Water Safety & Swim
Proficiency Level System

We are excited to announce the implementation of our NEW Water Safety and Level System! Now, your child will benefit from yet another unique feature when he/she learns to swim with the award-winning swim school--The Swim Lessons Company! The all-new bracelet awards system is an immediate, fun way to recognize your child’s progress. Also, and more importantly, it is another means of educating students and parents on water safety.

HOW IT WORKS

Every time you enroll your child in a new level, your child’s teacher will present him/her with a new, colorful waterproof bracelet, of the type used in the popular Lance Armstrong “LIVESTRONG” campaign. Each bracelet is color coded, and each skill in which your child will learn is abbreviated and printed on the bracelet next on a star. When your child masters the new skill, your child’s teacher has a special “star puncher” and will punch out the star next to the new skill your child learned. When all the stars are punched out, your child’s teacher will present your child with a new color bracelet, thus advancing and graduating your child to the next level. And not only do the bracelets serve as reward, they also serve as an indicator of the child’s skill level, similar to the karate belt system.

WATER SAFETY is the other key dimension to our new assessment program, as it will communicate to parents and teachers — as well as to lifeguards — the skill level of your child through its color-coded system. The bracelets are color coded as follows:

1. RED stands for DANGER: The Swim 100 level bracelet is red. Red bracelets represent danger, and communicate to parents, lifeguards and teachers that the child is always in DANGER when in or around the water. We strongly recommend that “touch supervision” be employed at all times when your child is in or around the water. A U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD should be used anytime touch supervision is not possible.

2. YELLOW stands for CAUTION: The Swim 200 bracelet is yellow. Yellow represents caution, and communicates to parents, lifeguards and teachers that extreme caution should be employed when the child is in or around the water. We strongly recommend that “close and constant supervision” always be employed when your child is in or around the water. A U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD should be used anytime “close and constant” supervision is not possible.

3. GREEN stands for GO: The Swim 300 bracelet is green. Green represents go, and communicates to parents, lifeguards and teachers that while the child is now a good swimmer, constant supervision should nevertheless always be employed when your child is in or around the water. While a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD is not required if the child is under constant supervision around a swimming pool, it is still STRONGLY RECOMMENDED when the child is on a boat or around a body of water such as a lake or river.

4. BLUE stands for STRONG: Our graduation bracelet is blue. Blue communicates to parents, lifeguards and teachers that the child is a strong swimmer and is at peace in the water. Still, constant adult supervision is always recommended for children under the age of 16. If a lifeguard is not present, a buddy system should be used for those ages 16 and older that receive blue bracelets.

HOW MANY BRACELETS ARE THERE?

There is one bracelet per course/level, with six stars and abbreviated skills represented on each bracelet. In addition to the three course/level bracelets, there is a graduation bracelet and a “My Teacher’s Proud of Me” bracelet, so there are five different bracelets in all.

WHEN SHOULD THE BRACELET BE WORN?

Students should wear the level-appropriate bracelet during every class. In other words, all Swim 100 level students should be wearing the red bracelet, the Swim 200 level swimmers should wear the yellow bracelet, and Swim 300 level should wear the green bracelet. This provides the instructor with instant information about the student’s skills, and the instructor can reward the student when he/she masters a new skill.

Even better, instruct your child to wear the bracelets to and from the pool. Your child will be very proud when you share his or her accomplishments with your friends and relatives, explaining what your child did to earn the bracelet! Make sure to focus on what your child has done well, and avoid pressuring your child about what he or she hasn’t yet mastered. You want this reward system to be just that: Rewarding! It should not be stressful!

Please understand that the lesson plan is not altered because a certain skill is mastered.  One reason for this is “skill transfer,” whereby skills are transferred from one type of lesson to the next.

Another reason is “confidence transfer,” whereby the confidence that you gain from being successful at one task enables you to master something new. Working only on the skills that child hasn’t mastered could lead to soaring attrition rates.  Even skills that have been acquired continue to be practiced.
Finally, every skill — even those that are acknowledged through awards —can still be improved. Michael Phelps, possibly the best swimmer of all time, still practices his freestyle kick with a kickboard every day!

WHAT IF MY CHILD LOSES A BRACELET?

The initial bracelet awarded for each skill is free. However, if your child loses a bracelet, there will be a $1.00 charge for a replacement.

WHAT ARE THE SKILLS REQUIRED FOR EACH BRACELET?

Swim 100 (formerly Level 1) – RED BRACELET

There are six (6) skill abbreviations and stars in Swim 100*, with a yellow bracelet awarded upon graduation for mastering the sixth and final skill: “Swim like a Fish,” with either a “pop-up” breath or “roll-over” breath. Because it is normal for children to improve skills but not always master a new skill within any given session, a white “My teacher’s proud of me” bracelet can be awarded if the effort is good even though a new skill may not be mastered.

Swim 101:  Front Kicker (FK)- Performs the front kick with noodle or kickboard for 15 feet

Swim 101:  Back Kicker (BK)- Performs the back kick with noodle for 15 feet

Swim 101:  Breath Control (BC) - Performs 3 comfortable submersions

Swim 101: In-line Kick (IK)- Performs the in-line kick with barbell, face in the water for 3 seconds

Swim 101:  Paddler Stroke (PS) - Performs the paddle stroke for 15 feet

Swim 101:  Swim Like a Fish (SLF)- Performs “Swim Like a Fish” using a “pop-up” or “roll-over” breath for 15 feet

 ***May use the swim trainer on all skills EXCEPT “Swim like a Fish”

Swim Strokes 200 (formerly Level 2) – YELLOW BRACELET

There are six (6) skill abbreviations and stars in Swim 200*, with a green bracelet awarded upon graduation for mastering the sixth and final skill: “Freestyle with Side Breathing.” Because it is normal for children to improve skills but not always master a new skill within any given session, a white “My teacher’s proud of me” bracelet can be awarded if the effort is good even though a new skill may not be mastered.

There are six (6) yellow bracelets in Swim 201:

Swim 201:  Refined In-line Kick (RIK)- Performs the in-line kick without buoyancy equipment

Swim 201:  Refined Back Kick (RBK) - Performs the back kick without buoyancy equipment

Swim 201:  Refined Breath Control (RBC) - Performs 10 consecutive rhythmic bobs

Swim 201:  Backstroke (BS) - Performs the backstroke for 25 feet

Swim 201:  Freestyle (FS)- Performs the freestyle for 25 feet (no side breathing required).

Swim 301:  Side Breathing (SB) - Performs the freestyle with side breathing for 25 feet.

Swim 300 (formerly Level 3) – GREEN BRACELET

There are six (6) green bracelets in Swim 300, with a blue bracelet awarded upon graduation for mastering the sixth and final skill: “40 yard IM.” Because it is normal for children to improve skills but not always master a new skill within any given session, a white “My teacher’s proud of me” bracelet will be awarded when a new skill is not mastered.

Swim 301: Refined Side Breathing in Freestyle (RSB) - Performs freestyle with side breathing for 30 feet.

Swim 301: Refined Back Stroke (RBS) - Performs backstroke for 30 feet.
Swim 301: Butterfly Kick (BUK) - Performs the butterfly kick for 30 feet.

Swim 301: Breaststroke Kick (BK) - Performs the breaststroke kick for 30 feet

Swim 301: Butterfly (BUS) - Performs the butterfly stroke for 30 feet.

Swim 301: Breaststroke (BRS) - Performs the breaststroke for 30 feet

I.M. Swimmer: Graduation (blue) - Performs 40 yard Individual Medley (I.M.). 10 yards of each stroke: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle.