Owen J. Roberts School District

Commonly Asked Questions…

1. How many sessions should I sign my child up for?

Answer: The lifeskill/sport of swimming can be compared to many other skills we learn in school like math, science, or history. Like these other skills, swimming can take years to learn the foundation and basic safety skills required to be comfortable swimming in the water. That being said, I would recommend 2-3 weeks in both the Fall and Spring time to be a proper amount of lessons for kids between the ages of 4 and 8. After 2-3 weeks it is often necessary to wait for the child to grow both physically and maturity wise before learning more advanced skills and techniques.

2. What is the difference between private and group swim lessons?

Answer: Group lessons we offer here at OJR will never exceed a 1-4 instructor to student ratio and are usually 5 classes lasting 30 minutes. Private swim lessons are 1 on 1 with the instructor (20 minute classes) and are more customizable with parents able to ask for more specific instructions. An example of this would be if you want your child to try out for swim team or pre-team, the instructor can cater to those specific skills necessary to make a competitive swim team. Both of these lesson types have pros and cons and private lessons are not always the better bet. If your child struggles in social settings or has trouble paying attention or gets distracted easily, private lessons are a great fit. If your child thrives off competition, functions well with others in social settings, then group lessons can be a great way of learning how to swim and are also more affordable.  Group lessons also offers more break time on the wall while they are able to observe and learn from visual examples from peers in their groups.

3. Is my child ready for swim team/pre –team swimming?

Answer: Most winter & summer swim teams require a certain level of swimming before being allowed on a swim team. The few teams I have coached have required at least the ability to swim 1 lap of freestyle or front crawl, and 1 lap of backstroke without grabbing or needing the wall or lane line. This is mainly a safety concern so that swim coaches can focus on teaching proper swimming technique rather than performing lifesaving skills or being a primarily lifeguard on the pool deck. With that being said, some teams have different requirements and it is up to you as a parent to reach out to the head coach in regards to the requirements needed to join a swim team.

4.  Is the Stroke & Turn Clinic right for my child?

Answer: The stroke and turns clinic we offer in both the Fall and Spring is meant as a supplement to competitive swim team members. This is not a learn to swim program and I require swimmers to be able to safely complete 1 lap of freestyle and 1 lap of backstroke to join this clinic. The Fall clinic is meant as a pre-season training for winter swim teams and focuses on proper techniques of all 4 swimming strokes (Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle, & Backstroke). I do not take attendance for these clinics and attendance is not mandatory, we often have children sign up that play/partake in multiple other sports.

5. How do I sign my child up for swim team? When does the swim season take place?

Answer: The sport of swimming primarily takes place in the winter and summer months. Most summer swim teams take place at local outdoor swimming facilities. In regards to winter swim team, OJR has a competitive varsity swim team for both men and women at the high school level. There is also an OJR Aquatic Club Swim team for kids from grades kindergarten to 8^th grade that I have added a link to their website lower on this website. If you are interested. If you have any further interest in local USA/Club swim teams, feel free to reach out to me in regards to information on other swim team opportunities in our area.