Our Testimonial Book

We have done semi-private (2 kids of equal ability at the same time) and private lessons with Aquatic Stars and have been very happy. Our teacher is Anna and my kids adore her. They have really come along in their swimming and we just signed up for another round of lessons. They are patient, stress water safety with beginners and, seem to meet each child where they are in terms of ability.   

 

Mollie,Takoma Park MD 2011  

 

 

We go to Tony  and he has been great...he works with the child to help them not be afraid, learn safety and swimming techniques. He seems to really enjoy my daughter and she really trusts him and has done very well. We tried to switch to the group lessons at the Y to save $, but it just wasn't the same! We've been really happy with Tony and it seems his wife Anna has the same approach (she teaches other kids during our lesson with Tony). I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either of them!   

 

Caroline (Elena's Mom) 2011

 

 

Our boys have gone from non-swimmers to fish with Tony's help. We really appreciate his gentle guidance and emphasis on water safety. Tony pays close attention to his students' comfort level. He is sensitive to the subtle ways a lack of confidence can get in the way of learning to swim. Thanks to Tony's patience and dedication, our kids love swimming now!  

 

Hanna, Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

 

My 5-year-old son loved his swim lessons with Anna. She was extremely patient and gentle with him, while pushing him to do his best. As a result of lessons with her, he is now much more confident in the water and has gained swimming skills.  

 

Kathy, Silver Spring 2011

 

Our children had taken swim lessons before – first group lessons, then private. Even so, while they were comfortable in the water, I was not comfortable with their water safety skills and their ability to swim without me within arm’s reach. Within just a few lessons with Anna and Tony, not only was I satisfied that they were water safe, but their technique quickly surpassed mine! With proper posture, stroke, and breathing, they were soon swimming the length of the pool and enjoying every second of it. I have been especially pleased with the combination of fun and structure that they have provided. My active boys are easily distracted and willing to play, but they are gently guided back to the objective of the day, and proud of their accomplishments. Swimming has gone from a necessary evil to a treasured pastime. It is without reservation that we recommend them for your little (or not so little) swimmer.  

 

Marilyn Nowalk; Washington, DC 2011 

 

 

Thanks to Tony  to help my 5 year old learn how to swim and not be fearful of the water. Coach Tony had a lot of patience with my active son, but he was able to work with him with ease and help him to earn his water safety trophy. We will definitely recommend  to anyone who is looking to learn how to swim or improve on their swimming skills. Thanks 

 

Kamonya,Silver Spring MD 2011

 

 I was looking for an instructor who could spend one-on-one time in the water with my daughter to improve her breaststroke.After one lesson, I was convinced we found the right instructor. Tony immediately identified the flaws in my daughter's kick and worked with her to improve upon it. Tony showed my daughter how to swim the competitive "wave" breaststroke. In addition to the breaststroke, Tony analyzed her overall swim technique and provided pointers to improve her speed and proficiency. The results have been amazing.  

 

Allan, Germantown, MD 2011

 

 "Tony is a fantastic teacher! Our 5-year old daughter has learned so much in only about 10 group lessons. She adores swimming and can't wait to go each week. She now, with supervision, is able to swim on her own, doesn't mind getting her hair wet at all, and loves to dive for objects! This is amazing as before she did not want to get her head too wet. She can also float and do backstroke and is learning freestyle. Her progress has been much faster than with other lesson providers, and she loves getting the special prize at the end of each lesson. As a parent, being able to enroll her in back-to-back sessions (instead of having to wait a month or two between sessions as some of the area lessons require) has been really helpful in keeping the progress up, too. Couldn't be more pleased!!"  

 

Mary and Roisin,Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

Gabriella was one month away from her third birthday when we started her private lessons.. From the beginning she literally jumped into Anna's arms. Tony and Anna create a caring and trusting environment that the kids can learn in, with no pressure. I've learned a lot too so I can help my daughter towards her dream of becoming a mermaid. 

 

 Leila,Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

"Anna was great with my daughter, she went from being afraid to put her head under water to swimming underwater in just a few weeks. Anna's friendly, encouraging attitude is great for shy or hesitant kids." 

