Bellingham Athletic Club

Winter Swim Lessons

Please note that our pool can remain open under the latest guidelines, so we are still running swim lessons.

November 3rd-24th
$84 +tax non-member – $52.50 per additional child
$75 +tax member – $50 per additional child
SWIM TEAM: $61.50/$51.50

December 1st-17th
$84 +tax non-member – $52.50 per additional child
$75 +tax member – $50 per additional child
SWIM TEAM: $61.50/$51.50

NOW TAKING REGISTRATIONS. PLEASE EMAIL US AT aquatics@bellinghamathleticclub.com  OR CALL THE FRONT DESK  AT 360-676-1800 TO SIGN UP.

FUTURE SESSIONS: January 5th-28th & February 2nd-25th

We are offering BELUGA group classes! No parent needed in the water! However, the Saturday morning parent/child class is still available if there is interest.

Limit of 4 kids in a class. Siblings can be kept together upon request as long as they’re similarly-abled. Classes are 30 minutes.

Classes will be Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 3:00 pm. Times will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, but may be subject to change slightly due to pool spacing and staff availability. If there is only one child in a class, we may ask to adjust times OR charge an additional $15.

Swim Team will run from 5:30-6:30 pm, and will be limited to 5 swimmers. If there is enough interest, we may add another lane to allow for more participants.

We will offer an Angelfish class on Saturday mornings, and a parent-led Beluga class, depending on the demand. In these classes, parents will be in the water with their child and an instructor will be on the side teaching the class. These classes will also be limited.

Private lessons during other times are available, depending on our instructors’ availability. The cost of private lessons outside of our scheduled swim lessons hours are $30 per 30-minute lesson.
You can call the front desk at 360-676-1800 to sign-up. Payment is due upon registration. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me: aquatics@bellinghamathleticclub.com.

COVID precautions/protocols
Please wear a mask when you are in the building. Masks are not required in the pool.

Restrooms will be available for bathroom use and hand washing only. The hot tub will be closed.

We ask you to limit to one adult bringing the swimmers. We understand that siblings may need to come, but we urge you to try to limit the number of people coming when possible.

Teachers will wear face shields. While chlorine is known to kill COVID and other viruses, we feel this will add an extra layer of protection for both our instructors and your swimmers.

We will be checking the temperatures of anybody who enters the building and ask you to sign in at each lesson.

We also have an updated waiver. We will have hard copies available on the first day of lessons, but can email a copy to you upon request.

If you are unable to attend a given day, please email or call so we can adjust staffing accordingly.

Most important: nobody should come to the pool sick or with symptoms! Do not come if you or anyone with you can answer yes to any of these questions.
o Do you have a fever or have you felt hot or feverish recently (14 – 21 days)?
o Are you having shortness of breath or other difficulties breathing?
o Do you have a cough?
o Have you experienced a recent loss of taste or smell?
o Are you experiencing any other flu-like symptoms, such as gastrointestinal upset, headache and /or fatigue?
o Have you been in contact with any confirmed COVID-19 positive patients?

Swim Lessons are Back!

Hello BAC Swim Families! We are thrilled to be able to offer swim lessons again! Swim Lessons will start on October 6th.

Because of the ongoing pandemic, we do have some temporary modifications to our regular program. Hopefully, when Whatcom County moves to Phase 3, we can resume “normal” lessons again. At this time, we will only be able to offer Clownfish, Dolphin, Flounder, Jellyfish, Manatee, and Swim Team. It is important for our teachers to practice safe social distancing with the kids, and we don’t feel that we can deliver safe, effective swim instruction to Beluga classes given the conditions. However, we are excited to offer a parent/child class for those abilities. You can find more details below.

Lessons will be private or semi-private. We will keep similarly-abled siblings or close friends (upon request) together. Classes will be 20-minutes. The cost for a 4-week session is $96 for one child or $156 for two children. (MEMBERS $86/$136) Your child will receive tailor-made instruction, which is an ideal way to progress in their swimming abilities. Classes will be Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 3:00 pm. TImes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, but may be subject to change slightly due to pool spacing and staff availability. Our parent/child classes will be offered Saturday mornings. Swim Team will run from 5:20-6:20 pm and will be limited to 5 swimmers. If there is enough interest, we may add another time.

We will offer an Angelfish class on Saturday mornings, and 2 parent-led Beluga classes, depending on the demand. In these classes, parents will be in the water with their child and an instructor will be on the side teaching the class. These classes will also be limited.

Please wear a mask when you are in the building. Masks are not required in the pool.

Please bring your own towel. There are none available at the Club at this time.

Restrooms will be available for bathroom use and hand washing.

The hot tub will be closed.

We ask you to limit to one adult bringing the swimmers. We understand that siblings may need to come, but we urge you to try to limit the number of people coming when possible.

We will also provide a disinfectant and ask that you clean your seating area before use.

Teachers will wear face shields. While chlorine is known to kill COVID and other viruses, we feel this will add an extra layer of protection for both our instructors and your swimmers. Teachers will rely heavily on verbal instruction and visual demonstration to teach skills.

We will be checking the temperatures of anybody who enters the building and ask you to sign in at each lesson.

We also have an updated waiver. We will have hard copies available on the first day of lessons but can email a copy to you upon request.

If you are unable to attend a given day, please email or call so we can adjust staffing accordingly.

Most important: nobody should come to the pool sick or with symptoms! Do not come if you or anyone with you can answer yes to any of these questions:

Do you have a fever or have you felt hot or feverish recently (14 – 21 days)?

