LEARN TO SWIM YOUTH
STARFISH SWIM SCHOOL
Students work toward development of the five core swimming competencies and receive color stage awards for each achievement. The color stages are used to divide students into broad ability groups. Children progress at individual rates with the opportunity to progress to advanced strokes. Learning is self-paced, but challenging.
Group swim lessons are offered for four weeks a month year-round.
If you are unsure what level to register for your child, contact Julia Lamb, Aquatics Coordinator, at jlamb@edgarmay.org.
STAR BABIES & TOTS
This class is for children 6 months to 3 years of age and their parent or guardian. This class will familiarize young children to the water and prepare them to learn to swim in the Starfish Swim Schools. It is not designed to teach children to become good swimmers or to survive in the water on their own. A parent or guardian must accompany their child in the water in this class. All children under 3 years old are required to wear a swim diaper in the pools. There are a limited supply of swim diapers at the Front Desk.
WHITE
Children in this level will build confidence in the water as they learn how to put their face in the water and comfortably hold their breath. They will also learn to kick with straight legs, float on front and back, and “scoop” with their arms. Register for this level if your child is 3 years or older.
RED & YELLOW
RED: Children in this level can float comfortably on their front and back. They can jump in, submerge fully, and come up for air. They are able to kick with their face in the water to move forward. In this group, they will learn to roll from their front to back to rest and get air.
YELLOW: Children in this group are water safe. They can swim—roll to back for air—for at least 10 feet. In this group, they will working on “big arms,” getting them fully out of the water while swimming. They can jump in, submerge, surface, roll onto back to breathe, and swim well.
BLUE & GREEN
BLUE: Children in this group can swim 35 feet of freestyle and roll onto their back easily to breathe. In this group, they will learn to tread water for 15 seconds, freestyle kick on their side, and swim on their back with correct arms and kicking. Diving may be introduced.
GREEN: Children in this group can swim a full lap (25 yards) of freestyle with a combination of side breathing and breathing on their back. They will work on treading water for at least 30 seconds, strengthening their backstroke to be able to swim 25 yards, and will learn the breast stroke kick. They will also work on diving.
BLACK
This is our Intro to Swim Team group.
Register for this group if your child has successfully completed the Green level or had an assessment by one of our coaches.
The Edgar May Health and Recreation Center is an independent authorized provider of Starfish Swimming. Starfish Swimming is a nationally recognized swim instruction curriculum developed by the Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI). Learn more about SAI at www.starfishaquatics.org.
The Starfish Swimming curriculum is designed for students ages 6 months to adult. Benchmarks are established at each stage in the program that combine both swimming and safety skills. Students participate in experiential learning activities that allow them to explore the water in a creative and comfortable environment. Correct swimming techniques are taught from the very beginning, providing an easy transition to Swim Team.