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Bryan Kim, Silver Spring, MD Swimming Coach

Bryan Kim

drkimswim . com

Swimming

SILVER

3-time Olympic Swimmer (96, 00, 04), 10-time NCAA Division I All-American, former national record holder, PhD in Kinesiology Book directly: drkimswim . com /book (cheaper rates) View all coaching experience

This coach is unavailable to take clients at this time.

Training Locations
  • University of Florida (FL)

  • 16 years

  • Qualified Private Coach

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Sprint Freestyle, Open Water, Individual Medley, Distance Freestyle, Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke

  • Technique, Starts, Sprinting, Relays, Pulling, Pacing, Open Turns, Kicking, Flip Turns

Credentials

  • University of Florida (FL)

  • 16 years

  • Qualified Private Coach

Services

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Sprint Freestyle, Open Water, Individual Medley, Distance Freestyle, Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke

  • Technique, Starts, Sprinting, Relays, Pulling, Pacing, Open Turns, Kicking, Flip Turns

More About Coach Bryan

I am a former 3-time Olympic swimmer (for South Korea - 96, 00, 04) and swam on scholarship at the University of Florida (same school that many Olympians have swum such as Dara Torres and Ryan Locthe). My specialty was the Individual Medley (former national record holder from 96-06) but also swam butterfly, breaststroke and middle distance freestyle during college. I also have a PhD in Kinesiology.

I have vast teaching/coaching swimming experience from beginners (people who are afraid of the water), age-group swimmers, to competitive swimmers. I have taught beginning swimming at a University level for 4 years and provided private lessons to swimming clients at the University of Pennsylvania (staff, faculty, students, family and friend members). I have competed against many world class swimmers including Michael Phelps and Ryan Locthe (trained with him at the 2004 Olympic Games). I have learned from many world class coaches such as the 2012 US Olympic Team Men's Head Coach, Gregg Troy, and legendary swim coach Richard Shoulberg at Germantown Academy (PA).

I really try to focus on teaching from the basics and provide in-water Olympic level demonstration and instruction. For technique improvement, I will be in the water with the client and provide step-by-step, thorough, and clear instruction. I use a combination of my Olympic athletic experience along with my doctorate education in Kinesiology to provide my clients the best instruction to improve their technique, power, efficiency, and/or time.

I am a very humble and patient person. I can assure you world-class observations and instructions. I am a USA swimming registered Coach (with Level 2 Axiom Background check and completion of Foundations of Coaching and USA Swim Athlete Protection Training) and have certifications from American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor and CPR/AED.

For more information: drkimswim . com

3 time Olympic Swimmer for South Korea (1996, 2000, 2004) with a best place finish of 20th in the 400 IM (2004 Olympics: New national record - LCM: 4:23.05)
Best LCM times:
100m free: 51.66
200m free: 1:52.30
200m Fly: 2:02.03
200m IM: 2:04.32
400m IM: 4:23.05

All-American NCAA Division I swimmer from the University of Florida (97-01)
Best SCY times:
400 IM: 3:47.03
200 IM: 1:48.40
200 Fly: 1:46.00
200 Free: 1:37.79
500 Free: 4:22.00

18-time Korean national record holder (97-06)

The swimming session will be determined and individualized accordingly to the swimmer's level and goals.

I really try to focus on teaching from the basics and provide in-water Olympic level demonstration and instruction. For technique improvement, I will be in the water with the client and provide step-by-step, thorough, and clear instruction. I use a combination of my Olympic athletic experience along with my doctorate education in Kinesiology to provide my clients the best instruction to improve their technique, power, efficiency, and/or time.

Book directly:
Drkimswim .com /book (cheaper rates than CoachUp)

Action Photos

Client Reviews

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My son had an hour visit with Coach Bryan on Saturday, and while it was a two hour drive for us to get there, it was well worth it. He was great! My son is a pretty advanced swimmer for 14 years old, so we weren't sure what to expect from this session, but we were pleasantly surprised. Bryan filmed his strokes, and he gave my son some great information on improving his strokes and turns. Some of the things Bryan pointed out, my son had an idea from his current coaches that he was doing, but having it video taped, and reviewed on the spot was the reinforcement that he needed. It was so beneficial, and the notes and footage for my son to review was invaluable. One of the most impressive things, from my son's point of view, was Bryan's positivity. My son came out saying "he is one of the most positive, if not the most, that I have ever met", and "he smiles more than anyone I know!" (That is a great example for a teenage boy to witness!) He also felt that Bryan definitely knew what he was doing. It was a great experience, and one that we are glad we signed up for. Thank you Bryan!

Coach Bryan is fantastic and provided excellent feedback on the specifics requested, including stroke technique and other swim time reducing strategies. Video feedback during the session; while in the pool, was both real-time and extremely interactive.

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Bryan is everything and more the other great reviews say! So thankful to have found him to help our son!

