Parent feedback
I know you hear this all the time, but you are a miracle-worker and we thank you so much! Thank you, again! It's gonna be a great summer in no small part thanks to you and your class. Best, Laura
You've got the gift with kids! Hope we run into more teachers in the future like you! - Jenn Bill, Not only are you a great swim instructor, but you are also a great teacher of children in general. You understand the emotional needs of the child and you blend that understanding with your expert swim instruction so wonderfully. It was such a gift to see my daughter go from tears on day 2 to actually jumping in and swimming on day 7. She’s so proud of herself! Love Tris Swimming with you has been the highlight of our summer and of parenting! We feel so lucky to have found you. - Holley I just wanted to write to say how grateful Mark and I are for you and your program. Addie will turn 5 in two weeks. We have been through three private teachers and two swim academies and Addie had, to this point, not learned to swim and dreaded the lessons. She really had a phobia of the water and was clearly scared and we were walking this fine line of not wanting to stress her out more but also knowing how important it was for her to be swim safe (especially as we are in the process of putting in a pool). On Monday she cried all the way to your house- she was scared and really didn't want to do it. Well... yesterday afternoon (on her 3rd Swim to Bill day) she swam at our friend's pool after her lesson. She swam and swam and floated and swam the width of the pool and did not want to get out of the pool and was SO proud of herself (as she should be!). This morning at breakfast when we asked her what she was most looking forward to about her day today she said "Swim to Bill." We cannot thank you enough!!!!! Warmly, Dana and Mark We can't tell you how much we have enjoyed your lessons. Adler's progress has been remarkable. Last Monday he'd never been under water before. Now he's dunking with a smile from ear to ear ;). We're so appreciative of all you've done for him. Lyndsey I am very proud. And Lela is so proud of herself. Truly a life changing experience. Eric and I so appreciate your sensitivity and appreciation of each child for who s/he is! - Jessica You inspire esprit de corps inside the pool and out. Thanks for getting Vail swimming and diving, making him feel free and safe and respectful of the water and his place in it. It's been an amazing experience for him, a milestone. And for me, his hopeful dad poolside, it has been an unforgettable pride-filled ride. It's more than swimming being developed by you in that pool, there's the foundations of character building: getting past "no," being open, doing your best and never giving up, and recognizing your inner strength and abilities to learn new things. You have a gift. Thank you. -Cris Hi Bill -I've been meaning to let you know how appreciative and thankful I am that we found you. Dillon, Cameron and Lila learned to swim in such a positive environment. We've been at my parents house for a week and we swim every day for 2 hours. The kids are obsessed! Dillon can swim all around the pool, is jumping in and swimming the length of the pool and has a love of the water like I've never seen. Lila can almost swim the width of the pool and also loves being in the water. Cameron, Mr. I Cried Almost Everyday at Swim Lesson, is now jumping in the water from the side and swimming to the middle of the pool. (He also has the cutest little breaststroke going.) We've had such a fun time swimming and keeping cool in the Austin heat. I can't thank you enough for imparting swimming (and parenting) wisdom to our whole family. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Sincerely, Jen Isaac is having a fantastic time. This is a great experience for him- last summer's lessons were not effective. He did not like putting his head under water and getting him to go to a lesson was a chore! Thank you for being so great with him, and to all the kids! Thanks so much for teaching Teddy! You have such magic!!! When we go swimming now he has to wear his "Mr. Bill" hat! So cute! Teddy is swimming great and we will continue your valuable lessons. We sing your praises almost daily!!!! Forever Grateful! Nolan has so much fun with you, and I can see it in the photos. He found a dead lizard in our pool filter recently and said, "That lizard needs to go see Bill so he can swim." Thank you so much for the wonderful swim class. I REALLY didn't think Shaya would be swimming at the end, and I am amazed with how he is a little fish now! When I asked him this morning what he wanted to do today, he said "Bill". I wanted to let you know that I am happy to e-mail or talk to anyone in the future who wants to speak to the parent of a former student. -Jeiran Bill you are a life changer and a happiness bringer. - Brian and Eila I had so much fun watching Coco learn to swim. You stoked her enthusiasm and love for the water. As a retired teacher with 39 years experience and lots of mentoring toward the end, I know a good teacher when I see one and you've got not only the method but that special something that connects to kids. I speak for the whole family when I say how thrilled we are--tomorrow will be special for her when her Mom and Dad are in the pool. BIG THANK