Learn to Swim - Spring (Saturdays) • Register • View Cart •

Program Description: Swimming lessons are an essential part of a child's education. Being able to swim properly increases confidence which makes time in the water an enjoyable and safe experience. In addition, swimming is a healthy, total fitness activity that lasts a lifetime. Our Learn to Swim programs are taught by certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors with an enthusiasm and dedication to helping children and adults achieve their swimming goals.

To determine proper class placement please review the level descriptions below and/or contact the DMAC front desk (860) 584-3837 with any questions. Swim tests for placement are offered upon request. 

Goggles are strongly recommended, though we do not allow those that have cover the nose.

Please try and arrive 15 minutes prior to start of class, doors open at 8:45am.

For best progression it is recommended that children attend every class if possible. Participants receive a temporary "membership" for the duration of the swim lessons to encourage participants to come practice skills learned in their classes during open swim times. See the front desk for a pool schedule.

Parent and Child (PCA) Class Description
All Parent and Child aquatics classes are intended for children 6 months-3 years old. Parents/ guardians are required to get into the water.

-Parent & Child Aquatics (PCA): This is a water introduction class to familiarize children with the water and teach swimming readiness skills. This class teaches parents proper holding techniques for their children while teaching them the swimming readiness water skills that include getting wet, water entry, blowing bubbles, submerging under water, front and back glides, front and back floats, scooping arms and kicking their legs. Water experimentation and the basic skills listed above are instructed through songs and activities.
 
Pre-School (PSA) Class Descriptions
All pre-school aquatics classes are intended for children 3-6 years old. Parents do not get in the water. Platforms are placed in the water for children to stand on during their lessons.

-Pre-school Aquatics Level 1 (PSA 1): This class continues familiarizing children with the water and begins to help children acquire rudimentary basic aquatic skills. They continue to develop safe practices around the water. Swimming skills covered in this level include entering and exiting the water, blowing bubbles for at least 3 seconds, submerging completely under water, retrieving objects from under water, front and back glides, front and back floats, beginning steps of treading water, and combined arm and leg actions (scoops and kicks) on front and back.

-Pre-school Aquatics Level 2 (PSA 2): This class builds on the skills learned in pre-school level 1. This level begins teaching independent aquatic locomotion skills and increasing their knowledge of water safety topics. Children continue to improve on skills learn in PSA 1 as well as bobbing up and down in the water at least 5 times and treading water for 15 seconds. Participants should be comfortable being in the water and getting their head and face wet.

-Pre-school Aquatics Level 3 (PSA 3): This class increases proficiency and builds on the aquatic skills learned in the previous two levels (PSA 1&2).  PSA 3 teaches children to perform their skills independently. They are taught to improve coordination of combined arm and leg actions and alternating arm and leg actions and other skills of Preschool 1 & 2 as well as learning new skills such as jumping into the water and submerging, submerging under water for at least 10 seconds, bobbing 10 times, rotary breathing (which is a crucial skill moving forward), learning new floats such as tuck and jellyfish, changing directions of travel and treading water for at least 30 seconds. Participants should be completely comfortable in the water and submerging.

Learn-to-Swim (LTS) Class Descriptions
The LTS classes are intended for children at least 6 years old up to age 15.

- Learn-to-Swim Level 1 (LTS 1) Beginner: This class is an introduction to Water Skills where children get orientated to the aquatic environment. Participants learn breath control through bobbing under water and blowing bubbles, floating on the front and back, alternating arm and leg action on front and back, treading water arm and leg actions and general water safety rules. Skills in this level may be performed with assistance. While participants 6 years old can take this level, it is the starting point for participants 7 and older.

- Learn-to-Swim Level 2 (LTS 2) Beginner: Fundamental Aquatic Skills- Participants build on skills they learned in LTS1. Participants will work on fully submerging and holding their breath under water, bobbing at least 10 times, treading water, combined arm and leg action on front and back, floating on their front and back for longer periods of time, rotary breathing (the action of tuning their head to the side to take a breath while swimming on their front) and general water safety. Participants must be able to put their head under water and swim independently.

- Learn-to-Swim Level 3 (LTS 3) Intermediate: The purpose of this level is Stroke Development and to build on skills learned in LTS 1 and 2 to help participants achieve basic water competency in a pool environment.  Participants work on new skills such as head first entries, rotary breathing, changing directions while swimming, breaststroke kick, elementary backstroke and scissor kicks. Participants swim front crawl and elementary backstroke for at least 15 yards and are able to swim backstroke. Participants should be completely independent while performing skills in this level and be able to at least swim the width of the 6 lane pool.

- Learn-to-Swim Level 4 (LTS 4) Intermediate: The purpose of this level is Stroke Improvement to improve participates proficiency in performing the swimming strokes that were introduced in LTS 3. Participants should already know how to swim front crawl, elementary backstroke and backstroke. Diving from pool edge, surface diving, open turns, sidestroke, breaststroke, and butterfly are taught in this level. Participants must be able to swim the width of the pool independently.

- Learn-to-Swim Level 5 (LTS 5) Advanced: The purpose of this level is Stroke Refinement and help participants refine their performance of all 6 swimming strokes (front crawl, backstroke, elementary backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke and sidestroke). Head first surface dives, flip turns, sculling and, shallow-angle diving skills are taught. All other skills are refined.

- Learn- to-Swim Level 6 (LTS 6) Advanced: Fitness Swimmer- The purpose of this class is to refine strokes so participants swim with greater efficiency and effectiveness over longer distances. Focuses on endurance as it pertains to using the water as a medium for exercise in addition to the core skills.