swim lessons
Group Lessons
Indoor Lessons are taught at Sachs Recreation Center.
Outdoor Lessons are taught at Mitchell Pool.
Parent Tot: 6mo – 3 years
Play games, sing songs, and learn how to swim with your infant or toddler in a group lesson. Participate in instructor led songs and activities designed to get you more comfortable swimming with your young child. Skills covered: gliding, floats, kicking, submerging, and passing.
Guppies: 2 – 4 years
This toddler focused class is a bridge between parent tot and open swim lessons where participants play instructor led games in the splash pad at Mitchell Pool. If your toddler is ready to walk and play without a parent in the water but not quite ready to be in the big pool join this class. They’ll play fun and effective group games designed to build confidence and begin gliding with their face in the water. Skills covered: submerging, floating, gliding, kicking, arm circles, rule following, group activities, and group play.
Open Swim Lessons: 3+
For all swimmers over 3 years old. Open to all ability levels, swimmers will be placed in like-skill groups with ratios of 1:5 instructor to swimmer or lower. Every effort is made to reduce class size. Swimmers will focus on high repetition of skills with emphasis on fun and effective activities and challenges. Classes range from beginners ready to start going underwater to swimming all four competitive strokes. Skills covered: submerging, glides, front crawl, back crawl, side breathing, breaststroke, butterfly, streamline, flip turns, open turns.
Advanced Swim Lessons: 5+ and at least Level 3
Intended as a bridge class from swim lessons to COHO Swim Club, these classes run like a mini swim team practice. Swimmers will focus on freestyle with side breathing and backstroke as well as peppered practice of butterfly and breaststroke. Skills covered: streamline, freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, flip turns, open turns.
View Program Guide
Private Lessons
Private and Semi-private swim lessons will continue to be available at Sachs Recreation Center and will be offered at the outdoor pools based on instructor availability. Some sessions may be during open swim, with preference for weekend mornings between 9am -11am.
Private lessons are a 1:1 lesson for 30 minutes.
Semi-private lessons are 30 minutes and allow for up to 3 attendees of the same or different families.
To request a private lesson fill out the following form:
For questions about group or private swimming lessons contact Aquatics Manager, Jeffrey Napolski 847-572-2626 or jeffn@deerfieldparks.org.
Water Polo
Water polo is a fun and exciting sport that involves fitness, endurance, and excitement. Learn how to do the unique swimming required for Water Polo, how to throw the ball, and practice game strategies. Water Polo is offered during the summer at Mitchell Pool.
Swim Lesson Levels:
Parent Tot:
Ages: 6 months through 3 years old.
Parents and children should be in the class together. Appropriate for all children at least 6 months old and up to 3 years old. The Parent and Tot class is designed to introduce parents and infants to swimming in the water through a fun, loving, and caring environment. We stress play, repetition, and teaching parents how to hold their baby and toddler to get the most out of their time in the water.
Lessons are taught in shallow water where parents can stand comfortably while supporting and holding their child.
Play games, sing songs, and do independent activities to build familiarity, set expectations to allay fear, and build a rapport with other families and instructors.
Quick Test Criteria:
Age. Are the swimmers between 6 months and 3 years old.
*If the swimmer is at least 2, comfortable walking, and familiar with the swimming skills consider Guppies.*
Testable Skills
- Water comfort
- Supported front glides
- Supported back glides
- Scooping
- Games, Songs, Splashing
Guppies:
Water games, comfort, bravery
Ages: 2 through 4 years old.
Participants should be comfortable without a parent in the class, though they can watch from nearby. Lessons should be taught in SHALLOW water with a zero-depth pool preferred. Water level should be at most waist or bottom of rib cage deep with lots of room to walk, play, and do controlled underwater activities.
Quick Test Criteria:
Age. Are the swimmers between 2 and 4 years old.
Can the swimmer leave their parents without crying or clinging. Are they ready to participate in a group.
Testable Skills
- Alligator walk
- Lay flat on your back in zero-depth water with ears underwater.
- Follow instructions and play a three step game like “Treasure Hunt.”
- Be a part of a group activity like Bake a Cake
- Independent water exploration in chest deep water with supervision
Participants should be able to stand on their own, understand language, and have control of their limbs, and ability to follow directions.
Quick Test Criteria:
Does the swimmer go underwater on their own?
Testable Skills
- Go underwater unassisted
- Supported front float with face in water
- Supported back float with ears in water
- Go underwater, then stand up on own
Participants should be able to stand on their own, understand language, and have control of their limbs, and ability to follow directions. Swimmer must be able to go underwater repeatedly on their own, and be comfortable doing things with the instructor.
Quick Test Criteria:
Can they swim front crawl on their own? If yes, probably level 3, is “no” likely level 2.
Testable Skills
- Streamline 3 body lengths on both front and back (back can be in soldier)
- Streamline and then front crawl arms for 5 body lengths (total).
- Streamline and then back crawl arms for 5 body lengths
- Introduced to fly kick
Participants in level 3 should be comfortable going underwater on their own, gliding through the water on their front and back without support, and understand the concept of using their arms and feet to provide propulsion, or forward movement through the water.
Quick Test Criteria:
Can the swimmer turn their head to the side to breathe while doing front crawl? If yes, then likely level 4, if not, but can do front crawl then level 3.
Testable Skills
- Front crawl 8 meters with breathing
- Back crawl 8 meters with body at surface
- Demonstrate “11, Eat, 11”
- Demonstrate Breaststroke Kick on edge
- Demonstrate Butterfly Arms
Ages: 5-12+
At this point, in level 4, participants need to be comfortable moving in the water independently. They should be able to swim front crawl with breathing to the side for at least five to ten body lengths without stopping. Generally, it does not have to be a perfect swim, where the face is only aimed down and breath rotating to the side, but it does need to be done well for short distances. Here, in level 4, we begin instruction on longer swims, introduce drills, and begin swimming breaststroke and butterfly.
Some swim teams have lower requirements than others, and it is entirely possible, that after passing level 3, your swimmers would be ready for the swim team. Level 4 should be considered equivalent to a beginner swim team group and treated similarly: high repetition, drills, lane use (between lane lines), and somewhat acceptable for instructors/coaches to be out of the water. Expect graduates of level 4 to be ready for most USA Swimming age group programs.
Quick Test Criteria:
Can the swimmer breathe to the side on front crawl, look down without looking forward, and continue swimming while maintaining long, straight body line.
Testable Skills
- Front crawl 20 meters with bilateral breaths.
- Back crawl 20 meters with body in soldier.
- 3 times, streamline with no kick, then do 1x (11, Eat, and 11), then 1x (BR kick in position 11).
- Streamline + 2 strokes Fly w/ breath on #2
- Swim 50 meters Front or Back Crawl