Really appreciated Coach Bryan's ability to help my son improve on his swimming technique. He is quite personable, very engaged and encouraging. Looking forward to working with him in the future.

Coach Bryan was excellent. He did a great job explaining and demonstrating what I needed to change in my stroke. Always with an upbeat, positive attitude. I saw immediate improvement. His follow-up after my session was great too. Providing video of me swimming so I could see what I looked like originally and after working with him for just one hour. I go back to the video often to remind me what my stroke should, and can, look like. I'm looking forward to another session with Coach Bryan in the future. Can't wait to show him my continued improvement! Thanks Coach!

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We had high hopes going into this clinic with Coach Bryan this past Saturday and he delivered. My 9 year old son was able to connect with Coach Bryan immediately. His breast stroke improved by a good margin, to say that he dropped 2 seconds. I strongly recommend Coach Byran, he's good.

Bryan is an excellent coach. He is very nice and very patient. His demo and drills are very helpful. He found my problems on my kick right away. Then he corrected me by different drills. He wrote me a feedback notes after training with step by step directions. It is very clear and professional. I had wonderful time with Bryan and learned a lot from him. I definitely recommend him to my friends. Thanks a lot, Bryan.

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Coach Brian was great. He quickly noted issues with my technique and practiced a number of useful drills to address those with me. Even better - after the session he provided a narrated video with reminders on what to work on before my next session. Highly recommended.

Coach Bryan is awesome. We brought our 7 year old to him to work on her stroke mechanics. He was able to help her immediately. He works great with kids.

Bryan is very friendly and had some very helpful tips. He watched me swim a couple laps and then broke down the various mechanical issues with my stroke. I found it helpful that he helped position my arms in the right place; showed me what my kick looked like and how I should correct it. He was patient and non-judgmental and followed up with some useful written tips - which is helpful because all the tips are a lot to process during a one-hour session. I would definitely recommend him to others.

We had a great experience with Bryan. After only one session, we saw great improvements.

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Coach Bryan was full of good advices! I can't wait to see the results in my next meet!!

After reading all the glowing reviews about Coach Bryan, we had very high expectations. Let's just say that Coach Bryan is even more awesome than that reviews say. He is extremely knowledgeable, very warm and kind, and his critical eye missed nothing. After only an hour of working with the coach, my daughter was swimming cleaner and therefore more efficiently. Following up the lesson, he provided detailed feedback on all the technical points my daughter needs to pay attention to. We are very excited to continue working with Coach Bryan.

Bryan is a fantastic coach! Based on his impressive credentials and client reviews, we had high expectations, but Bryan exceeded them. He is very knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of swimming, and he was able to effectively communicate and teach our children (who enjoyed working with him). He quickly followed up by sending us notes from the session and key takeaways to focus on during practice. Our children showed immediate improvements in their strokes. In addition, Bryan is very approachable and responsive. Highly recommended!

We couldn't ask for a better coach for our son. We saw immediate improvement across all strokes and turns. Bryan is not only a great technical teacher, helping our son with the subtle mechanics, but he quickly establishes a rapport with the swimmer, allowing him to provide critical feedback that is easily understood and builds confidence. Bryan is a fantastic coach.

Working with Bryan was the best thing I've done for my swim stroke since getting back into the sport. He was very quick to point out some flaws, and was able to demonstrate the appropriate fix whilst swimming in the pool next to you. This is key, and far more advantageous than having a coach try and explain the fix while standing on the pool deck.

As swimming is such a technique oriented sport, I highly recommend Bryan for anyone serious about improving their stroke.

Coach Bryan is an excellent coach! He is very kind, easy to talk to, extremely knowledgeable, and a good teacher. My son has been swimming competitively for several years. Coach Bryan was able to provide specific and detailed instruction to help him improve. After telling my son what he needed to do, Coach Bryan demonstrated it by doing it himself. We look forward to additional lessons with Coach Bryan!

Bryan has saved my daughter's swimming career. When she first met Bryan she was lost in her swimming. Various modifications coaches had made to her stroke had been unsuccessful and she didn't know where to turn. It looked as though she was going to stop swimming. As soon as she began working with Bryan her confidence and swim stroke improved drastically. He is overwhelmingly kind, friendly, professional, and highly skilled. He is able to explain the intricate details of the various strokes to my daughter in a manner in which she can understand and implement. I can see the results right before my eyes. It is exciting just to watch the lesson, seeing her improve and observing how excited Bryan gets when she adopts a new technique he is teaching. Unlike other coaches that shy away from parent interaction and focus only on the swimmer, Bryan keeps me constantly informed and involved in my daughter's progress. She tends to be an introvert. By the second lesson I was amazed that she was communicating easily with Bryan, smiling, and happy, all along gaining an insight to her swim strokes that she had not received in over 10 years of coaching with her Club team. She is fully engaged in the lesson and looks forward to the next lesson with Bryan. My daughter's confidence has carried over to her daily practice with her Club team. We had an issue at a major State meet and I sent Bryan an email asking for some insight. He immediately asked me to call him so we could talk it over. WOW, that is not a response I was expecting. He spoke with me by phone taking time out of his busy schedule demonstrating his true concern for my daughter. He constantly goes above and beyond any expectations I could have ever had when I scheduled the first lesson with Bryan. And most importantly, he is an incredible example to my daughter, not only is he a highly educated professional, but also a World/Olympic class swimmer. We could never thank Bryan enough for the enormous contribution he has made to our family.