 

 Margret,Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

My daughter started swim classes in December 2010. She wasn’t a very strong swimmer and I wanted to feel assured that she had the proper instruction for this life-saving skill. What was nice about the class is that it was small (less than 5 kids) and the teacher (Tony) had great rapport as well as patience with the children. The class consisted of a mix of technique and endurance building with attention to safety. Half hour is a long time in the water so Tony mixes up the routines so that the kids don’t get bored and have fun at the same time. We feel fortunate to have found this company and I can say with confidence that my 9-year old is a much stronger swimmer now. Thanks for all your hard work!  

 

Nancy Petrovic,Bethesda MD 2019

 

 I taught my daughter to swim, but I couldn't get her to move past the doggie paddle, or even to put her head underwater. After a few weeks with Anna, she was doing the back stroke, diving for coins at the bottom of the pool, and making progress on the crawl. Anna has been patient with her but also firm, and Beatrice has learned a tremendous amount in a short time. 

 

 Nicholas Hill,Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

"With Anna's kindness and patience, my daughter is making more progress in these lessons then in any other lesson that she has taken before. Anna not only has the technical skills to teach swimming lessons but an understanding of how to read and motivate kids."  

 

Meghan Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

My three girls improved so much over the course of their lessons! Tony and Anna challenge them to work hard and learn, and they have a great time doing it. Tony and Anna really know how to deal with different ages, abilities and personalities to encourage the children to do their best.  

 

Brenig,Takoma Park MD 2011

 

 "Our 6-year-old twins have significantly improved their swimming skills under Anna’s instruction. They were beginning swimmers when they started lessons a few months ago, but now they are at the intermediate level. They have learned the backstroke and freestyle, as well as how to properly dive into a pool. Anna is wonderful; she is patient, kind, generous with praise, and a good teacher/coach. We plan on continuing lessons as we consider swimming to be a skill that is important in life."   

 

Helen,Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

My 4 year old son has been a reluctant swimmer, but the Saturday lessons with Anna have made him feel much more comfortable in the water and he is very close to swimming independently. Anna is a lovely teacher, and she has a very calm nature which has been wonderful for my son's first swim lesson experience.

 

Ingrid, Bethesda MD 2011 

 

"After searching for a swimming instructor(s) for our daughters we came across Tony and Anna. They were great! My 2 year old daughter took lessons with Anna for 12 weeks and she is now super comfortable in the water. I had never learned how to swim and after a few weeks of lessons with Anna I had learned the basic techniques and could actually swim laps! I would HIGHLY recommend both instructors to anyone. In fact, I don't doubt will be using their service again in the future. Thanks Anna!"   

 

Wendy, Hyattsville MD, 2011 

 

Tony and Anna are each such gifted teachers. Tony patiently and creatively taught me to swim as an adult, and Anna has been working wonders with my young daughter, who now swims like a fish and who always loves the games "Miss Anna" devises to make learning to swim seem like a game.

 

Liz ,Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

Tony is a miracle worker. Our son went from not wanting to swim and being afraid to put his face in the water to swimming the length of the pool on his back in 5 lessons. He is so proud of himself. Thank you Tony!!   Wendy, Silver Spring 2011 Our daughter loves taking swim lessons with Anna. Anna has helped her perfect her strokes and she is more confident of herself and her ability to swim longer distances.   

 

Wendy, Silver Spring 2011

 

 I could not ask for better experience.Anna was great, never pushy, always made my daughters feel very comfortable with her! It was amazing to see how confident the girls were after their classes and the results were actually more than I was expecting:) Definitely, without a doubt Anna is the best swim instructor.Keep doing what you're doing, Thanks Anna for being so sweet and thanks Tony for being so accommodating. 

 

 Evelyn, Rockville, Maryland 2009  

 

To Whom It May Concern: I want to thank Tony and Anna for being such great swim instructors. I am an adult who never learned to swim. I took a few lessons in 2008, but my swim instructor hardly ever showed up and still owes me over $200.00 for pre-paid lessons. That experience discouraged me from ever seeking swimming lessons again. However, I love the water and really wanted to learn to swim. I never learned as a child because of my health. I have a congenital heart condition, which was not fully corrected until I was an adult. When looking for a teacher, I looked on-line and found someone close to my house and my job. I made an appointment with Anna. However, my first appointment was with Tony, at Piney Branch Elementary School. He was excellent. He was patient and did not push me. He started showing me the proper positioning of my arms and legs. My next appointments were with Anna. She was also very patient and very encouraging. She helped me learn the proper hand movements and leg movements in free style swimming and I felt like I had learned to swim a little in the 6 lessons that I had. Anna also helped me get used to the water with learning to float on my back and started showing me the Breast Stroke. She would not push me to the deep end unless I was mentally ready. Both Tony and Anna provided me with teaching equipment such as fins and things for my arms to help me learn the proper positioning, which made learning easier. I had to leave town, and unfortunately could not have anymore lessons. I will definitely take lessons from Anna and Tony when I am back in Maryland. They are very friendly, patient and honest people with great integrity. I would recommend them to anyone young or old, looking to learn to swim.   

