Our Program – Jeff Kelly inc.

New students should continue reading below before reviewing policies and enrolling.

Behavior expectations, makeup class policy and more can be found here.

Returning students can go directly to the enrollment page.

Curriculum Overview

We offer swim instruction for ages two to adult.

Personalized Swim Instruction^© is a curriculum designed for ages four* to adult and offers a spectrum of aquatic education from survival to swim team preparation. One of the most unique aspects of our curriculum is that even while teaching our young students the basic techniques needed for survival, we are integrating the correct techniques for competitive swimming.

Our curriculum objectives are: 1) Equip students with the skills to survive in a water-related emergency; and 2) Develop and refine practical safety and swimming skills, which will provide students with the self-confidence needed to safely enjoy the aquatic environment.

*Ages 2 to 3:

Our standard group class environment is very structured and therefore best suited for children age four and above. However, we can make an exception for three-year-olds who: 1) are within 6 months of their 4th birthday at the time of the session; 2) are prepared for our class environment and well suited for our behavior expectations; 3) have experience in a structured group setting such as preschool or have participated in other group classes. Please contact us to discuss your child’s readiness.

If your child is not old enough and/or ready for our standard group classes, we offer one-on-one and exclusive group classes. In an exclusive group class, you can determine the number of students from your family and/or friends. For your scheduling convenience, this exclusive group could also include older siblings. For some of these arrangements, we may require one or more parents to be poolside or in the pool with the student(s). Please contact us to discuss these options in more detail and create a personalized experience for your child(ren).

Curriculum Details

Our Personalized Swim Instruction© curriculum contains six “Ability Levels”, each referred to as an “Ability”. Each Ability is defined by specific criteria and a specific focus, and contains five “Levels”, A-E. Each of these levels represents a progressive performance and\or integration of “Thematic Movements.” Thematic Movements are a series of individual criteria that, together, make one theme. There are four foundational Thematic Movements to swimming: “Buoyancy Control”, “Breathing Control”, “Kicking” and “Pulling”. As an example, the Thematic Movement of “Kicking” is comprised of numerous, individual muscle movements from the hips to the toes.

The curriculum for our Abilities 1, 2 and 3 focuses on Water Safety and the correct competitive swimming techniques for Freestyle, sometimes called the crawl stroke. The curriculum for our Abilities 4, 5 and 6 is specific to the competitive swimming strokes of Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly. However, we had offered classes for these strokes only at our indoor facility during the Spring. As detailed in a section below, we will not be offering classes at the indoor facility in 2018. Therefore, we are only offering Ability Level 1-3 classes this season.

We teach Freestyle first because it is the most efficient method of swimming. This is not only the observation of today’s experts. An “over arm” method of swimming was observed as early as 2000 B.C. on artwork in an Egyptian tomb. In 1902, an Australian set a world record for 100 yards with this “over arm” method combined with an “up and down kick” used by natives in the Solomon Islands. This combination of leg and arm movements became known as the “Australian Crawl.” Athletes and coaches made huge improvements to this methodology which became known simply as the “crawl.” In addition to competing in individual strokes, early Olympic events included the “Freestyle”, in which the competitors were allowed to swim the stroke of their preference. This “crawl” stroke proved to be the fastest. Consequently, all competitors chose the crawl stroke for the “Freestyle” event and thus it became known simply as the “Freestyle” stroke. Because this is the most efficient method of swimming and our goal is to teach safe swimming as a safety skill and a life skill, we have chosen to focus significant time in establishing it as the foundation for a total swimming program.

Each numerically designated “Ability” described below indicates a student’s level of autonomy. For example, the fact that a student has achieved “Ability” 3 does not necessarily indicate that the student is demonstrating proficient technique. It simply indicates that the student, regardless of technique, can autonomously “move through the water” for a specified distance. A student’s Freestyle “Ability Level” is determined by assessing a student’s autonomy and proficiency. While “Ability” (numerals) indicates a student’s degree of autonomy (measured in distance), “Level” (letters) indicates a student’s degree of proficiency (technique while traversing the distance, measured by detailed analysis provided to each student of the final day of each session):

Ability: Degree of Autonomy (Measured in Distance)

Ability 1

Ability 2

Ability 3

Ability 1

Criteria: The student is cautious or has a fear of the water. The student will not move through the water to the instructor without “Buoyancy Support” from the instructor. Buoyancy Support means that the instructor holds the student’s abdomen, providing buoyancy assistance, as the student attempts to perform \ assimilate multiple Thematic Movements. Thus, the student’s ability of autonomy, as measured in distance, is 0 feet.

