Level 1: Hummingbirds

• Enter and exit water on own
• Mouth, nose, and eyes under water
• Blow bubbles with mouth and nose
• Float on front with face in water, with assistance
• Float on back with assistance (Ears and toes in the water)
• Freestyle kick with barbell (with help) to flags
• Backstroke kick (with help) to flags
• Freestyle arm motion on stomach to flags (with help)
• Elementary backstroke (chicken, airplane, soldier) to flags (with help)
• Backstroke arm motion to flags (with help)
• Water safety:
• Pool Rules!
• Find a lifeguard, how to recognize a lifeguard
• When someone is in trouble, what to do
• Never swim alone
• If fall into pool and can’t reach side shout for help, float on back
• Life jackets
• Reaching assist (how to hold onto tube if they are in the water)

Level 2: Sparrows

• Completely submerge head while blowing bubbles (bobs)
• Jump in unassisted
• Front float (with face in water) for 5 seconds
• Back float (ears and toes in water) for 5 seconds
• Tread water 5 seconds, keeping mouth above water
• Streamline on front and back
• Push off wall in streamline position on front and back
• Freestyle kick with barbell or kickboard independently to flags
• Kickboard or barbell should be held at arms length in front, not under arms or body. Mouth in water to blow bubbles

• Backstroke kick on back to flags (can be done with elementary backstroke arms)
• Swim freestyle to flags. Should be able to temporarily put mouth/face in water and blow bubbles while swimming
• Backstroke to flags
• Water safety:
• Pool Rules!!
• Find a lifeguard, how to recognize a lifeguard
• When someone is in trouble, what to do
• Never swim alone
• If fall into pool and can’t reach side shout for help, float on back
• Life jackets
• Reaching assist (how to hold onto tube if they are in the water)

Level 3: Robins

• Streamline freestyle kick and backstroke kick off wall
• Introduce rotary breathing, first on wall, then add to freestyle
• Freestyle kick w/ kickboard ~12 yards
• Backstroke kick in streamline ~12 yards
• Kick on side (one arm up, ear on shoulder, other arm down by side) ~10 yards w/ kickboard
• Butterfly body motion (both feet together!) ~10 yards
• Freestyle: 15 yards
• Face in water
• Attempts to breathe to side
• Long arms/full reach
• Correct flutter kick

• Backstroke: 15 yards
• Looking up to ceiling
• Long arms/full reach, correct hand/arm position
• Thumb out, pinkie in
• Belly up, not sinking
• Strong flutter kick, straight legs, knees in water
• Tread water for at least 20 seconds
• Sitting or kneeling dive from side into deep water
• Water Safety:
• Pool Rules!
• Find a lifeguard, how to recognize a lifeguard
• When someone is in trouble, what to do
• Never swim alone
• If fall into pool and can’t reach side shout for help, float on back
• Life jackets
• Reaching assist (how to hold onto tube if they are in the water; lie on stomach if helping another)

Level 4: Blue Jays

• Introduce and work on body roll…
• Kicking on side, one arm up, one down, ear in water w/o kickboard
• Freestyle: 25 yards
• Accurate rotary breathing and correct head position
• High elbows, full pull down to thigh
• Introduce drills (6 kick rotate, catch-up, fingertip drag, zipper, etc)
• Backstroke: 25 yards
• Introduce drills (6 kick rotate, one-arm backstroke, pull on lane line, etc)
• Butterfly: 25 yards
• Butterfly kick w/ feet together… No flutter kick
• Full stroke
• Breathing
• Breaststroke: 25 yards
• Kick, both legs even and in water. No flutter kick
• Pull: arms do not drop to sides, know when to breathe
• Introduce flip turns
• Standing dive

Level 5: Blackbirds

• Freestyle: 50 yards
• Good technique!
• More extensive drills
• Body rotation; strong, even flutter kick; smooth breathing to side; correct head and body placement (no zig-zagging, high hips)
• Backstroke: 50 yards
• Good technique!
• Drills
• Body rotation; high hips; correct hand placement and arm movement
• Butterfly: 25 yards
• Technique!
• Feet together
• Kick works with stroke to complete full cycle
• Drills
• Breaststroke: 25 yards
• Technique
• Correct kick, stroke, and timing (don’t forget to glide!)
• Drills
• Treading water (should be comfortable in deep water)
• Dive into water, stay into streamline, start stroke
• Turns (flip for free & back, 2 handed touch for breast and fly)

Level 6: Cardinals

• Freestyle: At least 200 yards
• Backstroke: At least 200 yards
• Breaststroke: At least 100 yards
• Butterfly: At least 100 yards
• Should be able to complete at least a 100 IM without stopping (preferably 200 IM)
• Should be able to swim at least 300 yards without stopping, including flipturns
• Turns
• Dives (introduce diving from block)
• Introduce pace clock and sets, length of pool (i.e. how many laps in 200 yards?)

Hawks (Beginner Children Ages 8 and up—combines Levels 1 & 2)