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Swimming Lessons On-line lesson registration is quick and convenient or you may register in person at the Recreation Department (3600 86th Street) or the Urbandale Pool (7201 Aurora Avenue) INFANT AND PRESCHOOL AQUATIC PLAYTIME (IPAP)
Ages 6 months - 4 years old
This class will focus on ways for you to enjoy the water with your child. This class emphasizes parental teaching methods for water adjustment and basic skills. An adult must be in the water with the child throughout the class time. This class is designed to make your child more comfortable in and enjoy being around water. This class will not teach your child how to swim.
Preschool Swimming Lessons
Ages 3 - 6
Tot Docks will be placed in the water so that the children will be able to stand. Ratios are 1 instructor to 4 children.
Learn to Swim Lessons
Must be 5 years of age, or minimum 42" tall.
The American Red Cross Program teaches children how to swim and be safe in and around the water. Please read the following skills to determine what level your child should enter. The skills listed are what the student must successfully complete to move to next course. Classes meet Monday through Thursday. Pre-registration is required. Registration is limited.
LEVEL 1: Introduction to the Water 1) Blow bubbles (3 seconds) 2) Front and back float (supported) 3) Bounce up and down in chest deep water 5 times 4) Supported kicking on front and back 5) Safety rules LEVEL 2: Basic Water Skills 1) Hold breath and submerge head (5 seconds) 2) Submerge and retrieve object in shallow water 3) Front & back float, unsupported and recover (5 seconds) 4) Bob 5 times 5) Front & back glide (2 body lengths) 6) Personal safety and rescue LEVEL 3: Stroke Readiness 1) Retrieve object, from bottom, in chest deep water 2) Bob, submerging head completely (5 times) 3) Jump into deep water from side of pool 4) Dive from side of pool from kneeling position 5) Front and back glide with push-off (2 body lengths) 6) Front crawl, face in water, side breathing (15 yards) 7) Back crawl (15 yards) 8) Tread water (30 seconds) 9) Personal Safety and Rescue LEVEL 4: Stroke Improvement 1) Tread water (1 minute) 2) Swim underwater (3 body lengths) 3) Feet first surface dive 4) Dive from side of pool from stride and standing positions 5) Breaststroke, Sidestroke, Butterfly, & Elementary Backstroke (15 yards) 6) Front and back crawl (25 yards, rotary breathing) 7) Introduce turns at the wall LEVEL 5: Stroke Improvement 1) Swim underwater (15 yards) 2) Shallow dive from side of pool 3) Breaststroke/sidestroke (25 yards) 4) Elementary backstroke/butterfly (25 yards) 5) Front and back crawl (50 yards) 6) Personal Safety and Rescue
Adult Swimming Lessons
This class is designed for adults who want to either learn to swim or better their swimming skills. It is individualized. First session begins January 25th.
Swimming Lessons/Classes Transfer Policy
If you need to transfer your child out of one class/session/level into another class/session/level prior to the first day of class, you will be charged a $5 processing fee. Please take time to read the course descriptions to help you accurately place your child in the proper level for swimming lessons. There will also be a $5 processing/transfer fee for swimmers who were signed up for the wrong level and need to be transferred the first day of class by staff.
Frequently Asked Questions of Urbandale Swimming Lessons When/Where can I register for lessons? There are 4 different ways to register for swimming lessons: 1) Register on-line at www.urbandale.org Click on “Parks & Recreation”, “Recreation and Community Education”, “Program Registration” and follow the instructions on the screen 2) Phone in. Call 278-3963 to register over the phone with VISA / Master card / or Discover Card 3) Drop off. Drop off completed registration form (with payment) (located on page 4 of this booklet) at the Urbandale Parks & Recreation office. Office hours are 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. After hours, registrations may be dropped off in our box outside the front door of our building. 4) Mail in completed form (with payment) to the Parks & Recreation office at 3600 86th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322 Are there separate registration dates for residents and non-residents? Urbandale residents may register beginning April 14. Non-residents of Urbandale may register beginning April 20. How do I know what class my child should be in? On page 16 of the program guide is a list of what the student must complete to pass that class. Please ask your child what he/she can do from the list of skills. If your child participated in the Urbandale lessons in the past, you should have received a certification card, indicating your child passed the current class or an achievement letter which informed you of what your child must work on to pass that class. Please note: The Urbandale Pool and the Park and Recreation office do not keep records of what level your child has passed. If my child is in the wrong class, will he/she be moved to the correct class? Your child will be moved only if there is an opening in that class. For optimum learning we restrict the number of students in each class based on the class requirements. IPAP (10 students), Levels 1 & 2 (6 students), Levels 3 & 4 (8 students) Level 5 (10 students). Why are the locker room doors locked during lessons? The doors are locked so we can monitor who enters the locker rooms. The locker room doors will be unlocked 5 minutes before the start of your lesson and locked 5 minutes after the lesson begins. Parents are encouraged to accompany the student to their class location, then return to the lobby. Chairs are available in the lobby as well as picnic tables in front of the building. Lions Park, located across from the pool, has many shade trees to sit under to make your wait more comfortable. What if I need to pick up my child early from lessons and the locker room doors are locked? Please inform your child’s instructor that he/she must leave early on a certain date. The instructor will send the child to the locker room early to dress and to let the parent in. My child will need to miss some classes. Are there any make-ups? There are no make-up classes. Sessions are scheduled back to back starting in June. Will lessons be canceled because of thunderstorms? No, lessons will take place because our pool is indoors. Can I watch my child’s lesson? Family observation days are Mondays and Thursdays. We encourage you to wait in the lobby or outside on all other days. This helps to reduce the amount of distractions that may interfere with your child’s lesson. Can siblings swim in the Aquatic Playground during lessons? No, we do not have a staff member available at the Aquatic Playground during our lessons and the State of Iowa will not allow us to have anyone on the outside pool decks. I’m not sure if my child should be in Level 2 or Level 3. Can I register him in each class, and then get a refund for the class he does not participate in? Because the lessons fill so quickly, we request that you register for only one class per session. Please ask pool staff for assistance in determining your child’s course. Please do not sign up for multiple lessons unless you know for sure. We will be on vacation one week during the session. Can we enroll in another session for one week to make up for the week missed? No, lessons fill quickly and we are unable to break up the session, or add more students than the designated number for each class. If you are unable to attend the entire session, please register in a different session. My grandchild will be here for one week. Can I pay for just one week? No, participants must sign up and pay for the entire session. An important component of the lesson is the trust and confidence each student feels with the instructor and the other students that develops in the 8 days of class. |
