Swimming Testimonials
Sofia & Lili
Our daughters, Sofia & Lili have been taking lessons with Amie for a little under a year. Sofia, has taken off like a dolphin but Lili although loves to play in the water, she becomes a monster when its time to do swim. Prior to Amie they were enrolled in CPD classes and she never got comfortable with swimming. When she first met Amie she would have crying fits but Amie patiently persisted and now Lili looks forward to swimming with“coach Amie”. Amie has shown Lili not to be afraid of the water and her positive energy has lead to Lili’s unbelievable love of swimming. She is still learning but she no longer has the crying fits and looks forward to her weekly lesson with Amie!
Thank you Amie for always being open, responsible and showing how fun swimming can be to Sofia & Lili!
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Charlie & Simon
You can’t go wrong with CK. She is effective, fair and convenient to schedule. We’re looking forward to our 4th year/summer with coach.
Jeanne Hunt
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Zachary: 04/2005, started swimming with Amie Sept 2010
My son loves to play in the water, but when it comes to “swimming”- real swimming, he freaks out. I have enrolled him in 3 different swim programs over the past 3 years (even would drive to the JCC in Northbrook every weekend) and he just would not want to learn. My friends told me about Amie. He immediately warmed up to her. He is an athletic kid and people assume he can swim. He also puts pressure on himself and he does this during swimming. He cried a lot during the lessons and Amie was patient, caring, but still persistent. She has a ton of positive energy and she gives this off during her one-on-one swim lessons. It took several months (attending lessons 2 times a month) and then finally- it all clicked! Even though my son would cry during his lessons, he always ended the lesson thanking Coach K and hugging her. She never let him give up. He trusted her and needed to trust himself in the water and that is exactly what Coach K instilled in him. It was a long road to get there, but now he is there and LOVES swimming with his COACH K! She is reliable, fun, and gentle. While in the pool, she fills the room with her energy. She connects with the kids and the parents. She is a winner and she has definitely won my son’s heart. He now writes when he is having swim lessons on his calendar and is excited when it is his turn to swim.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Joey F: Swimming with/since Summer 2010
My three year old has been taking swimming lessons from Coach Amie for about a year. She has gone from a clinging, crying, scared little girl into a child who can float, swim, push off and even dive into the water and get into a swimming position. Amie is wonderful and patient with her and my daughter’s progress has been unbelievable. Thanks Amie!
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Eliza: 05/1986, Swimming classes since January 2011
I’ve been running away from this monster called swimming for quite some time, 24 years actually. One day I finally decided I was done running away and decided to take this on. I looked and I found an ad on CL for Coach Krueger. From there it’s been such an amazing time for me. I found someone who was patient enough, caring enough and sincerely interested in my learning. I found someone who was firm and honest with me about what I needed to do for my goals. In my 3rd class I was already swimming and I couldn’t believe it at all. I went from not even knowing how to float, to now enjoying jumping in the water and not being scared of drowning at all. I tell my friends and coworkers that I’ve found a wonderful teacher and that is what makes a difference in if you learn or you give up. It has been truly wonderful meeting her and being taught by her.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Shala: 6 years old, Winter/Spring 2011
“Amie has done a wonderful job teaching my 6-yr-old daughter to swim. After months of trying unsuccessfully to teach her on my own, Amie was able to have her swimming the length of the pool (20 yards) unassisted, but accompanied, in just four lessons. She learned the proper techniques for crawl, breast stroke, and back stroke. I even picked up a few good pointers. My daughter always had fun, and was excited about going to every lesson. I have no hesitation or reservations about recommending Coach Amie as a swim instructor.”
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Catherine & George
My two children started one-on-one lessons with Coach Krueger mid-June 2011, and finished Labor Day 2011. At the starting point Catherine was nearly 6 3/4 and George was nearly 5 1/2. The children had already had group lessons at the YMCA, and were always happy to be in a pool whenever possible. They had confidence doing what they enjoyed doing in the pool, and mostly swam underwater.
From the very first lesson with Coach Krueger the children improved. Coach started them at the very beginning with learning how to keep their bodies afloat, both on their back and front. She taught them correct form and technique, with constant repetition, to allow the muscle memory to use the correct form forever.
We thought they could swim before meeting Coach Krueger…. we were wrong. Now they can swim, and swim properly. The form and technique the children have is tremendous. My daughter is a better, and faster, swimmer than me now! She moves through the water gracefully, with speed, and without all that splashing and floundering! George is younger and smaller than Catherine, so is not as far along as Catherine. However, he made fantastic progress and can swim freestyle on his front, on his back and on his side. Catherine does all this, but moved onto diving into the deep end and swimming across the width of the deep pool.
