Students will learn to become comfortable in the water and learn the building blocks of swimming. They will start with holding their breath and then move on to learn the prone float, along with the back float and roll over. In addition to these basics, water safety will be a major aspect of this level. We will teach the student how to safely enter and exit a pool, to swim always with a parent or guardian, to enter the pool only when you have the proper equipment (i.e. goggles and a swim suit), and if there is an emergency to notify 911 or a lifeguard. Ages recommended: 3–5 years old.

Prerequisites: There are no swimming skills required to join Level 1. Your child MUST be potty trained to be enrolled at this level.

Goals: Students will enjoy classes as a fun, safe, trusting environment to explore and become comfortable in the water.

Skills Required to Pass:

• Prone float or glide for 10 seconds unassisted and with no wiggles
• Back float and perform a roll over unassisted
• Unassisted safety swim
• Underwater swim of at least 4 feet with assistance

Kicking and arm strokes will be critical to the next stage of the student’s swimming abilities. Kicking will start with demonstrations from our instructors and then progressing to kickboards, before independent streamline. Arm strokes will be the precursor to freestyle and start out as arm paddling and eventually working towards a full head down position with straight arms resembling freestyle. The student will then progress to combine both kicks and arm strokes together, ensuring correct timing and breath control. In addition to these two core skills, students will learn more water safety such as the survival float used in open water as well as refining their diving skills. Ages recommended: 4–6 years old.

Prerequisites:

• Prone float or glide for 10 seconds unassisted and with no wiggles
• Back float and perform a roll over unassisted
• Safety swim
• Underwater swim of at least 4 feet with assistance

Goals: Students will refine their kicking, arm strokes, and the basics of side breathing. All skills will be independent movements without assistance, but each skill will be taught in slow progression through various stages.

Skills Required to Pass:

• Straight leg kicking with pointed toes
• Be able to swim with 4–6 big, slow, straight arm strokes and with a strong kick
• Perform a side breath on both sides of the body
• Back kicks with streamline
• Underwater swim of at least 7 feet

The progression of freestyle and backstroke will be the focus of this level, with heavy emphasis on bilateral breathing. Students will be building off the foundation they have from Level 2 to focus on breathing and stronger arm strokes for bilateral freestyle. During backstroke, they will focus on their arm movements ensuring that they are at the correct rhythm and spacing. They will also be learning elementary backstroke that will lay the foundation for breaststroke in Level 4. In addition, they will practice their water safety skills with treading water. For treading water, they will be taught a variety of different methods and refine the method that best works for them. Ages recommended: 5–7 years old.

Prerequisites:

• Be able to swim with 4–6 big, slow, straight arm strokes and with a strong kick
• Perform a side breath on both sides of the body
• Back kicks with streamline
• Underwater swim of at least 7 feet

Goals: Students will focus on refining their freestyle learning bilateral breathing, backstroke and elementary backstroke.

Skills Required to Pass:

• Bilateral freestyle with proficiency of at least 25 yards
• Backstroke and elementary backstroke proficiency of at least 25 yards
• Strong ability to tread water in the deep end
• Can retrieve object from 5–7 feet depth

Students will be mastering strokes and continuing to improve their endurance and breath control. At this level, we will be introducing the more complicated strokes: breaststroke and dolphin kick. These strokes may take some time for students to learn, but our instructors will progress them through several stages to ensure that each student is able to understand. In addition, the students will learn secondary skills in the big pool in short intervals. Ages recommended: 6–8 years old.

Prerequisites:

• Bilateral freestyle with proficiency of at least 25 yards
• Backstroke and elementary backstroke proficiency of at least 25 yards
• Strong ability to tread water in the deep end

Goals: Advanced continuation of bilateral freestyle and backstroke. Learning and mastering breaststroke and dolphin kick.

Skills Required to Pass:

• Complete proficiency of bilateral freestyle and backstroke with endurance of at least 50 yards
• Mastery of the breaststroke
• Mastery of dolphin kick

Students will practice in the small pool, where it is shallow enough to touch the bottom. Instructors of this group will focus on teaching the pull for butterfly – adding the kick and pull together will complete the stroke. The aim is for students to be able to perform butterfly according to USA Swimming rules, while also continuing to practice basic freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Instructors will also teach the somersault, ready position, underwater streamline, and seated dive.

Prerequisites:

• Completion of Bulldogs Swim School Mastiffs (Level 4) OR
• Complete proficiency of bilateral freestyle 50 yards
• Complete proficiency of backstroke of 50 yards
• Mastery of breaststroke of 25 yards
• Mastery of dolphin kick of 25 yards

For Blue 1 Tryouts, please email bulldogs.ss@smccd.edu.