Fan Mail

My sons, Josh (15) and Ethan (10), spent time between X-mas & New Years at your camp in Orlando. Josh is struggling as he just moved up to 15 & O last month. Ethan has been a successful club swimmer with Ben Davis & Dave Little at Wildcat Aquatics here in Lexington, KY. Anyway, to make a long story short, Josh dropped times in all events, but the dramatic improvement in Ethan's strokes, especially his backstroke after your camp were awe-inspiring. Ethan has been a wonderful and fast swimmer, but his improvement at the Pilot Meet in Knoxville this past weekend was amazing. He attributes it to the fine tuning and great coaching he received with your "team". He finished 1st in the 50 breast (-2 sec) and 50 free (-1.6 sec), second in the 50 back (-2.4 sec), 100 back (-3.5 sec) and 100 fly (-1.8 sec) and third in the 100 breast (-2.5 sec), 100 free (-.8 sec), and 50 fly (+.3 sec). Several of these were 'AAAA' times as well, only one time below "AAA' by a hair. He also crushed his leg (fly) of the 200 medley with his team for a first place also.

Needless to say, we will be returning, and advertising your program to all our extended swim families as well. I'm sure that you hear these things alot and probably have many letters to hang on walls, but this is my first time writing to ANY program. Our kids learned alot, brought it to the pool and had fun doing so.

Thanks to you and your team, please feel free to share this with them.

Have a healthy and happy New Year.

I would like to thank you very much for your efforts during the Peak Performance Swim Camp in Istanbul. Approximately one month after the camp my 12-year old son competed in the Turkish National Swimming Championships. He got best times in all his events but most importantly he overcame his pre-competion stress. He was really calm and focused and I believe that it was the result of your camp.

I am also sure that the other technical details you shared in the camp will help him to improve throughout the year.

We had our Georgia Age Group Long Course State Meet this past weekend. I had a great meet! I knocked 5 seconds off my 100 FL for first place and a AAAA Time. I also finished first in my 50 FL with another AAAA Time. All together I had 9 out of 10 best times. I came away with 7 AAAA Times and placed fourth or better in all ten races. I also took home the Long Course High Point award. I feel like I learned so much in camp and took away a lot of valuable information. I swam in a meet the weekend before the camp and had almost all best times. Coming back from camp, I wasn't expecting to get a lot of best times. Boy was I wrong! Thanks again for such a great camp.

Simply amazing! My son attended your Elite Training Camp in Thousand Oaks this past summer and I could not believe the change in him. He arrived home late on Friday and attended a local swim meet on Saturday and Sunday. Both my husband and I were shocked when we saw him swim. His strokes and turns were amazing. He looked effortless and beat everyone off the walls. All this is just one week! He dropped a total of 39 seconds in 6 events. No small feat for a swimmer who qualified for Zones last summer. We were also taken aback by his attitude. He couldn't stop smiling or talking about the camp. You gave our son an entirely new lease on swimming. You are an amazing coach and we can't thank you enough. My son will be back next summer with a number of his teammates.

Attending your camp was one of the most memorable experiences my daughter has ever had. Megan had a blast and said she learned a great deal and worked harder than she had in a very long time. She is very anxious and excited to get started with the short course season. Your camp curriculum is far superior to anything we have ever experienced. Megan couldn't wait for the next practice to come. You are an excellent coach and positive role model. It was a true honor to have my daughter swim for you.

Thank you for coaching me and helping me with all my strokes. I had an amazing time in your camp. I just came back from Junior Olympics and I got a medal in every single race. I got a 34.59 in my 50 FL because you helped me with my technique. I also got a first place in my 50 BR and 100 BR because of you. I still wear my Swim Positive bracelet and look forward to training with you again.

Words cannot express how much Sarah thoroughly enjoyed the camp. She enjoyed all of the coaches and was really inspired by everyone's positive attitude and technical advice. It's the first time she has ever had coaches standing at the end of her lane giving feedback after each 50. Thank you so very much.

