fun is had while gaining balance.

The instructors have all been super sweet, however i think the classes don't focus on pool safety with the kids and every class seems to be the same thing

The greatest swim program and highly successful program needed for younger children!
The swim program has a Great director Ruben who is so helpful and amazing kind caring worker who is very patient and supportive and helpful to all of the students in the classes . Ruben helped my daughter when she was in the younger swim classes and my daughter has really took a liking to him and so proud to show him her accomplishments. My daughter has came very far from not knowing how to swim,follow instructions and terrible at listening in class when she started (3yrs old) to being able to backstroke ,dive, better listener and she can swim the whole pool at 6 !!
Thank you Ruben and the the staff who have been kind and caring and patient and supportive with my daughter !
Best swim classes around !

Excellent staffing, environment management and qualified safety training equipment

My daughter is a very nervous kid and the fact that we have to go in the other room during class has been incredibly hard.

I feel I am benefiting from this exercise class. The teacher is great and he really connects with the group.

I think it’s great

The instructor is great! Makes it lots of fun. I enjoy the group very much.

Victoria was an excellent teacher, the facilities are good.

The instructors and good with kids and taught my kids useful skills. My kids really enjoyed their swim class.

My baby really enjoys swim lessons and being in the water. Given that he’s only 8 months, it would be nice if parents could stay and watch. I wish there were safety seats in the family changing room stalls. It would be great to have someplace to safely put my child while I am also getting changed, especially when wet after class.

Love the routine and it's a 1/2 hr Lots of dads

We've now done multiple rounds of swim lessons at the YMCA, and unfortunately the experience continues to be frustrating enough that I can't recommend it. The biggest issue is the "parents cannot stay" policy. For very young children, this is incredibly difficult to justify. As a parent, I'm being asked to trust instructors I've never met, without ever seeing how they interact with my children or what they are actually learning in the water. It also makes it nearly impossible to understand my kids' strengths, weaknesses, and progress. The written "report cards" simply do not provide enough meaningful feedback to replace firsthand observation. Instructor quality has also been inconsistent. One of the only reasons we re-enrolled was because of Rubens, who is excellent—engaged, effective, and clearly skilled with kids. However, that level of quality is not consistent across the program. My daughter's instructor never introduced herself, and based on what my child reports, her tone and language with the kids have not been appropriate for a young learning environment. What's most disappointing is that this isn't an isolated experience. Many families we know have had similar concerns, particularly around communication, transparency, and overall instructional quality. The convenience of scheduling is the only strong point. Beyond that, the program feels uneven, and too much of the experience depends on getting lucky with an individual instructor rather than benefiting from a consistently well-run, well-trained program. I genuinely hope the Y considers revisiting both its parent access policy and its instructor training standards, because with changes, this could be a much stronger offering for families.

The water exercises

Fun, educational swim lessons. My son loves Coach Ricky!

My son took his first swim lessons at the Y this winter, and I've been so impressed with the experience. He's become much more confident in the water over just a few weeks. It's remarkable to see all the skills he has now. He loves sharing what he learns each week with his younger brother too! His instructor, Roubius, has been a great example. Roubius is always kind and calm, while still holding high expectations for the students. I appreciate the respectful environment he creates with an emphasis on safety. Thank you!

Great instructors! My kids love going to swim class.

Seems like there is inconsistency in how the teachers judge the kids skills…and also inconsistency in their skills for teaching swimming. If a kid is actively engaged and it takes more than 3 sessions to get to next level that suggest an issue with instruction. Feel like a 40 minute class might work better.

Kate was a fabulous instructor - so patient

I've been a little concerned about water safety. They don't enforce rules with the kids like keeping feet on the island, head above water. Instructors are often not paying attention and while there are life guards, they don't seem to scan the water or interfere when kids are not being safe.

My son has made amazing progress this year in his class with Ashley. She follows a similar rhythm every class but still diversifies tasks to challenge each student appropriately. I am so grateful for her!

Group classes have been great for getting my kids more comfortable with water and basic skills. My 4-year-old also does private swim at the Y which we have loved and is more compatible with his needs and how he will best learn, so we feel lucky to have that option!

Everything

I am very pleased with the Roubins, the instructor! He makes the classes fun and invigorating! I like the schedule of 1-2, T & Th, it fits into my scheduling routines perfectly. I have already recommended Aqua Stretch to many current members as well as friends that have yet to join Melrose YMCA. Julie G.

My grandson only takes the swim classes He has been a member for 3 years He enjoys his classes