My three year old was terrified of getting water in her eyes and had figured out the trick of…read moresaying she had to go potty to get out of the pool. She was so nervous when we started at Waterloo and was up to her old tricks again with the "potty excuse", but we got the BEST teacher for our little girl. Ms. Ashton is AMAZING. She's fun, playful, sweet, encouraging, AND balances it with teaching and pushing my little girl. I'm amazed at how Ms. Ashton keeps track of where each kiddo is at in terms of their skills and what they like/don't like. She is patient and an absolute gem. I cannot rave about her and Waterloo as a whole enough. Just a few comments about Waterloo - we have had an amazing experience. From 2 of our kids being tentative to swimming to now loving it and seeing all the growth in their swimming is incredible. Today I watched one of my kids swim the length of the big pool and do a flip turn. There is no way I can do that as an adult. I'm amazed at not just the skills they are learning, but also the attention to form and technique. So very grateful to have lessons at an indoor pool, indoor seating for parents, and such kind staff (from teachers to the people who man the info email box).

Clean water, good instructions from staff, but I cannot get over why they instruct the kids in the…read morefurthest lanes away from the viewing area. You simply cannot see your kids swimming without binoculars. It defies logic.

Tyler and Matt were the best dive instructors anyone could ask for: patient, friendly, very…read moreknowledgeable, and non judgmental. I feel very safe diving after having attended their class. It's not just about getting certified, they really want you to learn the skills you will need to be a safe diver. ALSO, seeing the kiddos bounce in and out after swim class is just about the cutest thing in the world. I had a chance to watch two of the kids classes and the swim instructors are SO friendly with the kids, and celebrate their successes. Buy local! Support Tom's Dive and Swim by buying goods in the store.

It is so sad what this place has become after the change in management over the past couple of…read moremonths. We have gone here for almost 2 years and I used to rave about it to everyone for kids swim classes. All the good teachers quit. Over the last couple of months, my kids were able to practice in a tiny portion of the pool, because they were trying to squeeze in as many kids in there as possible. A total joke and waste of money and time. They asked us to be patient, and we really were! Kept on coming because we figured, it's Tom's, we love them.... Only to cancel our private class all together and prioritize group classes. After canceling our lessons due to lack of staffing, they refuse to refund us. We have a credit but no available times that works for our schedule.

AMAZING week with Ms Cathy!! One of my children had intense water fear. The first lesson or two…read morewere super uncomfortable, but then she learned to love the water and the confidence she gained in such a short time was remarkable. We cannot thank Ms Cathy enough!

Life-Changing Swim Lessons! Ms. Cathy's swim lessons have…read morebeen a game changer for our family. Our 3-year-old started off hesitant and tearful at his first lesson--but that quickly changed. In just four days, he was swimming the length of the pool, jumping in, and confidently saying, "I got this!" His confidence grew with every lesson, and so did our peace of mind. Ms. Cathy's confident, structured approach truly works. We can't recommend her enough!

Coach Stephanie is fabulous - we are so happy with how the lessons are going, especially for our…read moredaughter. She is calm and patient and knows what she's doing. She's also very responsive and flexible. I've already recommended her to a friend. I can't say enough good things about Coach Stephanie.

Our swim instructor is very patient and makes it fun! She's been reliable and also the girls have…read moreboth improved!

Crenshaw is amazing!! They really care so much about the kids in our community. My daughter not…read moreonly took a weekly gymnastics class when she was 4 years old at Crenshaw, but as 1st grader, the summer day camp this past summer was absolutely phenomenal. She had so much fun every day and went for almost the entire summer. There was swimming, art, singing, dancing, gymnastics, games and so much more that kept her busy, engaged and active throughout the day. The staff was awesome and was really able to form great bonds with the kids. My daughter loved Ms Veronica, Mandy, and the whole crew!! Crenshaw really went over and beyond this fall 2020 school year with their remote learning camp. They adapted to the frequent AISD changes and worked with families to provide a safe and productive learning environment which also included a social dynamic with other kids in the same age range. I honestly don't know what we would of done with Crenshaw this summer and fall! We look forward to hopefully getting into summer camp next year!!