Focus: The focus of Ability 1 is to instruct students in basic safety; and in the proper motor skill coordination for swimming Freestyle and floating on the back. For Ability 1 students, all activities are done with total Buoyancy Support from the instructor.

The students are introduced to Freestyle: Buoyancy Control, Breathing Control, Kicking (leg movements) and Pulling (arm movements). Throughout each session of lessons, the students learn to assimilate these Thematic Movements together to perform the Freestyle stroke with Buoyancy Support from the instructor. Each student also learns and recites safety rules.

The goal is to enable students to perform these skills with minimal Buoyancy Support and eventually without the Buoyancy Support of the instructor.

Ability 2

Criteria: The student can move through the water at least 10 feet without Buoyancy Support from the instructor.

Focus: In addition to the skills listed for Ability 1, the students perform “Gliding” without Buoyancy Support. This Frontglide (Buoyancy Control + Breathing Control) eventually develops into an attempt at Freestyle as students assimilate Kicking (leg movements) and Pulling (arm movements). The end goal for Ability 2 is that the students swim Freestyle for 25 feet (8+ yards) with good technique. Good technique is defined by specific criteria on the Student Ability Report, which each student receives on the final day of class for each session.

Students are introduced to very practical safety skills. These include Backfloat (floating on the back without Buoyancy Support from the instructor) and our Self-Rescue Plan for Short Distance. This self-rescue plan has two phases. Students jump into deep water, in which they fully submerge. They learn to take a quick breath and exhale from their nose as they enter the water. They learn to pull themselves back up to the surface and take a quick breath. In the first phase, students attempt to arch into an autonomous Backfloat. While attempting to Backfloat, they call for help. In the second phase, students search for the wall, take a breath and swim Freestyle back to the wall. Many parents have told us that these skills have made a critical difference when their child(ren) have ventured too far from the edge of the pool. The students are also introduced to practical and basic Peer Rescue Skills.

Ability 3

Criteria: The student can move through the water at least 30 feet without Buoyancy Support from the instructor.

Focus: The focus for Ability 3 is that the students refine Freestyle for the purpose of aquatic enjoyment. The end goal for Ability 3 is that the students swim Freestyle for 75 feet (25 yards) with excellent technique. Excellent technique is defined by specific criteria on the Student Ability Report, which each student receives on the final day of class for each session. To accomplish this, students learn to extend the shoulder and back, thereby causing a “body roll” that permits lateral breathing and enables them to swim longer distances.

We continue to emphasize safety via our Self-Rescue Plan for Long Distance, in which the students learn how to transition between Freestyle and Backfloat. The students learn to roll over from Freestyle to a Backfloat. While backfloating, they learn to stay calm and control their breathing rate. When they have had sufficient rest, they roll back over and continue swimming. Successful implementation of this safety plan allows the students to swim longer distances by resting in a Backfloat as necessary. Many parents have told us that this safety plan has given their child(ren) the self confidence needed to feel comfortable in the water and enjoy going to the pool or swimming in supervised open-water settings.

Level: Degree of Proficiency (Technique while Traversing the Distance)

Performance of Individual Thematic Movements: “Buoyancy Control,” “Breathing Control,” “Kicking” and “Pulling” are the four Thematic Movements that comprise the essential components of every stroke. A “Level A” student is working toward performing, or may successfully perform, individual Thematic Movements in isolation but cannot yet successfully assimilate multiple Thematic Movements.

Simultaneous Assimilation of Two Thematic Movements: Before the student can assimilate all of the Thematic Movements itemized in Level A above, he/she must first begin simultaneously assimilating different combinations of two Thematic Movements. A “Level B” student is 80% successful in performing all individual Thematic Movements in isolation (thus has graduated from Level A) but cannot yet successfully assimilate the various combinations of two Thematic Movements. Thus, they are working on Level B criteria.

Simultaneous Assimilation of Three Thematic Movements. A “Level C” student is 80% successful in assimilating two Thematic Movements (thus has graduated from Level B) but cannot yet successfully assimilate the various combinations of three Thematic Movements. Thus, they are working on Level C criteria.

Simultaneous Assimilation of Four Thematic Movements:At this level, the student is now assimilating all of the information learned into one focus – Swimming! A “Level D” student is 80% successful in assimilating three Thematic Movements (thus has graduated from Level C) but cannot yet successfully assimilate the four Thematic Movements with a demonstration of excellent technique. Thus, they are working on Level D criteria.

