Frequently Asked Questions

When should my child learn to swim?
As soon as your child is capable of independent motion, they are capable of getting into water and drowning. Therefore, swim lessons should begin as soon after 6 months of age as possible. Initially, they will not learn to swim per se. They will be learning: “Roll over and floating.” Young children, because of the weight of their head and body proportions, can’t readily “learn to swim”. What you want, is to keep them SAFE. We do that by teaching them to surface when underwater, roll onto their backs, because it “buys time” for the caregiver to realize that the child can float and needs help. Tragedies occur when the child can’t perform that skill. Once they have mastered ROLL OVER and FLOAT! Then we begin teaching them “real swimming.”

At what age should children begin swim lessons?
Many children begin swimming as infants and there is no doubt the water provides a very special experience for the young child. SwimAmerica programs typically begin offering lessons at 6-9 months of age.

How fast will my child learn how to swim?
It takes an average of 20 – 25 lessons to perform a basic freestyle. At COM we have seen that it takes about 12 – 15 lessons to reach level 3 on the Swim America chart. Then levels four and five they move through fairly quickly, once they hit levels six through ten it will take an average of 8 – 10 lessons to get through each level.
It takes an average of eight months for a child to be swim-team ready and about 25 lessons to learn safety in the water.

What can I do at home?
Running and lifting weights will not help a young child with swimming. Please do not have them do these. The best way to improve swimming is with practice in the pool and on land.

You can practice swimming at home by standing in front of the mirror and practicing arm strokes and by using swimming terminology. For practicing breaststroke kick, they can sit on the floor and bring their knees up, keeping the heels on the ground, toes pointing to ceiling, kick in a circle. The heels need to stay on the ground, because in the pool the heels are parallel to the surface of the water kicking simultaneously for a proper breaststroke kick. Or they can lay on their stomach and bring their heels to their bottoms, toes pointed out and kick in a circle. The most common mistake a swimmer makes is to bring their knees under their stomach, which pushes the water in the opposite direction the child is swimming. The other common mistake is a scissor kick, where one leg kicks out and is not reflecting the other leg. For other strokes it will help your child using the same terminology as our teachers use:
 - Freestyle - high elbow, pull, slide, and touch your leg (boiling water kick)
 - Backstroke - pinky in pinky out (boiling water kick)
 - Butterfly - 2 arms at the same time, 2 legs like a dolphin, every 2 arm
                  strokes take a breath
 - Breaststroke - Pull and Breath, Kick and Glide 
                       Kick legs up, then out and back together. 

How do I know when my child knows how to swim?
Our standard is that a person should be able to swim 300 yards non-stop, and swim 6 different styles of swimming, to be considered a “swimmer”. 300 yards is important. Scientists have found that humans can swim 200 yards without being able to breathe effectively. But without the ability to breathe effectively, eventually that person will get in trouble, and possibly endanger their life. We went 1/3 beyond that point to set our standard of 300 yards of non-stop swimming. That goal won’t be quickly achieved. It takes time.  But it can save your child’s life. That’s worth the investment of time. Afterall learning to swim is a lifetime gift and a sport that will last a lifetime.

How frequently should my child take swim lessons?
At COM we recommend taking swim lessons twice a week in 30 minute sessions for the following reasons:
- Easy on the child
- Easy way to ensure your child learns to swim

Should my child take group or private lessons?
At COM we favor group swim lessons for children who are ready to learn in a small group setting. Small groups of five children or less provide instruction, practice and the opportunity to watch other children perform the skill. However not all children learn best in group lessons. Parents must take into account the child’s temperament and learning style

Why do the kids need to wear goggles?
They have 20/20 vision under the water with them and without them they have 20/300, which is considered legally blind.  Teachers also give visual cues under the water and goggles also provide comfort and security from the treated water. 

Why do the kids play the last five minutes of class?
We are actually teaching pool safety. Notice that the teachers do not catch your student when they jump into the water. They have to get back to the wall or ladders by themselves.

What are the lengths of the pools?
The COM pools are 25 yards, except the Gathercole pool (teaching pool) and it is 12 ½ yards. The flags are 15 ft from the edge of the pool and the black line is 6 ft from the wall. The flags are used during backstroke so that the swimmer knows that the wall is coming up and they won’t hit their head on the wall. Olympic size pools are 50 meters. (Doug Russell is a 50 meter pool)


Do kids need earplugs when swimming?
Your child will need earplugs if they have tubes in their ears, chronic ear infections, or under the advice of your doctor.


Why is my child not progressing as fast as the other kids in his/her class?
We are all unique, your child will progress at their own rate. Even though they may be in group lessons each child is treated as an individual.

How long should I wait between lessons if I want to take some time off?
No longer than one session.

What if my child is afraid to swim?
At COM or swim coaches take a caring approach to teaching children learn how to swim. Our coaches are trained to helped reluctant children adapt to the water.

What is your teacher-student ration?
At COM it’s one teacher to every five students.

Will my child progress at her own rate, or will she wait for the group to learn a particular skill before she moves onward?
At COM we try to place kids in the appropriate groups according to their age and level. If your child is progressing at a faster rate then the instructor will work with your child on her level. Our instructors rotate through working with each child, so when it comes to your child they will be able to work with them on their level no waiting on those “slower in development”.