YOU, BILL! - Fran Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for morphing our little munchkin into a water sprite! If you had told me that she would be doing summersaults in the pool by the fall we wouldn't have believed it! This is because of you and your sweet patience. As we were driving home Eilis said "Bill teached me how to swim. He's good. That's super hard ... I can only swim because Bill makes me. I love him." She said this, quietly, unprovoked, as she stared out the window. So, that said, looking very much forward to next spring!!!!! - Marni and Reed Words cannot express our gratitude for transforming Lucy into “Scuba Girl”. Your focus, kindness and support are a joy to watch and we felt so fortunate to have been a part of this amazing experience. Lucy says you truly are “the greatest teacher in the whole wide world!” Thank you thank you thank you. - Lucy, Teri and Eric One of the great things about the kids having you as a teacher is that it's clear to them and us that you really love kids - boy does that make a difference when they are trying to learn something new and hard, thank you! - Rachel Sienna is absolutely in love with swimming. She is swimming everyday. Her confidence is continuing to grow as are the distances she can swim underwater! Getting her out the pool is impossible! Thanks again for turning Sienna into a little tadpole. Jodie We can't thank you enough for the amazing experience we had during our two weeks with you. Asa is generally enthusiastic but also quite spirited, and intense about how things go (as you can see from his freak outs after getting out of the pool). So it was really something to see his full on and consistent enthusiasm for swimming. For me it was world changing to watch how you handled him. Thank you again!!! We miss swim class! -Jesse (and shark boy) Words cannot eloquently express our gratitude for the kindness, patience and level of expertise you exhibited with our son, Jackson. Without exaggeration, we have attended, unsuccessfully to convince him to take swim lessons for 3 years and the one time he wanted to go (last year) he eventually refused to get in the water with the instructor. I was almost certain that the same thing was going to happen when we got to your house that first day, but it didn’t! It was like a miracle to me! And now, 10 days later, he’s swimming! In the deep end! And he loves it and has an understanding of his body in water to boot! Thank you, Bill for gracefully teaching Jackson this life-long skill and for doing it in a way that was respectful to his level & personality. We promise to continue swimming with him as much as possible so as to ensure this gels and is nurtured. With Gratitude, The Lunceford Family Today Roman was in the pool for 3 hours!!!! He was having fun!!!! What a dramatic change! I couldn't get him out. He was plunging in the pool off the side! All he wanted to do was practice! No break for me. I am exhausted! Thank you so much for what you helped him achieve. He is so proud of himself! See you Monday. - Jenny One of my favorite things over this last 2 weeks was watching Charlie yell “Bill” and do high kicks while running in circles upon your arrival. He loves you. Thank you for teaching him the gift of swimming. - Kerry You were awesome today Bill. Thank you so much for being so patient with our son. He's got a very strong personality, but I'm sure that once he gets it, you'll have a hard time getting him out of the pool. See you tomorrow! - Mariana Bill, we are so glad you do what you do and we got to experience it. These 2 weeks have been awesome. I can’t wait to refer you to other families. We are all such fans of you. - Arlen, Lance and Aliza Very happy parent! - Jen Rowland Liam is still asking to go back to swimming lessons!! He had such a wonderful experience with you. We will be forever grateful! - Kelly Bill Marsh, Saving lives one kid at a time! We’re so grateful to have learned so much from you. A million Thanks. - Otis, Wiley and Holly Bill, you are truly masterful swim teacher for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. I could not believe you could be so sweet and loving. My daughter went from swimming with her head above water on day 1, to swimming between his legs on day 3. For the babies, there are tears, but it's about being away from mommy. They already know how to hold their breath under water... You teach them in the most loving way how to reach for the wall, walk along it, and even more that the world is a safe place, even outside mommy's arms. - Jessica First off, thank you. I'm sure it seems quite normal to you but from my perspective the difference between Monday and today is flat out unbelievable. I really admire your technique and appreciate your talent. It was nice meeting you yesterday and getting a chance to see Finleigh in the pool. I think you may know that we are RIE parents and so, much of the swimming lesson is different from how we would usually do things with Finleigh. We chose to offer her swimming lessons knowing it would be different for us but more importantly different for her… - Paul (Sarah) (1 week later) You truly have an amazing gift with children. It is honor to watch you handle all of the children with such deftness and ease. I learn a lot from you as has FINLEIGH!!