Marlins 2025-2026 Swim Lessons - Winter 2026 Lessons Session

Welcome to the 2025-2026 Season of Swim lessons!

Our Winter session of swim lessons online registration opens Thursday December 4th at 7am, link: Registration link

Winter lessons session runs for the following dates:

  • Mondays, held at UofG red pool Jan 5th - March 9th (off Feb 16th)
  • Tuesdays, held at Victor Davis Pool Jan 6th - March 10th
  • Wednesdays, held at Victor Davis Pool Jan 7th - March 11th
  • Saturdays, held at UofG red pool Jan 10th - March 7th (off Feb 14th)
  • Sundays, held at Victor Davis pool Jan 11th - March 8th (off Feb 15th)

**Assessments for Winter: New to the Marlins? Assessments may be booked by appointment (Returning swimmers do not need assessment)

Contact Mary at [email protected] to book!

 

****NO REFUNDS ARE PROVIDED ONCE YOU SIGN YOUR CHILDREN UP FOR A CLASS ONLINE. IF YOU NEED TO ADJUST YOUR CHILD TO AN ALTERNATE TIME OR DAY, EMAIL THE OFFICE [email protected] - DO NOT REGISTER FOR BOTH AND EXPECT A REFUND. ***** YOU MAY HOLD A CLASS IN YOUR CART FOR 10 MINUTES SO YOU HAVE LOTS OF TIME TO DECIDE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU**THANK YOU

Guelph Marlins prides itself in its programs and has steadily built our lessons programming over 25 years through you are swimmers through word of mouth growth. As swimmers develop through our 5 levels of lessons, understand that as an organization it is expected for swimmers to be consistent and proficient with their skills at which point that is when they will move to new levels. With 5 levels, it is to be expected to be in some levels multiple times. Do not discourage your child with a pass or fail concept, we view it is as building strong skills for life long swimming.

Marlins Lessons is a competitive learn-to-swim program. We offer basic water safety skills as well as the foundational competitive swimming skills. Lessons are available to those as young as age 3. Our Marlins Lessons programs include basic skills such as floating, streamlining, kicking and blowing bubbles. As swimmers progress through Marlins Lessons the skill requirements become more challenging and are focused towards competitive swimming. The goal and entry requirement for each level is outlined below. The overall goal of Marlins Lessons is to introduce basic knowledge, understanding and the ability to swim all 4 of the competitive strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly). We will focus on teaching skills that help swimmers feel comfortable and confident in the pool. Learning how the body moves efficiently through the water is key to success in swimming.

We offer 3 main sessions of Marlins Swim Lessons between September and June; Fall, Winter and Spring. Each session will be 8-11 weeks in length. We encourage swimmers to participate in all three sessions allowing for continual skill development. This season we will also be offering a June mini session consisting of 6 lessons over 2-3 weeks to kick off the summer months of swimming. 

The impacts of COVID reshaped how we operate as an organization. Since then, the Guelph Marlin Aquatic Club has increased lesson capacity by 50% to ensure more children have access to high-quality swim instruction. We’re committed to helping every swimmer build skills and confidence in the water.

The coaching staff for Marlins Swim Lessons consists of instructors certified through various organizations including Swimming Canada, Swim Ontario, Lifesaving Society, and the Red Cross. Staff training, mentorship and learning opportunities are required throughout the year to ensure continued coaching/instructing education.

Director of Age Group and Development – Laura Nicholls

Laura, returning to the Marlins coaching staff for her 8th year, brings over 25years of coaching experience to her new role. She will be managing and overseeing Marlins Lessons as well as several groups within the competitive program. You will see Laura stop by the pool from time to time checking in on the Lessons programs, making sure the swimmers are having fun, progressing, and being challenged as well as ensuring coaches are working hard. Laura will be in communication with Marlins Lesson Supervisors, to ensure all swimmers needs are being met and those ready for the competitive program are presented with the opportunity.

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Marlins Lessons Programs - Levels

 

L'il Marlins

L’il Marlins is for swimmers who are comfortable entering shallow water on their own. They must be willing to put their faces in the water and be comfortable trying floats. Instructors are in the water and will assist the swimmers with body positioning and skill corrections. Instructor to swimmer ratio is 1:3 to ensure the safety of the swimmers. Lessons will be 30 min in length. Parents do not accompany their children for this program. This level is the only level divided by age, with an offering of Lil Marlins 3-4 years of age and Lil Marlins 5+ age. Lessons will be 30 min in length.

Mini Marlins

Mini Marlins is for those swimmers that can swim 15m of the pool unassisted on their front and/or back confidently and competently, with some kick and arm movement over the water. Swimmers must be comfortable entering shallow water without assistance and putting their face in the water to try glides, kicking, and front and back swim. Instructors will be in the water to assist with body positioning and skill corrections. Instructor to swimmer ratio is 1:4 to ensure safety and promote correct skill development. Lessons will be 30 min in length.

