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

It's disappointing that the instructors do not get in the water with the kids to help them learn the strokes and provide better guidance and demonstration

I really like the Aqua Stretch classes taught by Roubins, the Aquatics director. I love the pool & it is great for seniors like myself with arthritis & other physical issues. The water is so forgiving, great to exercise in & Roubins makes it a fun class!

More space for classes and stroke improvement classes for adults. The intermediate level classes are trying to handle too many diverse levels of swimmers.

Instructor need to train kids equally .. half of time kids spent hanging on the pool wall.

My daughter loves her instructor, Ms Abby, and looks forward to class each week.

Lifeguard and aquatics instructor, Addison, is the perfect instructor for my 6-year-old granddaughter. Addison is knowledgeable, attentive and kind.

The instructor is great! I really enjoy this class.

The instructors

The child/parent class in Melrose has been a lot of fun. Hellen is doing a great job teaching!

We have had great experiences with swim lessons for my children when they were very little (age 1 & 2) with parent/ child swim. However once my son got older and moved to preschool swim (age 3/4/5) swim he struggled. We tried many sessions and did not see much improvement or growth in confidence. We felt like he wasn't getting the support or structure he needed from the instructors. I think he would have benefited from instructors with more experience who were able to be assertive, help him build his confidence and feel less nervous. I plan to continue lessons at the Melrose Y for my 2 year old daughter but will be seeking lessons somewhere else for my son who is now 6 and still struggling with the basics.

The water aerobics instructor makes it fun! He has a great personality! Wish we could start right at 1pm, but students are still coming in.

Tanner is just awesome. My daughter really looks forward to swim class each week with him! He is engaging and excited to teach the class.

Ashley is such a great swim coach! My kids have her in different classes (parent child B and preschool 2) and she is great at positively meeting and challenging each student where they're at.

It feels a bit too crowded during the class. I think kids in the upper levels should have access to full lanes to practice more effectively. I've also noticed that some teachers spend time chatting with each other instead of focusing on instruction. Even if it's just around five minutes, it makes a difference since the class is only 30 minutes long. I would suggest improving teaching efficiency and providing some additional training or guidance for instructors to help them stay fully engaged during class.

The 'Y' can accommodate all your interests whatever your age - whether it be pickle ball, pool exercises, yoga, etc. I've made a lot of new friends, and the instructors are the best.

My son loves it

Very professionally run

This is a wonderful program. I always leave class feeling energized and my muscle tension released. My one note would be that class starts more consistently on time.

Really enjoyed the aquatics program for my toddler. The program was well organized and the director/instructor did a great job creating a comfortable environment for all the kids. I look forward to participating in another session in the future. Just wish the pool was warmer, prevent the infants from shivering!

Roubins is a great instructor at our parent-child classes. Appreciate how down to earth he is and good with the kids

I get lots of use out of the Y's pool .I take the Tuesday and Thursday water fitness class in the pool along with using the pool to do my laps . Roubins teaches the class and it is just perfect for this old lady. Between him showing us on the pool deck and in The water what to do we get it ! He plays good music for us to do our exercises too BUT Roubins personality outshines all of that . He is the best . And his water aerobics has improved my balance which is important for this senior gal . I also want the lifeguards to know they do a good job of watching us when we r in the pool swimming or in classes .

Classes are great but I wish they would push the kids to stretch their skills a bit more. For the grade school classes (level 2 and up) they need to be in the middle/deeper end of the pool. They are too tall to be in the shallow end and barely get a chance to get their legs up - the pool is a bit too crowded.

Roubins. Roubins, Robubins! He is a gem and all of us at the Melrose Y are lucky and thrilled to have him as our instructor and Aquatics director. He is highly competent, informative, compassionate, kind and super nice. He runs the Aquatics dept like a well oiled machine and his Aquatics class is just the best workout for those of us who are older or facing physical challenges. He encourages us to use proper body mechanics, but to always listen to our bodies. He always has a huge smile and his class is just plain fun! We get a great workout and an even better laugh. We always leave the class happy and feeling better than when we went in. And everyone leaving the class always has the same comment, "we are so lucky to have Roubins!" The staff at the Y is top notch from office staff to front desk to guards and housekeeping. We appreciate all you do to keep us healthy and safe!

The instructors are very professional and knowledgeable, they can improvise, adapt and overcome even with the lack of materials & equipment. Leadership needs to do the same on safety and scheduling. YMCA ADA is very lacking on accessibility for access to doorways and emergency exits.

Jack was an amazing instructor! Great at drawing the kids in and getting them to participate.