~! Thank you for your endless streams of patience. - We just got back from Hawaii, and Finleigh swam like a fish! She even tried stand up paddle in the OCEAN! We were blown away. We just kept singing your praises. Your ears must have been burning! - Sarah (Paul) I took Chloe swimming yesterday at the Rose Bowl. At first she was a little hesitant but then was all enthusiastic. She was swimming and enjoying it tremendously. After a little bit she was even getting rather bold with asking me to go further and further away so she can swim to me. She took pride in her accomplishments and her increasing confidence. I wanted to thank you again for this wonderful gift that you have given to us. I love being in the water, so being able to share this with Chloe is amazing. And as a welcome side effect, taking baths and showering is also much easier as she's not complaining about water in her face anymore ;-) She keeps asking about swimming with Bill as she had so much fun. We have explained to her that that there are other kids now that need your help with learning how to swim and I think she kind of got it. Chloe wants you to come to her birthday party ;-) Cheers, Anna, Elias and of course Chloe Thank you again for the amazing welcome and swimming lessons for Emmet and Annie. Watching the kids learn to swim in such a safe, joyous and encouraging environment made our hearts as parents sing. Thanks for handling your ascension into cult like status by our family with grace. We were all swimming this past weekend and your name was often mentioned. - Brian and Jane I have to tell you that Liam asks me practically every day (and I'm not exaggerating) if he can go to swim lessons! - Kim I have to admit I am beyond shocked at how far Johnah’s come! His confidence has grown tremendously. Thank you so much for what you have taught him. You have done amazing things with our two little guys! We would love to do lessons again with you next summer. They are certainly going to miss swimming with Bill. Stacee Trujillo The kids have been swimming really well - what a gift you have given them! And us too - thank you :) Bill,i just wanted to thank you again, your swim class is a highlight of our summer. They loved it so much!! Now Bellamy has started camps that have swimming and she feels so confident. We will return with Bax next year. xo, kayren I'm so grateful to you for your patience and for giving Townes a new found confidence in the water. We really enjoyed our experience (despite all the tears) and hope to come visit for open swim one of these Fridays. All the best, Melissa We have to thank you for everything you've done for us. It was a magic experience and we are so sad it's over... Alina keeps talking about you, Today she's already asked me a few times if we are going to swim with Bill tomorrow, you should start teaching parenting classes as well. Sasha, Serge, Alina Sign Up |
Bill thank you so much for this beautiful and empowering experience! Both David and I are very moved by it all .....and the way it's affected Marusha. Of course we will be back :) Boriana
Hi Bill -I am sure you hear this all the time, but you are 100% in the right job and your calmness and kindness is making this whole process enjoyable. It is wonderful to see in just the 3 days how the girls have progressed. Best, Cortney Fellow Mamas! All good things are to be shared and this thing has changed our lives and is making my heart sing as I type! Where to start and how to convey the magic that has transpired for both my boys ages 5 and 3...??? Lukey- my 5 year old- HATED (with a passion) water in his face. Cruised around pools in a life vest and cried when anyone splashed his face! Day 1 of swim lessons... had his face in the water and was swimming.. and really enjoying himself. Day 3... jumping into the pool & swimming to the other side of the pool. Day 5... kicking and using his arms under water and diving for toys in the shallow end of the pool. He chose to jump into pool, and dive for toys and he put his face in the water because he discovered that he could move faster thru the water when he did. Bill, their swim teacher, guides in a way that the kids don't suspect, but absorb... he is never telling them what to do.... he believes that when a child figures out how their body works in the water, it will stick. It's incredible! Liam- my 3 year old- LOVED water, but didn't trust it & wouldn't allow me or my husband to take him in the pool - even with a life vest. Liam cried and clung to Bill for a good 10 minutes.. he was yelling and crying "I want to get out" over and over again. Also- "I don't want to do this" and at one point jumped out of the pool and into my arms. Bill stayed with Liam until he was comfortable and half way thru the class, this is what I heard from my son.... "I DID IT"... AND "I WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN"... He was swimming and smiling and absolutely loving it all! He, by the way, is doing all of the things Lukey is doing... but with a bit more fervor. He started saying this on day 3... "I don't want to take a rest, I want to keep swimming" and this phrase has continued to day 5 (where we are now). Neither boy wanted to get out of the water & still don't when lesson time is over. Both boys start asking to swim in the morning when they wake up and 3 o'clock can't come fast enough for any of us! - Kim (posted on “The Booby