Swimming at HAC
For over 50 years, the HAC Swim School has offered a full range of water adjustment and swimming lessons for children 6 months old through adulthood. Swimming lessons build confidence and can reduce the chance of drowning by as much as 88% according to the CDC.
Group Lessons
You asked, and we listened: As of June 2024, we’re updating the way you register for swim lessons! In the past, you registered your swimmers by level. Sometimes it was difficult to know what level to choose. Plus, you could end up spending a few hours at the pool because your swimmers’ classes were at different times. Now, you can sign up for a time slot! Our knowledgeable instructors will check all swimmers’ skill level on the first day of their session, and then they will be grouped according to ability level. Preschool classes (3-5 years old) will have 10 openings per class, and Learn-to-Swim classes (ages 6-12) will have 20 openings per class.
We’ve included information about the various instructional levels below for your reference. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 616-393-7595 or info@hollandaquatic.org!
Parent & Child (6 months – 4 years old)
Class Length
35 minutes
Adult Involvement
A parent/guardian joins their child in the water.
Parent & Child 1
Babies and toddlers are introduced to the water in the arms of trusted grown-ups as instructors lead them through games and activities that teach very basic water adjustment. This class is intended for 6 months to two years of age.
Parent & Child 2
Toddlers and preschoolers are introduced to the water in the arms of trusted grown-ups as instructors lead them through games and activities that teach very basic water adjustment. This class is intended for 2 years to 4 years of age.
Preschool Aquatics (3 – 5 years old)
Class Length
35 min.
Adult Involvement
Parents/guardians watch lessons from our spectator areas and are not in the pool with their child.
Water Exploration 1
Preschool (ages 3-5)
This program is designed to introduce swimmers to the water. Instructors will focus on how to float, how to blow bubbles, how to move arms and legs in the water, and more. Children must be ages 3-5 to be in this class.
Water Exploration 2
Preschool (ages 3-5)
This program is designed to introduce swimmers to the water. Instructors will focus on how to float, blowing bubbles, and how to move arms and legs in the water with more independence than in Water Exploration 1.
Holland aquatic center swim school: School Age (K – 12 years old)
Class Length
35 minutes
Adult Involvement
Parents/guardians watch lessons from our spectator areas and are not in the pool with their child.
During the first lesson, your child will be asked to show their best skills. Our instructors will check to see if students can blow bubbles, submerge under water, float on their back, swim along the side of the pool, and demonstrate their best stroke. Students will be put into groups with others of a similar skill level. See class descriptions to learn more.
Stage 1: water adjustment
Students will learn to feel comfortable in the water with our friendly instructors. They will be introduced to basic water competency skills like gliding, bobbing, swimming 2 body lengths without assistance, floating, and more.
Stage 2: Water movement
Students begin to perform skills at a slightly more advanced level. This is the beginning of independent swimming. They will learn about treading, float-to-roll maneuvers, and how to combine arm and leg movements. Skills introduced at this level include fin and flutter, elementary backstroke arms and the beginnings of freestyle arms.
Stage 3: Introduction to Strokes
This program is designed to keep building on swimmers’ existing water skills. Instructors will teach swimmers to streamline glide on front and back, tread water, swim freestyle with side breathing, backstroke, and the beginnings of breaststroke and butterfly.
Stage 4: stroke technique
Students will increase their endurance by swimming greater distances with familiar strokes. They will learn sidestroke, submerging and swimming underwater, treading water for two minutes, and completing 25-50 yards with proper strokes like freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and elementary backstroke.
stage 5: stroke technique
Students refine performance for six basic strokes (freestyle, backstroke, side, elementary back and breaststrokes, butterfly). They will learn turns used in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly; angled dives into deep water; streamline to surface and swim across pool.
Macatawa Precompetitive Group (7 – 12 years old)
In six-week sessions, swimmers practice three days a week: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday early evenings.
Macatawa 1
Macatawa Swimmers offers school age students a first experience with the swimming team environment! Swimmers will focus on developing excellent stroke technique, swimming endurance and learn competitive swimming skills like starts and turns. Additionally, swimmers will gain experience practicing in a team setting with an emphasis on teamwork, encouragement, goal setting and great practice habits. Every session will finish with an opportunity to “compete” in an intrasquad meet during the last week of the session. Level 1 is intended for those swimmers who have passed Stage 4 (see above). To enroll in this program, swimmers must be ages K through 12 years old.
Macatawa 2
Level 2 is intended for those swimmers who are over 10 years of age, or receive a coach’s recommendation. Stroke technique and endurance continue to be developed in Macatawa 2.
Adult and Teen Beginner Lessons
CLASS LENGTH: 35 minutes
teen beginner lessons
This course aims to develop the foundation of swimming and comfort in the water for teens ages 13 to 17. Elements of the class include, floating, breathing and body position. The goal of the course is to develop a functional beginner front stroke and backstroke.
adult beginner & Advanced beginner lessons
This course aims to develop the foundation of swimming and comfort in the water for adults. Elements of the class include, floating, breathing and body position. The goal of the course is to develop a functional beginner front stroke and backstroke. Swimmers must be 18 or older to enroll in this course.
Private & Specialty Lessons
Private lessons are a convenient and efficient way to achieve your goals in the water. Lessons are scheduled at your convenience with one of our Swim School insutrctors. Whether you are learning to swim for the first time or are a seasoned swimmer looking to improve your technique, we can help!
You may begin with one lesson or a package of 10 lessons. All lesson scheduling and payments are conducted online.
Local Holland Schools
Through partnerships with local schools and support from our community, HAC provides free swim lessons for children in grades K-5. Students come to the Aquatic Center during their school day and receive 2 weeks of swim lessons each school year.
Watch our welcome video to learn more about what to expect for your child’s swim school.