Fairbrae’s Summer Swim Lessons (SSL) are broken into 6 different levels. Each of the lessons progress from one to another and provide essential skills for both water safety and eventual stroke development. The SSL program is geared towards children ages 3-17 of all pre-competitive skill levels!


Start your child’s love for the water at Fairbrae Swim & Racquet Club by registering now for Fairbrae’s Summer Swim Lessons Program!

Lessons run Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Each lesson lasts a half hour.

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GROUP LEVELS

Level 0 – Starfish – Water Safety Beginner

Ages 3-5; 1-4 students per class

Fairbrae’s Starfish level is intended for preschool aged children who are just starting to learn to be independent in the water. Starfish focus on safety in and around water and learn vital life skills to keep them out of danger!

GROUP WORK SKILLS:

  • Crabwalks
  • Wall entry/exits
  • Starfish floats (back float)
  • Assisted paddling and kicking
  • Blowing bubbles
  • Underwater submersions

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT:

  • Crabwalk to stairs/ladder from midpool
  • Ready and willing to place entire face/head in the water
  • Unassisted back float for 30 seconds

Level 1 – Guppies – Water Safety Intermediate

Ages 3-10; 1-4 students per class

Fairbrae’s Guppies level is intended for children who have already mastered the basics of water safety and have already demonstrated their independence in the water. Guppies focus on the basics of self-propulsion and are taking their first steps towards their first strokes!

GROUP WORK SKILLS:

  • Back floats & back kicks
  • Independent paddling and kicking
  • “In and outs”
  • “Good Morning and Good Night” (rolling from front to back)
  • Doggie paddle & breath exchange

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT:

  • Unassisted Doggie paddle ~15 yards
  • Unassisted back kicks ~15 yards
  • Unassisted “In and outs”
  • “Good Morning and Good Night” mastered with uninterrupted breathing

Level 2 – Otters – Swim Strokes Beginner

Ages 3 & up; 1-4 students per class

Fairbrae’s Otters level is intended for children who are independently water safe. Otters focus on the basics freestyle and backstroke and are well on their way to taking their first laps.

GROUP WORK SKILLS:

  • Streamline kick progression
  • Side-breathing
  • Assisted/unassisted “big arms” freestyle
  • Assisted/unassisted “big arms” backstroke
  • Introduction to dolphin kicks

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT:

  • 25 yards unassisted freestyle
  • 25 yards unassisted backstroke

Level 3 – Seals – Deep Water Skills

Ages 5 & up; 1-4 students per class

Fairbrae’s Seals level is intended for children who understand the basics of freestyle and backstroke and are ready for advanced maneuvers within the water. Seals shift their focus to treading water and learning the basics of safety for a variety of other water-based skills.

GROUP WORK SKILLS:

  • Deep water treading
  • Dive ring retrieval
  • Safe deck entry
  • Headfirst dive progression
  • General pool rules lessons

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT:

  • 1 minute unassisted tread
  • Dive ring retrieval from deep end
  • Depth controlled head-first dive from side

Level 4 – Dolphins – Swim Strokes Intermediate

Ages 5 & up; 1-6 students per class

Fairbrae’s Dolphins level is intended for children who are completely comfortable in the water and have mastered all prerequisite water safety skills. Dolphins begin to swim longer distances and start the development of their short-axis strokes.

GROUP WORK SKILLS:

  • Flip turns
  • Dolphin kick
  • Breaststroke
  • Butterfly arm stroke

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT:

  • 50 yards freestyle swim w/flip turn
  • 50 yards backstroke swim
  • 25 yards dolphin kick
  • 25 yards breaststroke swim

Level 5 – Sharks – Swim Strokes Advanced

Ages 5 & up; 1-6 students per class

Fairbrae’s Sharks level is intended for children who have some mastery of both freestyle and backstroke and are ready for full butterfly and breaststroke swims. Sharks are comfortable with all four strokes and are working to progress their technique across every lesson.

GROUP WORK SKILLS:

  • Freestyle mastery
  • Backstroke mastery
  • Breaststroke mastery
  • Butterfly mastery
  • Open turns

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT:

  • Mastery of all four strokes and FINA legality (the governing body that oversees international water sport)