If you care about the wellbeing of your child or children stay clear of this gym. If you advocate…read morefor your child, stay clear of this gym. If you want your children spending long periods of time in an unhealthy training environment with a head coach "god complex" ego, then look no further.  I cannot speak for Crenshaws after school program, camps, or palestra program, but if you're looking for an Optional or Compulsories training program here's my honest review.  We first started noticing issues with the constant change in coaching staff. In the last three years we've seen 2-3 coach changes. The latest newest edition being the worst. They bark orders at the girls and offer put downs when there is no delivery. My daughter felt this coaching style began to rub off on the other coaches. We were met with many meltdowns after training due to this specific coach. Hysterical crying and shaking. If you directed concerns to the head coach your child would be blamed for bringing this response on. We noticed over our tenor here that our daughter was scared and intimidated to communicate. Not to us as parents but to the coaching staff. She feared retaliation from her coaches. If she was interested in attending a gymnastics college summer camp with her peers, they would all be terrified to to mention it due to how the coaches would respond. Of course, you'd think attending a college gymnastics camp would be encouraged - it's not. If my daughter suffered an injury, she did not want to mention it to her coaches, scared of how they would treat her or push her to train on the pain. If my child was running late to practice, she was terrified to communicate her occurrence. This all goes against USAG Safe Sport Policy.  This gym says "family" is their mantra but that's a lie. It's the head coach's idea of family. He feels he owns your kids once they join the team. He acts as their father, at least what he thinks is a father. It's by far the unhealthiest part of this facility. He cancels parents and does not allow parents inside the gym. There are no windows to observe your children, there are no seats or seating within the gymnasium that welcome parents to watch practice to ensure your child's safety. You're told you're welcome to pull up a chair when you first join but this is not true. Most parents when we ask questions are met with snarky comments, attitude, pettiness, unprofessional responses, or no response at all. This is no way to conduct business. Your kids are bred to have their own communication with the coach that does not pertain to you. This means if your kid suffers from anxiety or depression, it will only worsen because the head coach does not want you as an adult to protect the child and speak adult to adult. Coach to parent. I'm all for children learning to communicate and advocate for themselves in a healthy manner but this is not that.  He's most comfortable texting your youth or adolescents. He rather hear from your kid how they cannot attend practice because you as a parent have a conflict, planned a family vacation, or other plans etc, so he can punish your child for your decisions or hold them accountable for something that does not pertain to them. This is just a toxic form of control. Over our time here we met with the head coach,Adam Miller, numerous times to discuss our concerns or issues as concerned parents. Each discussion showed more and more how he does not like to take ownership for his wrong doings. He would constantly point fingers at the children. During each discussion instead of being met with concern or willingness to change, we were met with communication that said, "Maybe this isn't the gym for you all". We were always told in so little words to just get out and our daughter was indispensable. This is not a family.  Our daughter was always pulled to the side and addressed about various things without our knowledge. She's 14 and unable to comprehend all conversations yet the coaching staff assumed or assumes these young gymnasts are adults, they're not. Every conversation she had without an adult present bred toxicity. She was being bullied, coerced, and always accused of wrongdoing. She was left feeling isolated and alone. All parts of their toxic control they like to flex.  In the end, I had to ask my daughter if this were a relationship would you stay? She told me no. I asked why, and she said because she's constantly manipulated, always accused that everything is her fault, and voiceless.  Overall, the head coach is unwilling to welcome healthy change. He rather continue with the same traditions that have led to years of gymnastics, toxic culture and adolescent abuse.  If you want to feel targeted and enjoy being disrespected, this is a place for you.  I would not recommend this gym to anyone.

As new parents, we want to make sure our little guy is comfortable in the water and give us the…read morepeace of mind later on when going near a pool, so we started going to Emler around 3 months. We are going to the bathrooms babies class and so far it's been super fun, it's a 30 minutes class, one parent goes in the water, it's easier if both parents go and one stay out but it's doable alone, and the babies get to "swim", be around other babies, we sing, we dance, and we celebrate them. Our little fishy seems to enjoy it and then goes for the biggest naps (bonus!). The price of the bath time babies class (until 6 months), is incredible, you pay a $35 fee for the year and then $5/class. So worth giving your baby the experience of being in the water other than a bathtub. The water is at the perfect temp and the teacher is very nice. Pro-tip: since you need 2 baby swimsuits, Amazon has some great deals.

