Youth Swimming Lessons

Swimming provides a fun form of exercise for boys and girls and is an important tool in the fight against rising levels of youth obesity. While children may view time at the beach, water park, and community pool as playtime, it can also be a great form of activity and exercise once children learn fundamental swimming strokes.

YMCA group swimming classes are divided into groups based on ability. Students learn at different rates and are usually in each level more than once. Trained instructors emphasize personal safety, swimming skills, endurance, and social skills, while guiding students with praise and encouragement. As youth progress through different skill levels, they also learn to enjoy safe recreational swimming and water sports.

Polliwog
For children with little or no previous swim instruction. Teaches water adjustment, breathing, and basic crawl stroke.

Guppy
For children comfortable in the water, going underwater, floating on their backs, and swimming about 10 feet on their own. They will work on arm strokes, both front and back; front and back floats; breathing; and treading water.

Minnow
Swimming independently on front and back, comfortable in deep water, able to swim the length of the big pool (25 yards) for endurance. This class teaches skills like: front and back crawl, elementary back stroke, and endurance building.

Fish
Children should be able to complete all of the skills in Minnow. They will be working on skills like breaststroke, sidestroke, and butterfly.

Flying Fish
At this level, children work on building endurance and perfecting their strokes. More advanced skills are taught in various water sports.

Porpoise Club
For advance swimmers not interested in lessons or swim team. Must be a Fish or above.