Advanced Swimming Lessons Prepare Kids for Swim Team
Is your child considering competitive swimming? What many families don’t realize is that sticking with Learn-to-Swim (LTS) is like taking advanced swimming lessons that make competitive swimming possible.
The swim skills your child will want to be really prepared, including proper backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, only happen in advanced swimming lessons with intentional practice.
At WeAquatics, our Learn-to-Swim program builds these foundations when there’s intention behind it. When you and your child decide the goal is swim team, your LTS instructor shifts focus—you’re not just learning to swim, you’re preparing for the Narwhals Swim Team (our developmental team, formerly Young Masters).
Here are five signs that transition should happen.
1. They’ve Mastered Swim Stroke Development in Learn-to-Swim
Every Learn-to-Swim student receives one-on-one attention to build strong technique, endurance, and confidence in the water. Our instructors teach proper form across all strokes—not just freestyle—so swimmers develop balanced skills that will serve them for life.
When your instructor knows your child is working toward the Narwhals Swim Team, lessons naturally take on a more advanced focus. They’ll refine:
- Freestyle with side-breathing – Not just getting across the pool, but proper rotation, streamlined position, and coordinated breathing.
- Backstroke with body awareness – Maintaining a straight course, steady rhythm, and stable head position.
- Breaststroke kick fundamentals – Mastering the frog-kick motion that demonstrates true body control.
Every lesson remains personalized and detailed—team goals simply help your instructor build the bridge from strong Learn-to-Swim fundamentals to competitive-ready strokes.
2. They’re Building Endurance Through Consistent LTS Attendance
Casual pool time doesn’t build the kind of stamina swim teams require. That comes from regular, structured practice. Studies show that while children’s intrinsic desire to swim motivates them to practice, it’s ultimately the high levels of deliberate practice that keep them swimming!
Signs your child has the endurance for advanced swimming lessons:
- Can swim a full lap with proper form.
- Attends lessons regularly and looks forward to coming.
- Maintains technique even when tired—finishing each length without stopping.
This physical conditioning develops when kids stick with Learn-to-Swim and attend regularly. The Narwhals team offers practices six days a week—though only four of those currently have space for new Narwhals—giving families flexibility to choose what works best. Building the habit of consistent attendance in Learn-to-Swim sets swimmers up for success when they transition to team training.
3. They Show Water Confidence and Independence
Advanced swimming lessons build confidence that recreational swimming alone doesn’t develop.
Your child is ready for stroke development when they:
- Are comfortable in deep water – Can tread water 2-3 minutes and dive to the bottom without hesitation
- Try new skills willingly – See flip turns or racing dives and want to attempt them, even if they might fail
- Work independently – Can follow multi-step directions, count their own laps, and stay focused without constant hand-holding
This confidence gets built in Learn-to-Swim through intentional coaching. On the Narwhals team, coaches are on deck, giving instructions—not in the water, providing one-on-one guidance. That shift requires a confidence level that only comes from consistent advanced swim lessons.
4. They’re Interested in Competitive Swimming
You can teach technique, but you can’t teach motivation. That has to come from the swimmer.
Look for these signs of competitive interest:
- Curiosity about racing – Watches swimming videos, asks about meets, wants to know about starts and turns
- Sets personal goals – Says things like “I want to learn butterfly” or “I want to swim faster”
- Likes the team idea – Is open to training with other kids and enjoys collaborative activities
When kids show this interest, advanced swim lessons in Learn-to-Swim can shift focus toward competitive preparation.
5. Your LTS Instructor Recommends Team Readiness
Your child’s Learn-to-Swim instructor has the most informed perspective on readiness for the Narwhals team.
They’re evaluating:
- Technical proficiency – Not just “can they do it” but “how do they do it”—body position, kick efficiency, breathing coordination
- Focus for longer sessions – Team practices are 60 minutes vs. 30-minute LTS lessons; can your child sustain attention and handle feedback well?
- Safety habits – Are pool rules automatic? Do they enter the water correctly every time? Can they swim responsibly with less supervision?
When your LTS instructor says, “they’re ready for Narwhals,” that’s a professional assessment based on months of one-on-one observation. Trust it.
From Advanced Swimming Lessons in LTS to the Narwhals Swim Team
If you’re seeing these five signs, your child has built the foundation through advanced swim lessons. Here’s where it leads.
What Is the Narwhals Swim Team?
The Narwhals Swim Team (formerly Young Masters) is our developmental team for swimmers ready for competitive stroke development. This is an actual swim team, not just more lessons.
What it includes:
- All four competitive strokes with technique-focused coaching
- Racing starts, flip turns, touch turns, and pacing strategies
- Team training with coaches on deck
- Four weekly practices (families choose which to attend)
- Optional meets every six weeks
- USA Swimming registration for insurance and meet access
Ready to Make the Move?
Moving from advanced swimming lessons in Learn-to-Swim to the Narwhals Swim Team is about readiness, not age. Your child needs technical skills, stamina, confidence, competitive interest, and instructor approval.
Some swimmers are ready after six months of intentional advanced swim lessons. Others need a year. Both are normal.
The key: without continuing Learn-to-Swim with team goals, kids won’t develop the stroke fundamentals they need. They’ll default to freestyle and miss the technique that makes competitive swimming possible.
Contact WeAquatics to schedule an assessment. We’ll determine whether your child is ready for Narwhals now, or if more advanced swimming lessons in Learn-to-Swim are the right path.
