City of Hartford Department of Sports and Recreation
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Discover the joy and confidence of swimming in the refreshing embrace of our stunning pools! Our swimming lessons are designed to cater to all ages and skill levels, ensuring everyone can enjoy the water safely while improving their swimming abilities.

Whether you're looking to learn a new skill, improve your fitness, or simply enjoy the water, our outdoor swimming lessons provide the perfect opportunity to dive in and make a splash.

Our instructors bring years of experience and passion for swimming, creating a supportive environment for learning. Whether you're a beginner taking your first strokes or an advanced swimmer refining your technique, our lessons are structured to meet your individual needs.

Always, Safety First: We prioritize safety with small class sizes, ensuring personalized attention and a focus on water safety practices.

*CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 8 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT/GUARDIAN.

Swimming Pool height requirements
  • All participants must meet the minimum height requirements when visiting a location.
  • Keney Park Pool-36 inches
  • Colt Park Pool-36 inches
  • Pope Park Pool-42 inches
  • Goodwin Park Pool-50 inches
  • Arroyo Center Pool (Indoor)-42 inches
  • Parker Memorial Center Pool (Indoor)-54 inches

Important Things to know!
  • PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
  • Swimming assessments will be held at your local pool to determine your swimmer's ability
  • Please arrive 15 minutes before the class start time.
  • Proper swimming attire required
  • Individual needs: Instructors will adapt lessons to each student's comfort level and progress at their own pace.
  • Positive reinforcement: Encouragement and praise are key to building confidence in the water.
  • Parental involvement: Parents of young children may be asked to participate in the lessons to support their child's learning.

Level 1
  • PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
  • Participants learn basic water skills such as blowing bubbles, floating, and kicking
  • Key aspects:
  • Water acclimation: Getting used to the water by splashing, playing games, and gradually submerging the face.
  • Entry and exit skills: Learning how to safely enter and exit the pool using steps or a ladder.
  • Breath control: Practicing blowing bubbles underwater to get comfortable with exhaling in the water.
  • Submersion: Submerging the face and opening eyes underwater (potentially with assistance).
  • Floating: Exploring basic front and back floats with support, learning to maintain a relaxed body position.
  • Gliding: Pushing off the wall and gliding on the front and back for short distances.
  • Basic kicking motions: Practicing simple leg kicks while holding onto the pool wall.
  • Body positioning: Learning to streamline the body by keeping the body straight and flat in the water.
  • Safety awareness: Understanding pool rules and how to call for help if needed.
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Introduction to Water Skills 
4y - 17y N/A MThSa  03/24/2025 - 05/03/2025
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PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.

Level 2
  • PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
  • Participants build on their basic skills and learn basic strokes such as the front crawl and backstroke
  • Key skills include:
  • Floating: Front float, back float, and potentially learning to recover to a vertical position from a back float.
  • Gliding: Front and back glides with some distance covered.
  • Kicking: Basic flutter kick on front and back, with and without support
  • Arm actions: Simple arm movements to propel themselves forward in the water, possibly starting with "windmilling" motions
  • Body positioning: Practicing a streamlined body position while swimming
  • Rolling: Rolling from front to back and back to front in the water
  • Water entry and exit: Entering the pool by stepping or jumping in, and exiting safely
  • Basic stroke introduction: May start to introduce the basic mechanics of the front crawl or backstroke with assistance
  • Safety skills: Learning how to call for help, recognizing potential hazards, and basic rescue techniques
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Fundamental Aquatic Skills 
4y - 17y N/A MThSa  03/24/2025 - 05/03/2025
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PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.

Level 3
  • PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
  • Participants refine their crawl and back strokes and start to learn new strokes such as the breaststroke and butterfly
  • Key aspects:
  • Basic Strokes: Front crawl with rotary breathing, Elementary backstroke, May introduce the breaststroke kick
  • Kicking Techniques: Flutter kick on front and back, Potential introduction to scissor kick
  • Water Entry and Exit: Jumping into deep water from the side, recovering to the surface, Entering the pool headfirst from a kneeling position
  • Body Positioning: Streamlined entry and push off, Maintaining a proper body position while swimming
  • Breathing Techniques: Rotary breathing on the front crawl
  • Water Safety: Treading water, Floating on front and back, Changing direction and turning in the water
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Stroke Development 
4y - 17y N/A TuW  03/25/2025 - 04/30/2025
05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

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PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.

Level 4
  • PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
  • Participants continue to refine their four strokes and learn advanced techniques such as flip turns and diving
  • Key aspects:
  • Stroke Refinement: Mastering rotary breathing in freestyleImproving hand entry and body position in all strokes, practicing proper leg mechanics
  • Advanced Water Entry Skills: Headfirst entry from the side in both compact and stride positions,feet-first surface dives
  • Underwater Swimming: Swimming underwater for a set distance without hyperventilating
  • Turn Techniques: Practicing open turns in all strokes Endurance Building: Swimming longer distances with consistent stroke technique
  • Potential Additional Skills:Treading water with different kick variations, side stroke kick, Basic butterfly stroke introduction
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Stroke Improvement 
4y - 17y N/A Tu  03/25/2025 - 04/29/2025
05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

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PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.

Level 5
  • PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
  • At this level, swimmers refine their strokes even further and learn techniques such as open turns and sidestrokes
  • Key points:
  • Focus on technique: The primary goal is to refine the mechanics of each stroke, paying close attention to body position, arm movements, leg kick, and breathing patterns.
  • Advanced skills: Swimmers will likely learn more complex maneuvers like flip turns on front and back, deeper dives, and potentially sculling techniques.
  • Increased distance: Compared to previous levels, swimmers will be expected to swim longer distances in each stroke.
  • Prerequisites: To enter Level 5, swimmers should already be comfortable with all basic strokes and be able to swim short distances with reasonable proficiency.
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Stroke Refinement 
4y - 17y N/A 03/26/2025 - 04/30/2025
05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

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PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE SESSION PER REGISTRANT. MULTIPLE REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AND CANCELED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM.

* Adjustments and discounts will be applied during checkout if applicable. *

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