Brigade”) You’ve been so kind, so patient, so loving with every single child who swims to you. You are Roscoe’s first real teacher and a masterful one. Roscoe’s not even two, but we now talk about what it means to be brave and open to learning what we’re afraid of. It’s been a profound experience watching you work. A beautiful adventure. Thank you for your generosity of spirit and teaching Roscoe to swim. You’ve helped him to discover his own bravery. -Very Gratefully, Joannie Ellen Hi Bill!, First, I wanted to thank you for a fantastic nine days. Alice and Adelaide have talked non-stop about you and swim class since day 1 (despite the initial screaming and tears)! It was an incredible experience for all of us, and we are so grateful to you. We're ecstatic to have two very enthusiastic swimmers! Best, Louise Andy and I wanted to write and tell you what a transformation you facilitated with Grover! We have been in the pool almost every day and he is having so much fun! His confidence and joy remains as he explores new ways of swimming. He's "diving" into the pool, swimming to the bottom to find toys and traversing the pool all the way into the deep end. His swimming without fear has really changed our own enjoyment. Being able to swim and play freely in the pool with him has increased our own joy and fun! So thank you! Our summer has been transformed! You are a phenomenal teacher and we are so grateful to have had our lessons with you. All our best, - Jen and Andy Just wanted to pass along that Nolan has been going off the diving board the past few weeks at our golf club. All of the lifeguards are so in awe of his swim skills at 3.5 years old, and they can't believe his eagerness for the diving board! We remain so grateful for your instruction the past two springs. Hope you are well and happy father's day! You probably get used to seeing the progress and development that can take place in a little kid in ten days. But for us – it’s the first real teaching experience we've been through intensively. So for us – Joanie, me and Roscoe too – it’s been astonishing to see the learning take place. It’s not just the swimming skill he’s picking up that’s impressive – it’s the ability to turn fear into delight. We are so grateful you helped him learn that life lesson. - Alex Hi Bill. Just wanted to pass along that Nolan has been going off the diving board the past few weeks at our golf club. All of the lifeguards are so in awe of his swim skills at 3.5 years old, and they can't believe his eagerness for the diving board! We remain so grateful for your instruction the past two springs. Hope you are well and happy father's day! It is so amazing to watch this process and see Cooper swimming! I meant to email you over the weekend to tell you about a conversation I had with him. When I was putting him to bed on Friday night he said "I'm so excited to wake up tomorrow because I get to go swimming with Bill!" He was seriously bummed when I reminded him that it was the weekend and we had to wait until Monday to swim with you. Thank you so much for all you do. Your energy and approach with these kids is really wonderful. I'm so happy we found you! Tyler Thank you for teaching Liam how to swim and be safe in the water. Seeing this transformation over the past two weeks was beautiful and amazing! He's so proud of himself - and of course we are too. You're a very special person, we are so thankful we found you. - Kelly, Steve and Liam Thank you so much. You have given Marlo a gift. She is in love with swimming! We went to a friend's pool yesterday and she didn't want to get out of the water. Copying sweet Liam's "cannonball!" and not quitting even when her heart was pounding like a little rabbit. She even went into my brother in law's freezing pool today and gave it her all. We could not be happier. - Sandy The other night at dinner Annie announced that you are her new best friend. Just thought you would want to know. She doesn't have a cell, or email, so don't worry about being inundated with texts or emails... - Jane and Brian I just wanted to let you know how very much my kids are enjoying their swim class. I'm sure you get so much feedback about how quickly all your students progress with actual swimming, but it's wonderful to see someone meaningfully connect with each child individually and push them to try (and explore on their own) while making sure they feel safe and have fun. I have also noticed how built-in safety has been from moment one - this is a big gift for kids and their families. My son talks nonstop about your class when we are home. A year ago not everyone was convinced he'd talk at all, never mind nonstop about anything, but he's got a determined family and we've lucked into some wonderful teachers this past year, so thank you. -Emily I just wanted to let you know what an amazing few weeks we've had. It was one of the highlights of being a mom to see him learning how to swim. Thank you so much for all your patience, encouragement and warmth. Our son loves you and thinks you're some sort of super hero. He knows one when he sees one! You're truly amazing. Thank you so, so much. - Mariana It was truly amazing to watch how my son, Roman, transformed from a boy into a fish in a matter of weeks. It was also incredible to watch the other children and their transformation in confidence as