Rose Bowl Aquatics Center
American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Program

Course Descriptions & Entry Level Requirements

Parent/ Infant    Preschool    School Age    Adult

Parent/ Infant Swim Levels - 6 months to 3 years

Parent/ Infant Beginning - Rubber Ducky                                 

Water Exploration This level is designed to introduce the inexperienced or fearful child to the water.
Entry Level Requirement: No swimming experience necessary This level is designed to introduce the inexperienced or fearful child to the water. The objective of Parent/Infant is to help students feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. Children will learn how to enter and exit the pool safely, hold their breath, blow bubbles, and put their face in the water. They will learn to experience buoyancy and loss of support with comfort.

Parent/ Infant Intermediate - Baby Beluga                                 

Primary Skills Entry Level Requirement: Child must be able to put face in on their own.
This level is designed to achieve confidence with water independence. The objective of Intermediate is to help students feel comfortable in the water and marks the beginning of true locomotion skills. Proper kicking and body position is introduced. They will learn how to travel through the water with a basic paddle stroke.

Preschool Swim Levels - 3 to 5 Years

Preschool I Beginner                                                                               

Swimmer has no swimming experience, is fearful of the water and has never been enrolled in lessons.
This level is designed to introduce the inexperienced or fearful child to the water. 

Preschool Level I - Starfish                                                                     

Water Exploration Entry Level Requirement:
Little swimming experience or has previously been enrolled in Preschool Level I.
This level is designed to help students feel comfortable in the water safely. Children will learn how to enter and exit the pool safely, hold their breath, blow bubbles, and put their face in the water. They will learn how to float, glide and swim unassisted.

Preschool Level II - Seahorse                                                           

Primary Skills Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to glide 5 feet unassisted with face in the water.
This level marks the beginning of true locomotion skills As they build their confidence, children will learn both front flutter kick. how to travel through the water with a basic Paddle stroke

Preschool Level III -  Clown Fish                                                            

Stroke Readiness Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to Paddle stroke 10 feet unassisted with face in the water and then lift head out of the water for one unassisted breath.
The objective of this level is to achieve confidence with water independence. They will learn to bob unassisted with bubbles and float on their back unassisted.  Children will learn to come up for a breath independently and rhythmically. They will become comfortable with distance and deep water swimming. Change of direction is mastered.

Preschool  III  Endurance                                                                      

Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to Paddle stroke 15 feet unassisted and come up for a breath.
This level is designed to develop endurance needed for level IV.

Preschool Level IV - Spotted Seal                                                         

Stroke Development Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to Paddle stroke 15 yards unassisted with face in the water & repeatedly blow bubbles and come up for a breath.
Bob unassisted with proper inhale & exhale breathing.
This level marks the introduction of true strokes. Preschoolers will be introduced to the components of Freestyle and Backstroke.  Treading water and recovery to a swimming position is mastered.  Complete independence is achieved.

Preschool Level V - Dolphin                                                                      

Stroke Refinement Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to swim 25 yards basic Freestyle & Backstroke.
The objective of this level is coordination, technique, and refinement of key strokes. Preschoolers will build on endurance while stroking with proper technique. They will learn to swim a proper Freestyle and Backstroke for 50yds. They will learn to coordinate arms and legs in Breaststroke. Butterfly is introduced.

Preschool Level VI - Hammerhead Shark                                           

Skill Proficiency Entry level Requirement:
Child must be able to swim 50 yards Freestyle and Backstroke with proper form.
Swim 25 yards Breaststroke.
Familiar with Butterfly kick and arms.
The objective of this level is to polish strokes to prepare preschoolers for Rose Buds. Breaststroke and Butterfly is mastered.  Flip turns, racing dives, starts, and finishes are mastered.
 

School Age Swim Levels - 6 to 13 years

School Age Level I - Turtle                                                                       

Water Exploration Entry Level Requirement:
Little swimming experience or has previously been enrolled in School Age Level I.
This level is designed to help students feel comfortable in the water safely. Children will learn how to enter and exit the pool safely, hold their breath, blow bubbles, and put their face in the water. They will learn to experience buoyancy with comfort. Proper kicking and body position is introduced.  They will learn how to float, glide and swim unassisted.

School Age Level II - Octopus                                                               

Primary Skills Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to glide 5 feet unassisted with face in the water.
This level marks the beginning of true locomotion skills. As they build their confidence, children will learn front flutter kick, how to travel through the water with a basic Paddle Stroke and how to come up for a breath rhythmically.  They will learn how to float on their back unassisted. 

School Age Level III - Manta Ray                                                            

Stroke Readiness Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to Paddle stroke 15 yards unassisted with face in the water & repeatedly blow bubbles and come up for air.
Retrieve toy from 5 foot depth.
 This level marks the introduction of true strokes. Children will learn the components of Freestyle, Backstroke and rotary breathing. Treading water and recovery to a swimming position is mastered. Complete independence is achieved.

School Age III Endurance                                                                        

Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to swim 15 yards unassisted with basic Freestyle and Backstroke.
 This level is designed to develop the endurance needed for level IV.

School Age Level IV - Crocodile                                                            

Stroke Development Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to swim 50 yards Freestyle and Backstroke with proper form.
Tread water & swim back to side unassisted.
The objective of this level is to develop coordination, confidence and endurance in swimming Freestyle, Backstroke, and Elementary Backstroke.  Breaststroke and the basics of turning at the wall are introduced.

School Age Level V - Killer Whale                                                          

Stroke Refinement Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to swim 100 yards Freestyle and Backstroke with proper form.
Swim 50 yards Breaststroke.
Tread water and retrieve toy from 5 foot depth.
 The objective of this level is to achieve proper timing, technique, and refinement in Freestyle, Backstroke and  Breaststroke. Children will learn flip turns and racing dives. Butterfly is introduced.

School Age Level VI - Great White Shark                                            

Skill Proficiency Entry Level Requirement:
Child must be able to swim 100 yards Freestyle, Backstroke and Breaststroke with proper form.
Swim 25 yards Butterfly.
 The objective of this level is to polish strokes so students swim them with more ease, efficiency, power, and smoothness over greater distances. Considerable endurance is achieved in this level. Butterfly is mastered.  This level prepares the swimmer for Swim Team.

Adult Swim Levels - 14 years & Up


Adult Beginner                                                                                      

This class is designed to introduce the inexperienced or fearful adult to the water.  The objective of this course is to help students to feel and become more comfortable in the water and enjoy the water safely.  Students will learn how to enter and exit the pool safely, blow bubbles, breath control, rhythmic breathing and change of direction.  They will experience buoyancy and loss of support with comfort.  As they build their confidence, students will learn proper kicking and body position on both front and back with proper flutter kick.  They will learn how to travel through the water with a basic paddle stroke.  Front Crawl, Back Crawl, Elementary Backstroke, and basic safety skills are covered.

Adult Intermediate                                                                               

This class marks the introduction of true strokes.  It develops confidence and endurance in the strokes learned in the Beginner Class.  Freestyle and Backstroke are mastered.  Students are introduced to Breaststroke, Sidestroke, Butterfly and beginning diving progressions.  Treading water and recovery to a swimming position is mastered.  Sound waterman ship and complete independence is achieved in this level.  Basic flip turns and turning at the wall are introduced.

Adult Advanced                                                                                    

The focus of this level is to work on proper timing, technique and stroke refinement in order to achieve more ease, efficiency, power and endurance.  Further coordination of the basic strokes is emphasized so that the student can swim smoothly over longer distances.  More advanced diving progressions, turns at the wall, and safety skills are mastered.