Coach is kind, funny, and loving with her students, but firm. Sometimes, children will try to wriggle out of doing something, or may cry/be frightened, but Coach is firm and encourages them to keep going. Even though coach is in the pool all day, 6 days a week during the summer, and must be tired and running out of patience… she treats each student as though they are the only one she has, and truly focuses on that child for the allotted time. Her teaching style brings fantastic results, and I would recommend her to all my friends. I would.. But I won’t.. Because I want to keep her all to ourselves!
Alison Madden
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Max: 8/2006
I cannot express how pleased I am with the progress our 4-year-old son, Max, has made in the 6 months he has been working with Coach Krueger. When he started, he was very clingy in the pool and despised getting his face wet. He is now working on his 3rd different stroke as well as diving. He can swim across the pool while breathing over both shoulders doing the crawl stroke. What impresses me most about Coach Krueger is her ability to push Max while still maintaining playfulness with him. These lessons are not a Sunday frolic in the pool. It is hard work and the results show it. However, she still spends time engaging Max and getting to know what makes him tick. Her enthusiasm is infectious. I highly recommend her.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Aalap & Shivani: 2012
Amie is an incredible coach – we’re both in our late 20’s and didn’t think we’d be able to pick up a skill like swimming so late in our lives. We’re so happy that we found Amie! She’s patient, an awesome teacher, and extremely talented. She breaks everything up into steps and it’s amazing after a few weeks being able to connect everything and actually swim. We’re so excited to hit the beach and swim rather than just float around! We have already recommended her to several of our friends and will continue to do so in the future.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
David: 2011-2012
When Coach Amie started teaching my 26 month old to swim, he was naturally scared and expressed a great deal of anxiety in a “terrible two” like manner through his first several lessons. Coach Amie never wavered in her patience and positive encouragement. Slowly but surely, my son’s anxiety eased and Coach Amie is one of his favorite people. He is now 32 months old and loves the water, is swimming short distances on his own and is both refining and learning new techniques. Coach Amie is always full of energy and excitement and genuinely cares about my son’s success in the pool. She is excellent at what she does, is amazing with children and I am so grateful to have found her. She has quickly become a big part of our lives.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Bodie, Age 7
Coach Krueger was exactly what I was looking for in a swim instructor! My son loves the water, but I wanted him to learn to swim, and swim correctly. Coach K taught him the correct way to do the strokes. She spend time teaching him the fundamentals and now he practices anytime we are in the water. He has the skills to build upon through more lessons and on his own. Having hour lessons really solidified the skills and gave him the time to practice and become confident; so much better than the group lessons he has done in the past. He looks like a real swimmer now. Coach Krueger is patient and fun, while still keeping it serious and productive. She is professional and reliable. I have already recommended her to many friends and will continue to do so.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Johnny
“Coach Amie is the most trusted swim instructor around. She is a miracle worker as our son was terrified of getting in the water, until he started lessons with her about 4 years ago. Since then, he is smooth and confident and does really well in the pool and Ocean, even boogie boards and races with his friends. We have total faith in her capabilities and have highly recommended her to friends, who are now clients for their kids. It’s a priceless experience that will last a lifetime. If you’re looking for a successful instructor you can trust, Coach Amie is your gal. Earning a child’s trust is no easy task, however it seems to come naturally for her and you can’t fool kids. Our son loves her and we can’t wait for our second born to take lessons with her in the near future.”
Sincerely,
Rose
Mom of 7 year old who may be a future Michael Phelps thanks to Coach Amie 😉
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
My son has been working with Amie for two summers. His progress in the water has been excellent. I am a former Certified Water Safety Instructor myself, and if I was running a swim school, Coach Amie would be my first hire. Looking forward to another wonderful summer in the pool!
John Astorina
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
My Irish Boys:
We are really happy with the swimming instruction our sons have gotten from Coach K. Our oldest son started lessons with her in the spring of 2012 when he was 4. He always loved the water but the first few lessons were tough because he wanted to play and didn’t want to take instruction. Coach K was very patient but firm with him and after a month or so of lessons all of a sudden, things just clicked. He began to do front and back floats, streamline, and dive into the pool. He was so excited about his new skills and we were happy that he was able to use these skills over the summer in the water. Since then, he has moved on to learning strokes and breathing and has really been progressing. He really likes and respects Coach K and loves swimming.
In the fall of 2012, our 3 year old son started lessons with Coach K. He was very timid at first and didn’t like to put his face in the water. Coach K has worked very patiently with him and now he confidently can do his front and back floats and streamline and kick. He now enjoys the swim lessons and has much more confidence in and around the water. She has a great way of working with kids of all ages. She is firm but encouraging and her methods are very effective. We have and will continue to recommend her to our friends.