Sincerely, 

Tracey R. Grasty,Landover Hills, MD 2011 

 

"Our son has made great progress with Anna. Her patience and ability to make him feel comfortable in the water has given him the confidence he needed to enjoy being in the water so he could learn to swim. Great instructor, reliable program, really terrific."

 

  Yael Weinman, Washington, DC 2011 

 

"Anna is a very gifted swimming instructor. Her gentle, patient manner put our son at ease from his first lesson. We have seen great improvement over the past several months thanks to the inventive methods Anna uses to improve stroke skills. Our son always looks forward to his swim lessons with Anna ,even though he knows he will be expected to work hard. Her playful attitude and positive encouragement motivate him to do his best while having fun."   

 

Robyn, Bethesda MD 2011 

 

Tony and Anna have done a wonderful job teaching my boys to swim. They have had lessons in the past with other swim instructors, but I feel this is the 1st time, they've really learned to swim and swim well. Tony really emphasized refining my 9 y.o. son's swim techniques. I could already see a big difference after just a few lessons. Anna also gave my 6 y.o. son the confidence he needed to acquire basic swim skills. I was pleased with Aquatic Stars and intend to continue to give my sons more swim lessons through them.  

 

Gina Washington DC 2011 

 

We had a great experience!The location was good,the instructor was always on time and the program gave us the results we expected.We will recommend Aquatic Stars to our friends and family and will sign back in the future!   

 

Patty Owen,Takoma Park,Washington DC 09/01/09 

 

Very Good Experience!The instructor had a lot of activity ideas that the babies enjoyed.It was fun and good that the instructor encourage us to do things that will not make the babies upset.The results we expected were to introduce the kids to the water and yes we did it!   

 

Catherine Dodge , Silver Spring Maryland, 08/09/09 

 

Prior to taking swimming lessons with Tony,I could only do the sidestroke.I wanted swimming lessons,because swimming provides aerobic exercise without damaging joints - something that's important to older adults.Tony is an excellent instructor and patiently taught me the crawl,breaststroke and backstroke to intermediate level.I now enjoy swimming much more and it has enhanced my life.I also was impresses with the breadth of Tony's knowledge of swimming theory and techniques.I would recommend Tony to my family and friends.

 

Marcia Pitha, Rockville Maryland 02/10/10 

 

We have had such a wonderful experience with Anna, The boys look forward to taking a lesson with her. Especially if they think they can convinve her to play a game with them and then they somehow win! She makes the classes fun, She is strong and pushes the kids but with a smile on her face so the kids do't realize what has occurred. My younger son skips from the car to her lesson, We love her!  

 

Leila Arsanjani,Bethesda MD 2010 

 

"Our five-year-old daughter has been taking swim lessons with Tony for around six months. In general she has a tendency to be nervous about trying new things and progressing beyond her comfort zone. She also used to be afraid of the water. Tony has done a great job of being patient while still (gently) pushing her to move on to new skills. It has been wonderful to watch her gain more and more confidence in the water. She now loves her swim lessons, and is always eager to show us what she's learning. We've been very happy with Tony's instruction .

 

Clifford Chen,Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

 First off, let me just say that Tony is a great teacher. I have a tendency to "overthink" swimming but he keeps me moving in the water. Since I have been receiving his instruction, I am more confident in the water and I am one step closer to learning how to swim freestyle the right way. I am going to continue to take classes with Tony because I know he will get me to learn the other styles and turn me into a regular swimmer. If you are thinking about learning how to swim as an adult, I highly recommend Tony. He's the best! :-)  

 

Ashanti Ghee,Gaithersburg MD 2011 

 

Prior to taking lessons with Tony , I was frightfully afraid of water. After just six swimming lessons, I went from being afraid of dunking my head beneath water, to being able to swim freestyle and the backstroke. Tony has taught me the basic breathing techniques and has made me comfortable in a pool. I would recommend Tony to anyone.  

