Bridge Swim Program

About Bridge Swim Program

Description
The Bridge Swim Program is a youth program designed to help swimmers transition from a swim lesson environment and “bridge” the gap to swimming as a sport or for exercise. From the Bridge Swim program, swimmers can advance to a USA Swimming club team or to a non-competitive swim program in a group or team environment.

Practices will be a large group environment with coaches on the pool deck. There is NO in-water/hands-on instruction, so your swimmer must meet the requirements without any assistance.

Practices
Practices run on weekdays with individual registration for each day in order to allow for flexibility.

We strongly recommend swimmers attend 2+ days per week to maximize their progression and take full advantage of the program design.

Beginner Group: 3:45pm, 5:15pm
Intermediate Group: 4:30pm, 6:00pm

Practices are 45 minutes long.

Goals of the Bridge program
– Provide swimmers the opportunity to swim in a group environment.
– Teach swimmers the skills needed to move from swim lessons/swim school into swimming as a sport.  Skills taught include circle swimming and drop & push.
– Help swimmers improve technique in the four competitive strokes.
– Provide opportunities for swimmers to increase endurance and practice skills through the repetition of swimming laps under the watchful eye of a coach.
– Encourage social connections to team members, coaches and the swimming community.

Evaluation
All swimmers taking part in the Bridge Swim Program will be evaluated on their first day to ensure they are appropriate for the class and safe in the water.

Requirements
Beginner Group
25 yards freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke kicks, or pass our Swim School’s Level 3.

Intermediate Group
50 yards freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke as well as 25 yards dolphin kick or pass our Swim School’s Level 4.

Questions? Please email customerservice@menloswim.com

Schedule

The Fall Schedule for the Bridge Swim program will run:

September 3 – December 21

Practices are 45 minutes long.

Beginner

Intermediate

Bridge Holidays
There will be NO Bridge practice on the following days:

Pricing

Fall Session
Resident: $384 for season ($24 per practice for 16 weeks)
Non-Resident: $416 for season ($26 per practice for 16 weeks)

**Booked as 1 practice per week for duration of session!*

Requirements

Beginner Group
25 yards freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke or the pass of Swim School Level 3.

Intermediate Group
50 yards freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke as well as 25 yards dolphin kick or the passing of Menlo Swim School Level 4.

Evaluations and Registration Dates

Evaluations occur during the first week of practice.

Cancellation Policy

• No makeups/credits/refunds for missed classes
• Non-refundable 15% cancellation fee
• Pro-rated cancellation are available minus past sessions and 15% non-refundable fee

We will have a waitlist for individual classes to allow for late additions if there are cancellations.

Schedule

The Winter Schedule for the Bridge Swim program will run:

January 6 – March 15

Practices are 45 minutes long.

Beginner

Intermediate

Registration opens Monday, December 16th at 12:00pm (noon). Classes will be available to view online on Friday, December 13th.

Bridge Holidays
There will be NO Bridge practice on the following days:

Pricing

Fall Session
Resident: $240 for season ($24 per practice for 10 weeks)
Non-Resident: $260 for season ($26 per practice for 10 weeks)

**Booked as 1 practice per week for duration of session!*

Registration opens Monday, December 16th at 12:00pm (noon). Classes will be available to view online on Friday, December 13th.

Requirements

Beginner Group
25 yards freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke or the pass of Swim School Level 3.

Intermediate Group
50 yards freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke as well as 25 yards dolphin kick or the passing of Menlo Swim School Level 4.

Evaluations and Registration Dates

Evaluations occur during the first week of practice.

Cancellation Policy

• No makeups/credits/refunds for missed classes
• Non-refundable 15% cancellation fee
• Pro-rated cancellation are available minus past sessions and 15% non-refundable fee

We will have a waitlist for individual classes to allow for late additions if there are cancellations.

Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation Scholarships

2024 Update

At this time, Menlo Swim & Sport is not offering BBAF scholarships for the Bridge Swim program. Scholarships will be offered for Group Swim Lessons in Levels 1-4 for the 2024 year. You can find more information and apply for scholarships here.

Menlo Swim & Sport is proud to partner with the Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation (BBAF). BBAF offers scholarships to those financially in need who want to develop a life-long love for swimming in the Bay area. You can visit their website by clicking the link above to see all of their partners in the Bay area.

Thank you,

Meet the Coaches

FAQ’s

Q: How do I get started?
A: All swimmers taking part in the Bridge Swim Program will be evaluated on their first day to confirm they are fully comfortable and safe in the water to be able to swim a full lap. In the future, we will run pre-signup skill assessments to help people determine what level of the swim school their swimmer would fit.

During the first week, the swimmers will be grouped together into lanes of similar skill levels to help the coaches provide an appropriate teaching environment for the range of abilities within a group.

Q: Do I have to register my swimmer for USA Swimming?
A: This program is not affiliated with a USA Swimming Club and therefore, like swim lessons, swimmers are not required to register with USA Swimming.

