SWIM LESSONS

The Superior Y uses a standardized swim lesson curriculum developed by Y-USA. We utilize small class sizes: no more than 4 students per instructor for beginner levels and 6:1 for advanced levels. Most swim lessons are taught in our Rec Pool with a zero-depth/beach entry and water temperatures between 87-90 degrees all year, allowing children to learn to swim in small class sizes at water depths appropriate for the skill level (no greater than chest deep for beginners). Youth lessons use play-based curriculum resources. Visual aids are available to support all stages in our curriculum for participants who can benefit from this accommodation. 

Our play-based curriculum builds through a natural progression, getting comfortable with the face and ears in the water first (Water Acclimation, stage 1), then moving into Water Movement (stage 2), and Water Stamina (stage 3), where students learn to control their buoyancy and movement without the use of wearable floatation devices. Once students can swim at least 10-15 yds on front with face in the water, we move into Stroke Introduction (stage 4), Stroke Development (stage 5), and Stroke Mechanics (stage 6). Students should generally expect to spend 2-3 sessions (6-8 lessons/sessions) working on the skills in each stage before moving on to the next. 
 

SPRING SWIM LESSONS (Current Session): April 27-June 4
Spring Swim Lessons are underway! Our current session is full and is not accepting any new registrations. Students currently registered in this session continue to come to once-a-week lessons until the session ends the week of Memorial Day. Students will have their last lesson on June 2-4 depending on the day of the week they attend. Please email Jess at jmelander@superiorymca.org if you have any questions about your student's swim lesson schedule or progress. 

SUMMER SWIM LESSONS
Summer swim lessons meet twice a week for 4 weeks. Early registration (Superior Y members only) for all three month-long summer sessions opens Monday, May 17. General registration opens Monday, May 24. Our program runs through SWIM STARTERS (Stages A and B) for young children not ready to get in the water without a parent, SWIM BASICS (stages 1-3) for beginners learning basic water safety skills, SWIM STROKES (stages 4-6) for swimmers learning advanced stroke techniques, and SWIM PATHWAYS for advanced swimmers training toward health and wellness goals work with trained instructors in play-based student-oriented small group experiences. 

PANDEMIC CONSIDERATIONS:
Please wear face coverings and wear your swimwear under your clothing when you arrive. To help us reduce locker room congestions, follow locker room instructions include in your welcome email (3-5 days before the first day of lessons). Thank you for helping your children maintain distance from other families while waiting for lessons to begin. Swim instructors have resumed teaching SWIM BASICS lessons IN THE WATER effective April 25, removing the requirement for parents/caregivers to be in the water with the students over the age of 3. We will endeavor to maintain distancing between participants, but for safety considerations, instructors will make direct contact with students. Families may opt to provide an in-water caregiver in SWIM BASICS groups to facilitate their child's lesson with additional distancing. SWIM STROKES level instructors may choose to instruct from the pool deck or in-water. SWIM STARTERS participants must have a caregiver in the water with them. We are also scheduling fewer skill groups overall in the pool area at a time to facilitate additional distancing between participants and scheduling increased time between groups to allow for reduced locker room congestion and sanitizing equipment between users. 
 

REGISTRATION TIPS

• Click on the blue ONLINE REGISTRATION tab at the top of the page to get started. Type Swim Lessons into the keyword search to find lesson times available.
• REGISTER EARLY for the best day and time availability! Registration for Summer 2021 swim lessons will open for Superior Y members on May 17 and to the General Public on May 24.
• New participants are encouraged to fill out a Swimmer Information Form to ensure the best group placement.
• Email Jess with any questions!

REFUND/MAKEUP POLICY
To maintain instructor-student ratios in group lessons, missed swim lessons cannot be rescheduled. Refunds in the form of pro-rated vouchers may only be made when there is facility cancellation of program services, or where member privileges are suspended, or physician-prescribed medical reasons. Refunds must be requested at the time of need. Membership refunds are limited to a maximum of 30 days. The Y does not make cash refunds. There are no refunds for youth sports, personal training, swim team, swim lessons, or childcare programs. 

ADAPTIVE PRIVATE SWIM LESSONS
If you or your child have unique needs or goals that would be better met with one-on-one instruction, adaptive lessons may be available. Private swim lesson requests are filled as instructor availability permits, prioritizing requests for individuals with needs that are better accommodated in a one-on-one instructional setting. Our inclusive traditional small group lessons are taught with a curriculum with a variety of adaptive lesson resources and are generally the preferred placement for most swimmers, so private lessons are typically used to prepare a swimmer to integrate into traditional small group lesson settings.  Email Jess Melander for the current Adaptive Private Swim Lesson application.