Level 1
Introduction to Water Skills
The objectives of Level 1 are to learn basic personal water safety information and skills, to help participants feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. In Level 1, you teach elementary aquatic skills. At this level, participants start developing positive attitudes, good swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water.
Skill Development
If your child has mastered the following skills - Bobbing and opening eyes underwater, his/her freestyle kick, floating on back, is comfortable leaving the wall on his/her own and swimming back to the wall, learning how to use their arms, they are ready for Level 1. Class will build on water association and child’s comfort level while introducing fundamentally progressive water skills. Class will be taught in deeper water.
Prerequisites
- No skill prerequistes
- Participants usually start about 6 years of age
Purpose
- Orient participants to the aquatic environment and help them gain basic aquatic skills
- Help participants begin to develop positive attitudes and safe practices around water
Objectives
- Bobbing, opening eyes underwater and retrieve submerged objects, explore arm and hand movements
- Continued emphasis on correct entry and exit techniques
- Bobbing for toys and going to either Safety Zone
- Continued emphasis on a strong freestyle kick and how to go from kicking to Safety Zone
- Front and back floats and glides, with recovery to a vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front - Combining arm and leg actions
- Treading water using arm and leg actions
- Alternating and simultaneous arm and leg actions on front and back
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- How to incorporate using freestyle arms while kicking and when tired remembering to go to Safety Zone
- Backstroke kick
- Going the distance! Your child will learn just how far he/she can really swim!
- Staying safe around aquatic environments, recognizing lifeguards, how to call for help and sun safety