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Swimming Lessons
Confidence in the water
The Importance of Swimming Lessons
Swimming lessons play a crucial role in promoting water safety, physical fitness, and overall well-being. While there are an infinite number of reasons to learn to swim, here are some key reasons why swimming lessons are essential:
- Drowning Prevention: Every day, approximately 11 people in the United States lose their lives due to drowning. While swimming lessons can’t prevent all such tragedies, they significantly reduce the risk. Learning basic water survival skills—such as floating, treading water, and reaching safety—can save lives.
- Early Exposure: Children as young as 6 months old benefit from water safety courses and parent-child swimming lessons. Starting early helps build comfort in the water and lays the foundation for future swimming skills.
- Health Benefits: Swimming is a lifelong skill that provides numerous health benefits. It improves joint mobility, cardiovascular health, and mental well-being. Seniors can continue to exercise in a water-based environment long after retirement.
- Life-Long Skill: Learning to swim is not just about recreation; it’s a skill that lasts a lifetime. Whether for leisure, fitness, or safety, swimming proficiency is invaluable.
The First Swim Instruction
The concept of formal swim instruction dates back to 1891 when Dr. James Naismith, a YMCA instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts (and also the inventor of basketball) recognized the need for structured swimming education and introduced the first swim instruction programs within the YMCA community. These early swim lessons focused on fundamental skills, including breath control, floating, and basic movements. Dr. Naismith’s vision laid the groundwork for the systematic teaching of swimming, emphasizing safety and skill development. His legacy continues to impact generations of swimmers worldwide.
Group Sessions
Group sessions are offered throughout the year and can be registered online.
Private Sessions
Private lessons are offered year-round by appointment. Please contact the swimming lesson coordinator at swim@ymcatopeka.org to schedule lessons.
Help Teach Confidence
We are looking for a few people to join our team of swim instructors! Do you know someone who may be interested in working a few hours a week while helping kids learn lifesaving skills? Evening and weekend hours are available with flexible scheduling. Applicants must be at least 15 years old. Training and certification is provided on-site. If interested, please email alexish@ymcatopeka.org or apply online.
Swim Lesson Levels
Introduction to Swim and Water Safety
Do you have a child who is nervous or fearful of the water? Want to focus on being safe around water?
This class will focus on pertinent skills such as breath control, submersion, and floating, as well as safety skills in and around the water and is designed as an introduction to swimming lessons. So, if this if your child?s first time taking lessons, you have tried lessons in the past and they are still fearful, or they are over confident but lack the skills to remain safe, this class is for your child.
This class is being offered at a discount rate thanks to community partnerships and our desire to make sure that as many children as can be in Shawnee County are water safe.
Limit one session per child. Children Age: 5-9 years old
$20 per session
Aqua Baby (6 months to 1 year)
This is a parent/child swim class that teaches aquatic skills in a progressively structured but fun way. This class will not make your child an independent swimmer; instead, this class will acclimate them to the water and show them how fun the water can be! Skills learned include getting adjusted to the water and getting comfortable being on both their back and front positions in the water. Each child MUST be accompanied by an adult IN the water.
Aqua Tot (1 to 2 years old)
This is a parent/child swim class that continues to build on comfort levels in the water. This class will not make your child an independent swimmer. It will however, continue to build on comfort in the water as well as introduce skills such as back floating and breath control. Each child MUST be accompanied by an adult IN the water.
Beginner Preschool (3 to 4 years old)
Beginner Preschool is a class meant to orient young preschoolers to the water. This class will help them become more comfortable and safer in aquatic environments. Breath control, submerging, buoyancy, and changing direction in the water are just a few of the skills we will work on with this class.
Preschool (4 to 5 years old)
This class will continue to build on the skills in the beginner preschool level. This class is designed for your children ages 4 and 5. They will continue to progress through skills such as breath control, submerging, buoyancy, and changing directions in the water. This level marks the beginning of working towards more independence in the water, while still focusing on water safety topics.
Swim Level 1 (5+ years old)
This class is designed to introduce basic water skills to school age children. This class is designed for those children that may not have much/any water experience. This class will work on establishing a positive relationship between your child and the water, with safety in mind. Your child’s ability to be comfortable in the water while working on skills such as breath control, retrieving submerged objects, and working with buoyancy will help them strive to become more independent in the water.
Swim Level 2
This class is designed for those students who have passed level 1, or can demonstrate breath control and fully submerge to retrieve underwater objects, float and roll in the water with assistance, and demonstrate simultaneous and alternation leg and arm action on both front and back with assistance. They will continue to build progressively on the previously mentioned skills to begin to complete all skills independently.
Swim Level 3
This class is designed for those students who have passed level 2 or can demonstrate fully holding breath and submerging, can independently float on back and front, can independently directional changes and treading water, and can swim on front with combined arm and leg actions. This class will progressively build on the previous skills while introducing new strokes. At this level, sitting dives will be introduced into the skill set as well.
Swim Level 4
This class is designed for those students who have passed level 3 or can jump in and recover to the side of the pool, independently float in deep water, demonstrate several different strokes ( back stroke, front crawl, breast stroke, and side stroke.) This level will continue to develop the previous mentioned strokes as well as introduce new skills. This class is for students who are already confident in the water and are looking to improve their technique.
Adult Lessons
Beginner or Intermediate This class is for adult swimmers who feel comfortable in the water and are looking to improve technique and learn new strokes.
Stroke Refinement and Conditioning
This class is for those 8 or older who can swim at least 25 yards each in front crawl, back stroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. This class is designed to help strengthen and build endurance while refining the technical aspects of each stroke. This class would be a good fit if you would like to begin working towards joining a swim team or even if you want to maintain and better your swimming during the off season. Students will be timed and given goal to reach to better those times and push themselves with each stroke. Classes will be 1 hour, 3 days a week, for 4 weeks.
If you are unsure and would like to be swim tested for this class, please email swim@ymcatopeka.org in order to set up a time.
Additional course requirements:
- All students will need goggles (eyes only, no nose coverage)
- Dress code
- Females need a one piece suit
- Males need trunks that tighten on waist (can be tied and secure)
- All hair needs to be up and out of the face
- Swim caps are allowed but not required
- Please note that this facility does not use diving blocks