As many of you may know, Goldfish Swim School operates on a perpetual swim lessons basis. Children attend one half-hour lesson on a weekly basis and progress through the swimming curriculum at their individual pace. At Goldfish, we start lessons at what we call our Mini 1 level for our infant swimmers and their parents. From there, swimmers progress through the Mini levels before continuing on the Junior, Beginner, Glider, Star and Pro levels.

Once a swimmer completes the Pro level, he or she will work on skills like these:

  • General acknowledgement of how to interact well in a team environment, offering support and respect of other team members
  • Mastered circle swimming
  • Proficiency in the four strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breastroke and butterfly)
  • USA style turns and finishes
  • Proficiency in the sit dive techniques
  • Able to complete four lengths of freestyle swimming non-stop

But what’s next? If you’re like many families, swim lessons are much more than mastering swim basics for water safety. Many families are looking for a recreational after-school activity that provides cardiovascular exercise, promotes team building and builds endurance.

At Goldfish, we have just the thing; we call it the Rec Swim Team.

Rec Swim Team is perfect for swimmers that are proficient at the Pro level, but are interested in either pursuing swimming competitively, or enjoy swimming as an alternative to other, more commonplace after-school activities like soccer or hockey.

Aside from the obvious benefits of continued exposure and experience with the water, Rec Swim Team is often appealing to parents because of its low time commitment. And, Rec Swim Team is attractive to students because you start swimming the whole length of the swimming pool! Rec Swim Team operates similarly to the weekly swim lessons you are familiar with. However, Rec Swim Team has the added benefit that practices last for an hour instead of a half hour, and at the same cost!

Rec Swim Team Practices

Rec Swim Team is a good alternative to club swim teams for the intermediate swimmer. First off, there are no tryouts. And, aside from the lower time commitment (lessons are once weekly and meets are typically once quarterly), Rec Swim Team has a hands-on teaching style uncharacteristic of the conventional swim club near you. Our instructors are physically in the water with swimmers, manually assisting them with stroke technique and always sharing encouraging words. A stroke calendar and a curriculum workbook guide lessons. The head coach sets the pace, distances and reps for each workout depending on the children’s abilities. Did we mention that the student-to-teacher ratio is 7-to-1?!

Following each lesson, there are five minutes set aside for games for the children to participate in while the head coach meets with the children’s parents to update them on the lessons of the day, if there were any difficulties and to respond to any questions or concerns.

Swim Meets

Swim meets occur on a quarterly basis and last for only an hour. Swim meets are all-inclusive. A couple weeks before the meet, your kids have the opportunity to sign up for the three events they are interested in swimming. All four competitive strokes are swum, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The swimmers’ instructor, based on the individual aptitudes of those participating, determines the number of pool lengths and reps.

After the event (usually one or two lengths across the pool), the children receive a ribbon for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. If they’ve had an exceptional race, some Goldfish locations even have a record board displayed in the pool area. It’s a great way to keep the kids motivated, and keep their ambitions high.

Following the meets, a food reception is typically provided in the lobby area. Did we mention meets typically last for only an hour? For those of you who are familiar with typical swim club meets, an hour is a breeze!

Kids can compete on the Rec Swim Team for as long as they feel comfortable. Ideally, when a child graduates from the team, he or she should:

  • Cooperate and listen well in a team environment
  • Have mastered circle swimming
  • Be proficient in the freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly stroke techniques
  • Be proficient in the freestyle flip turn, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly turns
  • Be able to perform the freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and the butterfly finish
  • Be proficient in the sit dive technique
  • Be able to complete four nonstop lengths of freestyle swim

Are you interested in Rec Swim Team for your child? Feel free to stop by the front desk on your next trip into Goldfish and ask them about signing up. Or, check out the swim levels page on our website to see how far your child has to go.

For a quick recap, check out this informational video on the Rec Swim Team, shot at Goldfish Ann Arbor’s recent Rec Swim Team practice.