We arrived home on Saturday and she headed straight for the computer. The notes I took during the camp filled the swimmer's handbook that you provided, as well as several pages in another small notebook. She combined the advice provided in the "Swim Smart Handbook" with the tips you and the other coaches provided. Sarah worked on it for two straight days! Since the completion of her notes she has gone to the Y every day to work on her swimming. Your feedback has been wonderful. Despite being very tired from the camp each day she misses it terribly. She has already informed me that she is going back next year! Your program is excellent, your staff amazing and it was an experience we truly wished she could have had at a younger age.

My three kids enjoyed your camp in Thousand Oaks very, very much. It gave them the boost they needed to get interested in swimming again. We were so impressed we plan to register the three of them in your Orlando winter camp. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for such a great experience in Thousand Oaks.

I hope that my son always deserves the privilege of having you as his coach and mentor. We also hope that he can make you proud by putting into action your precious teachings.

Thank you for your kind words. Amy really appreciated hearing from you. Her experience at camp this past week has been the best part of her swimming career to date! I have never seen her so excited about improving her technique. We got home last night and she started copying all her notes from the handbook to the poster. She finished this morning and asked to hang the poster on the door that leads to the garage. She said she wanted to be able to see the poster everyday before she went to swim practice. She went to the pool today and practiced many of the drills she worked on in camp, with a constant smile. We are already talking about Park City next year.

I broke the 100 BR and 50 BR records at the championship last weekend! I am so excited, but I know I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much for everything. I can’t wait to see how much my times improve over the winter. My brother's starts really improved along with his strokes. He now holds all of the of the club records for his age group. Wow! I can't wait to come back next summer.

I thought I would take a moment and let you know about Kelsey’s progress in long course. Let me remind you of what she had said to you at your April session, "I don't really like long course."

First of all, her strokes look amazing, so clean! She qualified for age groups in both butterfly and breaststroke. She won 4 out of 6 heats at the regional meet and came in the top five in three events including the 50 BK. This has been a huge mental victory for her, as you well know.

Peter and I feel so fortunate to have you in our lives, shepherding us along! You have been an amazing motivational and guiding force for Kelsey. Beside the technical support, you have given her the mental support she truly needs. There's just so much one can say. She has to believe in herself, and when you tell her that she can do something...it is truly magical.

Jason swam extremely well at Provincials this past week - five out six top eight performances and personal bests in every event. Last winter he only had one top eight performance with only one best time. You did a truly amazing job with him.

I wanted to let you know of Tanya's latest performances. At JO's she got two first places, several second and third places and top six in all nine events. She qualified and went to Eastern Champs and got first in the 50 BK! She was also part of a winning relay that broke the national record in the 200 Medley Relay. I strongly believe that her accomplishments were due mainly to your camps.

Wanted to let you know that I swam extremely well at the Big XII Championships. On Friday I went a personal best, by a full second, in the 50 FR. My time was 20.67. On Saturday I swam the 100 FL, going a 48.20 and dropping more than a second. On the very same day, I split 20.2 in the 200 FR Relay. Finally, on Sunday, I swam the 200 FL in 1:48.94 - a two second drop! I just wanted you to thank you for being such a big part of my success. I couldn't have done it with out you.

I just wanted to follow up and THANK YOU again for all you have done for Julie's swimming. The techniques you taught her, coupled with the focused Dry-Land Olympics, have made a huge impact. Since we worked with you a month ago, Julie has had two meets and dropped in every event. She also got her JO Cut in the 200 BR. Not only is dropping time - she is also much more confident. She KNEW she was going to get the cut this past weekend. She said it, she expected it, and she approached the race with more confidence than I had ever seen before. It was amazing!

