Aquatics
MAKE A SPLASH
The YMCA is the nationwide leader in helping people of all ages feel safe in the water. Each year, the Kankakee Area YMCA teaches thousands of children and adults to swim and certifies a large percentage of area lifeguards. From swim lessons to birthday pool parties to swim team, you'll find water fun at the Y.
SWIM LESSONS
The YMCA Swim Lessons Program develops water skills and confidence. Learning to swim provides valuable aquatic survival skills to community members and helps to promote positive values. During all swim lessons, participants and instructors find opportunities to learn and demonstrate the YMCA core values (caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and faith). Classes offered for ages 6 months through adult!
"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need complexion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life." - Greg Anderson
Parent/Child Swim Lessons (6 - 36 months)
Parent and Child Swim Lessons offer a positive and fun environment to foster the parent/child relationship through water exploration. You will also meet other parents, expose your child to others her/his age and help teach them basic water safety skills. Classes are taught by enthusiastic, caring instructors and emphasize making the child feel comfortable in the water. Class ratios are one instructor to eight-ten parent/child pairs.
| LEVEL | AGE | ABILITIES |
| Shrimp (Water Exploration) |
6-18 months | Child can control the head and sit with support from the hands. This is a guided discovery class, where an adult needs to be in the water. |
| Kipper (Water Exploration) |
18-36 months | Child can sit without hand support and stand with support from the hands. Children are introduced to flotation devices and more independence with parent assistance. This is a guided discovery class, where an adult needs to be in the water. |
| Tuna (Water Exploration) |
3-7 years | Our instructors work with your child to progress into Pike in the Swan pool. This is a guided discovery class, where an adult needs to be in the water. |
| Perch (Intermediate) |
2-3 years | Child can move independently in the water with a flotation device and is comfortable working with instructor in the water without accompanying parent. Must have instructor permission to register for Perch. Must attend a Kipper class prior to authorization from instructor. Registration in person only. |
Preschool Swim Lessons (3 - 7 years)
In addition to teaching water safety, our Preschool Swim Lessons cultivate self-esteem, encourage character development and offer long-term fitness benefits. Instructor to participant ratio is 1:5.
| LEVEL | AGE | DESCRIPTION |
| Pike (Beginner) |
3-5 years | Children adjust to the water and develop independent movement. Teaching basic stroke and kicking skills, floating, pool safety and holding their face in the water. |
| Pike (Intermediate) |
3-5 years | Must be comfortable in deep water. Children able to kick with board 25 yards and swim independently 25 yards on stomach. Able to put face in water, but may not be consistent. Can float on back and kick for 15 feet. Children will work on sit dives. |
| Eel (Intermediate) |
3-5 years | This class is for children comfortable in the large pool, able to swim 25 yards of modified front crawl with face in water consistently, 25 yards modified backstroke and 25 yards of elementary backstroke. Comfortable jumping into deep water without assistance. Children progress through sit dives into glides and learn kneeling dives. Children work on decreasing from 3 bubbles to 2 bubbles on their flotation belt. |
| Ray (Advanced) |
4-6 years | This class is for children who can swim 15 feet with their face in the water without a flotation device and 25 yards with one bubble, demonstrating proper technique for front crawl, back crawl and elementary backstroke. It reviews and improves stroke skills on front and back, builds endurance, improves treading water and progression in diving skills. |
| Starfish (Advanced) |
4-7 years | This class is for children who can swim 25 yards of front crawl, and back crawl and elementary backstroke without a flotation device. This advanced level refines front crawl, backstroke, and elementary backstroke, and begins teaching breaststroke and dolphin kick. |
Youth Swim Lessons (6 - 12 years)
In addition to teaching water safety, our Youth/School Age Swim Lessons cultivate self-esteem, encourage character development and offer long-term fitness benefits. Stroke development, personal safety, water sports, rescue and personal growth are included.
