, Roll, Tread Water
Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Passed Level 2. Students in this stage develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.
Students in this stage focus on the following:
Developing the front crawl and back crawl
Introducing components of the breaststroke and butterfly
Practicing safety techniques in deep water
Skills Learned: Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Back Crawl, Dive, Resting Stroke, Elementary Back Stroke, Tread Water
Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Passed Level 3. Students in this stage work on stroke technique and learn all major competitive strokes. The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water and sidestroke.
Students in this stage focus on the following:
Developing stamina in the front crawl and back crawl
Developing the breaststroke and butterfly
Building endurance techniques for deep-water safety
Skills Learned: Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Back Crawl, Dive, Resting Stroke, Side Stroke, Tread Water
Prerequisites: Instructor recommendation for this level OR Passed Level 4. In this stage, students refine stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming, and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.
Students in this stage focus on the following:
Developing endurance in competitive strokes
Developing skills related to competitive swimming like flip turns
Enhancing skills and building endurance in deep water
Skills Learned: Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Back Crawl, Dive, Resting Stroke, Elementary Back Stroke or Side Stroke, Tread Water
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 life-jackets 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 6:1 for levels pre-school through Level 3 and 8:1 for levels 4 and 5. This enables the 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 children learn at their own rate and we keep this in mind for all levels. If specialty training is needed, private or semi-private swim lessons are available.
4. A progress report with your child’s progress and which level to sign them up for in the future will be emailed to you after the conclusion of your last lesson. If you have any specific questions you can contact the Aquatics Department at 442-9622.
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