swim lessons at the Tampa Y family in the pool

Join the wave of swim programs at the Tampa Y

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As the temperatures get warmer, the pool is once again becoming a welcome destination. At the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, we have plenty of swim programs for everyone in the family to have fun and learn to stay safe in the water.

We offer swim lessons for children starting at 6 months old to teens, adults, and seniors to assist them with building foundational skills. We help students achieve curriculum benchmarks and encourage their improvement as they progress through the YMCA swim lesson programs. Our goal is to help everyone to be confident around the water.

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Swim Lessons at the Tampa Y girl in pool

Swim Lessons at the Tampa Y

Swim lessons are available at all Tampa Y family centers and vary by season and location. We have a range of swim and safety programs:

  1. Adaptive Swim: This important program provides five free swim lessons to children with adaptive needs. The number one cause of accidental death for children with autism is drowning.
  2. Mobile Swim: Our Safety Around Water programming provides free water safety instruction in pools throughout the community with a focus on communities in need.
  3. Safety Around Water – Dryland: Conducted on dry land, this program offers community instruction on how to keep children safe around water.
  4. Safety In Water Week: Enjoy four days of free instruction on being safe in the water at each of our family centers from March 11 to 14.

YMCA swim programs are set apart because we provide grant-funded and free opportunities for so many different communities. We are focused on breaking down barriers that prevent people from accessing important information and instruction about being safe IN and AROUND water for everyone.

Swim Lessons at the Tampa Y

In addition, we offer American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification, which is great for parents, guardians and adults of all ages who want to be prepared in the event of an emergency. Successful participants become certified and may apply to be a Tampa Y lifeguard and rule the pool all year long. Plus, The Junior Guard program at the Y is a leadership program for teens ages 13 and 14. Participants learn the skills required to earn a lifeguard certification and have the opportunity to work in the Aquatics environment.

As a charity, thanks to donations from our community, we can provide a FREE and ACCESSIBLE crucial life-saving skills. We aim to reach over 10,000 children with our drowning prevention focus as part of our newly launched Tampa Y Strategic Plan. With these programs, we can fast-track delivery and provide services outside of our Y facilities to reach those who are most in need.

With small classes and efficient lifeguards, we are doing our best to be the leader in drowning prevention advocacy, education and instruction!

To register for any of our swim programs at the Tampa Y, visit: https://www.tampaymca.org/programs/swim-programs/swim-lessons

To support our swim programs or any Y initiative, visit https://www.tampaymca.org/give.

*Presented by the Tampa YMCA | Originally published in the March 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.