 

Yolanda G. ,Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

When our daughter began swimming lessons, she was afraid of the deep end and hesitant to try swimming independently. Now, after only a couple of months, she eagerly jumps in the pool and swims laps. The transformation has been amazing.  

 

Chet Sherwood,Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

 "When our six-year-old daughter started her weekly lessons with Tony, she could barely dog paddle 10 feet and was terrified of the deep end. A few months later,she is doing the crawl the length of the pool and eagerly jumping in at the deep end."   

 

Mark S., Takoma Park 2011

 

 My 5 year old has been taking lessons with Tony  for a few months now and we've had a great experience. My son had no prior swimming instruction and can now tread water, float, and is progressing well with learning the basic strokes and is quickly on his way to becoming water safe. Tony uses techniques that are easily understood by the pre-K crowd and makes learning to swim fun! Tony also has an abundance of patience:) I whole-heartedly recommend him. 

 

 Amy Shawer,Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

I recommended Tony to anybody.He explains everything,so easy to understand I'm just lucky that I found him .HI IS THE BEST.   Tim Washington DC 2011 I'm an advanced swimmer and I swam in many different teams and nobody ever tried to fix my wrong strokes .I had only a few lessons with Tony and I fell much better and faster .Tony showed me a lot of my mistakes and make me understand how to fix them with drills .He's very good teacher and make my classes enjoyable .Thank you Tony and see you at the pool .  

 

Jessica Washington DC 2011

 

 The best instructor I have ever used.Thanks Tony you have been awesome.I can't believe my daughter is swimming with such a technique the backstroke and the freestyle.After trying the Y and the county programs your instruction and the way you connect with your students has no match.Thank you again and hope more students experience your great teaching methods.Thank you Aquatic Stars for developing such a program to give such great results.Happy Holidays and Happy New 2011.  

 

Vanesa and Riley Washington DC 2010 

 

My entire family takes lessons with Aquatic Stars and we are all very happy with the results. Our instructor, Tony, has taught my daughter, who was once afraid to put her head under water, to swim and she is now very excited when we go to the pool and can swim underwater. My wife was also afraid to put her head under water but is learning the proper techniques and can now swim laps for the first time. I was a strong swimmer and Tony has helped me improve my technique and as a result, my speed has increased tremendously. Tony is a great teacher and is able to instruct all of us at our varying degrees of ability.  

 

John Salamon,Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

My 8 y/o son had 6 sessions with Tony. He gained confidence in the water and showed great progress from one session to the next. Tony did an excellent job in teaching him how to feel safe in the water. He was very patient and supportive and established a good rapport with my son. We are planning to continue to take swimming lessons with Tony in the future. 

 

 Devora,Wahington DC 2010 

 

I am 25 years old and was not knowing how to swim until I got lesson from Tony. Initially, I mentioned him that I want to learn the swimming in three weeks as I wanted to give surprise to my friends and this end of 3rd week and I can say I know the basic swimming with best technique. The best thing about his lesson is that he never force you to learn the steps as he got lot of simple techniques and tricks to catch up easily. Thanks tony. I will join expert level batch soon.  

 

Alkesh, Suitland MD 2010 

 

Good Instructor! Tony is very patient and helped me make a lot of progress.

 

 Auke,Silver Spring MD 2010 

 

The class we had with Tony was a beginner group of four. None of us knew how to swim in the beginning (I, personally, always had a fear of being in the water and would naturally sink), but within the first 20 minutes of our class, all of us began to swim without our floating devises! Tony's instruction style is straight forward, and you therefore learn much more in such short period of time. Although Tony is a no nonsense type of instructor (which we all really liked by the way), he is also very personable and has the patience to explain instructions, techniques and/or processes well. A downside of learning with a group is coordinating class schedules with friends. However, we were very fortunate that Tony was gave us a flexibility that we were able to complete all six classes. Overall, our group agrees that Tony is the best instructor we've had. And we are looking forward to him holding classes in the DC metro so we could sign up for a second batch of lessons.

 

Mia, Arlington VA 2010 

 

Tony is the BEST! My son is very shy, introverted, and not interested in ANY sport. He was very nervous about swimming. Tony quickly gained his trust and had him swimming on the3rd lesson and doing the backstroke on his final lesson (5th)! My son's self-confidence has increased and is no longer afraid to swim. My mother and my son's dad watched the lessons, and both were very impressed with his teaching style. Tony is also very flexible, as we had to reschedule a few times. He is very quick to respond to all of my communications. We look forward to working with him, again.  

