Swimming
Summer 2023 All Levels Courses:
During summer sessions we will combine all levels into a single course to accommodate every skill level.
Level 1:
Swimming Level 1 is designed for students who have little or no swimming experience. Before any swimming skills are introduced, the class will work on water comfort, basic floating skills, correct body position, which will then progress to proper kicking technique while maintaining a streamline torso and arm position. Once these are established, the class will introduce commonly practiced swim strokes, proper breathing technique, and treading water. The semester goal is to safely and confidently navigate the pool measured by basic proficiency in two strokes of choice and the ability to jump into the deep end and swim across the length of the pool.
Level 2:
Swimming Level 2 is designed for students who have basic experience in deep water, including the ability to tread water, float on both back and front, and freestyle with side breathing. In addition to freestyle, beginner breaststroke and backstroke techniques are desirable, but not required, as the primary purpose of this course is to briefly introduce and then increase strength and proficiency in these three basic strokes. The course will begin with swim sets that span the width (shorter length) of the pool. As we increase in capacity, we will move to swimming the full length of the pool, and then introduce flip turns for freestyle and proper turns for breaststroke. We will also spend one class session learning the side stroke. Towards the end of the semester, we will use fins to introduce the dolphin kick, which forms the basis for the butterfly stroke.
Level 3:
Swimming Level 3 is geared toward the intermediate swimmer able to swim at least 6 laps of freestyle (~200 yards) without stopping. Additionally, the student can swim both breaststroke and backstroke at beginner/intermediate level and may have been introduced to the butterfly stroke. As proficiency in these four strokes increases, all four will be included in Individual Medley (I.M.) swim sets. A considerable amount of time is spent on refining all four major strokes as well as improving overall conditioning in both short and long distances. All students will be asked to swim a 200 yard freestyle at the beginning of the semester. Additional gear will be incorporated, including fins to increase kick strength and front facing snorkel to focus on stroke technique and body position.
Level 4:
Swimming 4 is akin to a swim team workout. Most students enter this class with past experience in high school, club, or water polo teams, but this is not a prerequisite. Students are expected to swim a 200 yard freestyle under 3:15 and have, at least, an intermediate level in all four competitive strokes as we will incorporate all 4 strokes into our weekly workouts and drills. In addition to short distance sets and drills, the class will culminate with an 1800 yard swim. Swim fins and swim snorkel will be utilized to improve overall technique and efficiency.