Programs
Swim Lessons
Strong Swimmers. Confident Kids.
At the Y, swimming is a life skill. Our swim lessons prepare kids of all ages to stay safe and have fun in the water, building strong swimmers and confident kids.
Lansdowne
Chris Blakney
Aquatics Director
610.557.YMCA ext. 3013
cblakney@cyedc.org
Ridley Area
Jessica Ditondo
Aquatics Director
610.557.YMCA, ext. 2225
jditondo@cyedc.org
Springfield
Nikki Smith
Aquatics Director
610.557.YMCA ext. 5012
nsmith@cyedc.org
Private Swim Lessons at the YMCA
Private Swim Lesson FAQs
To register, please complete the interest form and the Aquatics Director will reach out to coordinate and schedule.
Lessons are 30 minutes in length. They will start on time and not be extended for lateness unless the instructors schedule allows.
Lessons are scheduled for the same time/day each week. The initial package you choose to purchase secures the day and time. To continue after the initial package please contact
Children are not paired for semi-private lessons. They are meant to be done with a friend or sibling.
Every child learns differently so the number of lessons needed to become a proficient swimmer depends on the child.
Children must be 3 years of age to start private or semi-private lessons.
Children must be able to sit, wait their turn and take direction in order to begin lessons.
Swim lessons are non-refundable or transferable.
We suggest all lessons use the family locker room.
Any cancellations or rescheduling should be done directly with the instructor.
Failure to cancel or reschedule 24 hours in advance will result in being charged for the scheduled lesson.
Springfield Private Swim Lessons Interest Form
Parent/Child Stages A&B
Previously Water Babies & Parent/Tot classes
Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.
* At the Y, we know families take a variety of forms. As a result, we define parent broadly to include all adults with primary responsibility for raising children, including biological parents, adoptive parents, guardians, stepparents, grandparents, or any other type of parenting relationship.
Preschool Stage 1
For swimmers ages 3 years to 5 years of age. Students will 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
• Jump, push, turn, grab
Preschool Stage 2
For swimmers ages 3 years to 5 years of age. Students will 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
• Jump, push, turn, grab
Preschool Stage 3
For swimmers ages 3 years to 5 years of age. Students will 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
• Jump, push, turn, grab
Preschool Stage 4
For swimmers ages 3 years to 5 years of age. Students will 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
• Jump, push, turn, grab
School Age Stage 1
For swimmers ages 6 years to 12 years of age. Students, accompanied by a parent/guardian will 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
• Jump, push, turn, grab
School Age Stage 2
For swimmers ages 6 years to 12 years of age. Students will 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
Jump, push, turn, grab
School Age Stage 3
For swimmers ages 6 years to 12 years of age. Having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.
School Age Stage 4
For swimmers ages 6 years to 12 years of age. Having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.
School Age Stage 5
For swimmers ages 6 years to 12 years of age. Having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.
Adult/Teen Swim Lessons
Swim lessons for ages 13+ for beginner to intermediate skill levels. Taught in the shallow end of the pool with Y instructor in the water.
Adult/Teen Swim Lessons 2
Swim lessons for ages 13+ for beginner to intermediate skill levels. Taught in the shallow end of the pool with Y instructor in the water. Designed for those who have either completed level 1 or are comfortable and confident in the water.
Swim Test Policy
Swim Lessons – You and your child’s health & safety and that of our staff team is very important to us.
Our new swim lesson progression curriculum is geared towards what we know about how children and adults learn and develop. Students begin with and build upon skills they are ready to learn, helping them to celebrate their successes, build self-confidence, enjoy learning to swim, and water safety. Our new swim curriculum is based on extensive research, and we look forward to seeing swimmers advance quicker through each stage.
The fun fish names we previously used to identify the different levels have been replaced with names that more closely relate to the skills we will be working on in each stage. Swim lessons are now organized into three phases, and each phase includes several stages, focused on a specific skill set.
For the student, emphasis is on skill progression and water safety. Parents will now have peace of mind knowing that their child will learn self-rescue skills first, then, how to swim.
As students advance, focus turns to increasing stroke coordination, comfort and endurance. Once the students have built strength and endurance, they will master familiar strokes, such as elementary backstroke, front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
How Do I Know Where to Place my Child for Swim Lessons?
New to Swim Lessons or Unsure of Your Child’s Level?
To make swim level selection as easy as possible, please refer to the following document.
Already Know Your Child’s Swim Level?
If you already know your child’s swimming level, registering for a swimming lesson is very easy!
Parent*/Child Swim Lessons (ages 6 months – 3 yrs)
Swim Starters
Previously Water Babies & Parent/Tot classes
Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.
* At the Y, we know families take a variety of forms. As a result, we define parent broadly to include all adults with primary responsibility for raising children, including biological parents, adoptive parents, guardians, stepparents, grandparents, or any other type of parenting relationship.
Preschool Swim Lessons (ages 3-5 yrs)
Swim Basics
Safety Around Water
Previously Pike/Eel & Ray/Starfish
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
- Jump, push, turn, grab
Youth Swim Lessons (ages 6-12 yrs)
Swim Basics
Safety Around Water
Previously Polliwog/Guppy
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
- Jump, push, turn, grab
Swim Strokes
Previously Minnow/Fish & Flying Fish/Shark
Having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.
Adult/Teen Swim Lessons
For those ages 13+ who are beginner or inexperienced swimmers.
Competitive Swimming
Competitive swimming is one of the most popular national competitive sports the Y offers. It is available at both of our branches. Competitive swimming helps kids value hard work, reach for excellence, and enjoy spirited competition in state, regional and national championships.