Student demonstrates 90% proficiency of a given stroke (Freestyle as related to this specific table). A “Level E” student is 90% successful in assimilating the four Thematic Movements and thus has graduated from Level D.

A student with an Ability Level of 1D has demonstrated the ability to assimilate all four Thematic Movements for Freestyle (proficiency Level D), but is not yet able\willing to do so without Buoyancy Support from the instructor (autonomy Ability 1). In other words, even though the student cannot yet swim autonomously, he/she is basically doing a “stationary” Freestyle stroke. This is an excellent foundation and when the student develops the courage and confidence to push away from the edge of the pool autonomously, he\she will have the “muscle memory” necessary to swim with a good level of proficiency! Conversely, a student with an Ability Level of 3A has demonstrated an ability\willingness to “swim” (move through the water) at least 30 feet autonomously (autonomy Ability 3) but has not yet demonstrated the successful assimilation of multiple thematic movements while traversing 75 feet (proficiency Level A). In other words, he\she can “cover the distance” but has yet to do so using a proficient Freestyle stroke.

Instructional Methodologies

Our teaching methodologies engage visual, auditory and kinetic learning styles. Our use of repetition\review is critical for the students to achieve retention and establish the kinesthetic muscle memory necessary for them to gain comfort\confidence\proficiency as swimmers. As is true with any athletic endeavor, once the body’s muscles understand the movements necessary for successful performance, such performance becomes the body’s natural response to the applicable conditions (such as in one’s learning to ride a bicycle). From that point forward, the student goes from “learning” to “skill refinement” as the body becomes increasingly adept through increased strength and enhanced coordination. Remember, water is not our native element. Very few individuals “feel at home” and immediately comfortable in an aquatic environment.

Swimming may not come easily, even to those who excel in land-based athletics.

Swimming may not come easily, even to those who excel in land-based athletics.

Our instructors are trained to follow a very specific daily routine for each day of each session. This routine is designed to reinforce, through repetition, the very specific physical criteria that must be performed successfully within each Thematic Movement. Without repeated practice, we can’t expect our students to improve as swimmers. For students returning to our program for multiple sessions, this may seem unnecessarily repetitive. Please understand: our goal is that every student of our program learns to swim as efficiently as possible. We establish such rigorous expectations because we know that efficient swimming saves lives, and it provides the foundation for enjoyable recreational swimming and successful competition swimming. That is why we insist on systematic assimilation of Thematic Movements until a student is able to comfortably and confidently swim for extended distances. This method of systematic and incremental assimilation of skills is practiced in nearly every academic\athletic discipline. Just as we can’t expect a kindergarten student to successfully complete a doctoral thesis while he is still learning his ABCs; or a six-year-old to qualify for Olympic competition in a sport to which she’s only just been introduced; it would be unfair to expect a student to achieve a mastery of efficient swimming technique during a single session of eight 35-minute classes. Repeated skills practice is a method of mastery that is tried and true.

As a provider of aquatic education, we are continually faced with the challenge of balancing what is best for the education of our students with what is most practical in terms of offering realistic “sessions” for our customers. We realize that Day 1 of a new session may not be Day 1 of your child’s progression through our curriculum. It may, however, be Day 1 for one or more of your child’s classmates. This is impossible for us to prevent because we continue to be blessed with enrollment from returning as well as new customers. As a result, our curriculum is designed to challenge each student according to the student’s age and ability, even within a class of various ages and abilities. We teach all of the fundamentals of swimming in each student’s first session, and therefore each subsequent session is a repeat of the routine \ progression through the skills with an “increase” in the expectation for the student. Liken it to the study of mathematics: an 11^th grader taking honors pre-calculus must still utilize her knowledge of numerals and the basic functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; though she is expected to use them in increasingly challenging ways as her study of mathematics continues. If your child happens to express a sentiment similar to “I know this stuff already” or “We are doing the same thing… I’m bored…,” please encourage him\her to show us the best skills they can during class. Then we’ll know they’re ready for those increased expectations and even greater challenges as they become better swimmers!

Again, the instructor will “increase” the expectations with regard to autonomy (distance) and proficiency (technique while traversing the distance). To accomplish this, however, the instructor must still work with your child on each of the individual Thematic Movements in isolation to ensure that he/she is executing the movements with precision as he/she assimilates those Thematic Movements together to perform the Freestyle stroke.