 

Godfrey,Columbia MD 2010 

 

Tony is an extremely patient professional who focuses particularly on ensuring that his students learn proper swimming techniques. He carefully developed a swimming plan based on my current level of experience, which was at a beginner level. It was through his patience and calm demeanor that I was finally able to learn basic swimming skills and master floating (which most folks would consider a mindless accomplishment). Thanks to Tony, I am finally learning how to swim. I strongly recommend this instructor to any individual desiring to learn how to swim in a short period of time! He is the best!!! 

 

 Angela, Silver Spring MD

 

We have just signed up for our third package of private lessons and will then be doing the combination private and group lessons.Our almost 5 year-old daughter, Keira, developed a little bit of a fear of water and now we can't get her out! With every lesson she improves dramatically - by the time summer roles around she will be a very confident swimmer. It also gives me an opportunity to jump in the water and get a little exercise myself.  

 

 Samantha Farrell Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

"My daughter made great progress with her swimming after just a few lessons with Tony. Her strokes improved remarkably, and more importantly, so did her confidence in the water. I highly recommend Tony as a swimming instructor."  Anne Spielberg Takoma Park MD 2011 My daughter has had a series of mediocre swim teachers over the years. Tony is different. He has an amazing ability to encourage and teach. I've been impressed by the progress my daughter made in her swimming. Initially, she took the lessons only because I insisted, but she ended up enjoying them. Thank you Tony! 

 

 Debbie Spielberg Takoma Park 2011

 

 My six-year old daughter wasn't swimming at all. Six lessons with Tony and she is literally swimming laps at our local pool. She swims freestyle with better form than I do and can also swim back-stroke and breast-stroke. She enjoyed every class and was excited to go back each week. Tony not only understands the physics of swimming, he understands the students as well. He was motivating but patient with her. I have nothing but great things to say about Tony. We drove an hour each week just to go see this guy and it was worth it. Thanks again.  

 

Dan, Arlington VA 2010 

 

If you want to learn how to swim and learn the proper techniques quickly from an excellent instructor, we highly recommend Tony. Tony is a highly skilled swim instructor. He works at the psychological level to get over the water fears and learn swimming at a faster pace. He is patient, flexes the time schedules at ease and it has been great to work with him.  

 

Sundar , Washington DC 2010

 

 "We were thrilled with the great connection that our three-year-old made with Anna in the pool. Anna is a natural with young children and had my daughter lying on her back in a supported float position during the very first lesson. If you have a younger child or a child with special needs who would benefit from private lessons with a patient, loving teacher, I'd recommend Anna." 

 

Lynn Cowan, Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

I had one lesson with Tony because of my own scheduling conflicts but he is a really patient instructor. I benefited greatly from the initial meeting. He doesn't overwhelm you or make you feel silly. Great instructor  

 

Natania ,Falls Church VA 2010 

 

The greatest thing about Tony is that he knew how to deal with my fear!!! I can t beleive how confident I become in the water and yes finally i can swim!! thx tony you are so great!  

 

Waffaa,Alexandria VA 2010 

 

 

"I highly recommend swimming lessons with Aquatic Stars. My 4-year-old's swimming has steadily improved in her semi-private lessons with Tony. He is wonderful with little ones, great at motivating them and building their competence and confidence in the water. My daughter's favorite bathtime activity is to play swimming lesson, complete with goggles and starring herself as Mr. Tony."  

 

Dana Martin, Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

"Working with them is an excellent experience for both the parent and the child student. Tony is a natural when it comes to helping children feel confident and comfortable in the water. His ability to connect with the children makes for quick learning, and their learning is fearless and fun. His demeanor is reassuring the protective parent, and he makes sure to update parents on the child's progress. "  

 

Elduise,Silver Spring MD 2011 

 

Sebastian has made great progress in his swimming skills in only a few lessons with Anna. She has made him gain confidence and quickly overcome his fear of water. He thoroughly enjoys his time in the pool, looking forward to it all week. Anna is a fabulous teacher and a kind and good-spirited person, and I would highly recommend her.  

 

Ana Nunez,Chevy Chase MD 01/05/11 

 

Their an excellent way to learn how to swim as an adult. Tony truly knows swimming techniques. He tailored my swimming lessons based on my comfort and abilities. By the 6th lesson, I was confident enough to swim to the deep end. Now, I enjoy swimming so much that I continue to enroll with them with the intent of improving and learning more swimming skills. I cannot wait to go snorkeling and scuba diving.   

