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Rachel B., Chicago, IL Swimming Coach

Rachel B.

Swimming

SILVER
7 reviews

I have been running Swim In Chicago for two years, and managed swim lessons for eight years before that at the most prestigious swim school in Dallas. I love teaching! View all coaching experience

This coach is unavailable to take clients at this time.

Training Locations
Training Locations
  1. River North, Chicago, IL

Coach is willing to travel up to 5 miles

  • 9 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Distance Freestyle, Sprint Freestyle

Credentials

  • 9 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

Services

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Distance Freestyle, Sprint Freestyle

More About Coach Rachel

Hello parents, soon to be parents, and adult swimmers! My name is Rachel, I graduated two years ago, spent two months developing and teaching a curriculum in Australia, and now I am back in the wonderful world of Chicago! I started teaching swim lessons here a few years ago, and had so much fun and success I decided to start my own business! Swim in Chicago. Teaching swim lessons is my love and passion. I have been so blessed to have been able to help thousands of children (and some adults, too!) learn how to swim and and be safe in the water. I taught at an amazing private swim school in Dallas for over seven years, where I was trained in the best methods for teaching children water safety and skills. I have taught hundreds of classes for children, from babies to junior high, and have also taught beginner adult swim lessons. Teaching, encouraging, and enriching children is truly my passion and loved, and I feel so blessed to have such a fun job.

My specialty is teaching children how to be independent in the water before age 4. I have taught hundreds of 2 and 3 year olds who have become independent swimmers as young as 24 months. I love to work with children who have a fear of the water, to encourage and challenge them to learn to love pools and be safe swimmers.

I have been told by parents that I'm known as one of the more "tough" instructors. I won't let a child talk me out of them having to try anything! But, I also have a sweet and gentle disposition. I genuinely love each child I teach, and I want them to know that I believe in them. I challenge each child to try their best and show them how much they are capable of, and always give lots of praise and encouragement. It is so important to challenge a child and yet build up their confidence at the same time. I had the amazing opportunity at working at a great swim school, and there I learned the importance of good form and methods. Teaching a child to move their arms around, or "doggy-paddle", is counterproductive and dangerous! When the child lifts their head to breathe, it makes the rest of their body sink. Because of this, I focus on streamline hands and rollover breathing, until the child is developed enough to learn freestyle and other strokes. With adults who are non-swimmers, I start with the basics and what they are comfortable with. We work on holding our breath, kicking, proper breathing, and floating. Students will very quickly be able to kick across the pool in a streamline position. They then will go on to learn freestyle, backstroke, and then the rest of the strokes. Swimming is great for fitness and safety, and especially great for soon-to-be moms!

Action Photos

Client Reviews

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I started taking lessons with Rachel because a scary incident occurred that made me realize that if my kids are ever in trouble in the water, I need to be able to help them. I had never had formal swimming lessons before, but I could do some basic things like swim across the pool in some fashion or float on my back. I thought that was good enough for hanging out with my two girls in the pool, even if I didn't consider myself a swimmer and I never felt confident in the water. A few months ago, I was holding my two year old daughter as she practiced climbing out of the water (elbow elbow knee knee). While I turned around for a brief moment to answer someone's question, my daughter had walked the length of the pool and had fallen in on the other side of the pool. I still can't believe how quickly it happened. I froze because I didn't know what I needed to do to get to my daughter quickly. Fortunately, there was an elderly man on the pool deck who reached out and grabbed my girl's hands and didn't let go. In what felt like eternity, I half waded/half doggy paddled my way to my screaming child. Rachel has been so great at teaching me proper techniques so that I can get across the pool quickly if I need to. I'm also learning different strokes and how to tread water, all of which makes me feel more confident in the water. I am so grateful that Rachel took me on as a student and that she is helping us become a family of swimmers.
Isaac and I have tried several swimming lessons and schools and it didn't work for us... You have already transformed his relationship to the water [in two classes], it feels like a miracle! :)
2 short weeks ago (which really equal eight 30 minute sessions!) my kids wouldn’t even get in the water without throwing huge fits. They were scared and unconfident in the water. But because of you they are now both freely swimming on their own…it’s amazing! They are like different children and so much more fun to be with in the pool! They recently lost a friend to drowning and I feel like I owe you so much because I know that with the skills and confidence you have given them that they will never be in that same sad situation! You were wonderful, you truly have a gift! Thank you so much! We will never forget you and we appreciate everything you have done for us, Ms. Rachel!
Signing up for Swim in Chicago was the best decision I made! I needed a private trainer who could make me feel comfortable with swimming again. My trainer was extremely accommodating. A lot of private trainers are for infants and kids so it was nice to sign up with swim in chicago and get one-on-one adult lessons. I also liked how i can text/email and get a prompt response. I have taken two sessions with Swim in Chicago and hope to take some more in the near future. I would recommend swim in chicago to anyone (kids, infants, adults) in a heartbeat!
Rachel goes way beyond my expectations. My 4-year old son and his friend started weekly lessons with her a few weeks ago, and I am amazed at their progress. My son, who has always loved the water, went from resisting getting his face in the water, to diving nonstop for his pool toys. He jumps in and swims to the ladder over and over an over. Rachel is patient and persistent and pleasantly firm. She keeps control of the lesson, even when it resembles herding cats. She is also very flexible and understanding with scheduling issues. I couldn't be happier, and I highly recommend this service.
Our family started private swim classes with Rachel about 4 weeks back. She comes to teach us at our condo building that has a swimming pool, how convenient is that! The progress has been tremendous - my preschool age daughter started floating by herself in 4 classes and my husband picked up freestyle in 2 sessions, he had no prior swimming experience. My progress has been a little slow with freestyle but I can do a backstroke quite nicely. We had enrolled our daughter at the Y! last summer in one of their group classes since it seemed like the 'cheapest' option (though it is not cheap, especially as non members) but did not like the quality of instruction for the price we were paying and of course very little individual attention was given since it was a group instruction. Now we are able to enjoy the pool as a family and the pool has gotten a lot of usage in the last month - we are making up for all the lost time. Thanks to Rachel's instruction. I will sincerely recommend Rachel's classes to anyone.
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