Youth Learn to Swim (ages 3-13 ONLY)
Our customized swimming program follows American Red Cross guidelines and provides a positive learning experience for swimmers ages 3-13 by following a developmental pattern of progressive skills. During the school year, classes are held once a week on Saturday mornings. During the summer, classes are held weekday afternoons consecutively over the course of two weeks per session. Sandpipers is an introductory level with no pre-requisite skills meant for the youngest swimmers and Plovers is for older beginning level students. Each of the other classes requires some degree of experience and will build on skills learned in previous levels. Flamingos, Osprey, Seahawks and Falcons are advanced classes that require instructor recommendation or verification of skills prior to enrollment (detailed descriptions are listed below).
Swimmers are grouped by ability over age and by both if possible. Instructor recommendations and certifications from other programs will be taken into account when placing a child in the appropriate class. If you are unsure what level your child belongs in, we will be happy to assist in determining what level will be the most appropriate challenge for your child. If a child is found to be enrolled in a class that is not an appropriate challenge, every effort will be made to properly accommodate that child.
Registration will be held at the pool and will be on a first come, first enrolled basis at the scheduled date and time for each session in order to maintain safe instructor to student ratios. Late registration will only be accepted if there is room remaining in a given class and a late fee will apply unless the enrollee was previously on a waiting list. Drivers' licenses, utility bills, library cards and Deer Park School District report cards are all acceptable forms of proof of residency.
Parent observation from within the pool area will be allowed only on the first and last day of classes to minimize distractions, enhance the safety of all participants and to comply with Health Dept. requirements.
Please use caution in the parking lot and allow a few minutes extra for parking and getting into the building. Please DO NOT Park illegally. There is another lot entrance just past the pool lot on North 1st St. Yes, it is a little further of a walk but it is safer to park there and walk with your child to the pool entrance than to send them in unattended, or to double park or block in another car in the pool lot when it is crowded. There will be football games and other athletics on most Saturdays during the Fall season. Being on time and having your child use the restroom before class will help us start on time and will help your child get the most of their lesson.
*Fall Session Information*
Registration: September 13th & 14th 7:00-9:00 PM at the pool, first come first enrolled.
Classes: Saturdays September 18th - November 20th, NOT October 9th & November 6th
Class Schedule (register for ONE class and come to that one each time):
9:10-9:40 AM Sandpipers, Skimmers, Puffins, Plovers, Pelicans, Gulls and Petrels
9:45-10:15 AM Sandpipers, Skimmers, Puffins, Plovers, Pelicans, Gulls and Petrels
10:20-10:50 AM Sandpipers, Skimmers, Puffins, Plovers, Pelicans, Gulls and Petrels
10:55-11:25 AM Sandpipers, Skimmers, Puffins, Plovers, Pelicans, Gulls and Petrels
11:30-12:00 Noon Flamingos, Osprey, Seahawks and Falcons
Fees: Deer Park Residents: $40 per student Non-Residents: $80 per student
Detailed Course Descriptions
Sandpipers - a beginner level course with no pre-requisites. *Parents do not accompany children in the water for this, or any progressive level course.
Skimmers - Requires some previous experience and a level of comfort in the water, for example; being willing and able to put all parts of the face into the water, being able to safely get in and out of the water without assistance and being willing to try floating skills with minimal assistance.
Plovers - a beginner level course for older novice swimmers who need to gain a level of comfort in the water, for example; being willing and able to put all parts of the face into the water, being able to safely get in and out of the water without assistance and being willing to try floating skills with minimal assistance.
Puffins - Requires both comfort and a level of independence in water, for example; being able to move away from the wall unassisted for a few feet and safely return to the starting position, being able to float unassisted on front and back.
Pelicans - Requires independence and skill experience on front and back, for example; being able to float independently on both the front and back, perform glides on front and back and begin to coordinate arm and leg movement with those horizontal body positions unsupported by the instructor for short distances.
Gulls - Requires independent skills on front, back and underwater. Swimmers at this level should be able to safely make it across the width of the pool unassisted on both their front and back with recognizable stroke patterns identifiable in both arm and leg movements.
Petrels - Requires skills and refined technique on front, back and underwater. Swimmers at this level must be able to safely make it back and forth across the width of the pool unassisted with consistently correct technique for all strokes learned to this point.
Flamingos - Requires refined skills technique and endurance to swim lengths of the pool with good form for a variety of front and back strokes.
Osprey - Requires advanced skills and endurance to swim repeated lengths of the pool with good form for a variety of front and back strokes.
Seahawks - The content of this course is advanced swimming and personal water safety for very experienced swimmers.
Falcons - The content of this course is advanced swimming and introductory springboard diving for very experienced swimmers.
Notes:
Enrollment forms require a signature from the parent or guardian of each participant. Whenever possible that person should be the person completing registration. Please use appropriate caution in the parking lot. Please DO NOT Park illegally.
Parents are welcome to observe class from inside the pool area on the first and last day of each session only. This helps to minimize distractions and provides a safer, more conducive learning environment. All other days, the instructors escort the children from the pool entrance to their class area after calling attendance. Parents may wait in the hallway if desired. If your child needs your assistance in the restroom during class it will be easy for us to come get you from the hallway, otherwise children will be allowed into the bathroom on their own to expedite use of the facilities when necessary. The safety of the area will be verified and observed by a staff member and assistance such as pulling up a bathing suit or helping to wash hands will only be given if absolutely necessary. All swimmers will be dismissed to the parent / adult who dropped them off at the end of class. Please follow foot traffic patterns as directed by the lifeguard staff.
Locker rooms are available. Management of this facility recommends that boys and girls ages 6 and over be encouraged to use the appropriate locker room. Changing outside the locker rooms is not acceptable. Parents must not accompany their child into the opposite sex locker room. Please review appropriate locker room behavior with your child if they will be changing without your accompaniment. Please have your child use the restroom before class to minimize disruptions to the lesson.
There is no requirement to purchase a membership in order to participate in this or any other Instructional Program. All lesson participants are welcome to practice during public swim times with purchase of a membership, or by paying a daily usage fee. Please note that children under age 13 must be accompanied by a responsible adult for public swimming sessions and any child who requires assistance in the water must be accompanied IN THE WATER by that adult.