American University Developmental

4400 Massachusettes Ave. Washington DC, 20016

Our Developmental programs are devoted to competitive stroke instruction with an emphasis on balance in the water through specialized drills. It is not a “beginner or novice” learn-to-swim program.

Fall 2025 Session

The Developmental Program will resume for the Fall 2025 Session. There are no Summer 2025 Developmental options.

Fall Enrollment Dates:

Current Families

Includes everyone registered for a Winter / Spring 2025 or Summer 2025 Swim Class with NCAP.

Enrollment will open on July 12th at 12pm EST.

New / Returning Families

Includes everyone who is NOT registered for a Winter / Spring 2025 or Summer 2025 Swim Class with NCAP. Both brand new fmailies and families who previously swam with NCAP but did not join the two sessions previously mentioned.

Enrollment will open on July 26th at 12pm EST.

Fall Class Calendar:

Fall 2025 Mailing List

Families interested in joining the Fall 2025 session can use the button below to join the mailing list. Information on class offerings, pricing, and enrollment details will go out a few weeks before registration opens.

The Fall 2025 Session will run from September to December of 2025. Registration information is estimated to go out in late June of 2025.

Class Descriptions

There are no exceptions to the age and skill requirements for each class. We apologize for the inconvenience.

All swimmers must be able to withstand water temperatures as low as 77º F for an hour and be comfortable in water up to 14 feet deep.

Class options: 30 min and 60 min (more advanced stroke technique and higher endurance is required for the hour-long option)
30 Min Description: Must be able to swim 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke, including the ability of rotary breathing. This class teaches detail technique of freestyle and backstroke and builds endurance.
60 Min Description: Must be able to swim 50 yards of freestyle and 25 yards of backstroke, ability of rotary breathing and endurance to swim for a full hour. This class teaches longer form and detail technique of freestyle, backstroke, introduces basic breaststroke, and builds endurance.

Whales (6 - 10 Years Old)

Must be able to swim 50 yards of freestyle and backstroke, including ability of rotary breathing and kicking in balance on side and streamline. Teaches longer freestyle swimming, more advanced backstroke, and breaststroke. This class will introduce starts and turns, as well as fly kick.

Barracudas (6 - 12 Years Old)

Sting Rays (7 - 13 Years Old)

Must be able to swim 75 yards of freestyle and backstroke, 25 yards of breaststroke, including ability to do flip turns, and fly kick. This class works on detailed mechanics of breaststroke, butterfly, and starts.

Octopus (7 - 13 Years Old)

Must be able to swim 100 yards of freestyle and backstroke, 50 yards breaststroke, 25 yards of butterfly. This class works on longer breaststroke and backstroke, full stroke butterfly, and endurance swimming. Swimmers must be able to do laps of all 4 strokes, legal flip turns and starts, 100 IM/intervals, read a pace clock, streamline dolphin kicks off the wall.