Elite Swimming Academy - Cambridge

Always friendly, always professional, I would have no reservations in using this company or recommending them for childrens lessons or private adult lessons. Excellent service.
Nov 11th, 2022

Some of the coaches are ok, others are not interested in getting into pool and in my view not very motivated. No attention to all children although there are only 3 children in class. Overpriced for what it is.
Oct 2nd, 2022

My son started swimming lessons with ESA when he was 6. He had had lessons in a larger group from the age of 4 and was already water confident. We chose ESA because they offered the smaller classes (2-3 students) which meant more attention from the teacher. Our teacher was Caroline in Little Paxton pool and she is excellent. She is able to teach the techniques needed to master all of the strokes whilst still making it fun. My son also loves the jumping in practise, underwater treasure hunts and retrieving sinkers - which is a fun end to the sessions. If you're looking for smaller classes and more focus on technique, as well as safety, I think ESA is a great choice. It also helps that the water is warm and the pools are nice, clean private settings!
Sep 12th, 2022

I want to say how impressed I am with Elite Swimming Academy. My Granddaughters have really flourished with the small class sizes and experienced teachers. I would not hesitate to recommend them.
Sep 7th, 2022

As a former swimmer searching for the best swim program for my children, I can confidently say this is it. The instructors are all former swimmers and talented teachers. At the level of swim lessons, the small groups enable detailed feedback, adjustments, and quick improvement in order to transition into higher levels. This is what makes it worth the higher price tag -- I have wasted money on cheaper programs that failed to pass my children into the next level for tiny adjustments such as an arm not quite being at 90 degrees for the entirety of a stroke lesson, thereby forcing me to pay for an entire second term's lessons while essentially repeating the same level. In the end, the cost works out better with Elite. My best experience, however, has been Elite's Advanced Junior Academy. This was exactly what I was looking for and, to my knowledge, is the only such program in Cambridge and its surrounds. This is a stamina-based program, providing a 60 min continuous (!) workout for swimmers confident in all four strokes. It introduces young swimmers to the mechanics of reading a swim workout on the board (e.g. 4x25 IM) as well as to the rigors of a traditional workout. My children were nervous the first session, but Ruth was so friendly, encouraging, and attentive that they thoroughly enjoyed it and seemed not to notice how strenuous it actually was! She was the same in subsequent lessons, and was patient in trying to correct their dives as well. She gave my children and the other students personalized feedback after each session. Another great instructor was Dale, who subbed in one evening. Despite the fast-paced swimming, he was able to notice where adjustments in strokes could be made, thereby giving my children both a stamina-based workout + swim instruction in one hour. They really liked him. Many find this program appealing because it is non-competitive; this is where it differs from more established swim clubs. For swimmers who are just transitioning from lessons into longer workouts, or who are intimidated by (or uninterested in) competing, this is an invaluable option. My only complaint is that the pools are outside of the center of Cambridge -- this appeals to those who live in the surrounding villages and drive; it would be great if this program could expand into using Parkside Pools or the Leys, thus enabling those who live in Cambridge-proper the chance to cycle in instead of having to search for viable village public transport or be forced to drive and contribute to traffic and congestion. Finally, the company itself has been an absolute pleasure. Despite the name "Elite", it has done everything possible to accommodate a customer such as myself, a PhD student-mother, with flexibility in payment schedules, and in finding the absolute perfect instructor and program for our specific needs. Sam, in particular, has been extremely kind and responsive. In sum, this is a wonderful company, from designing non-competitive swim academy programs (a definite gap in the market) to hiring talented former swimmers as instructors, to personable and highly responsive admin and staff. Highly recommended.
Oct 20th, 2022