FAQs

When you arrive at the pool, please wait for our coaching staff to address the group. They will instruct each swimmer where to go to begin his or her tryout. Parents can observe our tryouts from the pool gallery. You are free to leave after your child’s tryout, and you will be contacted within one week of your tryout date to inform you if your child is able to join the team at this time.

All swimmers should arrive ready to swim with their swimsuits on and arrive 15 minutes prior to your tryout time. Swimmers should bring swim goggles, a towel, and a water bottle. A swim cap is also recommended.

Full payment is due at the time of registration. Once the registration process is complete, there are no refunds for any reason, regardless of how many practices the swimmer attends (even if that number is zero practices attended).

The cost of the groups will not be prorated for any reason, including late registration.

10% Discount will be available for additional siblings.

If you are registering siblings you must call the Fitness & Wellness desk or come into the JCC to complete payment in person or via email. The sibling discount will not get applied via online registration. We apologize for that inconvenience. Payment plans can be available upon request.

We cannot move swimmers to different practice groups to accommodate different schedules or missed practices. We apologize in advance for this, but it is not possible due to the size of our program and the number of swimmers per lane and group size will be limited. Swimmers cannot attend practices on days other than their scheduled group times.

Katz JCC Sharks Swim Team is a non-competitive, family-oriented team.

You can register online, in person, via email or over the phone.
Full payment for the entire session is due at the time of registration. Dues cannot be prorated or refunded for any reason, regardless of how many practices the swimmer attends (even if that number is zero practices attended).

Registration/Payment
Payment can be completed over the phone at 856-485-9481 x1150 or x1144
In-person at the Fitness & Wellness control desk
or on this web page
Via email: Swim coach Veronica Refela: vrefela@jfedsnj.org, Aquatics Director Svetlana Barker: sbarker@jefdsnj.org

10% Discount will be available for additional siblings.

Our pool hours vary. Please call is for more information.

Our outdoor pool is open from late May until early September.

All children must be over the age of two to use our pool.

The average class runs in 4-week sessions and are limited to 3-4 children in a class.

We offer swimming lessons for ages 6months+ and Aqua Aerobics classes such as: Aqua Yoga, Aqua Blast, Aqua Jam, Aqua Zumba, etc.

Children should come ready to swim in their suits and swim diapers, if necessary. Children should bring their goggles and swim caps if necessary based on their level. Don’t forget your towel! If you’d like to change prior to heading home, swimmers can use our changing stations in the locker rooms or aquatic hallway.

We are proud to offer American Red Cross certifications for lifeguarding, First Aid, CPR, and water skills training. Please contact us to learn more about our upcoming classes.

Both class structures are designed to ensure your child receives the best care possible. If you are looking for your child to learn at a quicker rate, we suggest signing up for a private one-on-one class. However, if you want a more relaxed and affordable class, we suggest trying one of our group classes.

For any questions regarding aquatic programs and facilities, please contact Svetlana Barker, Aquatics Director, at sbarker@jfedsnj.org or call (856) 651-1290 x1144.

Your child may participate in the same level for more than one session until they are comfortable in their abilities. Once they master the skills in a level, they will be moved up.

Lessons are 25 minutes each and are held once per week. You can choose to enroll your child two times per week at a discounted rate, if you prefer!

We offer year-round swim lessons for all ages. Also, we believe swimming is a fun way to stay active throughout the year. Experienced students who are confident and comfortable in the water tend to remember how to swim even after a long break.

  • A safe, fun and patient approach to swim lessons
  • New participants are eligible for a complimentary swim lessons
  • Small group instruction maximizes the personal attention each child receives
  • Students are placed in a class that matches their skill level
  • Group lessons are offered 5 days a week with after school hours
  • We offer a full-sized lap pool with diving blocks for advanced swimmers
  • No JCC membership is required for participation
  • One make-up session allowed per month
  • 24-hour cancellation policy for private lessons only
  • We offer a 10% sibling discount for group lessons
  • JSplash annual registration fee of $20/JCC Member Family and $55/Guest Family

There will always be a lifeguard on duty and different age groups have different parent-guardian supervision rules:

  • Ages 4 and undermust have a parent or guardian in the water with them at arm’s reach unless in a program with an instructor.
  • Ages 9 and underare not permitted in the aquatics facility unless accompanied by a parent or guardian who is present on the pool deck. Cell phones and other electronic devices are not permitted on the pool deck.
  • Ages 10-12are permitted to be unaccompanied in the facility as long as their parent or guardian is on the JCC premises.
  • Ages 13+ are permitted to be in the facility unaccompanied by a parent or guardian. 

If you miss your regularly scheduled lesson, you can reschedule up to one class per month. If you miss more than one lesson, call the JSplash office for more assistance.

 

Please review the procedures for a missed lesson here

Healthy babies can begin swim lessons starting as young as 12 weeks old.

Children are more likely to accept the water and instruction at an early age. The behaviors of automatic breath-holding and swimming movements begin to fade as early as three months. Exposure to swimming provides them ideal exercise. Children are not restricted to gravity and benefit from the cardiovascular exercise that swimming provides. Starting early gives babies a head start on learning basic swimming skills while also improving bilateral coordination and balance.

 

We recommend our students not eat a large meal before a swim lesson. All students under the age of two should avoid food (especially dairy products) 2-3 hours prior to each lesson.

The teacher will have a hard time keeping a child’s attention if they see their parent or guardian. We advise having the child’s parent or guardian out of sight to ensure the child forms a bond and trust with their teacher. Oftentimes, if a child senses there is a sympathetic person close by who will save them, they will become emotionally stressed and not perform well in their swim lesson. We believe it’s important for a parent or guardian to know what’s going on during each swim lesson, however, we recommend they stay within a distance where the child can’t see them.

Our certified swim instructors are trained to assist in helping all students become comfortable in the water. Moreover, water safety is our main priority and we believe in teaching all children how to save themselves in a dangerous situation. We recommend meeting with the instructor before the lesson to ensure your child is comfortable with their teacher and begins to form a trusting bond.