Our Instructors
All of our instructors have their National Lifeguard, and Standard First Aid certifications. At Backyard Aquatics, we also require that all instructors have at least 2 years of experience prior to working with us. Lastly, we ensure that all instructors are trained and ready to teach our program with 100% confidence.
Our Method
The Backyard Aquatics Swim Program is designed with the student's comfort in mind. We believe that when a swimmer has less stress in the water, they will gain the needed confidence that leads to more progress.
Use of equipment plays an important roll in our program - especially in the first 3 levels. By using flotation aids, swimmers can focus their energy on developing proper technique. This targeted approach helps build independence and sets a strong foundation for future skills.
Skill Progression Guide
These are the skills we teach at each level
*Some skills require deep water
This level starts by teaching swimmers how to float and glide independently - A huge step for beginners.
Once swimmers feel more confident in the water, we teach kicking which is a fundamental skill for beginners. The goal for this level is for students to kick on their front and back for 5 metres consecutively.
Skills Taught:
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Front floats
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Front glide
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Kick on front
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Back Floats
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Back Glide
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Kick on back
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Jump in pool, swim back to wall
Swimmers will learn the basics for the two most commonly used strokes: front crawl and back crawl.
Comfort is the #1 aspect to swimming and is why exposure to the deep end is a critical area of focus. At this level, we teach treading water which is an essential life saving skill for swimming in deep water.
Skills Taught:
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Front crawl arms
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Front crawl breathing
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Basic front crawl
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Basic back Crawl
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Treading water (15 seconds)*
Level 3 introduces a whip kick; a complex, but powerful kick. The strokes taught in the previous level will continue to be developed.
Deep end skills continue to be a focus at this level. Swimmers will work towards treading water for a longer period of time, and will learn how to dive for the first time.
Skills Taught:
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Front crawl (with side breathing)
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Back crawl (with continuous arms)
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Intro to whip kick (on back)
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Treading water (45 seconds)*
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Kneeling dive*
At this level, students will learn how to breathe more efficiently with their front crawl. They will also be taught a more effective version of backcrawl.
Coordination will be challenged in this level with the introduction of breaststroke, and eggbeater. Both are effective, but difficult to learn.
Skills Taught:
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Front crawl (with 3 arms)
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Back crawl (with shoulder roll)
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Intro to whip kick (on front)
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Breaststroke
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Treading water (90 seconds)*
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Intro to eggbeater*
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Standing dive*
In level 5, swimmers are well on their way to perfecting their swimming strokes. They will be taught how to do a more powerful pull by bending their arms for their front crawl and back crawl.
This level introduces competitive swimming techniques, including flip turns and one arm butterfly which will seriously test the strength of the swimmer.
Skills Taught:
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Front crawl (with bent arms)
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Back crawl (with bent arms)
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Advanced Breaststroke
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Dolphin Kick
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One arm butterfly
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Flip Turns
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Eggbeater (1 Minute)*
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Jumping Dive*
At this point, front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke will be very well refined. Swimmers in this level will continue to be introduced to more advanced skills seen in competitive swimming such as their exits after diving and perfecting their flip turns.
Everyone knows butterfly is the coolest looking stroke! By the end of this level, swimmers will learn how to entirely do this difficult technique.
Skills Taught:
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Advanced Front crawl (with bent arms)
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Advanced Back crawl (with bent arms)
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Advanced Breaststroke
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Complete Butterfly
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Advanced Flip Turns (with dolphin kick)
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Eggbeater (3 minutes)*
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Advanced Dives (with dolphin kick & exit)*
Unsure which level is the right fit?
Fill out the form below to get $30 off your first 1-hour lesson and a free level assessment