Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Classes at Sea Star

Sea Star Swim School offers a wide variety of aquatic programming for children of all ages.   Our Infant/Toddler classes serve our under 3 population by introducing water safety and appropriate skill building  for that age group.  After these classes or for children ages 3 and up with no swim skills, our Beginner classes teach survival skills.  As those survival skills are mastered, our focus turns to teaching the competitive strokes.  The goal is to help each student develop proper technique and learn the fluid mechanics of each stroke.  Students will develop a comprehensive skill set that will enhance confidence, whether they pursue competitive swimming or simply want to enjoy lap swimming as a future option for exercise.

Our Swim School

If your child is three or older, our swim school will float your child to new levels of confidence in the water!  With small teacher to student ratios and year round classes, we guarantee quality lessons from certified teachers.  Classes are arranged on a "Quarter" system (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall and Holiday) of approximately 8 weeks each.  Session lengths will vary with the Sumner County Schools' calendar. Our classes meet once a week.  Enroll now and ensure that your child will have a foundation of self-assurance and proper stroke technique that will lead to years of pleasure in any aquatic environment.

Sea Star's mission statement is to: "Provide Excellence in Aquatic Education".  Our learn to swim program is designed to offer progressive class levels that will build skill on top of skill as children attain a level of safety, competence and enjoyment in the water.

Class Levels

Each class level at Sea Star will have specific criteria that must be met before moving to the next level.  Your swimmer's teacher will make that determination as to the appropriate time to "move up".

Parent/Child--6 months-3 years

Beginning swimmers--Survival, safety, competency

  • Infant/Toddler Classes – available to those 6 months -3 years. These classes have no prerequisite.  Parents work with their children under the guidance of a teacher in this class.  The focus is on safety and swimming for survival. Skills covered include how to submerge properly, back float, sit jumps and swimming to the wall and climbing out safely.   Class length:  30 minutes   Ratio: Up to 8 groups of parents and children to 1 teacher.
    • We start looking at a swimmer's readiness to transition to a Beginner level class (without the parent) at around 2 1/2-3.  Your teacher will work with you to determine when it is time to move up.  Parents will not be allowed to sit on the deck once the transition is made because the swimmer's focus will be on you instead of the teacher.  Under most circumstances, we move a child to a regular Beginner class for the next session after their 3rd birthday.
  • Beginner Classes: Please note that these three skill sets in Beginner classes will be combined into each class.  Class length:  30 minutes  Ratio: 4 swimmers to 1 teacher.  Here are skills that you can be looking for as your child progresses:
    • Survival:  3-5 year olds – Focus here is on swimming for survival: forward progress taking multiple breaths, jumping in and swimming back to the wall and climbing out, back floating, beginning freestyle and backstroke (based on age and gross motor skills).
    •  Safety: 3-5 year olds – Focus on continuation of beginner classes. Students will work on the ability to jump in to the deep end, take three consecutive breaths in a calm and controlled manner while swimming to the wall and climb out safely. Attention will also be focused on the ability to jump into the pool, surface and roll onto back in order to demonstrate a controlled back float.
    •  Competency 3-5 year olds – Continuation of safety skills followed with an emphases on the ability to swim 12 ½ yards of freestyle and backstroke. Work on side breathing, and introduction to breaststroke kick.    (NOTE:  Older beginners ages 6 and up will begin at this level.)
  • Lap Swim – 4-7 year olds – PREREQUISITE: Swimmers MUST have the ability to swim 12 ½ yards in repetition with the focus of continuing on to swimming 25 yards competently.  Focus is on ability to swim 25 yards without fins or flotation aids of any kind demonstrating proper freestyle (with side breath) and backstroke technique. Continuation of development of the breaststroke and intro to butterfly. Class length:  30 minutes.  Ratio:  4 or 5 swimmers to 1 teacher.
  • NOTE:  Depending on enrollments, we reserve the right to combine our beginner and lap swim classes to maximize availability.

Pre-competitive Classes:  The path to the Swim Team

  • Little Flippers  –  5-10yr olds PREREQUISITE:  Must be able to swim 25 yards of freestyle with side breath and 25 yards of backstroke, and have the stamina to swim for 30 minutes with limited rest.  This class focuses on swimming Freestyle, Backstroke, and Breaststroke competently . Introduction to butterfly stroke also begins in this class. Swimmers will be swimming 25 yard increments throughout the duration of the class. Fins are required and will be incorporated where necessary to improve body position and help enhance conditioning of the swimmer. Emphases will be placed on proper streamlines, and dives.    Swimmer will achieve competency in ALL COMPETITIVE stokes and the ability to swim each stroke for 25 yards without the use of fins. Beginning emphasis on Individual Medley transitions, introduction to the pace clock, and continued conditioning. Swimmers will be focused on swimming 50 yard sets throughout the class. The class time will be divided 50% technique and 50% conditioning. Fins are required for this class and will be incorporated for different skills, drills and conditioning.  Class length:  30 minutes.
  • Junior Select – Participants must be approved by the coach to enter this class. PREREQUISITE: Swimmers must be competent in all four strokes. Emphases are on swimming yardage in the 100 – 200 yard range. Focus of this class is on stroke technique, race strategy, and conditioning. This class prepares the swimmer to compete on a year round swim team.  Due to lane space and availability, students may enroll in this class for two quarters in order to accommodate other swimmers who will like the opportunity to participate.  Class length:  60 minutes.  Monday or Wednesday evening and Saturday morning.