Strong Swimmers are Confident Kids

For over 160 years, the Y has been the nation’s leader in teaching people of all ages to swim, so they can stay safe around water and enjoy the pleasures and health benefits of aquatics environments. At the Y, swimming is a life skill that could save a life and will benefit students for a lifetime. Y swim instructors are nationally certified, and their training includes CPR, AED, First Aid and Oxygen Administration.

With a focus on water safety and self-rescue skills, the curriculum begins with basic swimming readiness skills and progresses to stroke introduction, refinement and technique. Through this approach, advanced swimmers flow more easily to higher levels while swimmers who need more instruction can learn at their own pace. This results in more confident swimmers who stick with lessons and develop a love for swimming that can last a lifetime. Private swim lessons are for children 5 years and older. 

Advanced Swimming/Competitive Stroke

Introducing our new Competitive Pathway swim lessons for children who have completed the school age swim lesson program (through Stage 6).

Stage 7: Stroke Endurance- Stroke Endurance is one offering students can pursue following YMCA Swim Lessons.  The program continues to build endurance on all major competitive strokes and encourages aquatic sports as a part of a healthy lifestyle. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 150 yards of any combination of strokes, 50-yard front crawl/back crawl/breaststroke and 25 yard butterfly with turns.

Stage 8: Stroke Conditioning- Stroke Conditioning is one offering from the competitive pathway students can pursue following YMCA Swim Lessons.  The program focuses on continuing to build endurance and stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn how to use a pace clock, read a workout, and encourage swimming as a part of a healthy lifestyle. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 500 yards of any combination of strokes, 200-yard front crawl/back crawl/ breaststroke, 100 butterfly with turns.

Competitive Stroke– Prepare for the challenges of a competitive team environment. Great for those not ready to swim a full competitive schedule, but want more than just a swim lesson. The focus is on advanced competitive techniques to maintain endurance while increasing speed by adding power to each stroke, start and turn. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 500 yards of any combination of strokes, 200-yard front crawl/back crawl/ breaststroke, 100 butterfly with turns, 100 Individual Medley.

Adaptive Aquatics Swim Class

We are happy to offer our diverse learners an opportunity to explore the water in a safe and supportive environment. Swimming aids in relaxation, helps to build muscle and improves overall wellness. Participants could see improvements in balance, muscle tone, and motor skills. Parent/Guardian will be required to be in the water during the class.

The focus will be on water safety and basic swimming skills. Participants will learn basic water safety rules, be introduced to life jackets and why we wear one. This will help the participants learn to have a healthy respect and awareness for water and the aquatic environment as a whole.

Basic swim skills will be taught. Participants learn how to enter and exit the pool safely using stairs/steps, ladder, sidewall. They will learn to float on their backs, blow bubbles and general swim techniques such as paddling, kicking and jumping using a variety of equipment.

Skills are broken down into small, achievable goals. Celebrating each accomplishment builds the self-esteem and confidence necessary to continue the challenges of learning.

American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Classes

Must pass pre-test before being eligible to register for full course. Participants must be 15 by the end of the course. The online portion MUST be completed prior to the start of the course & a printed copy of the email brought to the class. All in-person sessions must be attended in their entirety. > Learn more

Private Swim Lessons

One-on-one swim instruction. 4 – 30 minute private lessons with a swim instructor. All classes must be taken at the time indicated on the lesson agreement.

For more information and availability, contact Andrea Falcone, 732.727.0704 or afalcone@ymcanj.org.

Advanced Swimming/Competitive Stroke

Introducing our new Competitive Pathway swim lessons for children who have completed the school age swim lesson program (through Stage 6).

Stage 7: Stroke Endurance- Stroke Endurance is one offering students can pursue following YMCA Swim Lessons.  The program continues to build endurance on all major competitive strokes and encourages aquatic sports as a part of a healthy lifestyle. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 150 yards of any combination of strokes, 50-yard front crawl/back crawl/breaststroke and 25 yard butterfly with turns.

Stage 8: Stroke Conditioning- Stroke Conditioning is one offering from the competitive pathway students can pursue following YMCA Swim Lessons.  The program focuses on continuing to build endurance and stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn how to use a pace clock, read a workout, and encourage swimming as a part of a healthy lifestyle. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 500 yards of any combination of strokes, 200-yard front crawl/back crawl/ breaststroke, 100 butterfly with turns.

Competitive Stroke– Prepare for the challenges of a competitive team environment. Great for those not ready to swim a full competitive schedule, but want more than just a swim lesson. The focus is on advanced competitive techniques to maintain endurance while increasing speed by adding power to each stroke, start and turn. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 500 yards of any combination of strokes, 200-yard front crawl/back crawl/ breaststroke, 100 butterfly with turns, 100 Individual Medley.

