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Swim Lessons
The City of Wheat Ridge is a Starfish Aquatics Institute Training Center and all our instructors receive training and certifications from the Starfish Aquatics Institute. Starfish Aquatics is recognized nationally and globally. Starfish Aquatics also collaborates with the USA Swimming Foundation.
We offer group swim lessons for ages 6 months to 14 years old.
We also offer private swim lessons for ages 3 - 6+. Interested in private swimming lessons? Register here.
Each child has different swim experiences, backgrounds, and learning rates that may influence the rate each child acquires skills. Starfish Aquatics allows for instructors to modify lessons and teach skills from multiple levels. However, if there may be a safety risk due to depth or skills changes, we may ask to move you to a different level. As your child works through the levels you may also find that some levels need to be repeated a few times for that extra practice.
A parent or trusted adult, along with the instructor, will help your child establish comfort in the water by teaching water adjustment and safety through fun games and songs. At least one adult must accompany your child in the water. Children must wear a swim diaper or tight-fitting swim pants under their bathing suit. Please note, this class is not intended to teach your child how to swim or survive in the water independently.
For the toddler who has completed the Starbabies class and the preschooler who is apprehensive about being in the water alone. This class focuses on helping young swimmers establish independence in the water while beginning to build a basic foundation for swimming and water safety. This class is not intended to teach your child how to swim or survive in the water independently. At least one adult must accompany each child in water. Children under three must wear a swim diaper or tight-fitting swim pants under their bathing suit.
Swim School White
For the preschool swimmer who is comfortable with exploring the surface of the water independently, but is not yet comfortable with submerging under the water. This course will begin to develop a high comfort level in the water and a readiness to swim independently.
Swim School Red
For the preschool swimmer who has prior experience in the water and can fully submerge. Swimmers will continue to develop comfort in the water and readiness for swim strokes. Swimmers will learn to enter the water independently and establish body positions for making forward swimming momentum.
Swim School Yellow and Blue
For the preschool swimmer who has had prior experience in the water, can fully submerge, and float independently. Swimmers will learn how to propel forward in the water and begin to develop functional swim strokes.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Swim School Red and/or demonstrate the required skill level.
Swim School Green
For the preschool swimmer who is able to fully submerge, float, and able to make forward moment in the water independently. Swimmers will continue to develop swim strokes and develop coordination between stoke and breathing patterns.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Swim school Yellow and Blue and/or demonstrate the required skill level.
Swim School White, Red and Yellow
For young swimmers who have little experience in the water. Swimmers will develop comfort in and around the water while learning the basics of propelling through the water. Swimmers will also start to develop proper body position for stroke development.
Swim School Blue and Green
Swimmers will continue to build on the skills learned in previous classes, continuing to learn how to propel through the water and begin to coordinate stoke and breathing patterns.
Prerequisite: Completion of Swim School White, Red, & Yellow
Stroke School White and Red
Swimmers will continue to develop skills learned in previous classes by starting to refine a consistent freestyle form. Swimmers will also begin to work on developing backstroke.
Prerequisite: Completion of Swim School Blue and Green demonstrate required skills.
Stroke School Yellow and Blue
Swimmer will implement the skills they learned in previous levels to increase swimming ability. Swimmers will work to develop a consistent butterfly and breaststroke.
Prerequisite: Completion of Stroke School White and Red or demonstrate required skills.
Stroke School Green
Swimmers will continue to refine their performance of all the strokes (front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, and breaststroke,) while learning to increase endurance and swim longer distances. They will also practice flip turns on the front and back, diving, and competitive swimming.
Prerequisite: Completion of Stroke School Yellow and Blue and/or demonstrate required level skills
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Jacob Rightenburg
Aquatics Coordinator (Swim Lessons)
Program Information & Policies
- Swimming can take a lot of energy and we suggest eating before lessons, but leaving about 30 minutes for food to settle before the lesson starts to avoid any upset stomachs.
- All swimmers should use the bathroom prior to the start of the lesson to avoid any accidents. Children under 3 and any swimmers not potty trained must were Swim Diapers or tight-fitting Plastic Pants.
- Clothes and diapers should be changed in locker-room or restroom facilitates. Family locker rooms and Single user on deck restrooms are available for families to utilize in addition to gendered locker rooms.
- Parents are to remain in the pool area in case we need to clear the pool or participants need to use the bathroom.
- Dive goggles, other goggles that cover the nose, and nose pieces are not permitted during lessons as they prevent participants for learning and practicing blowing air through the nose to prevent water from going into there. We recommend reducing use of goggles for early levels so participants can fully get used to the water.
- There is no open swim during or between swim lesson.
Missed classes:
- We do not offer refunds or make-ups for missed lessons. However, if you or another member of the household is ill with COVID like symptoms, test positive for COVID, or has been potentially exposed to COVID we ask that you do not attend swim lessons until the quarantine period expires.
- If the pool closes unexpectedly, we will contact everyone with the information provided when you signed up, first via email, and then via phone. You can check with the front desk to make sure this information is up to date. We will credit your account for the missed lesson(s)
- If the pool closes last minute or mid lesson, we will switch to an on-land safety day or move lessons to a different pool if possible.
If you have any questions about swim lessons, contact Jacob Rightenburg at jrightenburg@ci.wheatridge.co.us