In just one month, she has dropped: 1.3 seconds in the 50 FR, 2.2 seconds in the 100 FR, 2.6 seconds in the 200 FR, 4.5 seconds in the 100 BK, 6.1 seconds in the 200 BK, 1 second in the 100 FL, 3.2 seconds in the 200 FL, 5 seconds in the 100 BR, 10 seconds in the 200 BR, 3.8 seconds in the 200 IM and 8 seconds in the 400 IM. That's over 45 seconds in one month! We can't wait to come back - she is a totally different swimmer.

I don't know if you remember us, but we came down to Orlando for 10 hours of privates in January 2007. You asked my daughter to warm-up. After completing her warm up, you told my husband and I, that Kelly had been doing too much "garbage yardage" and lacked strength. Kelly took it to heart and has since made three Sectional Cuts. She can also do 20 unassisted pull-ups, 30 military push-ups and 200 crunches. She couldn't do any of this before coming down to see you.

I wanted to share a wonderful success story with you. As you may recall from your January lesson with Laura, she was really afraid of the 200 FR, after a bad experience in November. You worked with her before the meet and told her "she could do the 200 FR - no problem!" She went on to take off more than 12 seconds in that event. This past weekend Laura swam 4/6 best times and came in second place overall. She also took off another 6 seconds in the 200 FR and now claims it's her favorite event. If this isn't a testament to the "power of positive thinking" and of someone believing in you, than I don't know what is! You have been such a motivational and inspirational influence.

We thought it only fair to give credit where credit is due. Since Drew came back from camp he has broken four club records (one that stood for nine years), has eight regional cuts and placed first overall in the championships today. We are always blown away, the first time he gets back in the water after being at your camp, because we consistently see improvement. We can't thank you enough.

Recently Ricky participated in a swim meet called "The Complete Swimmer" (Nadador Completo) in Spanish. All participants, in his age group, swim four strokes and the winner is the swimmer with the lowest accumulated score. Ricky won his age group and was declared "The Complete Swimmer!" By the way, he is the first swimmer on his team to win this award. If you want to know how much you have helped, Ricky learned how to swim butterfly in your camp two years ago - today he is the national champion!

The work both you and Connie have done with Sean over the past year is really paying off. As you well know, when you first met Sean he believed that swimming harder, with his existing skill set, was the answer. Clearly the combination of attending three of your swim camps, continued instruction with Connie and your invaluable advice has had a significant impact on his stroke technique, attitude and performance.

Since you first started working with Sean he has dropped a staggering amount of time, clearly a direct result of your instruction and guidance. For example, as you and Connie aptly pointed out, the butterfly Sean had been swimming wasn't even butterfly. Now less than one year later, he won the 50 FL at the NJYMCA Silver State Championships by 2.3 seconds - only .68 seconds off the meet record! I can't thank you enough.

I have told numerous families about your wonderful camp. They were all very excited about Samantha's progress upon her return home. Her fellow teammates could not believe how much she had improved. Her confidence and love for the sport have risen to new levels.

Last December I competed in my first national level meet. It was also my first competition outside London. I am pleased to announce that in my butterfly race I achieved the fastest time for a 10 year old in the UK. I still remember when you first taught me to swim butterfly and you told me I had "worms." I'm also proud to say that I did extremely well in all of my other strokes, which now makes me the highest ranked ten year old in the UK.

I waited for several swim meets before emailing you about Jackie's performance. She did absolutely spectacular after coming back from your camp - everyone noticed her improved technique. In a recent meet she won 5 out 6 events. Most importantly you gave her confidence and that's priceless.

I waited for my daughter at the airport today. She jumped in the car, did not say hello, but instead shouted "I want to go back to camp again, I wish I was still there!" You and your team made my daughter thrilled about swimming again - not that I did not expect it from your program. I can't thank you enough.

I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the camp at Park City last summer. The staff was great. Nick Baker was instructing the kids the entire time. I was worried, because at many of the camps you go to, the "main guy" is seldom visible. He was very hands-on, very informative, very detailed and we were very impressed with the techniques he offered. Our son learned a great deal and we wanted to thank you and let you know how impressed we were with the overall camp. We plan to come again next year.

