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What is SwimAmerica?SwimAmerica is the learn-to-swim program of the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA). It is the finest state-of-the-art learn-to-swim program in the world today, brought to you by the same people who have produced the most successful sports team on the planet. It teaches beginners how to swim, as well as teaches more experienced swimmers proper technique in the four competitive strokes: freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke. Its effective and logical teaching progression builds strong swimmers by introducing new skills while constantly reviewing those previously mastered. SwimAmerica is a quality swimming lessons using a progression of skills taught in 10 stations. Every student progresses at their own rate, independent from other students' development. Safety is the main reason for learning to swim and the SwimAmerica learn-to-swim program will give your child a safe start in life. Swim America teaches the skills necessary for a lifetime of SAFETY, FUN, and FITNESS in the water!
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Why did Canyon Aqualife Swimming choose SwimAmerica?SwimAmerica is a structured program that allows for more individualized attention for young children. The program also allows children to progress at their own pace. This ensures that we will meet the needs of every individual!
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What is the SwimAmerica 'Station' method?SwimAmerica lessons are a series of stations of skill development and stroke progressions. One a child masters the skills and 'advancement goals' of each station, they 'move up' to the next station and begin working on more advanced skills. This way, each student progresses at their own rate - which we believe is the best way to keep kids motivated to succeed. The Program Director does on-going evaluations of each swimmer and advances students as soon as they are ready for the next challenge.
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What is the SwimAmerica certificate?Each student enrolled in our program receives a SwimAmerica Award Certificate on the first day of their lessons. When a student masters the skills of one station and advances to the next, they receive a gold 'graduation' sticker to place on their certificate. You can follow your child's progress by checking the back of their certificate, which outlines the advancement skills of each station. The Program Director or Site Supervisor does ongoing evaluations of each swimmer during the session and will advance a swimmer when they are ready for the next station.
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Why should I choose SwimAmerica for my child?Firstly, SwimAmerica is technique-oriented. This means that from the very first day your child is enrolled in the learn-to-swim program, they will be taught expert techniques used by Olympic swimmers, ensuring your child develops the proper stroke technique right from the start. Secondly, SwimAmerica is goal-driven. Unlike other swim classes where faster learners often have to wait for slower learners to catch up, our Coach adopts a more individual approach at our learn-to-swim program. Students are encouraged to learn at their own pace, and faster swimmers will be able to progress through the curriculum more rapidly. The SwimAmerica program is taught by members of the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) to a Program Director, who gets certified and licensed to coach his in-water instructors to teach swimming to ensure proper development of stroke technique.
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How long is each lesson?One class is thirty (30) minutes long.
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At what age should my child begin swim lessons?The position of the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) is that children younger than four do not have the developmental ability to acquire and master swimming skills. In addition to being unable to retain the instructions they're taught in the lesson or use that instruction in a life-threatening situation, lessons for children of that age may foster a false sense of security, therefore this is the position Coach Nathan also takes. He suggests five and above is a good age to learn.
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How quickly will my child advance through the stations?This varies greatly on your child's age, athleticism and natural comfort level in the water. It may take a few weeks or more for a young child to progress beyond Station 1. It all depends on the individual child. We will NOT advance a child before they have mastered the skills of their first station. Remember, proper breathing is the key to successful swimming!
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What can I expect on my child's first day of class?On your child’s first day of class, we make a thorough assessment of each child’s skills so that they are placed in the appropriate 'station.' You can expect your child to spend a lot of time learning proper breathing techniques the first few days of class. Good breathing is the KEY to good swimming. A child who has not learned how to breathe properly tires more quickly in the water. We will spend a lot of time working on bobs and other breathing exercises in all of our SwimAmerica stations. Parents will need to move to the designated viewing area, as they are not permitted to stay on deck.
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What do we need to bring to class?We provide all our SwimAmerica swimmers with a brand name FINIS swimsuit, cap, and goggles. Please have your child come to class already wearing their swimsuit. A good swimsuit can make learning to swim easier for young swimmers. Many 'fashion suits' for girls or baggy shorts for boys retain water, and actually feel very heavy in the water, making it harder to learn. We encourage caps for children and goggles to protect their eyes from the chlorine. You will also need to bring a towel so your child can dry off immediately after their class.
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What is the coach to student ratio?Our goal is to provide a 1:5 ratio, with the exception of siblings, making it possible for Coach to have a 1:6 ratio. However, many times, swimmers enjoy a 1:3 ratio - but this is heavily dependent on space and location.
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How long will it take for my child to learn to swim?This depends on several things, such as: Your child's age, pool experience, comfort level in the water, listening skills, enthusiasm and level of fitness. It may take upward of an entire season for a five-year-old to learn the absics of flaoting, breathing, kicking, returning to the wall and rolling over to their back to catch a breath. Everyone learns at a different rate and children will progress through the program at their own speed.
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Will my child be evaluated on their first day of class?New swimmers will be evaluated the first day of class. We go through a short test of skills to see where the child will start in our program.
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How do I know when my child knows how to swim?The SwimAmerica program aims to teach every child how to maintain themselves indefinitely in the water. To do so, they will have to learn the ability to exhale used air and inhale new air, also known as aerobic swimming. SwimAmerica goes above and beyond by ensuring that all students are able to swim 300 yards without stopping, and are able to swim six different styles of swim strokes before they can be considered swimmers.
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