Nurturing skills and building confidence in the water
For more than 160 years, the YMCA has nurtured potential and united communities to create lasting, meaningful change. In each of our communities, the Y is in the service of building a better us. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is to teach youth, teens, and adults to swim, so they can stay safe around water and learn the skills they need to make swimming a lifelong pursuit for staying healthy.
Y swim instructors are nationally certified. Their training includes CPR, AED, First Aid and Oxygen Administration. Swim lessons provide important life skills that could save a life and will benefit youth and adult swimming students for a lifetime.
Questions? Please contact Emily Peoples at [email protected]
Infant and Toddler Group Swim Lessons (Ages 6 months – 3 years old)
At the YMCA, our goal is to create a healthy respect for water to keep youth safe while creating a lifelong love of aquatics environments. Accompanied by a parent*, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building swim lessons experiences. At the same time, parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.
Infants and toddlers will be introduced to the aquatic environment safely and comfortably to gain confidence and a healthy respect for the water. As students progress and grow, they begin to explore body positions, blowing bubbles and fundamental safety and aquatics skills.
*Parent must participate in the water with child during the class
Preschool and School-Aged Lessons
New to swim lessons? The basis of Y swim lessons is water safety skills. Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills: swim, float, swim—sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide and exit—and jump, push, turn, grab.
As students progress, they are taught in swim lessons the recommended skills for all to have around water, including safe water habits, underwater exploration and how to swim to safety and exit in the event of falling into a body of water. Activities, games, and drills geared to reinforce learning are utilized heavily as students continue through this skill-based approach to swimming. After having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills, build stroke techniques, develop skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being and foster a lifetime of physical activity
Youth Advanced Swim Lessons
After having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique preventing chronic disease, increasing social-emotional and cognitive well-being and fostering a lifetime of physical activity. Students work on refining stroke technique and learning all major competitive strokes in swimming lessons.
The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water and sidestroke. Students will learn about competitive swimming and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.
Backyard Swim Lessons
Looking for private swim lessons in the comfort of your own home? Backyard swim lessons are a great way for child(ren) to learn how to swim in their own pool. Backyard swim lessons can be taught in a one-on-one private setting or in a small group with up to four kids of similar swimming ability.
Lessons are provided by a certified YMCA Swim Instructor and accompanied by a certified Lifeguard.
Contact us to inquire about Backyard Swim Lessons.
Private Swim Lessons
Are you looking to refine a specific stroke, perfect your flip-turn, have a flexible swim lesson schedule and want quick results or individual attention? Private swim lessons are perfect for you!
Private Lessons focus on increasing your child’s skill at any age.
- Lessons are private one-on-one instruction with participant and swim instructor
- Lessons are scheduled at the frequency, days and times that fit your schedule
Contact us to inquire about Private Swim Lessons.
Trust Our Team
Parents can help establish trust between youth and their instructors by sitting back from the class and allowing the instructor to give guidance, help solve issues, etc. Talk with your child(ren) about their time at lessons and your role during this time versus the instructor. If needed, talk with the instructor about how to help establish boundaries.
Swim Regularly
Reinforce and practice swim skills taught at class by spending time together during a recreational swim at your local YMCA.
Prevent Drowning
Safety is the number one priority around any depth of water. Find tips and information to help keep your family safe here.
Frequently Asked Questions
