YMCA of Lincoln Nebraska

Parent/Child Classes

Ski's (ages 6 months to 2 years)
Designed to increase ability of parents to help their child enjoy the water. Different techniques will be used to help the child make a positive adjustment to the water. Parent or guardian must participate in water.

Perch (ages 2-4 years -- Cooper only)
Goal of the class is to have the child become independent from their parent or guardian in the water. Designed to increase the child's comfort in working with an instructor through lessening parent involvement over the course of the session. Will not only work on building confidence in the water, but also beginning water skills including floats, kicks and arm movements. A parent or guardian must start the session in the water.

Preschool Classes (ages 3-5 years old)

Pike
A beginner level class that is designed to work on building confidence in the water and learning skills such as: floats and jumping in alone. Child must be comfortable participating without a parent or guardian.

Eel
Can float on front and back for 5 seconds and jump in alone. Will work on front and back floats, treading water and swimming independently.

Ray
Can swim at least 20 feet on front and back and float on front and back for 20 seconds alone. Must be comfortable in deep water. Will work on development of front and back crawl and rotary breathing.
** If a child passes the Ray class, they will move to Guppy.

Progressive Classes (ages 6 years and up)

Polliwog
This class is designed for beginning swimmers who cannot yet swim 30 feet of front crawl or 20 feet of back crawl. Will work on water adjustment, front and back crawl strokes and development of independence while swimming.

Guppy
Can swim one half of a pool length continuously of both front and back crawl. Will focus primarily on development of front crawl, back crawl and rotary breathing.

Minnow
Can swim one pool length continuously of both front crawl with rotary breathing and back crawl. Will concentrate on building endurance, rotary breathing and proper form in strokes.Will learn breaststroke, sidestroke and elementary backstroke.

Fish
Can swim one pool length continuously of proper front and back crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke and elementary backstroke. Will work on building endurance and perfecting the breaststroke, elementary backstroke and sidestroke. Will be introduced to butterfly at this level.

Flying Fish
Can swim 50 yards continuously of each of the following strokes: front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and sidestroke. Will continue to learn butterfly at this level and continue to work on building up endurance.

Shark
Can proficiently swim 50 yards continuously of the following: front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke and butterfly. Will also work on starts and turns.
** Dives and starts will not be taught at the Cooper Branch due to lack of water depth.