Adaptive Aquatics Swim Class

We are happy to offer our diverse learners an opportunity to explore the water in a safe and supportive environment. Swimming aids in relaxation, helps to build muscle and improves overall wellness. Participants could see improvements in balance, muscle tone, and motor skills. Parent/Guardian will be required to be in the water during the class.

The focus will be on water safety and basic swimming skills. Participants will learn basic water safety rules, be introduced to life jackets and why we wear one. This will help the participants learn to have a healthy respect and awareness for water and the aquatic environment as a whole.

Basic swim skills will be taught. Participants learn how to enter and exit the pool safely using stairs/steps, ladder, sidewall. They will learn to float on their backs, blow bubbles and general swim techniques such as paddling, kicking and jumping using a variety of equipment.

Skills are broken down into small, achievable goals. Celebrating each accomplishment builds the self-esteem and confidence necessary to continue the challenges of learning.

American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Classes

Must pass pre-test before being eligible to register for full course. Participants must be 15 by the end of the course. The online portion MUST be completed prior to the start of the course & a printed copy of the email brought to the class. All in-person sessions must be attended in their entirety. > Learn more

Private Swim Lessons

One-on-one swim instruction. 4 – 30 minute private lessons with a swim instructor. All classes must be taken at the time indicated on the lesson agreement.

For more information and availability, contact Aquatics Director Melia Parchman, 732.727.0704, ext. 178 or mparchman@ymcanj.org. 

Advanced Swimming/Competitive Stroke

Introducing our new Competitive Pathway swim lessons for children who have completed the school age swim lesson program (through Stage 6).

Stage 7: Stroke Endurance- Stroke Endurance is one offering students can pursue following YMCA Swim Lessons.  The program continues to build endurance on all major competitive strokes and encourages aquatic sports as a part of a healthy lifestyle. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 150 yards of any combination of strokes, 50-yard front crawl/back crawl/breaststroke and 25 yard butterfly with turns.

Stage 8: Stroke Conditioning- Stroke Conditioning is one offering from the competitive pathway students can pursue following YMCA Swim Lessons.  The program focuses on continuing to build endurance and stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn how to use a pace clock, read a workout, and encourage swimming as a part of a healthy lifestyle. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 500 yards of any combination of strokes, 200-yard front crawl/back crawl/ breaststroke, 100 butterfly with turns.

Competitive Stroke– Prepare for the challenges of a competitive team environment. Great for those not ready to swim a full competitive schedule, but want more than just a swim lesson. The focus is on advanced competitive techniques to maintain endurance while increasing speed by adding power to each stroke, start and turn. The child can effectively and efficiently swim 500 yards of any combination of strokes, 200-yard front crawl/back crawl/ breaststroke, 100 butterfly with turns, 100 Individual Medley.

Adaptive Aquatics Swim Class

We are happy to offer our diverse learners an opportunity to explore the water in a safe and supportive environment. Swimming aids in relaxation, helps to build muscle and improves overall wellness. Participants could see improvements in balance, muscle tone, and motor skills. Parent/Guardian will be required to be in the water during the class.

The focus will be on water safety and basic swimming skills. Participants will learn basic water safety rules, be introduced to life jackets and why we wear one. This will help the participants learn to have a healthy respect and awareness for water and the aquatic environment as a whole.

Basic swim skills will be taught. Participants learn how to enter and exit the pool safely using stairs/steps, ladder, sidewall. They will learn to float on their backs, blow bubbles and general swim techniques such as paddling, kicking and jumping using a variety of equipment.

Skills are broken down into small, achievable goals. Celebrating each accomplishment builds the self-esteem and confidence necessary to continue the challenges of learning.

Stage 7: Stroke Endurance

Enhance overall swimming skills and build up even more endurance to add to a healthier lifestyle. While students can learn more about fun aquatic activities, instructors will also teach valuable lessons like diving safety.

Stage 8: Stroke Conditioning

Increase endurance in the competitive strokes as well as improving overall swimming skills. Develop skills related to competitive swimming like flip turns, starts, and finishes. Instructors will also teach valuable lessons like how to use a pace clock and how to read a workout.

American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Classes

Must pass pre-test before being eligible to register for full course. Participants must be 15 by the end of the course. The online portion MUST be completed prior to the start of the course & a printed copy of the email brought to the class. All in-person sessions must be attended in their entirety. > Learn more

Private Swim Lessons

One-on-one swim instruction. 4 – 30 minute private lessons with a swim instructor. All classes must be taken at the time indicated on the lesson agreement.

For more information and availability, contact 732.727.0704 or aquatics@ymcanj.org.