Franklin Knolls Swim Lessons

SWIM LESSON OVERVIEW:

The Franklin Knolls Gator Swim Team is pleased to offer swim lessons to our Silver Spring community as a fundraiser for the team. Enrollment for the 2023 season is now closed, but please check back here in early June 2024 to register for summer lessons! 

Group lessons are designed to introduce children as young as three to the water, to build their comfort and confidence in the water, and to help them learn basic swimming skills. This year, we are also offering more advanced courses for swimmers who want to put in extra time improving their strokes, starts, and turns. These classes are geared toward older/more developed swimmers.  Gator swim team members under 12 are strongly encouraged to consider these competitive stroke development lessons as an alternative to individual lessons.

The information below is from the 2023 season and is subject to change as the program is put together for 2024.  Members who would like to share ideas about improvements to the program or who would like to help organize lessons should send an email to FKPSwimLessons@gmail.com. We welcome your help and suggestions!

Session Timing

Two-week sessions are offered in the mornings for members only (M – Th) and evenings for both members and non-members (Sun, Mon, Tues, Thurs).  Each session has 7 lessons, and a handful of sessions will include 1 bonus lesson.

In the event of inclement weather, we will make every effort to notify parents of cancellations via email at least 30 minutes prior to the lessons.

Make-up classes for weather-related cancelations only will be held on Sunday mornings, as possible.  Due to dedicated pool availability, we are unable to offer more than these makeup sessions and refunds are not offered for missed classes.

Fees

Fees are $80 per session for members and $100 per session for non-members. Electronic payment is preferred via Venmo (@FKPSwim).  For those without access to this  platform, we will accept checks dropped off to the front desk made out to Franklin Knolls Pool by the Friday before lessons start. Whichever method you choose, please type in the memo: LESSONS: Child’s first & last name, and Session Number.   For example: LESSONS: Sally Swift, Session 1 or LESSONS: Sally Swift, Sessions 1, 2, and 3.

The registration deadline for lessons is Wednesday at noon before the start of the new session.  Classes are organized once registrations are received. A schedule will be posted at the pool, and parents will be notified of your child’s lesson time via email before sessions start.

When you register your child, please do your best to put them in the class where you think they will be most comfortable (see class descriptions below).  If it is clear after one or two lessons that your child should be in a different class, we will work with you to move your child to a class that is more appropriate for their skill level.

 

Expectations

Classes will start and end promptly. Swimmers and parents/guardians should arrive at Franklin Knolls at least five minutes prior to your lesson start time.  Parents/guardians should remain on deck during lessons.

Children must be three years old by June 1st, and reliably potty trained to participate in swimming lessons.

For liability reasons, nonmembers swim students are allowed in the water ONLY during swim lessons.  Students cannot remain and play at the pool after their swim lessons, but they may exit and re-enter the pool as a guest of a member after paying for a guest pass.  All non-members will receive a bracelet upon entering the pool, and will be asked to exit the pool deck promptly after their lesson ends unless they return as a paid guest of a member.

 

Questions

Questions can be directed to FKPswimlessons@gmail.com

Lesson Descriptions

BEGINNER I LOW is for a child without much experience in the water. The lessons will be focused on putting their face in the water, blowing bubbles, and feeling comfortable in the water.  Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Submerge face up to (in including) nose
  • Blow bubbles
  • Supported float on front
  • Walk in chest deep water for about 5 yards, comfortably
  • Walk 5 yards in chest deep water with alternating arm action

BEGINNER I MEDIUM is for a child with some experience in the water, is comfortable getting their face wet, and is looking to put their new water skills together by learning to float independently and kick & blow bubbles at the same time.  Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Independently put face under water – 1 second
  • Front float
  • Kicking on front while blowing bubbles (supported)
  • Jump from side of pool, feet first

BEGINNER I HIGH is for the child who is gaining confidence in the water and learning to move independently forward in the pool.  The class will continue to support those skills and start to teach students how to feel comfortable floating and kickin on their backs. 

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Submerge whole head –  3 seconds
  • Supported float on back
  • Supported kicking on back
  • Basic safety rules and importance of following them
  • “swimming” at least 5 strokes
  • Wear life jacket on deck and enter water

BEGINNER II is for the child who has mastered skills in the Beginner I series and is ready to start swimming more independently in the water.  The students will practice holding their breath under water, bobbing in the water, gliding and floating, turning in the water, and will start to put arm strokes together.

