Swimming Lessons

Safe swimming and having fun. That’s what it’s all about at the Y.

Swimming is a life skill as well as great exercise and a challenging sport. The Le Mars YMCA offers swim lessons for all ages. Every day, children learn the basics of swimming at the Y and enhance their skills with our progressive lessons that turn beginners into experts. And our kids are having fun, being healthy, learning safety and building confidence all at the same time! Choose from Preschool and Learn to Swim lessons designed to grow their confidence in the water no matter their skill level. Our Parent Infant/Toddler lessons introduce infants and toddlers to the water while teaching parents how to guide and supervise them, have fun, build trust and confidence.

Which level of swim lessons does your child need?

A few years ago the American Red Cross restructured their swim lesson program to provide the best experience for all ages. Children ages 3-5 can start with our Preschool lessons while kids ages 6 and older can start with our Learn to Swim lessons. Under the new program, once a child passes Preschool Level 3 they go directly to Learn to Swim Level 3, skipping Learn to Swim Levels 1 and 2. The child is not guaranteed to pass just by taking the class, at the end of the session the swim instructor will let you know if your child should advance to the next level or repeat the current level. Attendance to all 10 classes is highly encouraged.

If this is your child’s first time taking swim lessons the YMCA staff can help you determine where to start your child. If your child has already taken swim lessons at the Outdoor Pool or Indoor Pool and you can’t remember which level they passed, simply call the YMCA.

Youth Private and Semi-Private Swim Lessons

An instructor will guide the participant through individualized lesson plans designed to meet the needs of the participant. Click on the link below to request lessons and our Aquatic Director will match you with an instructor. Lessons must be paid for by the first day of lessons.

Private Lesson Request: https://forms.gle/MknMe6FwJ7NRnehG8

Fee:
Private: $80.00 for five 30 minute sessions (1 child/instructor)
Semi-Private: $65.00 per child for five 40 minute sessions (2 children at the same level/instructor)

Parent / Toddler Swimming Lessons (6-36 months)

Introduce your tot to swimming with parent/toddler swim lessons. The Red Cross swimming lessons will support and direct parents to help their tots learn and develop in a fun and safe aquatic environment. Parent/toddler swimming lessons focus more on exploration and giving parents the tools to help develop their little swimmer.

Level	Class Information	Swimming, Diving & Safety Skills
Parent Infant/Toddler	5, 30 minute classes	An instructor will assist parents with interacting safely and effectively in the water. In class you will learn techniques to support your child, help them relax in the water and much more. This class is not designed to teach the child swimming skills but rather encourage children to explore movements in the water while in a fun non-threatening environment. One parent must be in the water with the child at all times.

Preschool Swim Lessons (3-5 years old)

Empower your child with swim lessons where they will learn different techniques and strokes to keep them safe in the water. This class will help children become comfortable in the water in a fun, learning environment. Participants must be at least 3 years old to enroll in Preschool Swim Lessons.

Level	Class Information	Swimming, Diving & Safety Skills
Pre-Level 1	10, 30 minute classes 1 teacher: 5 students	Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side Blow bubbles through mouth and nose Submerge mouth, nose and eyes Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects Front and back glides and recover to vertical position Back float and recover to vertical position Roll from front to back and back to front Tread with arm and hand actions Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
Pre-Level 2	10, 30 minute classes 1 teacher: 5 students	Enter water by stepping in Exit water using ladder, steps or side Bobbing Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects Front and back floats and glides Recover from a front or back float or glide to vertical position Roll from front to back and back to front Tread water using arm and leg actions Combined arm and leg actions on front and back Finning arm action on back
Pre-Level 3	10, 30 minute classes 1 teacher: 5 students	Enter water by jumping in Fully submerge and hold breath Bobbing Front, jellyfish and tuck floats Recover from a front or back float or glide to a vertical position Back float and glide Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back Tread water using arm and leg actions Combined arm and leg actions on front and back Finning arm action on back

Learn to Swim Lessons (6 years old and older)

Empower your child with swim lessons where they will learn different techniques and strokes to keep them safe in the water. This class will help children become comfortable in the water in a fun, learning environment. Participants must be at least 6 years old to enroll in Learn to Swim Lessons.

Level	Class Information	Swimming, Diving & Safety Skills
Level 1	10, 30 minute classes 1 teacher: 5 students	Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side Blow bubbles through mouth and nose Bobbing Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged object Front and back floats and glides Recover to vertical position Roll from front to back and back to front Tread water using arm and leg actions Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
Level 2	10, 30 minute classes 1 teacher: 5 students	Enter and exit the water by stepping or jumping from the side Fully submerged and hold breath Bobbing Open eyes under water and retrieve a submerged object Front, jellyfish and tuck floats Front and back floats and glides Recover to vertical position Roll from front to back and back to front Change direction of travel while swimming on front and back Tread water using arm and leg action Combined arm and leg actions on front and back Finning arm action
Level 3A Level 3B	10, 45 minute classes 1 teacher: 6 students	Enter water by jumping in from the side Headfirst entries from the side in sitting and kneeling positions Bobbing while moving toward safety Rotary breathing Survival float Back float Change from vertical to horizontal position on front and back Tread water Flutter, scissor, dolphin and breaststroke kicks on front Front crawl and elementary backstroke
Level 4	10, 45 minute classes 1 teacher: 6 students	Headfirst entries from the side in compact and stride positions Swim under water Feet first surface dive Survival swimming Front crawl and backstroke open turns Tread water using two different kicks Front crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke, butterfly Flutter and dolphin kicks on back
Level 5	10, 45 minute classes 1 teacher: 10 students	Shallow-angle dive from the side then glide and begin front stroke Tuck and pike surface dives, submerged completely Front flip turn and backstroke flip turn while swimming Front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly Sculling
Level 6	10, 45 minute classes 1 teacher: 10 students	Work on refining all strokes and performing them over a long distance Help prepare for Water Safety Instructor, competitive swimming and diving