they learned a powerful new skill. - Jenny Bill, you are a natural teacher: confident, strong, encouraging, consistent, patient, and totally committed. You provided a calm, safe, fun environment for parents and kids alike. It was a great experience for everyone! - Genevieve Thank you for a FANTASTIC day. I wanted to let you know as we were leaving, Chiara asked if Thursday was a "Miranda day", code for a day when she sees her favorite person in the world. When I said yes, she said, "I don't want it to be, I want it to be a swimming day." - Rachel Thanks for everything, I love your way with my kids and all the kids... - Jane Thanks for all the great work you've done so far with the kids. It's clear you're a pro and have seen it all before. Wiley's having a great time - every day after swimming at your place he crowed "when do I get to swim AGAAAAAAIN?" - Holly Thank you Bill, you are awesome. - Lila and Amy Thanks Bill, you have given Charlie the gift of love for the water - again. - Kerry and Charlie I cannot thank you enough for your compassion, empathy, clarity, focus and tremendous skill. You taught Zoey to swim! This was a challenging two weeks, and I cannot imagine a better person for her or Me to have gone through it with, than you. Thank you so, so much. - Julie Sienna is absolutely in love with swimming. We're actually renting somewhere with a pool this month and she is swimming everyday. Her confidence is continuing to grow as are the distances she can swim underwater! Getting her out the pool is impossible! Thanks again for the pictures and for turning Sienna into a little tadpole. -Jodie You are a magical person and I am so thankful we found you! I finally got to watch Wolfe in action this weekend it was stunning for me. I was so proud. He doesn’t take to everyone but Wolfe certainly likes you. Very happy parent! - Jen Rowland It's so sad. I feel like your sending Mars out into the big bad world!! You have been amazing. Trust me when I tell you we will continue to send you tons of kids. You are fantastic at what you do. See you tomorrow. Liv is in heaven and, thanks to you, swimming like a fish. She even taught herself how to dive and is fearless! This is Chloe's Mom. Chloe loves the class. This morning when I mentioned your name she was super excited and she's really looking forward to the next session. She's sitting next to me while I'm writing and says: "I love you Bill" :-) We just love coming to swim with you Bill! You have true magic with the kids! Teddy is really drawn to you!!!! Thanks so much for ALL the encouragement, passion, knowledge & kindness you have given to Teddy!!! We will see you in the Spring! I can't thank you enough! We sing your praises to all, Sheri, Peter & Teddy Thank you again for your great work with Paul and Edith. You made a real impact on their confidence, not to mention their swimming ability. We are all looking forward to keeping up the momentum. We hope to be in touch. Charlie " aka Charlie whale" is such a great little swimmer at 4 and a half thanks to you and your program. Viki Davis Dear Bill Thank you so much for being such an amazing teacher. Louie has had a really great time and has loved learning to swim with you. You have given our family such a valuable gift. We will happily recommend you to our friends. - Louie Amber and Greg Thank you so much for helping our children discover their love of water. We are forever grateful. - Jessica and Mike Comfort Wanted to let you know (although I think Zev has made it abundantly clear) how much he loves the class. He's been telling anyone who will listen about his new swim teacher Bill and how much he loves him :-) Brooke You will be happy to know we went on vacation to Mexico and Shaya swam every day all day. One morning when he jumped off the stair to swim to me this woman screamed and started jumping up and down and yelling "that baby is swimming!" She freaked out because her daughter didn't learn till she was 7 or 8. - Shervin Dear Bill, We want to express our absolute gratitude for giving Inez her first experience with swimming. It was scary at first, but seeing how kind, patient and present you are with the kids immediately put me at ease and made me see how lucky we are to have had the chance to swim with you. Inez has been practicing since her last day with you and she is so excited to get in the any pool. Thank you so much, Bill for guiding her so thoughtfully and teaching us all to have faith. We are forever grateful. Always Lisa, John, & Inez I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your way of working with Grace. Not only did she learn to swim, but her confidence was lifted across the board. She's still walking around like she's "all that!" Ha! We went swimming on Father's Day, and she did great. Take care, Trishaha Padilla & Grace. Hi Bill. Great to see you again. Thanks for the refresher--so, so generous. Roscoe chants your name in the car. And we nod along! Joannie Thank you so much for the wonderful swim class. I REALLY didn't think Shaya would be swimming at the end, and I am amazed with how he is a little fish now! When I asked him this morning what he wanted to do today, he said "Bill". I wanted to let you know that I am happy to e-mail or talk to anyone in the future who wants to speak to the parent of a former student. -Jeiran Sign Up BACK TO TOP |