Swim Lessons

Grizzly Pool swim lessons are offered for ages from 3 – 15 years old. During this time we are modifying our group lessons to account for COVID safety protocols. Limited classes will be offered with reduced capacity and special social distancing measures will be taken. Levels 1 and 2 will require one parent/guardian to accompany the swimmer in the water. Levels 3, 4 and 5 will be set up so as to ensure social distancing. This set of lessons will be on Tuesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Each session includes eight lessons with some out of water instruction and 30-minute in water instruction.

Registration Date: Opens on Oct. 5 at 7am. Closes at 12pm on the first day of class.

Location: Grizzly Pool

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays, October 13 - November 5 OR Mondays & Fridays, October 14 - November 6

Available Times: 3-3:45pm, 3:35-4:20pm, 4:20-4:55pm

Cost: $55 for all 8 sessions

Private lessons are available for all ages and are also based on instructor availability. Private lessons offer one-on-one instruction, and participants can choose the skills they would like to focus on and improvements they would like to make with their swimming. Call (406) 243-5337 or email grizpool.student@mso.umt.edu to inquire about private lessons. Call the pool at 243-2763 for more information.

Class Level Descriptions

The Grizzly Pool Lessons and Water Safety program combines the best in swim instruction with a strong emphasis on drowning prevention and water safety. Courses are available for a variety of ages and skill levels to encourage healthy, lifelong recreational habits and to help keep your family safe.

Level 1: Must be at least 3 years old. Not yet ready to go underwater, some anxiety to work through.

Level 2: Prereqs: Must be comfortable going underwater and be able to float on front and back.
Level 3: Prereqs: Must have fair knowledge of crawl stroke for 6-10 feet. Must have an independent front and back float with kick.
Level 4: Prereqs: Must have an efficient crawl stroke for 15-20 feet. Knowledge of elementary backstroke is helpful but not essential. Backstroke for 15-20 feet. Working on stroke and breathing refinement and more endurance.

Swim Lesson Program Policies

Learning how to swim is extremely important. Our objective is to offer high-quality lessons to all our students and provide focused fun during our lessons to make sure swimmers progress in the learning process. To make the environment conducive to learning, we ask for the parent/guardian cooperation with the following Grizzly Pool Policies.

Closed Deck

To allow our instructors to bond with their students in a safe and secure environment with limited distractions the Grizzly Pool has a closed deck policy. We encourage parents/guardians to accompany their swimmers in the locker rooms and out on deck, then once class starts the parents/guardians are asked to wait in the hallway. The Head Instructor will come and collect the parents/guardians before the last five minutes of lessons are over. This closed deck policy for parents/guardians will last for the first 4 lessons, after that parents/ guardians are more than welcome to watch from our balcony. Parents/guardians are required to stay in the building while lessons are taking place.

Class Changing

We reserve the right to change students levels based on ability. It is vital that each student be correctly placed in order for them to get as much out of the learning experience as possible. We also may modify or cancel classes based on the number of students registered in each level.

Refunds

Due to limited space and high demand, cancelations and refunds must be made two business days prior to the first lesson. Refunds and prorating will not be given for absences except for special unusual circumstances.

Locker Rooms

The safety and privacy of all patrons is of paramount importance to the Grizzly Pool staff. In order to ensure the safety of our young patrons as well as the cleanliness of our locker room Grizzly Pool policies are as follows:

During private rentals locker rooms are only accessible to participants of the renting organization.
Patrons age five and younger are allowed to change in the locker room of their opposite gender. If your child is above the age of five and still needs you to accompany them we have a family changing room you are welcome to use upon request to our staff.
We do not allow videos or pictures to be taken inside the facility – this is for the children’s safety.
No food is allowed in the locker rooms or on the pool deck in order to comply with health code requirements.

Make a Splash

The Grizzly Pool is a part of the USA Swimming Foundation’s water safety initiative, Make a Splash. The USA Swimming Foundation launched Make a Splash in 2007 with the goal to teach every child to learn to swim. In order to accomplish this, the Make a Splash initiative spreads awareness of the importance to learn to swim and be safe around water to every community in the country.