Recreational
Our Recreational Program
Toronto Artistic Swimming’s Recreational program is ideal for those swimmers aged 7 to teen years who want to learn and develop artistic swimming skills in a fun and positive team environment but are not ready or are not interested in attending competitions. Program levels and then teams are based on age, experience and skill levels according to the national, Canadian Artistic Swimming (CAS) AquaGO skill development program and LTAD (Long Term Athlete Development) program like other sports. Swimmers progress through the levels as they develop more challenging artistic swimming skills.
Scroll down to view our current Recreational offerings. Most programs run from mid-September to early June with the exception of our Spring Mini-Session.
Not sure what to choose? Contact the club for more information and guidance.
Spring Mini Session 2025
Are you Ready to Dip your Toe in the Water?
This short program is for girls and boys who want to try the sport of artistic swimming without committing to an entire season. This program follows the national AquaGO skills development program in a shortened format. Swimmers will use these skills in a choreographed mini-routine which they will present to parents on deck at the end of the final class. Spring Mini Session swimmers will be introduced to the Swimming Fundamentals, Artistic Swimming, Athletic Abilities, Flexibility and Routine skills equivalent to Aquago Levels 2-4, depending on prior swim experience.
Age
- A minimum of 4 swimmers must register to run the program at each location
- *Swimmers under the age of 8 may be enrolled if they can swim on their own in the deep end.
When
- Sunday session: 5 weeks, April 6, 13, 27, May 4 and 11
- OR
- Thursday session: 5 weeks, May 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29
Times/Locations
- Both sessions take place at Leaside Memorial Gardens Pool, 1075 Millwood Ave
- Sunday 7:00pm-8:00pm
- OR
- Thursday 7:00pm-8:00pm
Fees
- 2025 session fees and details: $200 per swimmer payable on or before the first class.
- OAS/CAS registration paid separately (approx $10)
Full Year Recreational Programs 2025-2026
Once a Week Programs
Perfect for the swimmer who is new to the sport and/or the swimmer who has done recreational previously but who wants to practice once per week. All of the once-per-week program run from September to June – approx 30 weeks. Each practice is 90 minutes long and will include both dryland and in-water training.
All swimmers participate in both the Winter Showcase (mid-Dec) and Spring Watershow (late May) and receive a bathing cap that matches the rest of their team.
Levels (Porpoise, Manta Ray, Swordfish are determined by registration and confirmed or adjusted based on a swim test and artistic swimming assessment taking place during the first week of practices. Specific teams are determined by those assessments, swimmer age and other factors such as special requests by families.
Porpoise
Ages 7-9** No Experience Needed- Sundays, 6:15-7:45pm at Leaside
- Prerequisite Swim Skills: Ultra 2/Red Cross 2 or equiv
Manta Ray
8-12** No Experience Needed- DOWNTOWN – Wednesday 7pm-8:30pm at U of T Athletic Centre
- DOWNTOWN – Thursday 7pm-8:30pm at U of T Athletic Centre
- MIDTOWN – Thursday 6:30-8:00pm at Leaside Memorial Gardens Pool
- MIDTOWN – Sundays, 6:15-7:45pm at Leaside Memorial Gardens Pool
- Prerequisite Swim Skills: Ultra 4/Red Cross 4 or equiv
Swordfish
8-12** 1+Year Rec Experience- DOWNTOWN – Wednesday 7pm-8:30pm at U of T Athletic Centre
- DOWNTOWN – Thursday 7pm-8:30pm at U of T Athletic Centre
- MIDTOWN – Thursday 6:30-8:00pm at Leaside Memorial Gardens Pool
- MIDTOWN – Sundays, 6:15-7:45pm at Leaside Memorial Gardens Pool
- Prerequisite Swim Skills: Ultra 4/Red Cross 4 or equiv
Contact club@torontoartisticswimming.com if your swimmer is slightly younger as they may be able to participate depending on swim ability.
$160 Deposit paid at registration. Balance upon program start or in instalments
NOTE: approx $30+HST governing body (OAS/CAS) registration fees paid separately before program start
Once per Week Program Descriptions:
Porpoise
Swimming Prerequisites: The programs takes place largely in the shallow end, but all swimmers must also be reasonably comfortable in the deep end. Swimmers must be able to swim at least 1 width of the pool using any stroke, they must be able to comfortably put their head under the water and jump in on their own.
Skills Learned (equivalent to Aquago Levels 1-3):
- Artistic Swimming Skills: fundamentals (eggbeater, layout, sculling), positions (tub, pike), figures (sailboat, ballet leg) and more.
- Routine performance and teamwork: introduction to counting/clapping, landdrill of routine, deckwork and performance while working together
- Flexibility: introduction to flexibility workouts: toe points, knee extensions, various splits and more.
- Athletic Abilities/Physical Literacy: introduction to athletic land workouts: plank, pushups, other exercises
- Swimming Fundamentals: develop increased comfort in water including deep end, learn and develop ways to move efficiently through, on top of and underneath the water.
Manta Ray
Swimming Prerequisites: All swimmers MUST be comfortable in the deep end and should be able to swim 25m (length of pool) on their own with any stroke.
