North Penn YMCA

For Youth Development, For Healthy Living, For Social Responsibility

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Swim Lesson Descriptions

The purpose of the Y Swim Programs is to develop competency in swimming along with confidence in and around the water. A student is advanced to the next level only when he or she can proficiently and safely perform the sills within the current level. We expect participants to learn and progress at their own rate. Please do not be discouraged if your child does not complete all the skills within his or her level during any one session. Some levels require repeating several times before they are ready to advance. At the end of each session your instructor will provide a report letting you know which class level to sign up for next.

SWIM STARTERS | 3 MTHS-3 YEARS

Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.

LEVEL A | WATER DISCOVERY – This class introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment.

FOCUS SKILLS

  • Blow bubbles on surface (assisted)
  • Front tow chin in water (assisted)
  • Water exit – parent and child together
  • Water entry – parent and child together
  • Back float assisted head on parent shoulder
  • Roll over in water (assisted)
  • Front float chin in water (assisted)
  • Back tow head on parent shoulder (assisted)
  • Wall grab (assisted)

LEVEL B | WATER EXPLORATION – (No prerequisite) This class focuses on exploring body positions, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.

FOCUS SKILLS

  • Blow bubbles mouth and nose submerged (assisted)
  • Front tow and blow bubbles (assisted)
  • Water exit child (assisted)
  • Water entry child (assisted)
  • Back float assisted head on parent chest
  • Roll over in water (assisted)
  • Front float and blow bubbles (assisted)
  • Back tow head on parent chest (assisted)
  • Wall grab and monkey crawl along edge (assisted)

SWIM BASICS | 3-5 YEARS

Students will be taught personal water safety and basic swimming competency with the following benchmark skills:
• Swim, float, swim-sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide, and exit
• Jump, push, turn, grab

LEVEL 1

WATER ACCLIMATION – Designed to acclimate the beginning swimmer with no swimming experience to the water and instructional process.

FOCUS SKILLS

  • Blowing bubbles out mouth
  • Back float & front glide assisted
  • Kicking on stomach and back assisted
  • Rolling over in water
  • Jumping in from side of pool on teacher cue with assistance

LEVEL 2

WATER MOVEMENT – For the beginning swimmer – This level builds on the basic skills of Level 1 with the goal of improving the basic skills and safety around the water.

FOCUS SKILLS 

  • Blowing bubbles with face submerged and out nose
  • Back float for a longer period of time with goal of being unassisted
  • Front glide with improving body position and less assistance
  • Kicking on stomach and back improving quality and distance
  • Rolling over in water
  • Beginning to learn to tread water 10 seconds and exit pool
  • Jumping in from side of pool on teacher cue with less assistance and completely submerging

LEVEL 3 

WATER STAMINA – Designed to move the beginning swimmer to more independence in the water applying the basics covered in Levels 1 & 2 but being done without assistance and with better mechanics overall.

FOCUS SKILLS

  • Improving body position and kicks working toward front & back crawls
  • Front glide adding rotational breathing
  • Kicking on stomach and back assisted
  • Jumping in deeper water on teacher cue and submerging
  • Treading water for 1 minute and exiting pool

SWIM STROKES | 3-5 YEARS/6-12 YEARS

Having mastered the fundamentals, students will be taught additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.

LEVEL 4

STROKE INTRODUCTION – Designed to introduce the basic stroke techniques for the front and back crawl (freestyle/backstroke).

FOCUS SKILLS

  • Drills building to being able to swim 15 yds front crawl with rotary breathing
  • Drills building to being able to swim 15 yds backstroke
  • Introduce Breaststroke kick
  • Introduce Butterfly/dolphin kick
  • Diving in from knees on teacher cue in deep water
  • Tread water with quality kick and arms for 1 min and exit pool

LEVEL 5

STROKE DEVELOPMENT – (Approval required for ages 3-5) Designed to start refining freestyle and backstroke and introduce breaststroke and butterfly.

FOCUS SKILLS

  • Endurance, any stroke or combination of strokes for 50 yds
  • Freestyle, bent-arm recovery, 25 yd.
  • Backstroke, 25 yd.
  • Dive, kneeling/standing
  • Resting stroke, sidestroke, 25 yd.
  • Tread water, scissor & whip kick, 2 mins.
  • Beginning Breaststroke, 25 yd.
  • Beginning Butterfly, simultaneous arm action & kick, 15 yd.

LEVEL 6

STROKE MECHANICS – (Approval required for ages 3-5) This level furthr refines stroke technique on all major competitive strokes and begins to teach flip turns as well as expecting students to swim longer distances.

FOCUS SKILLS

  • Endurance, any stroke or combination of strokes, 150 yd.
  • Front crawl, 50 yds and begin working on flip turn
  • Backstroke 50 yds & begin working on flip turn
  • Dive, standing
  • Resting stroke, elementary backstroke or sidestroke, 50 yd.
  • Tread water, retrieve object off bottom, tread 1 min.
  • Breaststroke, with open turn, 50 yd.
  • Butterfly, 25 yd.