The Gettysburg YMCA instructional swimming program offers a variety of classes for youth from the age of 6 months to 18 years!

As we transition to the YMCA swimming program, some things will look different and have different names.  You will notice that the previous class names are included to help you place your child in the proper group. We are making every effort to help families make this change smoothly.

Coming in March 2025!
Classes are listed in order of difficulty.

The Preschool/Early Elementary program is designed for children between the ages of 6 months-6 years.  The program is divided into six levels.  Students will learn basic skills to build a foundation for understanding the four competitive strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and elementary backstroke.  One class session will be dedicated to swimming and boating safety skills.

Ages 6 months-3 years

• Water Discovery and Exploration – Aqua Tots: This class provides a wonderful bonding experience for an adult and child.  Under the instructor’s direction, the adult learns how to hold their child in the water and teaches beginning swimming and safety skills.  The mixture of songs, rhymes, and toys helps the children associate pool time with fun!  The adult accompanying the child in the water may be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or family friend.
  
  

Ages 3-6 years

• Water Exploration – Tadpole One:  Skills are performed with a 3-float backpack
  This level is appropriate for children with little to no swimming experience.  We will work on blowing bubbles, front and back floats, kicking with a kickboard, and swimming with a backpack, all with assistance from the instructor.
• Water Acclimation – Tadpole Two:  Skills are performed with a 3-float backpack
  To enroll in this level, children must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  Put the mouth and nose in the water and blow bubbles
  2.  Kick on the front and back with a kickboard for 20 feet with assistance
  3.  Swim independently on the front and back for 20 feet with a backpack in a horizontal position
• Water Movement 1 – Otter:  Skills are performed with a 3-float backpack
  To enroll in this level, children must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  Put the face in the water and blow bubbles
  2.  Introduction to back and front floats
  3.  Kick on the front and back with a kickboard for 20 feet
  4.  Swim independently on the front and back in a horizontal position for 40 feet
• Water Movement 2 – Porpoise:   Skills are performed with a 2-float backpack
  To enroll in this level, children must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  Submerge the head underwater
  2.  Perform 10 bobs
  3.  Perform front & back floats for 5 seconds each
  4.  Tread water for 30 seconds
  5.  Front & back streamline glides
  6.  Kick on the front and back with a kickboard for 40 feet
  7.  Swim 25 meters on front and back
• Water Stamina – Seal:  Skills are performed with and without a 2-float backpack
  To enroll in this level, children must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  Perform ten bobs with and without a backpack
  2.  Perform front & back floats for 10 seconds each
  3.  Tread water for one minute with a backpack
  4.  Kick 45 feet with a kickobard on the front and back without a backpack
  5.  Swim 25 meters on front and back with a backpack
  6.  Swim 20 feet on front and back without a backpack
• Stroke Instruction – Shark:  Skills are performed without a backpack
  1.  Perform 10 deep-water bobs
  2.  Perform front & back floats for 20 seconds each
  3.  Treat water for 30 seconds
  4.  Kick 25 meters on front & back with a kickboard
  5.  Swim 25 meters on front & back
  6.  Swim independently on front and back for 25 meters
  7.  Show the beginning of freestyle and backsroke
  8.  Front and back streamlines for 4 body lengths

The Gettysburg YMCA instructional swimming program offers a variety of classes for youth from the age of 6 months to 18 years!

As we transition to the YMCA swimming program, some things will look different and have different names.  We are making every effort to help families make this change smoothly.  You will notice that the previous class names are included to help you place your child in the proper group.

Coming in March 2025
Classes are listed in order of difficulty.  

The Swim School program is designed for youth between 2nd and 12th grade.  The program is divided into seven levels.  Students will learn the four competitive strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and the elementary backstroke.  One class session will be dedicated to swimming and boating safety skills.

• Water Acclimation and Movement – Beginner One:  This class is designed for youth with little or no swimming experience.  They will learn to become comfortable in the water and independently perform basic skills such as bobs, floats, kicking with the kickboard, and swimming short distances.
  
  
• Water Stamina – Beginner Two:  To enroll in this level, youth must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  Ten bobs
  2.  Front and back floats for 10 seconds each
  3.  Kick on the front and back with a kickboard for 45 feet each
  4.  Swim on front and back for 45 feet using beginner strokes
  5.  Front and back streamlines for two body lengths
• Stroke Introduction – Intermediate One:  To enroll in this level, youth must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  Bobs – 15 shallow war and 10 deep water
  2.  Front and back floats for 10 seconds each
  3.  25 meters kick on front and back with a kickboard
  4.  Swim 25 meters of freestyle (may breathe to the front or side) and backstroke
  5.  Front and back streamlines for 10 feet each
  6.  Jump into deep water and introduction to diving
• Stroke Development 1 – Intermediate Two:  To enroll in this level, youth must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  15 deep water bobs
  2.  Front and back floats for 20 seconds each
  3.  Survival float for 30 seconds
  4.  Kick 50 meters each on front and back using a kickboard
  5.  Swim 50 meters each of freestyle and backstroke
  6.  Introduction to elementary backstroke and breaststroke kicks
  7.  Front and back streamline for four body lengths each
  8.  Jump and dive into deep water
  
  
•  Stroke Development 2 – Intermediate Three:  To enroll in this level, youth must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  20 deep water bobs
  2.  Front and back floats for 30 seconds each
  3.  Survival float for 45 seconds
  4.  Tread water for 2 minutes
  5.  Kick flutter kick on front and back for 50 meters each
  6.  Kick elementary backstroke and breaststroke  for 25 meters each
  7.  Swim freestyle with rotary breathing for 50 meters
  8.  Swim backstroke for 50 meters
  9.  Swim elementary backstroke for 25 meters
  10. Butterfly kick
  11. Front and back streamlines for five body lengths each
  12. Dive into deep water from the side and diving block
• Stroke Mechanics 1 – Advanced One:  To enroll in this level, youth must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  25 deep-water bobs
  2.  Survival float for one minute
  3.  Tread water for three minutes
  4.  Retrieve an object for a depth of 8 feet
  5.  Kick 50 meters of the following strokes:  freestyle, backstroke, elementary backstroke, and breaststroke
  6.  Kick 25 meters of butterfly
  7.  Swim 75 meters of freestyle with rotary breathing
  8.  Swim 75 meters of backstroke
  9.  Swim 50 meters of elementary backstroke
  10. Swim 25 meters of breaststroke
  11. Front and back streamlines for six body lengths
  12.  Dive from the side of the pool and the starting block
  
  
• Stroke Mechanics 2 – Advanced Two:  To enroll in this level, youth must be able to perform the following skills:
  1.  30 deep-water bobs
  2.  Survival float for 90 seconds
  3.  Treat water for four minutes
  4.  Retrieve an object for a depth of 10 feet
  5.  Head and foot-first surface dives
  6.  200 IM kick with a kickboard
  7.  Swim 100 meters of freestyle and backstroke
  8.  Swim 75 meters of elementary backstroke
  9.  Swim 50 meters of breaststroke
  10. Swim 25 meters of butterfly
  11. Front streamline kick for 15 feet
  12. Dive from the side of the pool and perform a competitive start from the starting block
  13. Perform a stride jump