With the YMCA Canada swim program, swimmers progress at their own pace, as our certified instructors provide positive, ongoing feedback and build encouraging relationships with each participant. Within each program, swimmers will be grouped into classes based on the appropriate swim level that best suits their comfort and skill level.
Parent & Tot Swim
6 months to 3 Years
Caregiver assists child to develop comfort in the water and promotes water fun through songs and games. Instruction covers skills such as splashing with arms and legs and pool area orientation.
Caregiver assists child to develop comfort in the water and promotes water fun through songs and games. Instruction covers skills such as holding on to the wall, kicking their legs, assisted front/back floats and practicing safe swimming.
Preschool Swim
3 to 5 Years
Child gains comfort in the water without a caregiver. Instruction covers skills such as entering and exiting the pool, blowing bubbles, progression for submersion, assisted front and back floats, glides, and safety
Child learns pool rules and is comfortable entering and exiting the pool on their own. Instruction covers skills such as swimming 10m, wearing a personal floatation device (PFD), assisted jumps into the water, retrieving objects, and unassisted front and back floats and bobs.
Child is comfortable beginning the transition from shallow to deep water (water is over the child's head when touching the bottom) with assistance. Instruction covers skills such as deep water activities and assisted front and back floats in deep water, swims of 5m in shallow water.
Child is getting comfortable in deep water. Instruction covers skills such as side-to-side rools, work on arm action, and increasing front and back swim distances to 10m.
Child explores diving, surface support, creative pool entries and extends swim distances to 15m. Instruction covers skills such as retrieving object from deep water, front and back swim to 15m.
Child further refines front and back swim to 25m and continues deep water activities. Instruction covers skills such as front and back crawl, standing dive, and surface support for 45 seconds.
Learn To Swim
6 to 12 Years
Child can glide without assistance. Instruction covers skills such as submersion, unassisted front and back glide and jumps into chest deep water from a standing position.
Child is comfortable in deep water. Instruction covers skills such as deep water jumping and breath control. Participants continue to work on glides and can glide 5m on their back.
Child spends more time in deep water and works to increase endurance and stamina. Instruction covers skills such as treading in deep water for 30 seconds, front glide with kick.
Child can recover an object in water 1.5m deep, tread water for 40 seconds, and front crawl for 15m distance. Instruction covers skills such as surface dives and deep water bobs.
Star Swim Program
10 Years+
Participant works on endurance to complete a 75m swim. Instruction covers skills such as enhancing front crawl to initial standard and back crawl to initial standard, introduction of elementary breaststroke, swimming on back for 25m, and treading water for 2 minutes.
Participant continues to develop front and back crawl to intermediate standard. Instruction covers skills such as introduction of breaststroke and endurance swim of 100m.
Participant continues to practice back crawl advanced standard 50m, elementary backstroke intermediate standard 25m, and breaststroke initial standard 50m. Instruction covers skills such as eggbeater surface support, 200m swim, and starting Lifesaving Society's Canadian Swim Patrol curriculum.
Star Swim Leadership
10 Years+
Participant builds further endurance to swim 100m within 3 minutes. Instruction covers skills such as drowning prevention, Canadian Swim Patrol curriculum, dolphin kick 25m, eggbeater proficiency, elementary backstroke advanced standard 50m.
Participant works on increasing endurance to complete a 500m swim, swims 200m in 6 minutes, as well as front and back crawl of 75m each. Instruction covers skills such as sidestroke intermediate standard 25m, breaststroke advanced standard 25m, butterfly initial standard 15m, and surface dives. Rescue skills include demonstrating non-contact rescue using buoyant aid, and 5lb object support for 1 minute.
Participant continues to develop endurance completing a 600m swim, and swims 300m in 9 minutes. Instruction covers skills such as sidestroke advanced standard 25m, and butterfly intermediate standard 15m. Work on the Canadian Swim Patrol curriculum includes carrying a 10lb object for 25m, tow rescue with and aid, and surface dive drills.