Young Marlins 

Young Marlins is for those swimmers who are able to independently swim 25m of the pool using both freestyle and backstroke confidently and competently, maintaining horizontal body position and with bilateral breathing (to the side) in freestyle. Swimmers will focus on proper body positioning, breathing, and stroke and kick technique for freestyle and backstroke. Young Marlins will also continue to develop breaststroke and butterfly kick. Instructor to swimmer ratio is 1:5/6, allowing the swimmers to learn in a small group environment. Lessons will be 60 min in length.

Junior Marlins

Junior Marlins is for those swimmers that can swim 50m of both freestyle and backstroke maintaining horizontal body position and consistent bilateral breathing (to the side) in freestyle, 75m of flutter kick from the hip with a kickboard, and have the basics of breaststroke and butterfly kick. All must be done consistently and competently. Swimmers will build on skills learned in Young Marlins as well as being introduced to breaststroke and butterfly swim. Junior Marlins will be focused on getting swimmers ready for competitive swimming, if they are interested, and includes skills such as turns and dives, and more advanced stroke technique. Instructor to swimmer ratio is approximately 1:8/10, allowing swimmers to be a little more independent while learning in a small group environment. Lessons will be 60 min in length.

Marlins

Marlins is for those swimmers that can swim 150m of both freestyle and backstroke maintaining proper body position, breath control, correct kick and stroke technique, and turns with consistent streamlines and underwater dolphin kicks. Swimmers also must be able to swim 25m breaststroke with proper kick, 15m butterfly, and execute a shallow dive with a streamline. Marlins will continue to build foundational competitive swimming skills, more advanced stroke technique, and endurance, as well as prepare the swimmers to stay on task in larger groups. Marlins swimmers will be preparing to enter the competitive program, if interested. Instructor to swimmer ratio is approximately 1:8/10. Lessons will be 60 min in length.

Teen Fit (offered only in Spring)

Teen Fit is for kids ages 11 to 18 who are looking for a program that will prepare them for high school or summer swimming, entry into the JR or SR Marlins House League Program for the following fall season, or a fun way to stay fit or cross-train for other sports. Each class will have elements of aerobic development, stroke technique for all strokes, dive and turn work, and some fun!

 

New to swimming and don't know where you belong? Contact us at [email protected] and we will set up an evaluation with one of our coaches for free! It only takes 5-10 minutes. We have openings for assessments in the evenings of August 20, 21, 25, 26 and 27th!

 

General notes:

  • Many people may not realize that essential swimming skills and foundational techniques are most effectively developed within 15 meters of distance—regardless of age.
  • While other 'learn to swim' lesson programs have over 10-12 levels of lessons, the Marlins have 5 levels of lessons. That may mean at some point, your child may be in a level multiple times.   Our expectation before a child moves into the next level is for them to be proficient at skills.  It is not advantageous to rush through and have a child behind, grow frustrated, and not want to continue with lessons.  Swimming is a life-saving skill.  If we continue with poor skills and continue up and down the pool, muscle memory kicks in and then it is difficult to make changes. 
  • We do not just checkbox a skill, we are building foundations and fundamentals of the four strokes and are looking for PROFICIENCY, competency and confidence not just "yes, your child did it and it was okay".
  • And finally, do not compare your child to other swimmers. No one knows the background of a child and their experiences. They will all learn to swim when they are ready!

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Registration

 

Registration will open online for the Winter lessons session on Thursday December 4th at 7am.

 

Registration Costs

  • Program fees are listed in the link under each program. There is some variability as some programs are 30 minutes or 60 minutes. As well some days of the week are longer sessions i.e. Tuesdays 10 weeks vs Sundays 8 weeks
  • There is an annual $73 which is Swim Ontario insurance that is required by our Provincial body to collect and register your swimmer. This covers your swimmer from September 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 for any of our indoor pool programming. This is a once a season charge. i.e. Once you pay in the fall, you will not pay this in the winter or spring, unless you set up a new profile for your child.  There may be a delay which means you will not be charged at check out but will be charged within two weeks of registering. If you only register for Spring lessons, as an example, unfortunately, this insurance amount is not pro-rated.
  • Additionally we charge a $15 fundraising fee vs having families have to sell items to raise money. As a not-for profit, these funds help with our operational costs as we have to rent pools from the city/UofG.
  • Under no circumstance, we do not offer refunds or credits on our programming, nor are there make up lessons for a missed day of a lesson. If your child is out as precaution for covid isolation, we will not be able to offer refunds or credits. If provincial or regional guidelines change and require proof of vaccine, the Marlins are not responsible for this and refunds or credits will not be provided.
  • If the province were to shut down completely, it would be the only time we would offer refunds.
  • COVID is a known entity and this will not be an eligible reason for any sort of refund or credit. Only in the case where a government lockdown is put in place will refunds occur.

NOTE: Please sign up for a WAITLIST if your preferred class is full. Things change all the time. Although there are no cancellations/refunds allowed, people do request to move to different times/day. Registering for wait lists does not create a charge on your credit card.

 

 

 

 

Fall 2025 Session Lessons Registration Opens Thurs Aug 28th 7am!