Swim Lessons

YMCA GROUP LESSON OVERVIEW:

Swim Starters (Parent/Child) | Stages A & B | Water Discovery/Water Exploration
With a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.

Swim Basics | Stages 1-3 | Water Acclimation/Water Movement/Water Stamina
These stages are perfect for students who are new to swimming and just learning to float and swim with assistance. Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills: 1. Swim, float, swim, and 2. Jump, push, turn, grab.

Swim Strokes | Stages 4-6 | Stroke Introduction/Stroke Development/Stroke Mechanics 
These stages are perfect for someone comfortable swimming 10-15 yards on their front and back, but needs help learning strokes and increasing endurance to swim longer distances

AGE GROUPS:
Parent-Child: 6 months – 3 years old (Stages A & B)
Preschool: 3 – 5 years old (Stages 1-4)
Youth: 6-12 years old (Stages 1-6)
Teen: 13-17 years old (Stages 1-6)
Adult: 18+ years old (Stages 1-6)

Member value: YMCA members pay half price for swim lessons! If you are not a member, consider joining us today!

CANCELLATION POLICIES: Classes with fewer than 3 participants may be cancelled. Participants will receive notice of any cancellations before the class start date. Aquatics staff will make every effort to reschedule registrations if a class is cancelled. If a class is cancelled by the Y and registrations cannot be rescheduled, participants will receive a full refund.

Please click on the LESSON SELECTOR GUIDE below to help you select the proper class, and then click your age group below to register!

Teen & Adult Swim Lessons

Swim Basics | Stages 1-3 | Water Acclimation/Water Movement/Water Stamina
These stages are perfect for students who are new to swimming and just learning to float and swim with assistance. Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills: 1. Swim, float, swim, and 2. Jump, push, turn, grab.

Swim Strokes | Stages 4-6 | Stroke Introduction/Stroke Development/Stroke Mechanics 
These stages are perfect for someone comfortable swimming 10-15 yards on their front and back, but needs help learning strokes and increasing endurance to swim longer distances

AGE GROUPS:
Teen: 13-17 years old (Stages 1-6)
Adult: 18+ years old (Stages 1-6)

CANCELLATION POLICIES: Classes with fewer than 3 participants may be cancelled. Participants will receive notice of any cancellations before the class start date. Aquatics staff will make every effort to reschedule registrations if a class is cancelled. If the Y cancels a class and registrations cannot be rescheduled, participants will receive a full refund.

Please click on the LESSON SELECTOR GUIDE below to help you select the proper class. Then, click on your age group below to register.

Private Swim Lessons

Dive into the fun with our private swim lessons tailor-made for youth and adults!

These private sessions aren’t just about perfecting your backstroke or mastering the butterfly; they’re about making a splash and having a blast while doing it. We welcome swimmers of all skill levels, from those with special needs who need a little extra support to more experienced swimmers, and adults too!

Check out our private swim lessons by clicking the button below!

Safety Around Water – Shades Valley YMCA

The world is 71% water.
Children are 100% curious.

About
Drowning can happen nearly anywhere with standing water. But, as a parent or caregiver, you can’t keep your children sidelined.

You need to equip them with the tools they need to be confident in and around water so they don’t lose out on the health benefits of exercise, the opportunities to bond with family and friends, and the sense of accomplishment when they learn new skills. The Greater Birmingham YMCA Safety Around Water Program is designed to engage and educate youth and parents about the importance of water safety skills, providing more of America’s youth with access to water safety lessons. 

Cost
Free service to the community is supported and made possible by our generous donors and other philanthropic funding sources. Learning to swim is a lifelong skill. As partners in learning to swim, safety around water sessions cost $5 for 6 lessons for adults. Please contact Lizzy Stinson if finances are a barrier to participation. 

Details
Through Safety Around Water, children and adults learn fundamental water safety and swimming skills and how to respond if they find themselves in unexpected water situations. This could include how to reach the water’s surface if they submerge to safely reaching a pool’s edge or exiting any body of water in addition to the basic strokes, proper breathing, and technique.