| LEVEL | AGE | DESCRIPTION |
| Polliwog 1.0/1.5 (Introductory/Beginner) |
6-12 years | Little to no water experience necessary. Basic water skills are taught including gliding with face in water, floating and kicking. 1.0 is typically taught in the Swan Pool and is most appropriate for children with fear of water and under 4.0 feet tall. 1.5 is taught in the Walker Pool and children begin progressing to the deep water when ready. |
| Polliwog 2.0 (Intermediate) |
6-12 years | Children must be able to swim 25 yards of modified front crawl, back crawl and elementary backstroke. Must be comfortable in deep water. Must be able to tread water for 1 minute and jump into water over their head and resurface and begin swimming. Children learn sitting and kneeling dives. |
| Guppy (Intermediate) |
6-12 years | This class is for children able to swim 50 yards of front crawl, back crawl and elementary backstroke. Instructor teaches swimming on refinement front, side, back and rhythmic breathing. Must be able to tread water to 2 minutes. Children perform sitting and kneeling dives with glides and begin standing dives. Must be able to jump off of the diving block. |
| Minnow (Experienced) |
6-12 years | This class is for children able to swim 100 yards of front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke with proper form. Children will begin learning breaststroke kick and dolphin kick. Must be able to tread water for 3 minutes. Children must be able to perform a standing dive from the side of the pool in 9 feet of water. |
| Fish (Experienced) |
6-12 years | This class is for children able to swim 150 yards of front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke and 25 yards of breaststroke and dolphin kick with proper form. Children will begin learning rudimentary breaststroke, introduction to butterfly and sidestroke. Must be able to tread water for 5 minutes. Children must be able to perform a standing dive from the side of the pool in 9 feet of water and will begin practicing dives from the starting block. |
| Flying Fish (Advanced) |
6-12 years | This class is for children able to swim 200 yards of front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke and 50 yards of breaststroke and 25 yards of butterfly and sidestroke with proper form. Children will begin learning rudimentary breaststroke and introduction to butterfly. Must be able to tread water for 5 minutes. Children must be able to perform a standing dive from the side of the pool in 9 feet of water and will begin practicing dives from the starting block. |
| Shark (Advanced) |
8-12 years | This class is for children able to swim 250 yards of front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, 100 yards of breaststroke, 50 yards of butterfly and sidestroke. Swimmers begin to progress into competitive based skills for swim team. |
| Porpoise (Leadership level) |
10-12 years | This class is for children able to swim 250 yards of front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, 150 yards of breaststroke, 100 yards of butterfly and sidestroke. Swimmers begin to learn skill in teaching others, water rescue and junior lifeguard skills. |
Teens (12-17 years) & Adults (16+ years)
It's never too late to learn! All classes are based on three basic levels of ability from absolute beginner all the way to stroke refinement and improvement. Class ratios are kept low to maximize your experience and achieve personal goals.
| LEVEL | DESCRIPTION |
| Beginner | Little to no prior instruction. Participants are unfamiliar and may be slightly to very uncomfortable in and around the water. |
| Intermediate | Swimmer is comfortable in the water and able to swim 15-20 feet of a rudimentary stroke. Class focuses on stroke development, stroke variation and endurance. |
| Advanced | Swimmer is capable of swimming at least 25 yards of freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke. Class focuses on stroke refinement, conditioning and endurance. |
Swim Team
Our team is a YMCA competitive swim team offering high quality coaching and technique instruction for all ages and abilities. The philosophy of the Kankakee Area YMCA Stingrays is to make swimming enjoyable for all participants regardless of ability. To meet that end, we will provide an environment where our children have the opportunity to become better swimmers by becoming more educated in proper stroke technique and practicing that technique during practice and at swim meets. The successful swimmer in our program will be the swimmer who strives to the best of his or her ability to improve his or her stroke technique and supports the efforts of other members of the team. Our athletes, coaches, parents and board members support this philosophy.
We have a Parent Advisory Committee, which meets monthly except during early summer. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend meetings, volunteer and support fundraisers.
*Participants must be able to swim 25 yards freestyle and 25 yards backstroke.
Register for swim team practice here:
LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION
Are you getting ready for your first job, summer employment or just want to try something new? Lifeguarding is not only a fun job, but it is a great way to explore the employment options the field of aquatics offers. Lifeguards develop leadership, problem solving, decision-making and communications skills that are valuable in many areas of life. Become certified through this program that focuses on water rescue, safety, leadership development and personal growth. Upon completion, you will be qualified to work at an aquatics facility as a certified YMCA lifeguard.
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For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Chambers-Schwob
Aquatics Director
815-933-1741 ext. 1219
jchambers-schwob@k3ymca.org
