Aquatics

Youth Aquatics

Have fun, learn new skills and build confidence that lasts a lifetime!

Here at the Y, our aquatics staff is dedicated to offering exciting, safe and confidence building classes for children and teens age 6 months – 18 years. When your child participates in one of our swimming programs, he or she will learn to be safe and feel that sense of accomplishment that comes with mastering a new skill.

We employ only the best staff, all of whom exhibit our values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility—and who are passionate about teaching children the life skill of swimming.

If your child is new to the Ridgewood Y Aquatics program, please contact Job Pama at ext 392 for a swim evaluation. For private swim lessons, please contact Janet Oliver at ext 304

 

 

  • Shrimp/Kipper
    The Shrimp/Kipper class is for children 6-16 months old and the Inia class is for 17-25 months old. Song and games are used to help the children adjust to the water, learn basic water safety, getting in and out of the pool safely, blowing bubbles, floating, kicking and basic swimming skills.
  • Inia
    The Inia class is for children 17-25 months old. Song and rhymes are used help children adjust to the water, reinforce water safety and start to work on basic swimming skills. They will work on learning how to get in and out of the pool safely, blow bubbles, float on their backs and kick properly.
  • Perch
    The Perch class is for children 26-36 months old. Songs and rhymes to help the children adjust to the water, reinforce basic water safety and start to work on basic swimming skills. They will also work on getting in and out of the pool safely, blowwing bubbles, floating on their backs and kicking properly.
  • Pike With Parent
    The Pike With Parent class is for children 3-4 yrs old who are having trouble separating from their parents in the water. This is a transition class which allows parents in the water for the first few weeks to help their children learn to hold on to the wall, wait their turns and to become comfortable with the instructor. Instructor will teach Pike skills.
  • Pike
    The Pike swim level is for children ages 3-5 years old who are beginner swimmers and have not had swim lessons before or are not swimming independently yet. The instructors will work on getting the child comfortable in the water, teaching them to get their faces wet, how to blow bubbles and the fundamentals of paddling and kicking. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim unassisted for about 5 ft before moving up to the Eel level.
  • Pike Plus
    The Pike Plus swim level is for children ages 4-5 years old who are comfortable putting their faces in the water and are almost swimming independently. They will work on being able to swim unassisted, kicking on the kickboard unassisted and back floating. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim unassisted for about 5 ft before moving up to the Eellevel. (Weekday participants should sign up for the Pike level).
  • Eel
    The Eel swim level is for children ages 4-6 years old who are swimming unassisted horizontally for about 5 feet. They will work on swimming with the proper arm stroke and kick, rhythmic breathing, floating, treading and jumping into the water and swimming back to the wall unassisted. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim about 20 feet with proper arm stroke and kick before moving to the Ray level.
  • Ray
    The Ray level is for children ages 4-6 years old who are swimming with proper arm stroke and kick for about 20 feet. They will work on swimming with rotary breathing, back float, treading water, elementary backstroke and diving. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim across the pool with good rotary breathing and float on his/her back independently and have a rudimentary knowledge of the elementary backstroke before moving to the Sunfish 1 level.
  • Sunfish 1
    The Sunfish 1 level is for children ages 5-6 years old who are swimming across the pool with good rotary breathing (front crawl) and kicking on their back across the pool independently. They will work on refining the front crawl, elementary backstroke and treading, increasing endurance and learning the backstroke and standing front dives. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim 25yds of front crawl, backstroke and elementary backstroke in good form before moving to the Sunfish 2 level.
  • Sunfish 2
    The Sunfish 2 level is for children ages 5-6 years old who are swimming 25yds of front crawl, backstroke and elementary backstroke in good form. They will work on refining these strokes, increasing endurance and learning the breaststroke. The goal of theis level is for the child to be able to swim 50yds of front crawl, back stroke and elementary back stroke in good form and have a basic knowledge of the breaststroke before moving to the Minnow or Fish level.
  • Guppy
    The Guppy level is for children ages 6-12 years old who are able to swim with the proper arm stroke and kick. They will learn to swim with rotary breathing, elementary backstroke, backstroke kick, treading water and diving. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim with rotary breathing (front crawl) across the pool in good form and float on his/her back across the pool unassisted and a rudimentary knowledge of elementary backstroke before moving to the Minnow level.
  • Minnow
    The Minnow level is for children ages 6-12 years old who are able to swim front crawl, back kick and a rudimentary elementary backstroke across the pool unassisted. They will work on refining these strokes, increasing endurance, learning backstroke, treading and diving skills. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim 25yds of front crawl, backstroke and a rudimentary elementary backstroke before moving to the Fish level.
  • Polliwog
    The Polliwog level is for children ages 6-12 yeats old who are beginner swimmers. They will learn floating, rhythmic breathing, front and back glides and swimming with proper arm stroke and kick. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim with proper arm stroke and kick for 15 feet before moving to the Guppy level.
  • Fish
    The Fish level is for children ages 6-12 years old who are able to swim 25yds of front crawl, backstroke and a rudimentary elementary backstroke. They will work on refining these strokes, incresasing endurance and learning the breaststroke kick. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim 50yds of front crawl, backstroke and elementary backstroke in good form before moving to the Flying Fish level.
  • Flying Fish
    The Flying Fish level is for children ages 6-12 years old who are able to swim 50yds of front crawl, backstroke and elementary backstroke in good form. The will work on increasing endurance, learning the breaststroke and dolphin kick. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim 100yds of front crawl and backstroke and 50yds of breaststroke in good form before moving to the Shark level.
  • Shark
    The Shark level is for children ages 6-12 years old who are able to swim 100yds of front crawl and backstroke and 50yds of breaststroke in good form. They will work on increasing endurance and learning butterfly, sidstroke and flip turns. The goal of this level is for the child to be able to swim 150yds of front crawl and backstroke, 100yds of breaststroke and 25yds of butterfly and sidestroke.
  • Porpoise
    The Porpoise level is for children ages 11-14 years old who are at least at the Shark level of swimming. They will work on stroke development, personal safety and rescue through games and aquatic leadership.
  • Home School Polliwog/Guppy
    Ideal times for home school students to learn youth swim skills.
  • Home School Minnow
    Ideal times for home school students to learn youth swim schools.
  • Home School Fish/Flying Fish/Shark
    Ideal times for home school students to learn youth swim skills.
  • Home School Flying Fish/Shark
    Ideal times for home school students to learn youth swim skills.
  • Swim Sam
    From ages 6 months to 6 years currently enrolled in swim lessons. Enjoy practice time with your children to reinforce swimming skills!
  • Lifeguard Test
  • Aquatic Spring Training

    For advanced swimmers ages 9 through 12, this 12 course will focus on conditioning, endurance drills, competitive strokes and techniques. A great opportunity to get in shape for the summer swim teams or stay in shape after the winter season!  Course runs March 18 - June 9 with classes on Mondays / Wednesdays 7:45 to 8:30pm and Saturdays 1:45 to 2:30pm. FEES: $265 Triangle / BFC Members $295 Program / Swim Members. For further info, please contact Janet Oliver at x304.