Designed to provide your child who may learn differently with the least restrictive environment while in a group setting to enhance their swimming techniques. Our goal is to help introduce them to water without fear, improve upon skills, and provide a fun outlet for energy.

All levels are offered non swimmers to stroke mechanics.

Welcome to the Gator Club! Recreational swim training program for kids who wish to refine competitive stroke technique while improving strength and endurance. Each training session will wrap up with fun aquatic games! To participate- swimmers must be able to submerge, dive and swim two lengths front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke. Ages 8 and up.

Level 1: Water Acclimation

Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit the water in the event of falling into a body of water. This lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Exploring the aquatic environment  and personal skills with instructor help
• Developing basic skills to propel and glide through the water with instructor help
• Learning basic aquatic safety and accepting some of the responsibility for safe practices

Level 2: Water Movement

In this stage, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Exploring the aquatic environment and personal skills without instructor help
• Developing basic skills to propel and glide through the water without instructor help
• Learning basic aquatic and boating safety and accepting some of the responsibility for safe practices

Level 3:  Water Stamina

In this stage, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Integrating arm action, leg action, and rhythmic breathing in back and front glides
• Developing forward movement on the front and back
• Practicing skills and safety techniques in deep water

Level 4: Stroke Introduction

Students in this stage develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.

Students in the stage focus on the following:

• Developing the front and back crawl
• Introducing components of breaststroke and butterfly
• Practicing safety techniques in deep water

Level 5: Stroke Development

Students in this stage work on stroke technique and learn all major competitive strokes. The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water and sidestroke.

Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Developing stamina in the front and back crawl
• Developing the breaststroke and butterfly
• Building endurance techniques for deep water safety

Level 6: Stroke Mechanics

Students in this stage refine stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming and discover how incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.

Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Developing endurance in the competitive strokes
• Developing skills related to competitive swimming like such as flip turns
• Enhancing skills and building endurance in deep water

Classes are 30 minutes in length.

Each child must be accompanied by an adult 16 years of age or older

One parent/guardian accompanies child in the water

Children must wear proper swim diapers

Swim starters curriculum in which infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.

Classes are 30 minutes in length.

Swim basics curriculum in which students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skill sets:

Swim, float, swim sequencing (front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide) and exiting the pool
Jump, push, turn, grab

Parent/Guardian may remain on the pool deck

These lessons are designed to give participants individualized attention to improve or master their swimming skills. Together, the instructor, participant and/or parent determine the goals for the session and the curriculum is customized in order to meet these goals.

Please fill out our Private Swim Lesson interest form here. Aquatics Director, Vivian Wells will be in touch with you after filling out the form. Feel free to contact her at [email protected] or 413-773-3646 ext 427 for details.

PRIVATE LESSONS:
Member: ½ hour $25 (4 lessons for $100)
Non-Member: ½ hour $40 (4 lessons for $160)

SEMI-PRIVATE LESSONS: Participants must be at the same level and near the same age. Fee includes two participants.
Member: ½ hour $40 (4 lessons for $160)
Non-Member: ½ hour $60 (4 lessons for $240)