Indoor Learn-to-Swim

The Joplin Family Y offers the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program.  Classes are at the South Facility and are now 45 minutes!  All swim lessons are available to children ages 3 and over.  Learn-to-Swim levels include training in basic water safety and help swimmers in distress in addition to outlined skills.  Learn-to-Swim prices are $24 for members; $50 for non-members Monday -Thursday and $14 for members; $28 for non-members on Saturdays.

Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills

Purpose: Helps student feel comfortable in the water
Skills: Basic water safety rules; swimming on front and back using arm actions; using a lifejacket; recognizing a swimmer in distress and getting help; exhaling underwater; submerging mouth, nose and eyes underwater; floating on front and back.

Level 2: Fundamental Aquatics Skills

Purpose: Gives students success with fundamental skills

Skills: Moving in the water with a lifejacket; recognizing a swimmer in distress and getting help; submerging entire head; bobbing; front and back glide; swimming using combined stroke on front and back; jellyfish float; treading water using arm and leg motion.

Level 3: Stroke Development

Purpose: Build on the skills in level 2 by providing additional guided practice

Skills: Reaching assist; rotary breathing in horizontal position; front and back glide; submerging and retrieving an object; front and back crawl; survival float; back float; butterfly kick in motion.

Level 4: Stroke Improvement

Purpose: Develop confidence in strokes learned and improve other aquatic skills

Skills:  Safe diving rules; survival float; back float; feet first surface; dive; front and back crawl; throwing assist; elementary backstroke; breast stroke; butterfly.

Level 5: Stroke Refinement

Purpose: Providing further coordination and refinement of strokes

Skills: Survival swimming; performing rescue breathing; front and back crawl; tuck surface dive and pike surface dive; open turns on front and back; front flip turn and backstroke flip turn; breaststroke and butterfly turns; front and backstroke flip turns.

Level 6:  Swimming and Skill Proficiency

Purpose: Refine the stroke so students swim with greater ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances

Skills: Front and back crawl; elementary backstroke  and sidestroke; breaststroke and butterfly; open turns in front and back; breaststroke and butterfly turns; front and backstroke flip turns.