Ribbon Levels and Swim Awards by La Petite Baleen Swim Schools

At La Petite Baleen Swim Schools, our staff includes experts in child development and education, as well as instructors who have national, international, and Olympic swimming experience. We ensure all parents and swimmers understand our ribbon levels or swimming levels and what milestones must be reached in order to advance. When your child has advanced to the Gold Ribbon milestone, we offer guidance and assistance in their continuing development. Keep reading to learn more about our ribbon levels and swim awards in San Francisco, CA, and call us if you have any questions.

Understanding Our Ribbon Levels and Swimming Levels

Your child will be assessed at each swimming lesson. This allows us to understand their skill level and comfort in the water, evaluate their commitment to water safety and form, and determine if they need further instruction or support or are ready for the next challenge.

We award a ribbon each time your child reaches the next swimming level, which means that they are capable of performing all of the skills required to advance. We introduce skills for future ribbons based on the ability of each student so that they always stay challenged and engaged.

When your child earns a ribbon, they will progress to the next class level; however, they won’t necessarily progress to another swim class, as we group swimmers by age.

Level One: Water Acclimation

The goals of level one are to teach your child the basics of swimming, including emotional readiness, water safety, and proper breath control.

• Rainbow Ribbon – In order to earn a Rainbow Ribbon, your child must demonstrate that they can follow directions, make a ‘balloon face’ properly, and go three weeks in the pool without crying.
• Green Ribbon – In order to earn a Green Ribbon, your child must successfully complete face-to-face submersion in the water with breath control for at least three seconds, successfully complete back float with support for at least 10 seconds, successfully complete sit jumps with climb out, and successfully complete horizontal swim with dog paddles. After earning a Green Ribbon, your child will progress to level two.

Level Two: Basic Water Safety

The goal of level two is to teach your child how to complete certain swimming functions with proper form and safety. They will learn how to come up for air, how to swim, and how to float on their backs.

• Aqua Ribbon – In order to earn an Aqua Ribbon, your child must demonstrate five up-faces with equipment, a proper roll-over with assistance, and one independent up-face.
• Blue Ribbon – In order to earn a Blue Ribbon, your child must complete five up-faces and a roll-over without assistance and demonstrate a proper back swim with equipment.
• Red Ribbon – In order to earn a Red Ribbon, your child must complete sit jumps successfully without assistance, complete up-face roll-overs without assistance for at least 38 feet, complete a successful back float without assistance for at least 10 seconds, complete five up-faces without assistance, and complete a back swim without assistance for at least 38 feet. Once your child has earned a Red Ribbon, they can progress to level three.

Level Three: Confidence Building

The goals of level three are to help your child gain confidence in the water and improve water safety and endurance. Your child will gradually progress to deeper water to learn jumps, dives, and treading water. They will also learn how to swim underwater, how to jump into the pool, and how to get back to the wall safely without goggles.

• White Ribbon – In order to earn a White Ribbon, your child must demonstrate the ability to swim underwater without assistance for eight feet, complete boiling water back kicks with a kickboard for at least 38 feet, complete a Pencil Jump with no goggles, complete a front float without assistance for at least 10 seconds, and complete up-faces without assistance for 38 feet.
• Striped Ribbon – In order to earn a Striped Ribbon, your child must complete a successful dive, complete a surface dive to at least six feet, tread water independently for at least one minute, complete side kicks with a kickboard for 38 feet, and swim underwater without assistance for 16 feet. Once your child has earned a Striped Ribbon, they can progress to level four.

Level Four: Stroke Introduction

The goal of level four is to teach your child the basics of the four competitive swim strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

• Purple Ribbon – In order to earn a Purple Ribbon, your child must demonstrate wiggle-butts for 38 feet, streamline back kicks for 38 feet, big arms with kickboard for 38 feet, ship kick on back with kickboard for 38 feet, and sculling with flat hands for 38 feet.
• Orange Ribbon – In order to earn an Orange Ribbon, your child must successfully demonstrate racing from dive to glide, backstroke for 38 feet, elementary backstroke for 76 feet, catch-up freestyle for 38 feet, and an underwater swim without assistance for 38 feet. Once your child has earned an Orange Ribbon, they can progress to level five.

Level Five: Stroke Development

The goals of level five are to help your child put together the four competitive swim strokes and the sidestroke, as well as complete a racing dive to underwater wiggle-butts.

• Bronze Ribbon – In order to earn a Bronze Ribbon, your child must demonstrate a scissor kick with equipment and a three-second glide for 38 feet, a backstroke with racing start for 76 feet, a butterfly with fins for 38 feet, and a catch-up freestyle for 76 feet.
• Silver Ribbon – In order to earn a Silver Ribbon, your child must demonstrate a breathe, kick, and glide with a kickboard for 38 feet, a freestyle with bi-lateral breathing and racing start for 76 feet, a racing dive to underwater streamline dolphin kick, and a sidestroke for 38 feet.
• Gold Ribbon – In order to earn a Gold Ribbon, your child must demonstrate a breaststroke for 38 feet, a butterfly for 38 feet, an individual medley consisting of a butterfly to backstroke to breaststroke to freestyle combination with one length per stroke. Once your child earns a Gold Ribbon, they will be eligible for our Advanced Swimming classes.

Reaching the gold ribbon milestone signals that your child is ready to take the next step in their development. Whether that means joining a swim team, exploring junior lifeguards, or discovering artistic swimming, we are here to guide you.

Contact La Petite Baleen Swim Schools to Learn More

At La Petite Baleen Swim Schools, we offer swim classes for infants, children, and adults as well as aqua fitness classes. If you have any further questions about our swim levels, ribbon levels, or assessment processes, feel free to call us or reach out to us online. To sign your child up for swim classes in San Francisco, San Bruno, Redwood City, or Half Moon Bay, CA, please review our class levels, enrollment process, and class schedule online.