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Bob x10
  • Breath-holding (does not have to be underwater) – 10 seconds.
  • Submerge and retrieve objects from chest deep water
  • Prone float
  • Prone glide – 10 feet
  • Back float
  • Back glide – 6 feet
  • Prone glide with kick – 10 feet
  • Back glide with kick – 10 feet
  • Beginner arm stroke – 5 feet (arms only)
  • Finning or sculling – 10 feet (arms only)
  • Finning with kick on back -5 years (or any other backstroke)
  • Jump in chest-deep water, push off bottom of pool, get out at side
  • Demonstrate back crawl arms
  • Turn front to back, back to front
  • Safety skills: float with a lifejacket with face out, watch rescue breathing

BEGINNER III is for the child who is ready to start combining kicks and arms to learn front crawl stroke with breathing, jumping into the water, and reversing direction. 

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Retrieve object from bottom, eyes open, in chest deep water
  • Bob x5 in chest deep water
  • Bob to side of pool
  • Jump into deep water 
  • Dive into deep water from side of pool
  • Prone glide two body lengths with push off
  • Front crawl with breathing – 10 yards
  • Back crawl 10 yards
  • Elementary backstroke kick
  • Reverse direction swimming on front and back
  • Safety – diving rules, treading water, jumping to deep water with lifejacket on, HELP position, huddle position, open airway for rescue breathing

ADVANCED BEGINNER is for the child who is starting to learn the fundamentals of swimming breaststroke and elementary backstroke, improving crawl stroke with rotary breathing, treading water and floating for extended periods of time, and diving into the water.

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Deep water bobbing
  • Show buoyancy by floating
  • Rotary breathing – can be in water or on land
  • Standing front dive
  • 10 yards elementary backstroke
  • 5 yards or 15 seconds sculling on back
  • 25 yards front crawl with rotary breathing
  • 5-10 yards of whip kick with kickboard
  • 5-10 yards of scissors kick with kickboard
  • Turn at wall
  • Tread water 2 minutes
  • Mouth to mouth breathing

INTERMEDIATE I is for children who need to gain comfort in deeper waters and wants to improve crawl and backstroke, and practice the kicks necessary to swim breast stroke.

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Deep water bobbing
  • Show buoyancy by floating
  • Rotary breathing 
  • Standing front dive
  • 10 yards elementary backstroke
  • 5 yards or 15 seconds sculling on back
  • 25 yards front crawl with rotary breathing
  • 5-10 yards of whip kick with kickboard
  • 5-10 yards of scissors kick with kickboard
  • Turn at wall
  • Tread water 2 minutes

INTERMEDIATE II will teach children how to put kicks and arms together to form breaststroke, sidestroke and backstroke, and will start to learn dolphin kick and breath control/underwater swimming.

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Alternate breathing in water
  • Standing front dive from board or side of pool
  • Long shallow dive
  • Breaststroke – 10 yards
  • Side stroke – 10 yards
  • Underwater swim – 3 body length
  • Elementary backstroke – 25 yards
  • Dolphin kick – 10 yards (with or without kickboard)
  • Front crawl – 50 yards, using correct turns
  • Back crawl – 50 yards, using correct turns
  • Tread water two minutes using at least two different kicks
  • Feet first surface dive

Members Only! Mornings Only  STARTS AND TURNS is for athletes who already know how to swim all four strokes and want to improve their competitive starts, turns, and pull-outs. 

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Learn and practice competitive diving positioning on deck and under water
  • Learn and practice proper underwater opening pulls
  • Learn and improve competitive turns and pull-outs for all four strokes and individual medley
  • Learn strategies for minimizing number of breaths per length
  • Relay starts and good sportsmanship

Members Only! Mornings Only STROKE IMPROVEMENT is for athletes who already know how to swim all four strokes and want to improve their technique to drop time. Although all four strokes will be practiced during this session, the heavy focus will be on Butterfly and Breaststroke. We will offer two sections, one for ages 8 and under and the other for ages 7-12+

Skills that will be taught and practiced:

  • Breaststroke – kick, arm pull, breathing, coordination
  • Butterfly – kick, arm pull, breathing, coordination
  • Backstroke – kick, head and hip placement, pull and body roll
  • Freestyle – breathing, arm catch, kick, and coordination/placement in water