Designing Lesson Plans for Different Swim Skills

Whether you’re coaching beginners, working with competitive swimmers, or running group swim lessons, a well-structured lesson plan is key to building confidence, technique, and long-term progress in the water. Each swimmer develops at their own pace, and targeted lesson plans for different swim skills ensure that every session is purposeful, engaging, and tailored to ability.

In this article, we’ll break down how to design effective swim lesson plans for various skill levels — from first-time swimmers to those mastering all four strokes.

🧠 Why Structured Swim Lesson Plans Matter

Lesson plans help:

• Provide progressive learning goals

• Maximize efficiency and safety

• Track development over time

• Balance fun, technique, and repetition

• Customize instruction to swimmer age, ability, and confidence

A clear plan also helps instructors stay focused, flexible, and prepared to manage diverse learners in a single session.

🏊 Categories of Swim Skill Development

Swim skills generally fall into these levels:

1. Water Comfort and Safety

2. Foundational Movement and Breath Control

3. Stroke Introduction

4. Stroke Refinement and Endurance

5. Advanced Skills and Competitive Techniques

Let’s look at how to plan for each.

🍼 Level 1: Water Comfort and Safety

Target Swimmers: Babies, toddlers, or complete beginners

🔑 Lesson Objectives:

• Enter/exit water safely

• Blow bubbles and submerge face

• Float with assistance (front/back)

• Kick while holding a wall or instructor

• Learn pool rules and boundaries

📝 Sample Lesson Plan:

• 5 min: Welcome, review pool rules

• 10 min: Water play (splashing, toys)

• 10 min: Assisted front/back float

• 5 min: Kick practice with support

• 5 min: Game (e.g., "Red Light, Green Light")

✅ Focus on comfort and confidence in the water before stroke work begins.

🌊 Level 2: Foundational Movement and Breath Control

Target Swimmers: Young learners or older beginners

🔑 Lesson Objectives:

• Hold breath and submerge

• Push off wall in streamline

• Float unassisted

• Begin freestyle kick

• Practice face-in-the-water breathing

📝 Sample Lesson Plan:

• 5 min: Streamline push-offs

• 10 min: Breath holding and bubbles

• 10 min: Kickboard flutter kick

• 10 min: Front float + kick (no board)

• 5 min: Game (e.g., bubble races)

✅ Use lots of visual cues and games to keep students engaged.

🏃 Level 3: Stroke Introduction

Target Swimmers: Swimmers ready to learn strokes

🔑 Lesson Objectives:

• Intro to freestyle arm pull

• Intro to backstroke

• Side breathing for freestyle

• Begin treading water

• Kick and arm timing basics

📝 Sample Lesson Plan:

• 5 min: Warm-up with streamline push-off + kicks

• 10 min: Freestyle arm drills (e.g., catch-up drill)

• 10 min: Side breathing drill (e.g., 3-3-3 drill)

• 10 min: Backstroke with kickboard

• 5 min: Review + cool-down

✅ Focus on timing and balance more than speed or distance.

🏅 Level 4: Stroke Refinement and Endurance

Target Swimmers: Intermediate to advanced learners

🔑 Lesson Objectives:

• Build endurance with 25m+ swims

• Refine technique in freestyle and backstroke

• Introduce breaststroke and butterfly basics

• Begin turns and wall push-offs

📝 Sample Lesson Plan:

• 5 min: Warm-up (200m choice)

• 15 min: Freestyle technique + breathing drills

• 10 min: Backstroke and body rotation drills

• 10 min: Intro breaststroke kick + pull separately

• 5 min: Dolphin kick drill on back

✅ Use stroke-specific drills and include feedback sessions.

🏊‍♂️ Level 5: Advanced Skills and Competitive Techniques

Target Swimmers: Pre-team, team swimmers, or strong recreational swimmers

🔑 Lesson Objectives:

• Master all four strokes

• Perform starts, flip turns, and pullouts

• Improve pacing and stroke count

• Train IM transitions

• Learn race strategies

📝 Sample Lesson Plan:

• 10 min: Warm-up (300m IM swim + drills)

• 20 min: Drill sets by stroke (e.g., 4x50 butterfly catch, 4x50 breast kick)

• 10 min: Turns + underwaters practice

• 10 min: Sprint sets (e.g., 4x25 sprints off blocks)

• 5 min: Cool-down + stretch

✅ Record and analyze video for technique feedback where possible.

🛠 Tips for All Skill Levels

• 🧠 Plan ahead, but be flexible — adjust based on swimmer mood or weather

• 🗣️ Give simple cues — use short, clear language like “face in, eyes down”

• 📈 Track progress — maintain records to monitor development

• 🧒 Build fun into structure — games reinforce skills and boost motivation

• 🔄 Repeat and reinforce — repetition builds muscle memory

🏁 Final Thoughts

Designing swim lesson plans by skill level helps swimmers progress faster, safer, and with more confidence. Whether you’re teaching toddlers to float or helping teens master butterfly, the key is to structure each session with purpose, progression, and positivity.

With thoughtful planning and dynamic delivery, every swimmer — no matter the level — can succeed in the water.