Anonymous wrote:Pre-team can be great for a kid who can already doggie paddle a bit and is motivated by being with the big kids. The level of swimming instruction though is pretty low (at our pool a couple coaches give instruction from the side and 13-14 year olds are in the water helping). Plus, as others have said, you need to be a pool member to join. Our pool also offers small group and private lessons for the pre-pre team kids which is probably more what you are looking for. Two weeks on lessons everyday (that’s how ours run) plus lots of playtime at the pool got my kids swimming well.the consistency was key
My teens are the preteam helpers and the coaches guide them with explicit instructions on how to help the pre-teamers, one step at a time. They get 1:1 attention from teens who have been swimming for a lot of their lives, so they know what they're doing. The little kids progress and they LOVE having teen helpers who dote on them. I wouldn't say the instruction is poor at every pool, my kids learned a lot when they were in it and they now do a good job being the big kids and paying it forward.