Bryans the best worth every penny! His personality and knowledge of the sport are outstanding. Not many coaches are willing to get in the water with the kids but he does and with great outcomes. I recommend him with a 10 star rating.

Bryan has done an excellent job coaching our son. He has helped him improve in all stokes and also with starts and turns. He easily pinpoints areas that need improvement and is patient teacher. With each session, we have seen noticeable and immediate improvement in our son’s swimming techniques. These improvements have allowed him to have more success and confidence when performing on his swim team. I believe that part of Bryan’s effectiveness is his willingness to take a personal interest in his clients’ lives and become not only a coach, but a mentor. Our son relates well to Bryan and understands how his coaching is helping him to improve. I would recommend Bryan as a coach to anyone who is interested in developing their child’s swimming knowledge and ability.

Bryan is the best coach I could have asked for at this stage of my swimming development. Not only is Bryan's knowledge of swimming exceptional, he has this unique ability to offer advice particular to the swimmer. His insight is exceptional and he is very good at spotting room for improvement. Perhaps the best thing about coach Bryan is his encouragement on top of his knowledge and superior teaching ability. He is a nurturing force and gives his swimmers the confidence they need to succeed. I highly recommend coach Bryan. 5 stars for me!

Bryan is terrific at teaching my kid her weakest stroke, quick to nail down the problems and very patient to correct them with appropriate drills. I feel he has a systematic, customized plan in mind to improve a swimmer's strokes, and he instructs in water which helps a lot for my age group swimmer. Bryan also provides a detailed post-lesson recap which helps the kid reinforce the information learned during the session. To me Bryan is a very knowledgeable, patient coach, and his solution and approach are right on target in my kid's case. It's a great, very effective learning experience for my swimmer.

Great instructor. Analyzed my stroke and explained and demonstrated how to improve. I swam much more efficiently by the end of just on session. I highly recommend Byran.

Brain was really friendly and great. My nephew was nervous before meeting Brain but was really happy and excited after his lesson. Brain looked at his strokes and techniques and corrected them. I would recommend Brain anytime.

Bryan is an excellent teacher. He has a talent for coaching that most elite athletes do not have. He can communicate his wishes to the child in a friendly but clear manner and makes learning enjoyable. He is by far the best swim coach my son has ever had. He gets in the pool and engages with them and demonstrates instead of coaching from the deck. I highly recommend Bryan to any competitive swimmers looking to become more proficient.

Bryan is excellent. I'm an adult who started in my 40's ("serious" swimming") and I appreciate a coach who takes me seriously. He gets in the water, which is awesome. I coach swimming now myself and have wanted to understand more and to learn techniques of high level swimming. Bryan is very good at explaining details and, of course, he can illustrate as well. I am very, very happy to work with such a high level athlete. He is smart, kind--not at all condescending--just excellent. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with him!

If you are looking for the very best in swim coaching, looked no further. In our opinion Coach Bryan is the very best.

After looking for a swim club that would really teach our son Joshua how to swim on a path to excellence, that would put him in a position to receive a full swim scholarship and an opportunity to compete in the Olympics, it became very clear to us that we needed an individual coach that would give our son the needed attention to detail with private lessons.

It became obvious to us that every swim coach is the not best swim coach, as all the coaches we tried before coach Bryan were very generic in their instructions. In others words, we found out they gave the exactly same instructions to every swimmer on the team. We knew our son was not getting what he needed to excel and deserved more than this.

After finding Coach Bryan on Coach Up our prayers were answered.

Coach Bryan simply put is awesome! He is worth the investment.

After just one lesson with our son Joshua, Coach Bryan's detailed teaching lessons improved our son's swimming in a matter of minutes right before our eyes.

Coach Bryan is so incredible, he tailored the swim lesson to our son's body type and explained in detailed why this is necessary. We were blown away.

Even after the swim lesson Coach Bryan sent us a detailed email of what was covered, what needed to be improved, and how he was going to do it for our son to reach the highest level of swimming.

We have been with the "so-called" best swim clubs in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, but what we have found out from our experience that our son was just another number in a lane filled with more swimmers than any coach could effectively teach.

If you want your child or if you are a swimmer looking to go to the highest level you can in competitive swimming, take our word and many hours of research and give Coach Bryan a try. He is the best!

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