Safe confident swimmers start at the Y. Sign up now and learn to swim!
- Session 3: Monday, April 15 - Saturday, June 1. Registration will open Saturday March 23 at 8:00 a.m.
- Session 4: Monday, June 3 - Saturday July 20. Registration to be announced.
- Full Member $90
- Program Member $120
- DEEP Swim Lesson Grant: Free to New Britain residents who qualify. Learn more about free swim lessons.
- Please note: Our Group Lessons are on a first-come, first-served basis depending on availability at the time of registration. Classes meet once per week for either 30 or 45 minutes depending on the level. Instructors may vary from session to session. There will be no refunds issued.
Swim Starters (6 months-3 years)
Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.
A/Water Discovery
Parents accompany children in stage A, which introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment through exploration and encourages them to enjoy themselves while learning about the water.
- Friday 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday 9:45 a.m.
B/Water Exploration
In stage B, parents work with their children to explore body positions, floating, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.
- Friday 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Swim Basics (Preschool or School Age)
Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills: (1) Swim, float, swim sequencing front glide, back float, front glide, and exit. (2) Jump, push, turn, and grab.
1/Water Acclimation
Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water in stage 1. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress of swimming.
- Tuesday 4:15 p.m.
- Wednesday 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday 8:45 a.m.
2/Water Movement
In stage 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.
- Tuesday 4:45 p.m.
- Wednesday 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday 8:15 a.m.
3/Water Stamina
In stage 3, students learn to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.
- Tuesday 5:15 p.m.
- Wednesday 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday 9:15 a.m.
- Saturday 10:15 a.m.
Swim Strokes (School Age)
Having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.
4/Stroke Introduction
Students in stage 4 develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.
- Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
5/Stroke Development
Students in stage 5 work on stroke technique and learn all major competitive strokes. The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water.
- Saturday 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
6/Stroke Mechanics
In stage 6, students refine stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming, and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.
- Saturday 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
How to register for programs:
1. If you already have an up-to-date membership, you can register online, by phone at 860.229.3787, or in-person at the New Britain YMCA.
2. If you do not have a membership yet or need to update your membership, please register in-person at the New Britain YMCA.