  • Are you having shortness of breath or other difficulties breathing?
  • Do you have a cough?
  • Have you experienced a recent loss of taste or smell?
  • Are you experiencing any other flu-like symptoms, such as gastrointestinal upset, headache, and/or fatigue?
  • Have you been in contact with any confirmed COVID-19 positive patients?

Private lessons during other times are available, depending on our instructors’ availability. The cost of private lessons outside of our scheduled swim lessons hours is $30 per 30-minute lesson.

You can call the front desk at 360-676-1800 to sign-up. Payment is due upon registration. If you have any questions, please feel free to email aquatics@bellinghamathleticclub.com.  We are looking forward to getting back up and running!

BAC 2 School!

We are trying to step up and help those parents who are struggling to manage school-age children and the remote learning that is taking place across the county.  We are calling our program BAC 2 School.  It will include supervised homework, class sessions, recess, and PE.  We hope to start this program Wednesday, September 9th.  We are hoping to be very nimble in responding to kids’ and parents’ needs.

Here are the logistics of the BAC 2 School program:

Monday-Friday, 8:00am-3:00pm

Pricing for Full Day:

Member: $40
Sibling: $35

Non-Member: $50
Sibling: $45

Pay by the hour (2-hour minimum stay):

Member: $8 per hour
2 hours: $16
3 hours: $24
4 hours: $32
5+ hours: $40

Non-Member: $10 per hour
2 hours: $20
3 hours: $30
4 hours: $40
5+ hours: $50

*Child has to be on Family or Single Parent membership to qualify for member pricing*

Mask Policy:
Kids will be required to wear their masks any time they are walking around the facility and cannot social distance. They will not be required to wear their masks while sitting down at their desk, exercising, or eating.

Food Policy:
Kids will bring their own lunch and snacks.

Group Supervised Learning

Exciting news! We are going to offer group supervised learning for school-aged children. Our plan is for 4-hour blocks: including recess, homework facilitation, Zoom class-work supervision, and PE. We know parents are struggling to help their children be successful in the “virtual learning” environment while trying to work and take care of their daily tasks. We can be flexible, so let us know what you need. We will set up socially distant classrooms; have an instructor for a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 students, grouped by grade and Zoom class times. We have WiFi available, plus all classroom supplies that might be required. We are working on a fee structure and lining up instructors.

If you are interested, please contact us ASAP so we can set everything up. We are thrilled to be able to offer an option for our member parents and kids!

Note: Employees must wear masks at all times. The kids will only wear masks if they cannot social distance and when they walk through the club. Masks will not be required if they are sitting at a table doing schoolwork or Zooming. They will not be required to wear masks during exercise or while they eat.

BAC is still awaiting the move to Phase 3 for Whatcom County. The COVID numbers have been coming down so we are hopeful that will happen soon. Traffic in the club has been steady and improving, we have not had a problem with crowding in either facility. Reminder: Water aerobics and group ex classes are available in person and online, call to enroll. We so appreciate all the members who are using the club, we love seeing everyone!

Thanks so much for your support. Cathy

Jr. Racquetball Lessons

Junior Racquetball Lessons begin the week of March 9 (4 Weeks, 8 Lessons). Sign up at the Cordata Facility Front Desk.

Members $48; Child of Member $54, Non-Member $60

BEGINNERS:
Mon/Wed — 4:30-5:15 pm
INTERMEDIATES:
Tues/Thurs — 5:15-6:00 pm
ADVANCED:
Tues/Thurs — 4:30-5:15 pm

All classes taught by BAC Club Pro, Wanda Collins. Wanda has been teaching juniors for over 20 years and was the Director of Junior Development for the Washington Racquetball Association.

BAC Birthday Parties!

Have a birthday coming up? We would love to host your child’s next birthday! Packages include games, activities, decorations, cake, and an hour in the pool. We will do all of the setup and clean up so all you have to do is come ready to party. Now join us on non-FNO Fridays 6-8:30 pm, as well as Saturdays and Sundays 1:30-4 pm or 4:30-7 pm. Both members and non-members are welcome to have their next birthday with us.

When Should My Child Start Swim Lessons?

Learning to swim should be a priority for every family. It’s an important life skill that can play a key role in helping to prevent drowning—a top cause of death among children. Children, and their parents, need to learn how to swim to help keep time in the water safe and fun!

Recent studies suggest that water survival skills training and swim lessons can help reduce drowning risk for children between ages 1-4. Classes that include both parents and their children also are a good way to introduce good water safety habits and start building swim readiness skills. Children develop at different rates, and not all are ready to begin swim lessons at exactly the same age. When making your decision, keep your child’s emotional maturity, physical and developmental abilities and limitations, and comfort level in the water in mind. If your child seems ready, it’s a good idea to start lessons now.

By their 4th birthday, most children are ready for swim lessons. At this age, they usually can learn basic water survival skills such as floating, treading water, and getting to an exit point. By age 5 or 6, most children in swim lessons can learn the front crawl.

Remember, swim lessons don’t make kids “drown-proof.” Always keep in mind that swim lessons are just one of several important layers of protection needed to help prevent drowning. Another layer includes constant, focused supervision when your child is in or near a pool or any body of water. It is also essential to block access to pools during non-swim time.

If you’re ready to start your child (or yourself!) in lessons or to continue with lessons, our next session starts on February 4th! We offer all levels at several different times throughout the day. We also have parent/child classes, adult lessons and swim team. If you’re interested in a specific time, please email us at aquatics@bellinghamathleticclub.com. If you’d like to sign up, please call or stop by the front desk!

Finally, February is referral month at BAC. If you refer a friend to our program and they sign up for a session, you will receive a $5 credit towards lessons. Talk to our aquatics director or the front desk for more information.