Learn to Swim This Summer at the Goochland, Virginia YMCA

Looking for a children's summer activity that is fun and builds strong bodies? Swimming lessons are the perfect answer! Children will learn about water safety and develop skills that will help with coordination, too. If you live in the Goochland County, Virginia area, be sure to check out the opportunities to learn how to swim at the Goochland YMCA. Learning to swim is not just for children - the YMCA also offers classes for adults and teens.

Just outside of Richmond, Virginia, the Goochland YMCA has been serving the residents of Goochland County since 2004. The YMCA campus includes a six lane outdoor pool, multi-purpose rooms, a wellness center, and areas for children to stay while their parents are working out. Become a member and swim all year - the pool area is covered by a heated dome in the fall, winter, and spring. The Goochland YMCA offers swim lessons, swim teams, water aerobics, and lifeguard training and certification.

The Goochland YMCA is part of the YMCA of Greater Richmond which includes 15 area branches. If you sign up for Metro membership, you can visit any of these branches with your Goochland YMCA card at no additional cost. A number of members live in Goochland and work in Richmond, and visit other YMCAs at midday or after work to get in their exercise time.

Swimming lessons are not just for pool safety - they are great for giving children confidence and self-esteem. All children need opportunities to develop their minds and bodies. Swimming lessons help with coordination and learning to work and play with others. Each child's skill level is assessed and the swim teachers are careful to build on that foundation.

Swim lessons are divided by age and ability: preschool, youth, and teen/adult lessons. Preschool instruction focuses on the fundamentals of swimming and safety. Classes are 30 minutes in length and students are grouped into four sets. "Pikes" are new swimmers who are taught water kicking, paddle stroke, and pool safety. The "Eels" must be able to go under water and they learn how to back stroke and perform easy dives. "Rays" build on skills and focus on endurance in the water and basic life saving techniques. "Rays" must be able to swim the length of the pool. The "Starfish" are the advanced group and learn how to perform water rescue. This group works on their strokes and underwater swimming.

Youths are also divided into four groups. "Pollywog" and "Guppy" classes are 30 minutes long and "Minnow" and "Fish" are 45 minutes long. The "Pollywog" section is for beginners who learn how to float and paddle stroke. The "Guppy" class learns how to do a front crawl and backstroke. The "Minnow" class builds on these skills and children advance to "Fish" where they will learn to front crawl to 75 yards and side stroke to 25 yards. Children will even learn how to butterfly stroke.

Perhaps you have never learned to swim or you just want to take lessons, too. The Goochland YMCA offers teens and adults their own beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes.

If you are a YMCA member, you will enjoy a half-price membership discount. Lessons that are 30 minutes in length are $37 for members and $74 for everyone else. Classes which are 45 minutes in length are $41 for members and $82 for non-members. It's not too late to sign up for Sessions III, IV, V, VI, and VII. Classes are held throughout the day and Teen/Adult classes are held in the evening so that those who work can participate.

Here's the 2009 swimming lessons schedule:

Session III: Mondays and Wednesdays, June 15 through July 8

Session IV: Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 16 through July 9

Session V: Monday and Wednesdays, July 13 through August 5

Session VI: Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 14 through August 6

Session VII: Tuesdays and Thursdays, August 11 through September 3

Learning to swim is a great summer activity for children of all ages. Our Goochland YMCA offers quality instruction and coaching to help build strength and endurance as well as individual confidence and self-esteem. Contact the Goochland YMCA today at 804-556-9887 or visit the website to learn about all the wonderful summer 2009 programs.