Swim America Lessons: Stations 4, 5, & 6 : Stroke Development

SwimAmerica Learn-to-Swim Program – Stations 4, 5 & 6: Stroke Development

What is SwimAmerica?
SwimAmerica is a comprehensive swim instruction program designed for swimmers of all ages and abilities. The program uses a station-based teaching method that focuses on mastering specific skills in a progressive sequence. Swimmers advance at their own pace while building confidence, improving technique, and developing the skills needed for swim competency and safety in and around the water.

Stroke Development (Stations 4, 5 & 6)
This course is designed for swimmers who are ready to build upon their foundational swimming skills and continue developing stroke technique, endurance, and water safety skills. Through progressive instruction, participants will improve freestyle, learn backstroke, practice additional swimming techniques, and gain confidence with advanced water skills and safety practices.

Skills to be Learned:

Freestyle Development:

• Freestyle swimming without breathing
• Freestyle swimming with proper breathing technique
• Rollover technique and recovery
• Side-glide-kick
• Sculling skills to improve water control and body position
• Front float sculling
• Breaststroke technique
• Double somersaults

Backstroke & Advanced Water Skills:

• Extended freestyle swimming
• Backstroke technique
• Treading water
• Jumping in and treading water
• Sitting dive
• Kneeling dive
• Standing dive

Water Safety Skills:
Participants will continue developing important safety skills, including:

• “If you fall in, go to the wall and if you can’t reach it, ROLLOVER!”
  • Jump in, reach the surface, rollover, shout for HELP, and swim toward the wall.
• “If you see something, shout something!”
  • Jumping into the water and returning safely to the wall without goggles.
  • Throwing a kickboard or noodle to a distressed swimmer.

What to Bring:

• Swimsuit
• Towel
• Goggles are highly recommended (practice wearing them in the shower before the first class to ensure comfort and proper fit)
• Rash guard shirt or wetsuit top is highly recommended for swimmers who become cold easily

Instruction & Coaching:
SwimAmerica instructors are trained and supervised by Lakers Aquatic Club Head Coach Paul Kraft. Coach Kraft has decades of experience teaching swimming, from beginner learn-to-swim programs to USA Swimming national qualifiers. He is a certified 6–12 science and mathematics teacher and has a lifelong connection to Lake Saint Clair. Coach Kraft is excited to return to his hometown community to help swimmers develop confidence, advanced swimming skills, water safety awareness, and a lifelong love of swimming.