Our Swimming Programs
At Col Jones Swim Fitness in Tempe, our comprehensive swimming programs are designed to be effective for all swimmers, regardless of age or proficiency. Starting with our youngest learners, we seamlessly transition swimmers from foundational techniques to advanced training squads, ideal for those swimmers with a competitive edge.
Our curriculum doesn't just teach swimming; it fosters a profound water confidence, water safety components, and nurtures technical skill. With each swimming lesson, students are guided by our seasoned instructors who are committed to nurturing both skill and a lifelong passion for the water through our structured
learn to swim program.
1. Squirts and Seahorse
(2-3 years)
Our Squirts and Seahorse class is a nurturing parent-child swim experience designed for our youngest learners, aged 2 to 3 years. At this foundational stage, children build the confidence and core skills that set them up for a lifetime of safe, happy swimming.
In each lesson, little ones learn essential water skills including kicking, dog paddling, and back floating. Sessions are playful and structured, blending songs, games, and gentle repetition that help toddlers feel comfortable and secure in the water while developing early independence.
Parents get in the pool too, playing a hands-on role throughout the class. Guided by our experienced instructors, you'll support and hold your child through each activity, building trust and encouraging every small win together.
As your child grows more confident and familiar with these primary skills, they'll naturally transition through our swim assessment levels into Beginner classes, ready to take their next steps toward independent swimming.
2. Beginner Levels
(3 years+)
The Beginner Level is your child's first big step into solo swimming, the stage where they learn to move through the water without a parent beside them.
Designed as an encouraging swimming lessons for beginners, children build core water safety and survival skills with the support of bubbles, arm floats, and a shallow pool step. They'll practice safe entry and exit, floating, sculling, treading water, and controlled breathing through bubble blowing and face immersion. From there, they develop glides, dog paddle, and the beginnings of freestyle kicking on a board.
Lessons run in small classes, so our teachers can mentor each child closely and adapt every activity to suit their pace and confidence. This is also the level where parents step back from the water.
You'll support your swimmer from poolside instead — cheering on each milestone and chatting with instructors about progress as your child grows into a safe, confident, independent swimmer.
3. Breather Improver Levels
Our Breather levels are where swimming truly starts to click. Building on the sculling and treading water your child has already mastered, these swimming programs put breathing at the centre, teaching swimmers to turn their head to the side, breathe rhythmically, and time each breath with their arm strokes rather than lifting the head or stopping to gasp for air.
As that breathing becomes second nature, swimmers combine it with coordinated arm movements to develop a smooth, continuous freestyle. Each lesson layers on a little more distance and control, so strokes grow longer, steadier and more efficient.
By the time your child completes the Breather levels, they can swim freestyle independently with confident side breathing, no longer reliant on a board or a pause between strokes.
From here, they're ready to progress into our stroke-development levels, where backstroke, breaststroke and refined technique take shape.
4. Formstroke Levels
Formstroke Levels offer a structured curriculum designed to refine technique across all four competitive swimming strokes: freestyle (front crawl), backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
These
swim assessment levels reinforce previously learned skills, including sculling, treading water, floating, and safe entry and exit of the water, while sharpening stroke mechanics for greater efficiency in the pool. Swimmers focus on body position, breathing rhythm, kick timing, and arm coordination, developing smooth, controlled, and stroke-legal technique across every discipline.
With guidance from experienced coaches, each swimmer improves distance, consistency, and stamina, laying the foundation for competitive swimming. As skills advance, the program builds the endurance and stroke quality needed for squad readiness.
Formstroke Levels serve as the essential bridge between learn-to-swim programs and squad training, giving swimmers the confidence and capability to progress. Every session moves swimmers closer to mastering the technique required for the next level.
5. Stroke Correction Squad Levels
Our Squad Levels build on strong stroke fundamentals to prepare committed swimmers for competition and lifelong fitness. Focusing on consistency and precision, each session refines all four strokes while steadily increasing training volume, swimmers cover greater distances, complete more structured sets, and develop the endurance that competitive swimming program demands.
As each child's strength and technique advance, our coaches progress them to higher squad levels, adjusting workloads to match their growing capability. Experienced coaches provide close, individual attention, correcting stroke mechanics, pacing, and race skills such as starts, turns, and finishes.
This program is instrumental in laying a solid foundation, whether the goal is competitive swimming or general fitness, ensuring every child's technique is honed to perfection.
Squad Levels support swimmers transitioning from our learn-to-swim program into full squad development, giving them the training volume, discipline, and coaching focus needed to reach their potential in the pool.
6. Club Squad & Senior Squad Levels
Our Club and Senior Squad programs are the peak of our swimming pathway, built for dedicated swimmers ready to race. While retaining a keen focus on technique across all four strokes, these one-hour sessions amplify strength, speed, and endurance to prepare students for real competition — setting a high standard for tempe swimming lessons.
Training centres on race craft, starts, turns, finishes, pacing, and event-specific sets, so swimmers can perform when it counts, whether at school carnivals, club races, or personal-best attempts.
These squads also connect swimmers with the Tempe Torpedoes Swimming Club, where they can take part in club events and race nights that turn training into genuine racing experience.
Check our race night schedule to see what's coming up and give your swimmer the chance to put their training into practice. Whether the goal is competitive racing or peak swim fitness, our Club and Senior Squads deliver the coaching, intensity, and club connection to help every swimmer reach their full potential.