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Aquatics Program & Pools

Learn to Swim Program Prerequisites

Answer the questions below to find out whether you are correctly placing your child in the appropriate class. If the answer is NO to one or more questions, place your child in the previous skill level. Only after choosing the appropriate class below, you can use online registration at SDRecConnect.com to sign up for classes.

Ages 6 months - 2 years

Parent / Tot
  • Is the child at least six months of age?
  • Does the child have good head/neck control?
  • If the child is over age three, is there any reason why he/she cannot be enrolled in Tiny Tots?

Ages 3 - 5 years

Tiny Tots
  • Is this child at least three years old? If younger than three, see Parent/Tot.
  • Is this child under six years old? If older than six, see Beginner I.
  • If this child is over three, under six, and has never taken lessons; this is the class for him/her.
Advanced Tiny Tots

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Tiny Tots.

  • Is this child over three but less than six years of age?
  • Can this child put his/her face in the water and blow bubbles?
  • Can this child open their eyes underwater without goggles?
  • Can this child tummy float for at least 10 seconds without help?
  • Can this child back float for at least 10 seconds without help?
  • Can this child climb out of the pool without help?
Super Tots

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Advanced Tiny Tots.

  • Is this child over three but less than six years of age?
  • Can this child front glide with kicking without help?
  • Can this child back glide with kicking without help?
  • Can this child jump into the water unassisted?
  • Can this child turn over from front to back, and back to front?
  • Can this child perform 5 pulls of the beginner stroke with breathing.

Ages 6 and up

Beginner I
  • Is this child at least six years old? If younger than six, see Tiny Tots.
  • If this child is at least six years old and has never taken swim lessons; this is the class for him/her.
Beginner II

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Beginner I.

  • Is this child at least six years old? If younger than six, see Advanced Tiny Tots.
  • Can this child put his/her face in the water and blow bubbles?
  • Can this child front and back float without assistance?
  • Can this child front and back glide without assistance?
  • Does this child know the basics of kicking?
  • Can this child jump into chest deep water without assistance?
Beginner III

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Beginner II.

  • Is this child at least six years old? If younger than six see Super Tots.
  • Can this child front and back glide, incorporating kick, without assistance?
  • Can this child perform an effective crawl stroke, incorporating proper side breathing, for at least 15 yards?
  • Can this child perform a combined stroke on his/her back?
  • Can this child change direction as well as turn over while swimming?
Advanced Beginner

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Beginner III.

  • Is this child at least six years old? If younger than six, see Super Tots.
  • Can this child effectively swim 25 yards of crawl stroke, with proper side breathing?
  • Has this child been introduced to elementary backstroke?
  • Can this child surface dive to retrieve objects from deep water?
  • Can this child tread water for at least 30 seconds?
Intermediate

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Advanced Beginner.

  • Is this child at least six years old? If younger than six, see Super Tots.
  • Can this child effectively swim 50 yards of crawl stroke, with proper side breathing?
  • Can this child effectively swim 25 yards of elementary backstroke?
  • Can this child tread water for at least 45 seconds?
  • Can this child swim underwater for at least 20 feet?
  • Can this child perform a standing front dive from the side of the pool?
Swimmer

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Intermediate.

  • Can this child effectively swim 100 yards of crawl stroke with proper side breathing?
  • Can this child effectively swim 50 yards of elementary backstroke?
  • Can this child effectively swim 25 yards of backstroke?
  • Can this child effectively swim 25 yards of breaststroke?
  • Can this child tread water for at least one minute?
  • Can this child swim underwater for at least 30 feet?
  • Has this child learned the basics of sidestroke?
  • Can this child swim non-stop for 5 minutes?
Advanced Swimmer

If you answer no to any of the questions below place your child in Swimmer.

  • Can this child effectively swim 150 yards of crawl stroke with proper side breathing?
  • Can this child effectively swim 50 yards of elementary backstroke?
  • Can this child effectively swim 50 yards of backstroke?
  • Can this child effectively swim 50 yards of breaststroke?
  • Can this child effectively swim 50 yards of sidestroke?
  • Can this child tread water for at least five minutes?
  • Has this child learned the basics of butterfly?
  • Can this child swim non-stop for 10 minutes?