Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my child needs learn-to-swim classes?
Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental deaths among children under the age of 18 - swimming is a sport that can actually save your child’s life.
What is your definition of “learning-to-swim”?
A child who can swim 100 yards of freestyle, 50 yards of Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly, and a 100 individual medley (25 yards of each of the “Olympic” strokes: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle). When children can accomplish these goals, they graduate from station 10!
How long will it take for my child to learn to swim?
This depends on several things, such as your child’s age, pool experience, comfort level in the water, listening skills, enthusiasm and level of fitness. It may take 30 or more lessons for a pre-school child to learn the basic skills of floating, kicking, returning to the wall and learning how to get a breath. Everyone learns at a different rate and each child will progress through the program at their own speed.
How do I start swim lessons with Katy Aquatics?
The first step is to attend a Free Trial class with us to see our program and receive a station placement so you know where to start in our 10 station program. The Free Trial classes are about 15-20 minutes long and are run like a group lesson class. To sign up for a Free Trial class, please go to the Swim Lessons tab, scroll down to the Program Filters, and select New Swimmers. If the trial classes are not available or are full, please send an email to [email protected] and we will notify you for the next available trial class.
Do you teach SwimAmerica year round?
Yes, KATY Aquatics runs our evening learn-to-swim classes year-round, and offer summer daytime classes during the months of June and July. We offer group lessons for children ages 3-14, adult lessons for swimmers ages 15 and up, and special needs classes.
What do we need to bring to class?
Please have your child come to class already wearing their swim suit and pool shoes. Swimsuits should be snug fitting and quick drying. We encourage students to wear training suits which are designed to shed water and make swimming easier. Many “fashion suits” for girls or baggy shorts for boys retain water, and actually feel very heavy in the water, making it harder to learn. We encourage caps for children with long hair and goggles to help protect their eyes from the chlorine. You will also need to bring a towel so that your child can dry-off immediately after swim class.
We do not allow swim diapers in the pool, so all children will need to be able to swim wearing a swimsuit and without diapers. Swimmers will also need to make sure they are wearing swimsuits and not regular clothing to lessons.
What is your Instructor to Student Ratio and class size?
To ensure the most ideal teaching conditions, we maintain an instructor to student ratio of no more than 1:4.
What is your Cost?
SwimAmerica classes cost $20.00 per class charged on a monthly basis. Your account will be set up on auto-payment and continue to be deducted on the 1st of the month until you decide to stop. Cancelations must be submitted via email to [email protected] before the 20th of the month prior to the 1st of the month you want to stop your classes.
Every swimmer will also be charged a $60 annual registration fee that is non-refundable.
Make-up Policy
Class participants register for classes, which meet on specific days and times. Unless KATY Aquatics cancels a class due to hazardous conditions (lightening, pool problems, etc), attendance in scheduled classes is the responsibility of the participants. We do not provide refunds, make-up classes, or allow the participant to attend a different class due to personal schedule conflicts. We will offer make up classes to swimmers who miss their lessons due to illness, injury, family emergency, or religious purposes. Please contact [email protected] if your swimmer misses a class due to one of those reasons. You can see the full policy below.
Makeup Policy
- Unless KATY Aquatics cancels a class due to hazardous conditions, weather, or KISD, attendance in scheduled classes is the responsibility of the participants.
- We do NOT provide refunds, makeup classes or allow the participant to attend a different class due to personal schedule conflicts.
- While we understand that illness cannot be predicted, please understand the spot has been reserved for your child and cannot be booked by another student with such short notice.
- If you miss a class due to an illness, you must provide a doctor’s note to the office in order to request a credit back for the class due to illness.
- If you are missing a lesson due to illness/injury, family emergency (for ex. a birth or death), or for a religious purpose and you would like a make-up class, please contact us either through email or by speaking with your site supervisor on deck. Make-up lessons without a doctor's note will be limited to 2 classes per month and will need to be completed within 30 days of the missed lesson. If your swimmer needs to be out for an extended period of time due to illness or injury, please provide a doctor's note.
How do I withdraw my swimmer from the program?
We accept withdrawals on a monthly basis. We require you submit a withdrawal request via email before the 20th of the month prior to the 1st of the month that you would like to withdraw your child from classes.
For example, if you wish to stop your child’s swim classes for the month of August, we will need to have the withdrawal form submitted no later than July 20th. This allows us to go into the system and stop your billing cycle before you are billed on the first of the month.
Please email [email protected] should you have any questions about your account.
Could you tell me a little about your staff?
Our SwimAmerica Site Supervisors have numerous years of competitive swimming, teaching and coaching experience. All of our coaches are credentialed “SwimAmerica” Coaches and teach students how to swim by the most effective method known. They teach politely with humor and enjoyment. Every student receives personal attention and a caring approach to instruction. We pride ourselves on providing a safe teaching and learning environment for all children.
How does the SwimAmerica station program work?
SwimAmerica features lessons for ages 3 -14. We offer a 10-step program that allows each child to progress at their own rate. When children pass the advancement goals for a particular station, they are immediately promoted to the next level. SwimAmerica students are directed towards specific goals in each station and immediately rewarded for successful completion of goals.
How will my child be rewarded?
Each swimmer that graduates from one station to the next will get to ring the bell and have everyone clap for their achievement. They will also receive a certificate of graduation through email for each station through email. When they graduate the program, they have the option to have a certificate certifying they completed the entire program.
Can my swimmer change clothes after thier lesson and where?
Yes, your swimmer is allowed to change into dry clothes after their lesson. All changing must be done in the bathrooms. There is no changing allowed in the bleachers, lobby or school locker rooms.
Can I take pictures or videos of my child?
For the privacy of all our swimmers, we do ask that you refrain from taking photos or videos of your child. If your child has moved stations and you would like to take a picture with the bell, ask a supervisor and they can let you take a picture away from other children.
