Swim Starters: Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.

PC A/Water Discovery (6-18 Months): Parents accompany children in stage A, which introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment through exploration and encourages them to enjoy themselves while learning about the water.

PC B/Water Exploration (19-36 Months): Parents work with their children to explore body positions, floating, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.

Swim Basics: Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills:
1. Swim, float, swim—sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide, and exit
2. Jump, push, turn, grab

PS 1/Water Acclimation: Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water in stage 1. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

PS 2/Water Movement: In stage 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

PS 3/Water Stamina: In stage 3, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

Swim Strokes: 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

PS 4/Stroke Introduction: Students in stage 4 develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.

Swim Basics: Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills:
1. Swim, float, swim—sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide, and exit
2. Jump, push, turn, grab

SA 1/Water Acclimation: Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water in stage 1. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

SA 2/Water Movement: In stage 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

SA 3/Water Stamina: In stage 3, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

Swim Strokes: 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

SA 4/Stroke Introduction: Students in stage 4 develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.

SA 5 & 6/Barracudas in Training (BIT): Barracudas in Training (BIT) focusses on stroke development and stroke mechanics. BIT is a non-competitive training program that meets twice a week to build endurance and improve stroke technique. There is no commitment to the swim team in BIT but swimmers will be encouraged to join the YMCA Barracudas when ready. Students in stages 5 & 6 work on stroke technique and learn all major competitive strokes. The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water and sidestroke. As students refine stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, they learn about competitive swimming, and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.

Swim Basics: Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills:
1. Swim, float, swim—sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide, and exit
2. Jump, push, turn, grab

T/A 1/Water Acclimation: Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water in stage 1. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

T/A 2/Water Movement: In stage 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

T/A 3/Water Stamina: In stage 3, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

Swim Strokes: 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

T 4-6/JR. Master Teens ages 13-17: The Jr. Masters Program combines level 4 (Stroke Introduction), level 5 (stroke development), and level 6 (stroke mechanics). Students develop stroke technique on all major competitive strokes: Butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. As students continue working on stroke technique for all the major competitive strokes, they learn about competitive swimming, and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle. Water safety is reinforced through treading water, elementary backstroke, and sidestroke. Jr. Masters meet twice a week to help teens build endurance and learn the stroke techniques needed to take a lifeguarding class, tryout for a swim team, or just enjoy swimming for fitness. Swimmers will be encouraged to join the YMCA Barracudas when ready.

A 4-6/MASTERS Adults ages 18+: The Masters Program combines level 4 (Stroke Introduction), level 5 (stroke development), and level 6 (stroke mechanics). See details in the drop down below.

The Masters Swim Program gives our adult members, ages 18 & over, the opportunity to stay in shape while being motivated by our coaches and fellow swimmers. A monthly commitment is required for either 1,2, or 3 days per week and practices are available at both our Middletown and Monroe locations. Please see the pool schedules for the current practice times available at each branch. Workouts are modified to your ability.

TO REGISTER:
1. Complete a Master Registration form.
Click for a Masters registration form for our Middletown branch.
Click for a Masters registration form for our Monroe branch.

2. Return completed form to Melissa Gillespie via Email or drop it off at the Y.

For more info, contact Melissa Gillespie tel: 845-395-1016 or Email

Looking for a more intense and individualized swimming lesson?

Private Lessons – 30 minute session, working one-on-one with one of our swimming instructors and schedule sessions around a more flexible schedule.

Semi Private Lessons – It’s more fun to learn with a friend. Semi private lessons can be arranged for two swimmers of the same swimming ability.

To arrange Private & Semi-Private Swim Lessons:

1) Complete a Private/Semi private swim lessons form.

2) Email form or drop it off at the branch. Make sure your account is active and wait for the aquatics staff to call you and set up your first lesson.

3) Pay for lessons at the front desk upon arrival for each lesson.

Adaptive Private Lessons – Lessons are available with IEP documentation. Please contact the Aquatics Department for details.

Aquacize is a low impact 45 minute water-exercise class. Swimmers and non-swimmers are welcome. As a courtesy to all members, please limit your participation to 1 session per day.

Lap Swim is available to all our YMCA members. Members must be 13 years or older to participate. Lap Swim sessions are limited so please limit your participation to 1 session per day.

The YMCA OF MIDDLETOWN Barracudas Swim Team is a year round competitive swim team for children and teens ages 5 to 18 years old. The Barracudas are members of United States Swimming, the Empire State Swim League, and Metropolitan Swimming.

Learn more, click here.