Swimming Classes for Kids in New York City

Imagine School Of Swimming, New York:
Imagine Swimming, for children ages 12-months to 12-years, was founded in 2002 by former world-class swimmers Casey Barrett and Lars Merseburg. Originally operated out of the Hunter College pool on 69th Street and Park Avenue, the school has grown to nine New York locations - extending from TriBeCa to the Upper East Side, Brooklyn Heights to Chelsea. Imagine is now the most popular swimming program in lower Manhattan, with the BMCC pool in TriBeCa its flagship facility. Currently, the school welcomes over 1200 students each week to its pools. Widely recognized in the swimming community as one of the world's top aquatic educations, Imagine has become a destination for international swimmers eager to pass along their skills as elite instructors.

We believe that children respond when respected, and that learning is an inherently joyful experience. Early education is about fostering First Memories. In the pool at Imagine Swimming, we want those primary sparks to produce a lifetime love of the water. By listening to children’s fears and encouraging their curiosity, Imagine seeks to lead young swimmers on their first strokes into the aquatic world.

As educators, we believe that it is the Singer not the Song. Meaning that the presentation of the lesson is everything. Imagine features a highly developed teaching method, however, it is the teachers who must pass it along. This process is collaborative and requires individual expression with every student. At every age, we encourage swimmers to share their responses with each other, creating small aquatic classrooms, each with their own unique energy.

Swimming Programs for Children. Programs range from Beginners to Advanced. We accept children from 12 months upwards.

How long will it take my child to learn how to swim?
Swimming is an individual process that develops over time. Each child learns to swim at his or her own pace. A child's attitude, comfort level, natural talent, and motor skills all contribute to his or her individual learning process.

How long are classes?
Classes are forty minutes, for beginners. Makos, our advanced swimmers practice one hour.

Are children forced to go underwater before they're ready?
We do not force anything at Imagine. We understand that underwater submersion is a major - and often scary - step in learning to swim. We recognize that our classes will be a child's first memories of swimming. We want those memories to be as positive as possible. Children will go under when they are ready. Remember: there is plenty to learn with the face out the water!

What kind of training do your teachers have?
New additions to our staff go through extensive in-house training, both in and out of the water. This includes 30 hours of class assistance with current Imagine instructors; teacher clinics led by Imagine Director, Michael Poropat; plus required study of the Imagine Manual. Additionally, all staff are certified in First Aid/CPR and Lifeguarding through the American Red Cross. Of course, most of our staff has already devoted his or her life to swimming! We encourage everyone to check out the backgrounds of our instructors.

Do I need to be in the water with my child for class?
If your child is under the age of three years old and in a Starfish class (also known as a Mommy & Me class), we require that you or a guardian join him or her in the pool for the class.

Where are your pools located?
We offer classes at eight New York City locations:

TriBeCa: Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), located at 100 North Moore St. (at West St.)
Gramercy: Brookdale branch of Hunter College, located at 425 East 25th Street (b/t First Ave and FDR)
Midtown East: St. Bart's Church, located at 109 East 50th St. (b/t Park and Lexington Avenues)
Chelsea: London Terrace Towers, located at 465 West 23rd Street (at Tenth Ave)
Financial District: Claremont Preparatory School, 41 Broad St. (b/t Exchange Place and Beaver St.)
Brooklyn Heights: 180 Remsen St. (b/t Clinton St. and Court St.)
Upper East Side: 695 Park Ave. (Enter on the south side of 69th St, b/t Park and Lexington Ave.)
Lower East Side: Seahorse Fitness, 69 Columbia Street (Enter the Masaryk Towers on Rivington b/t Columbia and Pitt Street)

The Imagine staff boasts dynamic, international resumes filled with every level of aquatic expertise. With over 30 instructors representing a dozen different nations, Team Imagine proudly resembles a United Nations of the swimming world. And every instructor shares the same commitment to children's education. In addition to our founders, the Imagine staff features Olympic medalists, national champions, tri-athletes and surfers, artists and musicians, developmental psychologists and preschool teachers - in short, you will find no finer swimming instruction in Manhattan. Or anywhere at all...

Whether they are navigating a child's first experiences with the water or teaching them advanced stroke technique, Imagine instructors have the passion and patience to make each trip to the pool a rewarding one. Each member of our staff undergoes extensive in-house training, each sharing in the Imagine vision and committing to the constant safety of each child. And of course, every instructor is certified as a Lifeguard and licensed in CPR.