It was an honor to have Coach Baker work with our daughter. She came home a different swimmer. Her attitude and technique have improved so much. In her first meet, upon returning home from Thousand Oaks, she dropped time in everything she swam and won high point! We can't thank you enough.

Thank you so much for your coaching and advice. Our state championship was the weekend after I returned from camp. I cut time in all of my events and now have a total of 8 AAA Times and also won high point! My relay team even broke a state record.

P.S. Hi Coach Baker - this is mom! Just wanted you to know that since camp Dianna has cut a total of 59 seconds off of all of her events - wow! One of her Zone Cuts came in the backstroke and she wasn't even close before she came to camp in Orlando. Thanks for everything - we hope you are doing great and can't wait to see you and your incredible staff again soon!

Great news! I just made my cut in the 100/200 BK. I am so excited. It was the most awesome experience of my entire life. My start and stroke felt amazing! In the past two months I doubled my kick-out distance - thanks to you. That drill you taught me made all the difference. It really showed me how to use my body. My stroke felt awesome as well. That plank idea really works. I can never thank you enough. I am so fortunate to have two great coaches in my life, my club coach and you!

You asked me to send you my results from my last meet. Well, you were right, I swam awesome. I won 7 out of 7 events and high point! It felt so amazing. My mind was free of all the stuff I usually think about. I tried the mental ideas you taught me, it felt so easy to swim fast! My strokes and turns felt really smooth and fast. Everybody told me I looked great. My coach and parents couldn't believe how well I swam. Everyone kept coming up to me and congratulating me. They wondered what I had done to swim so fast. I just smiled at them. I don't want anyone to know my secret. You are the greatest coach ever. One visit to your camp made all the difference. I plan to come see you this summer. Hopefully you're not sold out. Thank you for everything.

Thank you so much! I had my best swim meet ever. I chopped off a total of 30 seconds in 7 events and over one minute in my 500 FR. I can't believe it! I wrote down everything you told me and took it in a clear, plastic bag to the meet. My 200 IM was incredible! I placed higher than ever in everything. I went 8 out of 8 best times. I did everything you told me. Thank you for all the tips. I also set a team record in the 500 FR.

Today we had our swim camp banquet to celebrate the end of the short course season and I was awarded the Most Improved Trophy. I could not have done it with out you. Thank you so much.

Just a quick follow up. Sarah had a great week with you and your staff. Results of her last meet include 7 best times out of 8 events and 5 top eight finishes. Thanks again.

Wow, what a great investment of our time and money! You did five hours of privates with my daughter Lindsey. Two weeks later she took off a total of one minute and thirty-eight seconds in 7 events. That works out to 14 seconds per event! You should have seen the look on her face. I've told everyone on our team about you and your great camp. Our head coach would like to organize a camp for this winter. Can't thank you enough.

You have an amazing camp! It's so different from all the other camps I've been to. You teach really cool stuff and it helps you swim faster right away. I loved your challenging dryland program and the yoga classes. I find swimming fast so much easier now. I never knew about the stuff you taught me. My attitude is also the best it's ever been. You're an amazing coach!

I had a great time at your camp. I loved the practices as well as the yoga. Dr.Cohn's talk really helped me. I don't feel as nervous when I race now. The talk on sports nutrition was really cool too. I feel I have more energy for training. The thing I liked most about the camp was that it was very challenging but really fun at the same time. I like how positive you are. You make everyone feel positive.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I dropped a total of 43 seconds in 7 events this past weekend. My coach, parents and teammates couldn't believe it. They asked me what the secret was but I told them they would have to come to your camp to find out. I'll see you next summer for sure. My parents said I could come for two weeks this time. I hope we go back to Disney World, I love it there.

I loved the Spring Camp. You made me feel so good inside and I feel so much better about myself and my swimming. I can't wait for our first long course meet. All my strokes feel amazing. I wish I lived in Orlando and swam with you year round. I'd be the fastest swimmer on the planet! Your swimmer forever.