 

Bri , Washington DC 2011 

 

Within about six months of working with Tony, our 6-year old daughter went from being somewhat fearful of the water to exuberant about swimming lessons. Tony is patient and supportive with kids, and he gave my daughter confidence in fundamental swimming skills.  

 

Rachel Schmidt,Takoma Park MD 2011 

 

We have been thrilled with the progress our boys have made. Tony has provided a great learning environment, and made swim lessons something they look forward to. They have had swim lessons with instructors in other programs, and by far, this has been the best experience that they have had. 

 

 Jen, Chevy Chase Maryland 03/09/10 

 

Tony is very excellent, experienced, patient, flexible, knowledgeable instructor. My 9 years old son enjoys his 6 lesson and after 4 lesson he already can do free-style and back stroke.I would definitely recommend other people and have other lesson with him in the future.  

 

 H.Ku Germantown MD 2010

 

 "Tony has done an exceptional job with my grandson. He is now confident in the water and has great faith in Tony."  Tom Gallagher 2011 "Our daughter was too afraid to try anything in the water but wanted desperately to be able to enjoy it. When other private and group lessons didn't work for her, Tony gave her the confidence to push herself to learn more, have fun and be safe in water."

  

JoAnn Volk 06/10 

 

“I couldn’t be happier with Tony . After only five half hour lessons, my 5 year old is water safe and swimming backstroke. My son’s having fun and making great progress each week. We’ll keep coming back!” 

 

 Brooks Family 06/10 

 

"My six year old son has always suffered from fear of water. He made very limited progress in previous swimming programs we tried, but Tony was able to help him find the confidence to have his head under water in only three lessons. This was an amazing breakthrough, and progress he has made since then has been rapid. He looks forward to his lessons each week and seems to enjoy himself while still learning quickly. We are very grateful to Tony  for helping our son establish basic swimming skills."  

 

Shannon McLeod Lederer 06/10

 

 "We had a wonderful experience with Coach Tony . He was patient and fun with our two young boys, and instrumental in introducing them to safe water play. We're looking forward to working with him again and recommend him highly to anyone interested in lessons for their kids."  

 

Marina 06/10 "

 

Tony is a great swim instructor! Our daughter was very weak in the water and afraid to take charge and progress, despite previous swim lessons. With his gentle instruction, she gained fantastic swimming skills, but even more importantly, she gained confidence. We're really happy with the way Tony has helped our daughter. Tony can work wonders with new swimmers. We highly recommend him."  

 

Claire and Paul 06/10

 

"My 5-year old son has been very resistant to swimming through the years. He had some sensory issues which included sensitivity to water in his face. We had tried swimming lessons at different times but he remained very wary of the water, until he started taking private lessons with Mr. Tony. Within a couple of lessons, my son was putting his face in the water and several lessons later he was swimming. Now he takes semi-private lessons with Tony and is working on his crawl and backstroke. He loves lessons, loves swimming and is so proud of himself. All of this in the space of one season."  

 

Jana Carter 06/10 

 

"Emma loves her swimming lessons with Tony and counts down the days each week until Tuesday. She has made great progress and has completely lost her fear of the water. Tony gently and supportively challenges her to push herself, and she feels proud of the new skills she learns each week." 

 

 Jana Mcaninch 06/10

 

 " Tony is the best swimming instructor that my children have ever had. When my six year old son started his lessons with Tony he was afraid to put his face in the water. After a few lessons he is now happily jumping into the deep end and by himself and swimming back to the edge. Tony has a great demeanor with kids - my boys have a great time while significantly improving their swimming skills."  

 

Marni Barrs 06/10 

 

To Whom It May Concern: I can sincerely say that without Tony’s training and expertise, my nine year old son will still be afraid of the water. Apparently, he had an appalling experience in the water that I was not aware of. My son had been a member of the Boy’s & Girls Club since he was five. I assumed that they taught the children how to swim. When I saw his ID that stated he could not swim, I was astounded. That next day I enrolled in swim.com, in which I met Tony. My son now has confidence in the water and looks forward to his swimming lessons. I hear him telling his friends about his swimming lessons. My son would not have managed to get through his fear of the water without Tony’s trust and patience. My son and I are absolutely thrilled that he is learning to swim; especially coming from a child who was afraid of the water. It is a pleasure to me to give a great testimony to Tony’s swimming coaching.  