Just wanted to rave one more time about the staff here. Our time slots are currently 4:30 & 5:00…read morerespectively and it is a busy time overall. The staff never flinches, they all perform their roles well and take safety into account in every way. I love that they blow the whistle every ten minutes to make sure everyone is accounted for. Miss Alyssa is so patient with the two year old crowd. Love love love!

I like swimming here it is very fun but I'm just gonna keep typing so I can fill up this reviewread more

Great coaching and flexibility for all ability levels. Facilities are excellent, staff is helpful…read moreand welcoming. Highly recommend.

Miss Tiffany, and the ISR method itself, are really in a class all their own…read more I have three kids; over the past 3 summers we have tried two of the most "popular" Austin swim instructors, both of whom use the "put 'em in the water and make 'em figure it out" method. If you read reviews of these swim providers you see terms like "brutal" used a lot, and for us it was exactly that, for me and the kids. While it didn't traumatize my oldest, it was am miserable process for us both. Worse, after 2 weeks of lessons, my middle child literally refused to go near the water for the entire rest of the summer (and he is not a particularly sensitive kid). Just as important, for both kids (I was not ready to put my youngest through those lessons at that point, given what they entailed), while they could "swim" at the end of the week/2 week sessions, I had zero confidence they'd ever actually be able to save themselves from drowning. In fact, they spent so much of those lessons swallowing pool water and vomiting it up that I was afraid they'd have exactly the wrong response should they fall in the water alone. The great news is: Miss Tiffany completed turned all of this around. After a 6 week session with her, not only could my 2/3/newly 5 yr olds could all legitimately swim / float / swim (including in both summer and winter clothes) significant distances, but they all loved the pool! We did not have a single traumatic day in 6 weeks - no child cried, soiled himself, or vomited, all of which regularly happened under the stress of the previous methods' lessons. Miss Tiffany is SKILLED. She is clearly highly trained, with proven methods. She is patient, gentle, and firm. The kids not only respect her but like her (and so do I). Because she gives them skills and confidence, they also enjoy swimming and want to do it more frequently. She has an ability to see what each child needs and provide it on an individualized basis. I cannot recommend her highly enough, and we are and will continue to take regular refresher courses with her. The kids are *thrilled* with that plan, and I'll be forever grateful we found her. She has completely changed our family's relationship with the water.

Our son was a few months short of 3 years old when he had his lessons this summer. The ISR…read moreapproach was very effective for him, and Miss Tiffany is a great teacher, very consistent in teaching the ISR steps, both firm and kind. I watched her interact with several different children of different ages and comfort levels, and adjust her approach accordingly, while remaining patient with each child's individual needs. In our case, the challenge was not crying but instead overconfidence and an above-average lung capacity. This made our little guy more resistant to learning the turn-over-and-breathe part of the process. But Miss T. kept meeting him where he was, and challenging him a little more each time. Now, I'm glad to report that we have a little ISR swimmer, and a whole lot less nervousness (and a lot more fun) when we are near a pool.

We love Waterloo! Our daughter has been taking swim classes since she was 10 months old. Lessons…read moreare free under 12 months. Coach Taylor is amazing and makes swim classes fun and silly while teaching her the skills she needs to swim and stay safe around water. The Waterloo pool and building is very clean and it's easy to get her changed after her lesson.

This place makes a lot of promises in terms of their methods but we were really not convinced. Our…read morekid actually spent very little time swimming ("White" or beginner level) in the few months we were there, there's a constant rotation of very young instructors so it's hard for the kid to get used to a style or establish confidence and for the instructor to really know the kids and what they need to advance. This was especially frustrating for us because our child had a experience with an instructor elsewhere and we wanted someone consistent, and in fact were told we were being placed with someone more experienced. That's not what happened. Our kid actually swims worse now than when she started. Also, the shower and changing area is totally open but in a narrow corridor, there aren't really enough showers during peak times, and it's just really chaotic.

Love the SW YMCA The prices are reasonable, the facilities have everything I need, the pools are…read morepristine, and they don't turn anyone away if they can't afford it. Good people, good mission. Great yoga! The person who says it's like a prison made me laugh.

I really liked going to this YMCA especially since this location has an indoor heated pool and hot…read moretub, great for winters. However, the past few times that I have been here, the hot tub has been closed off and I also ended up getting an ear infection for the first time :( Makes me question the hygiene and sanitization practices at this pool. They even have painters come in during pool hours so the entire enclosed space is filled with paint smell and fumes.