Keeping 100% Curious Kids Safe in a World Made of 71% Water

May is National Water Safety Month, and the perfect time to get children involved in swim lessons. As America’s Swim Instructor, the Y is the most accessible community resource to prevent drowning and encourage a lifelong enjoyment of swimming—teaching more than one million kids a year swimming and water safety skills.

Y swim lessons increase the accessibility and enjoyment of swimming to all ages and skill levels. Y swim lessons accommodate varying abilities to help foster a sense of achievement as swimmers’ progress between levels. Through this approach, advanced swimmers flow more easily to higher levels while swimmers who need more instruction can learn at their own pace. This results in more confident swimmers who stick with lessons and develop a love for swimming that can last a lifetime.

ALL children, regardless of background, skills or age, should have access to swim lessons. It’s a rite of passage that can lead to a love of swimming that lasts a lifetime, while increasing confidence, physical activity and well-being.

There are three general categories of Y Swim Lessons:

· Swim Starters develops water enrichment and aquatic readiness in children ages 6 months to 3 years. This category focuses on developing swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences. Parents also learn how to supervise children in the water, how to prevent accidents and how to plan for emergencies.

· Swim Basics develops personal water safety and basic swimming skills in students of all ages. Swimmers develop a high level of comfort in the water by practicing safe water habits, engaging in underwater exploration, and learning how to swim to safety and exit if they fall into a body of water.
· Swim Strokes introduces and refines stroke technique in older students (school age, teens and adults). 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.

For more information about swim lessons at the YMCA of Western Monmouth County, visit ymcanj.org/swim, or call 732.462.0464.

EXCITING NEWS!

The Community YMCA and YMCA of Western Monmouth County are coming together as One Y to reach more people in Monmouth County with programs that strengthen the lives of individuals, children and families. If I can help answer your questions, please let me know. Learn more: www.ymcanj.org/strongertogether

About The Community YMCA and YMCA of Western Monmouth County

The Community YMCA and YMCA of Western Monmouth County are two of the area’s leading nonprofit charities strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Guided by core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, we are dedicated to helping everyone grow in spirit, mind and body regardless of age, income or background. Our programs and services nurture the potential of children and teens, improve health and well-being and provide opportunities to give back and support our neighbors. In 2018, we provided $920,00 in financial assistance to strengthen approximately 3,000 families in need. For more information, visit www.ymcanj.org/strongertogether.