 

Michelle Brown 06/14/2010 

 

Individual swim lessons were so key in helping Max (age 5) build confidence in the water and learn valuable skills while having fun. Tony knew how to strike the right balance between pushing Max forward and being supportive and encouraging. I would highly recommend to other parents. 

 

 Jennifer Grosman 06/16/10 

 

I can’t recommend Tony highly enough. My 4 yo son loves taking lessons from Tony, who instills a lot of confidence in the water and makes learning to swim fun (even gives helicopter spins upon request!). Tony is incredibly patient and kind to my son and listens to him. After just 6 lessons, my son has made impressive progress… he can float on his back, hold his breath under water, blow bubbles and swim short distances.  

 

Cara Chang 05/25/10 

 

Tony was a wonderful instructor during our private lessons. He came to our home, was very knowledgeable, and was flexible about working with our schedule. He gave our 1 year old daughter the perfect introduction to swimming. Tony interacted with the children extremely well and they went to him freely from the very first lesson. He made both the parents and the children feel completely comfortable in the water. Though we had a small group, he also gave personalized instruction to each parent/child. We thoroughly enjoyed our lessons and will be signing up again next summer! Many thanks to Tony for his patience, positive attitude, and flexibility. We can not imagine a better "first experience" with swimming for our daughter!

 

 Jennifer 06/15/10 

 

"Taking the swimming clases with instructor Tony helped me overcome my fear of swimming even though I am a work in progress. The instructor was patient and took notice of ones progress. Tony changed the learning techniques according to ones progress and fear level. The location was convenient and the overall environment was inviting and comfortable. I would recommend the lessons to any beginner swimmer "  

 

Sandra Rockville MD 2010 

 

 

 Our instructor, Tony, was always on time, extremely patient, kind, and helped my children make significant strides with their swimming abilities in a very short time. I would highly recommend Tony  to anyone."   

 

Rosanne, Kensington, MD 2010

 

 " Our experience  has been outstanding. Our six year old son, had an extreme fear of getting water in his face and was very anxious around the water. He now enjoys the water, and looks forward to his swim lessons. He even dunks his head under the water and is beginning to swim. Tony was the key to his success. Through his patience and gentle persistence he helped him to learn the necessary skills. These skills helped him feel comfortable in the water and made each lesson a positive experience. We have tried several different swim programs and by far this one is the best! Thank you!!  

 

Julie Olney MD 2010 

 

 

"Tony, our son's coach at the Aquatic Stars Swim program, has been wonderfully playful, encouraging and warm in his interactions with our 5-year-old son. He has also been very professional and flexible in all the administrative aspects. Before the lessons our son was hesitant to even go in the water without being carried. After 6 private sessions in which Tony mixed in games and play smoothly into each lesson, he feels proud and positive about swimming and is putting his face in the water, floating independently and beginning to try some strokes. We can not be happier with the progress and more importantly, our son is feeling great about swimming. We are going to enroll his 3 year old younger brother in a shared lesson with him as the next step for our family. I would recommend private lessons with Tony for any parent wanting a caring, individually-focused experience for their water-shy child."  

 

Wendy in Takoma Park MD 2010

 

I have 2 chidren who have been taking swimming lessons with  instructor Tony for more than a year and I am extremely satisfied with the program and instructor - he is very professional,very nice and compared to other programs they are progressing very well. I will recommend to anyone who is looking for a swimming program to enroll.  

 

 Gaby Tesfaye Olney MD 2010 

 

I selected Tony for private lessons for my two daughters. He developed a trust with them through patience and encouragement. By lesson five my 7 year old had the confidence to swim without assistance. Per my daughters Tony is a great teacher and nice! 

 

 Sharron Ford Meade MD 2010

 

 I liked the fact that he explained not just what he wanted me to do but why I was doing it. as a former teacher I quickly identified that as a skill not common to all instructors. He was patient and confident and it was clear from the first session that he is knowledgeable and highly competent to teach. I look forward to future lessons and will certainly refer others to him. 

 

 Joyce Ann,Washington DC 2010 

 

Tony Vladimirov earns Gold Medal! Tony is thorough, offers encouragement and is patient - necessary characteristics when you're middle-aged and finally learning to swim! With Tony's guidance, my confidence is growing in the pool after every lesson.  

 

Kevin Washington DC 2010