Youth Group Swim Lessons

Choosing the Right Swim Class/Level

If you have questions about the right swim class or swim level for your child, or you think your child has moved up since the last class, you may bring your child in for swim level testing at any time throughout the year.  Preschool students, campers and swim lesson participants are all eligible.  This procedure will ensure that your child will be taught at the appropriate level. It only takes a couple of minutes for an instructor to evaluate a child’s ability. Contact [email protected] if you would like assistance choosing the right level.      

Youth Swim Lesson Descriptions

American Red Cross Swim Lessons

Parent and Child Aquatics

Children who receive an introduction to the water with a parent/familiar person have a foundation for building confidence when learning to swim. In addition, parents are introduced to several water safety topics and techniques to fuel a child’s exploration safely.

Children under the age of 3 (and older if not toilet trained) need to wear a disposable swim diaper and rubber pants under their bathing suit. (Can be purchased at the JCC Member Services Desk.)

Water Babies (6-18 months) 

Introduction to water with direct support from parent. Fun games and songs are incorporated to keep child engaged with water activities.

Aqua Tots (18-36 months) 

A preschool-age introduction into the water with parents. Parents learn proper support and holding techniques that are geared to encourage a child to safely explore in a new aquatic environment. Paired with songs, innovative equipment and repetitive skills to promote basic water knowledge. 

Preschool Aquatics (2-5 yrs)

Mini Seahorse (2-3 yrs only)

Advanced toddler level for ages 2-3 years old. Must be comfortable without parent. This level is the transition from Parent & Child based swimming to swimming under the direction of a swim instructor. Flotation devices are used as an aid during the lesson. In this level, the skills taught and reviewed are: overall comfort, water entry and exit, fully submerging face, blowing bubbles, forward motion using arms and legs, front and back glides and water safety skills.

Seahorse (3+ yrs)

Introduction to basic aquatic skills, which children continue to build on as they progress through Levels 2 and 3 of Preschool Aquatics. Flotation devices are used. Key skills taught and reviewed are: water entry and exit, fully submerging face, blowing bubbles, forward motion using arms and legs, front and back glides and water safety skills.

Intermediate Seahorse (3+ yrs)

Swimmers start to gain basic swimming propulsive skills on their front and back as they progress from minimal support to independent swimming. Flotation devices are taken off when appropriate for skill practice. Swimmer must be able to swim independently 15 yards before moving on to Advance Seahorse. Key skills taught and reviewed are: water entry and exit, introduction to retrieving sinkable objects, water safety skills, forward motion using arms and legs continued.

Advanced Seahorse (3+ yrs)

Swimmers must be able to swim on their front or back independently for 15 yards of pool. This level is geared for preschoolers who are comfortable in the water, but cannot be advanced due to their age. Flotation devices are used less frequently. Key skills taught and reviewed are: front and back glides with less direct support, introduction to rotary breathing and arm strokes (freestyle/backstroke/ elementary backstroke).

Learn-to-Swim (5+ yrs)

Level 1 Introduction to Water Skills

Swimmers learn to feel comfortable in the water. Level 1 participants learn to enter and exit the water safely, pick up a submerged object, swim on their front and back using arm and leg actions, submerge their mouth, nose, and eyes and float on their front and back.

Key Skills Reviewed: Proper entry and exit of pool, fundamentals of flutter kick on front and back, submerging face, front and back glides, introduction to freestyle stroke and water safety.

Level 2 Fundamental Aquatic Skills

Swimmers master fundamental skills. Level 2 participants learn to enter the pool by stepping or jumping from the side, roll over front to back and back to front, swim on their side, tread water using arm and leg motions and swim on their front and back using combined strokes. This is for the beginner who is not afraid of the water and needs some assistance forward and backward.

Key Skills Reviewed: Retrieving submerged objects, freestyle stroke continued, rotary breathing, front and back glides independently, introduction to streamline, organized freestyle and backstroke, treading, stamina and water safety.

Level 3 Stroke Development

Swimmers build on the skills mastered in Level 2. Level 3 participants learn to jump into deep water from the side, perform the survival float, perform a front and back glide and perform front and back crawl. Freestyle with rotary breathing, elementary backstroke and dolphin kick are introduced and students work on building endurance. 

Key Skills Reviewed: Introduction to breaststroke, elementary backstroke and dolphin kick.

Level 4 Stroke Improvement

Swimmers develop confidence in the different strokes and improve other aquatic skills. Level 4 participants master their front and back crawl and learn the breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly. Headfirst entry is also learned in this class and students continue to build endurance.

Key Skills Reviewed : Freestyle, backstroke, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, introduction to butterfly stroke. In this level students will have their strokes timed as a benchmark and later reviewed.

Level 5 & 6 Technique and Speed

Swimmers must have successfully completed Level 4 before taking this class. Participants will refine the four major strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly) and learn to swim with ease, efficiency, power, and smoothness for greater distances. Flip turns and competitive aspects of swimming will be introduced.

Key Skills Reviewed: Introduction to starts and flip turns, focused on conditioning, technique and speed with focus on water safety. In this level students will have their strokes timed as a benchmark and later reviewed. 

Starts and Turns 

Swimmers must have successfully completed Level 4 before taking this class. This class will focus on competitive diving progressions and all stroke turns. Course taught by the JCC Barracudas swim team coaching staff. 

Mini Barracudas

This swim team program is available for younger swimmers ages 5 – 8 who are able to swim at least 15 yards on both their front and back and is designed to introduce these young swimmers to competitive swimming. A stroke evaluation for new swimmers is recommended. 

Intra-Cudas

The Intra-Cuda intramural swim team program is for those swimmers ages 8+ who would like to improve their strokes and fitness but do not desire the level of commitment our Barracudas swim team requires. Swimmers must be able to swim at least 50 yards freestyle with rotary breathing. A stroke evaluation is not required.

Please note:

If only one child registers for a class, the Aquatics Department will not run the class and will give that child the option to participate in another class.
Registration for swim classes must be done one week prior to the start of the class or a $10 charge will be added to the class fee. 
If you want your JCC preschool child or your child in After School at the J picked up for swim class, please email [email protected] to arrange it.  

Spring II Group Lessons

Sunday, May 4 - Saturday, June 28 (no class 5/24-26) 

REGISTER

Inquire at  [email protected] to schedule make-up swim lessons if available. Make-up lessons must be redeemed in current session.

REGISTER

Summer I Group Lessons

Monday, July 7  - Saturday, July 26 

REGISTER

Inquire at  [email protected] to schedule make-up swim lessons if available. Make-up lessons must be redeemed in current session.

REGISTER