The YMCA of Southwestern Indiana has been teaching people to swim for more than 90 years. At the Downtown & Dunigan Branches we offer numerous programs to help youth strengthen swimming skills through progressive lessons, stroke improvement clinics, swim team and lifeguard certification.

Parent - Tot

This class is designed to be a time that the parent spends with the child in the water. This is not a traditional swim lesson, and the children will not be taught to swim on their own. Both parents are welcome to attend.

Preschool Children

• Pike - For beginners ages 3 to 5, who are moving toward independence in the water.
• Eels - For advanced-beginners ages 3 to 5, who participate without a parent. Children must have completed the Pike level.
• Ray/Starfish - For advanced swimmers ages 3 to 5, who have completed Eels.

Youth Swim Lessons

• Polliwog - This is the beginning level for school age children. Skills taught will be the front paddle stroke, side and back paddle, and beginning rhythmic breathing skills.
• Guppy - For continuing beginners, this class teaches lead up strokes to the back crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke and elementary backstroke.
• Minnow - In this advanced beginner class, children will further refine the lead up strokes learned in the Guppy level, as well as begin diving. They will be able to swim a length of each stroke by the end of this level.
• Fish - Students will work to perfect the crawl stroke, elementary backstroke, back crawl, breaststroke and sidestroke.They are introduced to the butterfly stroke.
• Flying Fish - At this advanced intermediate level, students work on refining their strokes and increasing endurance. Starts and turns are introduced.
• Shark - At this advanced level, students refine their strokes and increase their endurance, as well as add the inverted breaststroke, over arm sidestroke, individual medley and trudgen crawl.

Home school Lessons

Swim Lessons are available for home school children

Call your local branch for details.

 

Lifeguard Class

This is a 31-hour class offered throughout the year. Students must be at least 15 years of age and pass a swim test to participate. Contact your Downtown YMCA for information regarding additional course pre-requisites and physical requirements

• GuardStart
  This is a course designed to prepare 11-14 year olds to take the American Red Cross Lifeguarding certification class when they reach the age of 15. This program helps participants build a foundation of knowledge, attitudes, and skills that they will need to be responsible lifeguards. This course is offered year round.
  

 

Adult Aquatics

• Water Exercise Class - improves cardiovascular endurance and tones muscles by using the buoyancy and resistance of the water. Water Fitness classes are designed to improve your endurance, and condition and tone muscles while burning fat.
• Aquajoints - is a low impact water exercise program for those with arthritis or other physical impairments. Water buoyancy and resistance exercises are designed to help increase joint mobility and muscle strength as well as provide exercise and relieve discomfort.
  

Riptides Swim Team

The YMCA Swim Team is for kids, ages 6 to 18, who wish to
participate in a healthy, positive competitive swim program with an emphasis on stroke improvement and teamwork. A free trial period is available for those kids who want to try the team for a week.

For more information please click the the following link
Riptides Swim Team

The YMCA offers a wide variety of aquatic classes, please visit the

Downtown or Dunigan Branch for more information.