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Classes & Schedule

Littles

age 2 to 35 months
30 Min Class Class Ratio: 12:1 Class Ratio: 6:1 Class Ratio: 4:1 Adult Participation: Yes

Our “Littles” classes are 30 minutes long and structured as “parent and me”, with full or partial parent participation in the swimming pool, depending on the level. We offer swim classes for babies as young as 2 months old. Babies who are 2-5 months old can enroll in our “Bathtime Babies” class, where both parent and child enjoy one-on-one, uninterrupted time, and will learn water safety skills that help them be safe and comfortable during bathtime. Babies and toddlers who are 6 months+ progress into Level 1, where they will begin to build life skills using our unique “Jump, Turn, Swim” methodology which teaches children to turn around in the water and swim back to the edge to safety. Level 1 swimmers also learn how to go underwater for a full 10 seconds, which is the beginning of water safety. In Level 2, children begin to learn the basics of swimming and will end the level knowing how to kick 5 feet through the water to a destination and how to float on their backs.

Tots

age 3 years
30 Min Class Class Ratio: 4:1 Adult Participation: No

Children who are age 3 will enroll in one of our Tot-level swim classes. All 3 year-olds, even those without any prior swimming experience, will start in level 3, and then progress into levels 4 & 5. Parents don’t participate in the water during our tot-level swim classes. All Tot classes have a small class size and a 4:1 ratio. In our Tot levels classes, your child will learn how to kick up to 12 ft through the water, how to hold their breath underwater, and they will advance their “Jump, Turn, Swim” safety skills. You will be amazed at just how much your child will learn during a 30-minute class using our play-based approach that utilizes fun inflatable rings, toys, and fins.

Kids

age 4 + years
30 Min Class Class Ratio: 4:1 Adult Participation: No

Any child who is age 4+ and does not have prior swimming experience will start in level 6, where they will learn basic water safety skills and will quickly advance to learning how to hold their breath underwater, kick 15ft through the water unassisted, and how to float on their back. In levels 7-9, children will learn how to swim with freestyle arms and get side breaths while swimming. All Kids classes have a small class size and a 4:1 ratio, and are 30-minutes long.

Advanced

age 6 + years
1 Hour Class 30 Min Class Class Ratio 10:1 Class Ratio 4:1 Adult Participation: No

Our Advanced classes are for children ages 6+ who want to master the 4 strokes – freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. In Levels 10 and 11, children will learn how to swim competitively, before graduating to our STEALTH swim team. As part of STEALTH swim team, your child will learn how to build their swimming speed, increase endurance, improve technique, and they will regularly compete in swim meets.

Additional Swimming Programs

There are even more ways to enjoy Emler Swim School! We offer additional programs outside of our regular lessons so the fun doesn’t have to stop.

Swim Camps

In the summer, we offer swim camps weekly for children to learn the basics of swimming in a fast-tracked daily program.

View Swim Camps
Private Lessons

We offer private lessons for children who benefit more from a one-on-one environment and/or to help master specific skills.

View Private Lessons
Swim Parties

Emler Swim School offers an amazing weatherproof venue where you can host pool parties year-round!

View Swim Parties

Meet Our Team

Denton Parsons | General Manager

Email Denton Parsons
What is the best part about working for Emler every day?

My favorite part of working at Emler is getting to know the families and getting to see kids grow in their confidence and abilities. Some of the kids I’ve known for years, and to see how they’ve grown up and how good at swimming they’ve become is so rewarding. Knowing that I got to be a small part of their lives and help them stay safe is my favorite aspect of my job.

What do you believe makes you a great general manager?

One of my favorite skills is creative problem solving, so figuring out how to best help customers and staff is very fun for me! I want my staff to grow, succeed, and enjoy their jobs so I put a lot of effort into training and developing them. When my staff are happy and well trained, they are better at teaching classes, and when they are better at teaching classes, the kids are safer and happier! I want all my staff to be the best trained they can be, and I want to help them succeed both in and out of work.

Share a childhood memory about your experience with swim lessons.

My parents had me in swim lessons throughout my childhood, and I remember them being challenging but fun. Swimming was always one of my favorite summer activities, but growing up in Chicago the swim season was short. As long as it was above 80 degrees I was in the water!

What favorite memory do you have from working at Emler?

My favorite memory is when I taught two siblings, Levi and Abby. They started classes not really knowing how to swim, but in just a couple of weeks they were having fun and swimming independently! They are a family I have become close with, and I still get to see them every week.

Share a childhood memory when you were brave and overcame fear.

At the end of the swim lessons I took as a child, one of the final tests was jumping off of a diving board and diving head-first into the pool. This was something that really made me nervous, and I didn’t want to do it at first. My mom helped me overcome that fear through encouragement and showing me how she did it. Eventually, I was able to dive to complete my swim lessons. Now, diving is something I very much enjoy and that lesson of overcoming my fears is something I get to use every day.