Skills learned (equivalent to Aquago Levels 2-4):
- Artistic Swimming Skills: fundamentals as in Porpoise plus more challenging positions (eg. front pike), movement techniques (eg. eggbeater, propellor) and figures (ballet leg, flamingo) and more.
- Routine performance and teamwork: routine skills as in Porpoise plus further development of counting/clapping and eventually unassisted landdrill of team routine. Introduction to synchronization.
- Flexibility: flexibility drills as in Porpoise plus further development of shoulder/back flexibility.
- Athletic Abilities/Physical Literacy: introduction to athletic land workouts: plank, pushups, other exercises and further core training
- Swimming Fundamentals Include: learn and develop ways to move efficiently through, on top of and underneath the water plus jumps and dives from kneeling
Swordfish
Swimming Prerequisites:All swimmers MUST be comfortable in the deep end and should be able to swim 25m (length of pool) on their own with any stroke.
Skills learned (equivalient to Aquago Levels 3-6+):
- Artistic Swimming Skills: Develop more challenging positions (eg. inverted tuck), movements (split scull, barrel scull, kick-pull) and figures (fishtail, dolphin, back pike somersault, kipnus) and more.
- Routine Performance and Teamwork: Further develop land drill skills and synchronization, as well as learn about presentation and maintaining patterns
- Flexibility: Further develop left, right, centre splits on land and introduction of splits in water, as well as further development of shoulder/back flexibility.
- Athletic Abilities/Physical Literacy: Further develop core strength and endurance through more complex movements and wider variety of timed swims
- Swimming Fundamentals Include: Learn increased stroke efficiency and improved propulsion. Further development of jumps and dives.
Twice per Week Program – JUPITER
Learn faster and in more depth in our amazing 2x week program! Perfect for the slightly older swimmer, those with some experience and/or swimmers who are super keen to learn!
Swimmers will develop more challenging artistic swimming skills and have greater opportunities for team-building while remaining in a non-competitive environment.
Jupiter trains twice per week, each session is 90 mins, so total weekly training is 3 hours weekly hours for the full season (Sept-June), including on a team routine that they will perform in the club’s Winter and Spring water shows.
This program is best for returning swimmers who already possess some artistic swimming skills and provides a strong base should swimmers wish to join one of the competitive-level programs the following season.
Jupiter swimmers will learn the following skills equivalent to Aquago Levels 4-6:
- Swimming Fundamentals Include: Further stroke improvement and development of propulsion techniques.
- Artistic Swimming Skills: Work on elements and sequences using more complex techniques, development of increasingly difficult figures such as walkovers, barracuda and tower.
- Athletic Abilities/Physical Literacy: increased core and strength training, more challenging timed swims in various strokes as well as mixed propulsion sprints
- Flexibility: continue development of splits and other flexibility drills in water
Routine performance and teamwork: further development of synchronization, presentation, maintaining patterns and emphasis on choreography
Swimming Prerequisites: All swimmers must be comfortable in the deep end and should be able to swim at least 20-25m (full length of the pool) in any stroke.
Times/Locations
- Full Year (Approx. 30 weeks, Sept-June),
- DOWNTOWN: Wednesdays at U of T AND Thursdays at U of T Athletic Centre, both 7-8:30pm
- MIDTOWN: Thursdays at Leaside Memorial Gardens AND Sundays at Leaside Memorial Gardens, both 6:30pm-8:00pm
Team Fees
- $250 deposit upon registration with the balance in instalments
- NOTE: approx $30+HST mandatory governing body (OAS/CAS) registration fees paid separately by families
The Fine Print
Recreational Fees
Fees include:
- All weekly training costs, including coaching, pool permits and lifeguarding costs, as well as those costs associated with any club events attended by Recreational swimmers
- All programs except mini-session: 1x matching routine bathing cap, swimmer progress reports, team photo
**Note: mandatory OAS/CAS registration fees will be paid separately by families. The club will send applicable information and instructions to all registered families as soon as 2025-2026 information is received.
Financial Policies
- All programs are dependent on adequate registration. Any programs cancelled by Toronto Artistic Swimming will be given a full refund.
- TASC is a Registered Not-for-Profit organization. Our Fees cover costs associated with training.
- Withdrawal for Full Year programs: up to the 3rd class or Oct 15th – whichever comes first, will result in a full refund for outstanding fees less a $100 admin fee. No refunds will be issued for Full Year programs after this period.
- Withdrawal for Spring Mini Session: there are no refunds once the program begins.
- Any swimmer withdrawing for medical reasons will be handled on a case by case basis, subject to medical documentation.
- There are no refunds for individual practices missed by swimmers. The club has no capacity to offer pro-rated fees for swimmers who begin a program after the start date. In the case of an unexpected pool closure or similar cancellation, the club will make efforts to offer a makeup session to the affected swimmers.
- Please note, OAS/CAS registration fees paid separately by families once the program has started, are non-refundable.
- There is charge of $25 for any NSF postdated cheque.
- All swimmers are responsible for payment of personal equipment for training and for watershows.