As previously mentioned, our instructors follow a very specific routine for each session of lessons. Our standard session consists of six 35-minute classes (lessons). The instructors follow a detailed “Daily Guide” specific to various combinations of age and ability.

Within each day’s planned routine, the instructor will implement the following sequence of teaching methodology:

1. Explanation: The teaching of each Thematic Movement or combination of Thematic Movements begins with an introduction\explanation.

2. Demonstration: That introduction is followed by the instructor’s demonstration of the skill.

3. Group Practice: The instructor’s demonstration of the skill is followed by an explanation and demonstration of what we expect the students to practice while they await their turn to work individually with the instructor. We refer to this as the group activity.

4. Individual Assistance: As students begin independently working on the group activity at the steps, the instructor will provide hands-on, one-on-one individual assistance to each student in turn. This allows the instructor to provide each student with assistance to appropriately challenge them according to their age and ability level; even in a class with students of various ages and ability levels.

5. Critique & Correct: During and following the instructor’s hands-on, one-on-one time with each student, the instructor will provide that student with immediate feedback before moving on to the next student or to the next skill.

Teen\Adult Classes

These classes are available for students age 13 and older. The information detailed in the previous section is applicable here. We follow the same curriculum when teaching teens and adults. Our curriculum is uniquely designed to provide superior-quality swim instruction to every student, regardless of age. Our instructors are trained to personalize our methodical curriculum to the individual needs of each student. The major difference between our classes for children and our classes for teens and adults is that the instructors will communicate with you as adults. However, the basic process of learning to swim is the same for every human being.

2024 Session Schedule

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Spring Sessions	For each "session", you may choose Mon & Wed or Tues & Thurs for 3 weeks	Class Times - All PM
Session 2	Mondays & Wednesdays April 8 - April 24	4:15 to 4:50; 4:50 to 5:25; 5:25 to 6:00; 6:20 to 6:55; 6:55 to 7:30; 7:30 to 8:05. **8:15 to 8:50 or 9:25 - see below
Session 2	Tuesdays & Thursdays April 9 - April 25	4:15 to 4:50; 4:50 to 5:25; 5:25 to 6:00; 6:20 to 6:55; 6:55 to 7:30; 7:30 to 8:05. **8:15 to 8:50 or 9:25 - see below
Session 3	Mondays & Wednesdays May 6 - May 22	4:15 to 4:50; 4:50 to 5:25; 5:25 to 6:00; 6:20 to 6:55; 6:55 to 7:30; 7:30 to 8:05. **8:15 to 8:50 or 9:25 - see below
Session 3	Tuesdays & Thursdays May 7 - May 23	4:15 to 4:50; 4:50 to 5:25; 5:25 to 6:00; 6:20 to 6:55; 6:55 to 7:30; 7:30 to 8:05. **8:15 to 8:50 or 9:25 - see below

Summer Sessions	Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 Weeks	Class Times - All PM
Session 4	June 3 - June 13	4:00 to 4:35; 4:35 to 5:10; 5:10 to 5:45; 6:05 to 6:40; 6:40 to 7:15; 7:15 to 7:50. **8:10 to 8:45 or 9:20 - see below
Session 5	June 17 - June 27	4:00 to 4:35; 4:35 to 5:10; 5:10 to 5:45; 6:05 to 6:40; 6:40 to 7:15; 7:15 to 7:50. **8:10 to 8:45 or 9:20 - see below
Session 6	July 8 - July 18	4:00 to 4:35; 4:35 to 5:10; 5:10 to 5:45; 6:05 to 6:40; 6:40 to 7:15; 7:15 to 7:50. **8:10 to 8:45 or 9:20 - see below
Session 7	July 22 - August 1	4:00 to 4:35; 4:35 to 5:10; 5:10 to 5:45; 6:05 to 6:40; 6:40 to 7:15; 7:15 to 7:50. **8:10 to 8:45 or 9:20 - see below
End of Summer Session	Tues & Thurs for 3 weeks	Class Times - All PM
Session 8	Tuesdays & Thursdays August 6 - August 22	4:15 to 4:50; 4:50 to 5:25; 5:25 to 6:00; 6:20 to 6:55; 6:55 to 7:30; 7:30 to 8:05. **8:15 to 8:50 or 9:25 - see below

**Classes beginning after 8:00 pm can be scheduled individually or in partial session increments, with the option for 35-minute or 70-minute lessons. Contact us to discuss pricing and availability.

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