All swim instructors are trained under the YMCA of the USA guidelines and certified in Basic Life Support (CPRO), Emergency Oxygen Administration, and Basic First Aid.
Please note: A Y membership is required to register for youth swim lessons.
Group Lessons
Instructors use songs and games to encourage students and parents to learn skills, explore the environment and equipment used in swim lessons, and how to be safe in and around water. Child is required to wear a swim-type diaper if not 100% potty trained.
Introduces and enhances understanding of the aquatic environment. Instructors guide students through a variety of skills, including floating, the progression of going under water, using swim equipment, forward underwater movement, arm and leg movements, rudimentary rhythmic breathing, and the fundamentals of self-rescue and water safety. Goggles may be helpful.
Students further develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.
Required: Child must be able to sit on pool edge independently for 30 minutes (without parent).
Child is able to independently submerge underwater and swim a few feet with or without floatation. The focus is on body position, front/back float, forward underwater movement, rolling from front to back, directional change, and basic self-rescue skills.
Child can swim, roll to a float and swim the width of the pool (20 feet) and back. The student continues to focus on self-rescue skills while learning to swim longer distances, tread water, and retrieve an object from the bottom of the shallow end.
Child can swim/float the length of the pool (60 feet). Students develop proper front crawl including rudimentary rotary breathing, back crawl, breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. The water safety conversation continues and is reinforced through skills like treading water and elementary backstroke.
Child can swim 50 yards of proper front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke kick, and butterfly kick. Improve upon all major competitive strokes. The water safety conversation continues and is reinforced through treading water and sidestroke.
Child can effectively and efficiently swim 100 yds. of any or combined strokes. Student refines stroke technique, develops endurance for competitive & non-competitive strokes and learns flip turns.
Child has completed the group swim lesson program (through Stage 6) and can effectively and efficiently swim 150 yards of any combination of strokes. Student builds endurance, refines all major competitive strokes, and improves starts and turns.
Individual Lessons
Intended for children or adults looking to practice or refine a skill, or to reach a specific goal. These lessons are intended to supplement, not replace, a group lesson. If you would like arrange or learn more, please let us know:
Swim Clinics
Teen Swim Lessons
Age 12-16
Learn essential water safety and basic swimming skills at your own pace in a judgement-free zone. Develop and build endurance on all four strokes. Lessons are 30 min. Rooke Pool.
Begins in Winter Session
Rainbow Fish
Lessons for children age 3-12 with special/adaptive needs
Swimmers work on skills that are appropriate for their ability level. Limited spots available, contact Rob Faggiano for more details.
Begins in Winter Session.
Learn to Dive
Ages 5+ | Stage 4 +
Perfect for first time divers age 5+ and Stage 4+ who have either never tried diving or need to develop the skill of entering the pool hands-first.
Begins in Winter Session
Competitive Starts
Ages 7-12
For competitive swimmers age 7-12 looking to improve diving starts off the block.
Begins in Winter Session
Cranford YMCA Youth Aquatics
Questions about Youth Swim Lessons?
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