Q: Can I mix and match practices between the different times and days?
A: No. At this time we will be sticking to our structure as-is for consistency and safety.

Q: What does the unassisted 25 yard swim look like?
A: The swimmer must demonstrate comfortability and safety in the water. They must be able to swim an unassisted 25 yards of freestyle (i.e. big arms with side breathing or rolling on the back for a breath).

Q: Why should I sign up for Bridge Swim program?
A: The bridge program is designed for the following goals:
– Provide swimmers the opportunity to experience swimming in a group environment
– Teach swimmers the skills needed to move from swim lessons/swim school to a Swim program – circle swimming, drop & push
– Provides the opportunity for swimmers to practice skills through the repetition of swimming laps, under the watchful eye of a coach.
– Social outlet
– Provide instruction on the four competitive strokes.

Please contact our Customer Service team with any questions you might have: customerservice@menloswim.com

Pool Rules

General Pool Rules

• No swimming allowed unless a lifeguard is on duty.
• Children ages fourteen (14) and under must be supervised by an adult at all times while at the pool facility.
• Children 5 years and under must have a parent/guardian in the pool, within arm’s reach at all times.
• Roughhousing, shoving, and dunking are not allowed. No pushing or pulling into the pool, hitting with noodles or other objects.
• No spins, flips, belly flops, back dives, or back jumps.
• No long breath holding, hyperventilating, or extended underwater swimming is allowed.
• No playing, swinging, jumping, or diving on stairs, ladders, or railings.
• No diving into the Instructional Pool. Jump in feet first, facing forward only.
• Water wings and other inflatable devices are not allowed. Only Coast Guard approved flotation devices are permissible and must be provided by the patron.
• Non-toilet trained children must adhere to the double diaper policy. They must wear a water-proof diaper and a diaper cover; a swim suit over the diaper counts as a diaper cover.
• Swimmers must wear proper swim attire at all times.
• No glass or ceramic containers are allowed anywhere in the facility.
• No running or skipping on deck. Walk at all times to avoid accidents.
• No unauthorized swim lessons or coaching.
• Please do not visit with or distract the lifeguards. If you have questions, inquire inside at the Front Desk.
• Only lifeguards who are properly trained are allowed on lifeguard chairs.
• No sitting on, pushing down, or swimming over lane lines.
• Kickboards, pull buoys and fins provided by Menlo Swim and Sport are for lap swimming only. They are not allowed in open swim areas.
• Starting blocks are for use by competitive programs only when directly supervised by a qualified coach.
• No smoking (including electronic cigarettes), alcohol, or drugs allowed in the facility.
• No food or drink on the pool deck. Eating is permitted on tables, benches and grassy areas.
• Bicycles, skateboards, in-line skates, and other vehicles are not allowed to be operated in the pool area and must be walked while on deck.
• No dogs or other pets are allowed in the facility except service animals.
• Persons currently having active diarrhea or who have had active diarrhea within the previous 14 days shall not be allowed to enter the pool water.
• Changing clothes on deck is not allowed.
• In the event of an emergency, follow directions from the staff.
• Any action or behavior that is deemed unsafe or inappropriate by the aquatics staff will not be allowed. All aquatics staff have full authority over guests using the pool area and as situations warrant, they may enforce rules not listed.
• The Pool Manager on Duty may close the entire pool complex or any portion(s) of the pool complex, for any safety or maintenance reason.
• Please respect the rights of others to feel safe and secure.
• Please refrain from using profanity or offensive language, loud conversations or music, inappropriate public display of affection, or any other disruptive behavior
• Admission price is for one entry only. No in and out privileges.
• Menlo Swim and Sport, Team Sheeper, Inc. and City of Menlo Park are not responsible for any lost or stolen personal items and assume no liability for the loss or theft of a patron’s personal belongings.
• Lockers are provided to secure personal belongings; guests may bring locks for use on lockers. All locks must be removed at the end of the day.

Facility Rules

• Locker rooms will close 20 minutes after the pool closes.
• Emergency doors are to remain closed and be used in case of emergency only.
• Emergency doors, facility doors, storage areas, and safety equipment are not to be blocked by guests or objects.
• Please dispose of all trash in receptacles provided.
• Restrooms and locker rooms may not be used for loitering or other unintended uses. Cell phone use in locker rooms is prohibited
• Offices and areas marked as “Employees Only” are not for use by the general public unless approved by staff.

Bridge Swim Program

• Only participants who are registered for a class or program may attend.
• Siblings of a participant may not join any class or program without registering.
• During a class or registered program, parents must wait in designated areas. Please respect the instructors, counselors, or coaches, as well as the other participants of the class by avoiding any interruptions.
• Participants and parents must follow all specific class and program policies unless otherwise specified.
• For programs that require parents to sign in and out their children, ONLY a parent or designated guardian (over 18 years old) will be allowed to pick up and/or drop off the child unless otherwise communicated with staff.

Thank you for helping keep our swimming pool safe and enjoyable for everyone!