Parents enrolling children in swimming lessons encounter a range of programs with varying structures and progression paths. The SwimRight® Method offers a systematic approach with nine distinct levels, each designed to build specific skills before advancing to the next stage. This guide explains the level system, the color-coded swim cap rewards, and the progression from water introduction to pre-competitive training.
SwimRight Academy, founded by Olympic Gold Medalist Lenny Krayzelburg, has taught tens of thousands of children across the United States since 2005 . The SwimRight® Method is a proprietary curriculum developed by Krayzelburg and his instructional staff, emphasizing safe and structured learning techniques . The program uses the swim-float-swim technique as its foundation, teaching children to roll onto their backs to breathe before introducing any stroke work .
The SwimRight® Method guides students through nine sequential levels, from first water contact to competitive stroke preparation . Each level has specific, observable skill requirements that must be mastered before advancement. This structure provides clear goals for students and transparent progress tracking for parents.
In a calm, structured pool lesson environment, an instructor guides a beginner swimmer through the first level. The visual scene is one of controlled, repetitive practice—the swimmer learning the sensation of buoyancy and breath recovery before any forward movement is introduced. This is the foundational sequence that distinguishes the SwimRight® Method from programs that prioritize strokes over safety.
The objective of this level is to introduce students to the pool environment and help them become familiar and comfortable in the water . Skills include assisted submersion, launching, back floating, and rolling to a back float. This level is designed for complete beginners, including parents who want to spend time with their child while teaching basic swimming and safety skills through songs and games .
Students develop an independent back float with correct rotation and begin basic kicking . This level concludes with Survival Test 1, a practical verification that the student can roll to their back and float independently. Passing this test provides measurable evidence of water safety competence .
Students move through the water independently with correct body position and kicking . This level concludes with Survival Test 2, which verifies that the student can combine movement with the back float recovery skill. The two survival tests are a distinctive feature of the SwimRight® Method. Students perform these skills while fully clothed, entering the pool unexpectedly and demonstrating their ability to roll to a back float and either float indefinitely or swim back to the wall . These tests provide both parents and children with confidence in the child’s ability to survive in a real-life situation .
Kickboard support is used to introduce rotational drills, arm coordination, and proper breathing technique . This level provides physical support designed to assist in learning drills that involve rotational skills and the use of arms while swimming .
Students refine rotational movement while maintaining body position and kicking . Freestyle and backstroke arm drills are introduced. The focus is on learning rotational drills while maintaining correct body position and proper kicking .
Rotational drills are developed in a streamline position . Students work toward catch-up freestyle, backstroke switch drill, and introductory breaststroke and butterfly kicking .
Focus shifts to correct breathing and body positioning for freestyle and backstroke . Breaststroke and butterfly kicking continue to develop. Students work without hands-on support, indicating a higher degree of independence in the water .
Freestyle and backstroke technique is solidified. Breaststroke and butterfly progress through structured drills. Starts and turns are introduced .
Students swim complete breaststroke and butterfly. Advanced drills refine technique across all four strokes. Starts and turns are practiced and consolidated .
The SwimRight® Method incorporates a motivational award system that includes color-coded swim caps for each level . Each level is assigned a specific cap color to support encouragement, track goals, and ensure safety . This system allows instructors and parents to easily identify which level a student is working on .
In addition to swim caps, students receive a Student Progress Book to keep track of the skills they learn . After a child masters each skill, they receive a sticker for that skill in their progress book . As they move up from one level to another, they receive ribbons recognizing graduation from that level . This award system helps students follow their progress and stay motivated .
A visual scene at a pool lesson shows a swimmer receiving a new swim cap after passing a level. The swim cap colors serve as both a reward and a practical tool—instructors can quickly identify which skills a swimmer should be working on based on their cap color.
Students who complete all nine levels of the SwimRight® Method are prepared for the Pre-Team program . Pre-Team provides swimmers with the tools necessary to join a swim team, focusing on endurance and more detailed, competitive elements . This program ensures that swimmers are ready for the next step in competitive swimming.
The Pre-Team program typically includes dryland training and swim practice, with a total duration of 1 hour 30 minutes . To qualify for Pre-Team, swimmers must graduate from the SwimRight program and pass the Flyers Level . New swimmers start in Lane 1 and can advance through lanes every 12 weeks during Race Week, with Lane 5 being the most advanced level .
The progression from pool to open water training follows the same logic as the level system. A swimmer who has mastered back float independence, forward movement, and efficient stroke mechanics is better prepared for open water conditions. The skill transfer approach is direct: the ability to roll to the back and breathe works in any body of water. SwimRight instructors are trained to teach skills that transfer from controlled pool settings to open water, including breath control, floating, and efficient movement.
In Florida, where open water swimming and beach activities are common, the progression from pool to open water carries practical weight. The environmental risks in Florida waters include currents, wave action, and variable visibility. A child who can only swim with a head-up breathing pattern may not have the efficiency required for ocean swimming. A child who has mastered back float recovery and efficient stroke mechanics is better equipped for these conditions.
Structured learning environments, such as the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center (MARJCC) in Miami, provide a controlled setting for developing these skills . SwimRight Academy operates programs at multiple locations across Miami and Los Angeles, offering a consistent curriculum and instructor training standards. The same level system that teaches a child to survive in a pool applies to open water, and the structured progression builds skills incrementally at each stage.
Guest article
The above may not coincide with the methodology and opinion of the SwimRight Academy Team.
Blog Editor 