Thanks,
Kelly
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Ari & Kaylin
Our family LOVES Coach Krueger and we recommend her to anyone. She has given our kids so much confidence in the water, turning them from being scared to swimmers! And she’s fun and caring to boot. Thank you Coach Krueger!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD6W9j5MQE0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Syd & Nola-pedo!
My daughters, 9 years and 7 years of age, started having private 30 minutes lessons with Amy at the end of last summer (2012). Both of my daughters swim well and have been on a park district swim team for several years. However, as the team has many children and few coaches, one-on-one teaching is limited and their strokes were technically very poor. Amie has such incredible attention to detail, I am amazed. My daughters have both improved dramatically. Amie has worked with them many aspects – stroke count, starts, stroke and dive technique, breathing and strategy. She has also started to work with my 3 year old son. He attends park district swimming lessons and has not enjoyed the classes. After just a few classes with Amie, he is able to do everything they are asking in the park district class and he is laughing and enjoying himself. The confidence that he has gained is significant. Amie built trust with him; which lessened his fear of swimming and he is trying more and more things during class.
Cheryl
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Kathryn & Meghan
We love Coach Krueger and have referred to her to many happy students!
Our daughters Kathryn (age 6) and Meghan (age 4) have been in lessons for 14 months and are super swimmers.
They have confidence in the water and are proficient at all four strokes which is not easy with such young students.
CK is a serious teacher who puts the fun into lessons so girls and boys (of all ages) have success.
Speaking of all ages, CK has also worked with the girls Daddy (age 48) whose swimming suffers due to his lack of learning as a child.
Thank you Amie for being an awesome coach!
Amie Krueger is the best. You won’t find a better swim coach anywhere in Chicago.
– Dave
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Nicholas S, started 04/2012 with Coach K.
When we started taking lessons with Coach K, less than a year ago, our 5 year old son was extremely hesitant to get in the water, let alone swim. The first lessons were nothing but excuses and crying on his part, but Coach was completely calm and encouraging in everything she did. The instructions, week by week, built upon each other until the point where Nicholas is now completely comfortable in the water and even trying to learn the butterfly. Amazing for less than 1 year! Coach’s calm, yet firm style of instruction has taught our son a great skill, but also self confidence in his abilities in the water. He loves the lessons and loves seeing Coach K each week, and it has been an very rewarding and exciting experience for all of us.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Anastasia
Amie Krueger has done a magnificent job working with my 9 year old. Her structured, detail-oriented approach, coupled with guidance that my kid is excited to follow, has been extremely productive.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Roi
“Three years ago my husband and I became foster parents to an eleven year old boy with special needs. We new that for his safety and the safety of others he needed to know how to swim. Coach K really took our son under her wing. In addition, to teaching him how to swim and dive in no time at all Coach did not judge us or our son. She went above and beyond to develop a trusting relationship with us by inviting us to share time with her outside the pool. This was crucial for our son as he is slow to trust others given his past experience. She was infinitely patient while having high expectations for his technique and work ethic. Coach K was always responsive to our schedule and requests. She was always on time, never cancelled and always showed up with an optimistic and positive attitude. We are forever grateful for Coach K.”
From Amy and Chris
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Ava & Alex
Coach Krueger has done such a great job over the past year with our 7 year old Ava, that we have her coaching our 3 year old and look forward to having her teach our newborn when he’s of age. Coach Krueger’s impact on our children has been amazing to watch and reaches well beyond the swimming pool. In particular, I’ve noticed how much their confidence has grown since they’ve been swimming with her. Coach has just the right balance between toughness, persistence and patience that anyone would hope for in a coach. And when the kids do well she roars, “I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!” That expression is now used regularly in our house when kids do something well!
Thanks,
Gomez
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Tommy and Keenan
We started with Coach Krueger in the Summer of 2012. Tommy was 6 and Keenan was 4 1/2. Both loved playing in the water, but had not really learned to swim. They took swim classes through the city, but we knew they needed to learn in a more personalized manner. Then we found Coach K! Even though they would sometimes cry before or during the lesson, Coach K would keep the faith and encourage them in her own special way. She never gave up on them and would always come with a smile and positive attitude. After the lesson with Coach K, we could tell that both Tommy and Keenan were proud of their accomplishments. Whenever they get in a pool now, it is truly evident how much they learned from her and how it’s helped to build a strong foundation for swimming.
Thanks, Coach K!
– Susanna and Tom Valerius
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Jack & Margot
“Amie taught both of our children since they were toddlers, and they now know all the various strokes with proper form and technique. Amie is a very committed coach. She connects with the children she teaches in a unique way that encourages them to learn, and go to new levels of achievement.”
The McFarlanes, Lakeview
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Bhavik
Amie has done a great job in teaching me how to swim. She keeps helping you progress through the waters and motivates to keep on going above and beyond. At the start I did not know how to swim, but I am happy and fortunate to come across Amie. She makes swimming a positive experience.
