Learn-To-Swim Program 

Learn to Swim in Brownsville

The City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department has a long history of teaching swim lessons. In fact, the Parks and Recreation Aquatics division is credited for teaching over 36,000 swim lessons in the last 10 years. Countless more before that when our program was called the Gus and Goldie Learn-to-Swim Program.

We have come a long way since the early days of Gus and Goldie, and we’re excited to present the latest upgrades to you. Our Learn-To-Swim curriculum  is focused on the mastery of skills in a way that provides personalized attention and lets students set the pace.

The City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide range of swimming options to improve swimming skills, build confidence in the water, and teach personal safety.

Students will learn 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.

All lessons are conducted under the supervision of certified life guards and taught by certified swim instructors trained in CPR, AED, First Aid and Oxygen Administration.

For more information, please contact Aquatics & Compliance Coordinator Samuel Perez at (956) 275-1114.


NOTE:

Sessions consists of 8 classes, Monday to Thursday for two weeks. Make up day will be on both Fridays.

Registration Closes 2 days after class start date. Classes are 50 minutes each and will begin on time!

-Classes may be combined if they do not meet minimum requirements. (2 students)

-Due to the progressive nature of lessons, no drop-ins are permitted.

-If your child is registered for the wrong class, we will transfer him/her to the correct class as long as the class does not go over the max number of students after the transfer.

All registrations are eligible to participate in TAAF competitions.  

For more about TAAF please visit:    http://www.taaf.com/ for more details.

- Add On Items purchased can be picked up at front desk.


parent and infant lesson 2017


PARENT – TAUGHT (6 – 36 months):
This class is for parent and infant/ toddler and is designed to teach parents how to work safely with their infant or toddler in the water, including how to appropriately support and hold their child in the water and how to prepare and encourage their child to participate fully and try their skills. Children are introduced to basic skills that lay a foundation to help them learn to swim.
Class length is 30 minutes 


*ADAPTIVE AQUATICS PARENT - TAUGHT (No Age Restriction):
This class is for parent and child and is designed to teach parents how to work safely with child in the water, including how to appropriately support and hold their child in the water and how to prepare and encourage their child to participate fully and try their skills. Children are introduced to basic skills that lay a foundation to help them learn to swim.
Class length is 50 minutes

Learn to swim_swim_lessons

LEVEL 1:

Participants will start to learn basic personal water safety information and skills to help participants feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. Students learn elementary aquatic skills. Participants start developing positive attitudes, good swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water. Children will practice rhythmic breathing, front and back crawl, arm and leg motions, underwater glides, and floating are introduced. Exit Skills Assessment: Enter the water independently, bob 3 times then safely exit the water. Glide on front at least 2 body lengths, roll to a back float for 3 seconds and recover to a vertical position, front and black floats.
Class length is 50 minutes 


*LEVEL 2 (Must complete prior levels or equivalent skills):
Participants will start to learn basic personal water safety information and skills, to help participants fell comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. Students learn elementary aquatic skills. 
Participants start developing positive attitudes, good swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water. Children will practice chicken airplane soldier, front and back crawl arm motions introduced, underwater glides. Assessment: Enter the water independently, bob 3 times then safely exit the water. Glide on front at least 2 body lengths, roll to a back float for 3 seconds and recover to a vertical position, front and black floats.
Class length is 50 minutes 

LEVEL 3 (Must complete prior levels or equivalent skills): 

Students improve their skills and develop endurance to swim 50 yards. Introduction to breaststroke, sidestroke, and freestyle.  Exit Skills Assessment: Perform a head-first entry into deep water, swim front crawl for 25 yards, change direction, and swim elementary backstroke for 10 yards. Swim breaststroke and sidestroke for 10 yards and swim back crawl for 25 yards.
Class length is 50 minutes

LEVEL 4 (10 – 15 Years of Age. Intermediate)

*(Must complete prior level or equivalent skills)
Students improve their skills and develop more endurance to swim greater distances. Introduction to Breaststroke, sidestroke, butterfly and basics of turning at the wall are taught. Exit Skills Assessment: Perform a feet first entry into deep water, swim front crawl for 75 feet, change direction and position as necessary and swim elementary backstroke for 45 feet. Swim breaststroke for 15 feet, change direction and position as necessary and swim back crawl for 45 feet.
Class length is 50 minutes 


LEVEL 5 (4 – 15 Years Of Age.   Advance)

*(Must complete prior level or equivalent skills)  Participants coordinate & refine the key strokes: front crawl, elementary backstroke, back crawl, sidestroke, and breaststroke with more ease, butterfly, efficiency, power and smoothness and over greater distances. Also, introduces other aquatic activities and offers three options: Personal Water Safety, Fundamentals of Diving and Fitness Swimmer. Exit Skills Assessment: Swim 300 yards continuously using any 3 strokes of your choice.


Class length is 50 minutes 
 


ADULT BEGINNERS (16 Years To Adult):
Participants will start to learn basic personal water safety information and skills, to help participants fell comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. Students learn elementary aquatic skills. Participants start developing positive attitudes, good swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water. Children will practice chicken airplane soldier, front and back crawl arm motions introduced, underwater glides.
Class length is 50 minutes




ADULT SWIMMERS (16 Years To Adult):

Students improve their skills and develop more endurance to swim greater distances. Introduction to Breaststroke, sidestroke, butterfly and basics of turning at the wall are taught. Exit Skills Assessment: Perform a feet first entry into deep water, swim front crawl for 75 feet, change direction and position as necessary and swim elementary backstroke for 45 feet. Swim breaststroke for 15 feet, change direction and position as necessary and swim back crawl for 45 feet.

Class length is 50 minutes 


Learn to Swim Program is taught at Sams Pool and Gonzalez Pool. There are 5 sessions during the summer season.  Dates for 2022 sessions at both locations are as follows:

Learn To Swim Sessions*Indicates short session (prorated fee).  Note:  Lifeguard Instructor In Training LIIT will follow the Learn to Swim schedule.