Hi, this is Nathan. I was at your camp last summer and I can't begin to tell you how much my swimming has improved. This season my 100 FR time dropped 3 seconds to a 54.1. I also dropped in the 50 FR and that earned me a spot on the Varsity A Relay Team for Sectionals. In the 100 FL my time has gone from a 1:11.37 to a 1:03.54 and I'm hoping to go under a minute at Sectionals. The other event that saw a huge improvement was my 200 IM. The first time I swam it after camp I dropped 14 seconds! My sister and I are so happy with our improvements that we're planning to come back to camp next summer. Thank you so much coach.

Thank you so very much Coach Baker. Your camp was exactly what our son needed. He came back so excited. We have never seen him this way. He just loved your camp and can't keep talking about you. You certainly made an impression. We went to the pool yesterday and didn't even recognize him in the water. He told us he was beating kids he had never beaten before and that it felt so easy to swim fast. He has a birthday coming up this summer and all he wants is to go back to your camp. We've just signed him up. You do a wonderful job and we can't thank you enough.

You won't believe what happened. In my first meet back from camp I broke the 50 yard breaststroke record!!! I wanted to thank you for making my dream come true. Your camp had a huge impact on me and I can never thank you enough.

You are an amazing coach and have a terrific way with kids. We were so lucky to have found you. We've tried all the other camps but none compare. It's true that your camp cost more but no camp compares. I think it's a terrific value for the money. My son is a different person now. His attitude changed overnight and to me that's priceless. You worked as much on his mind as you did his technique. He's leading his lane in practice and has now set his mind on qualifying for Junior Nationals this summer. We'll keep you posted and look forward to another trip to Orlando this summer.

I just wanted to thank you for the best swim camp ever. Over the past four years I've attended four different swim camps. I learned more and improved more in your camp than all the other swim camps combined. What I liked most was the way your taught stroke technique and your positive attitude. You also know how to make swimming fun. My coach couldn't believe my strokes when I got home. He said he would only recommend your camp from now on. Next summer my parents said I can come for the whole summer. Thanks again.

I just wanted to let you know how much Paul enjoyed your camp last week. It's nice to see the return of his enthusiasm for swimming. You were able to pinpoint his stroke flaws and correct them. He says his practice times are the best they've been in a year.

I'm writing to tell you that your swim camp helped me DRASTICALLY! I was at Rutgers University today at the Winterfest Invitational. I swam the 100 and 200 breast. Originally my 100 time was a 1:25.67. I lowered it to 1:17.11. I won my heat and the WHOLE EVENT! My 200 breast was a 3:03.24. Today I lowered it to 2:51.43! The camp has helped my swimming SO MUCH! My dive is 100% better than it was before. THANK YOU for teaching me new ways to swim fast and for BUILDING MY CONFIDENCE!

Jamie wanted me to tell you that she did a best time in her 100 butterfly at JO's and qualified for the U.S. Open! She said she learned more in one hour with you than she learned in the last six years. We can't thank you enough.

I attended your Spring Swim Camp in April. I just wanted to let you to know that I had an awesome Spring/Summer season. I took 13 seconds off my 100 breaststroke and 4 seconds of my 50. I had a great time at camp and I can’t wait to come back.

Just wanted to say thanks again for an outstanding two days of instruction. As you may recall, we left straight from Orlando for a weeks’ vacation. Upon returning we went to a three-day meet in Virginia. Lauren dropped 46 seconds and achieved three NAG times. After her last race she leaped from the pool, ran across the deck to deliver a hug of excitement. I have never seen a smile so big. What else can we say but THANKS!

Thanks for being so kind and considerate. My children were in awe of you. It was a blessing to be in the company of a person I respect and admire so much. You are the ultimate teacher.

I just got back from Zones and I did awesome. I’m now ranked third in the nation in the 400 Free. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Sorry you haven’t heard from me. In my last meet I dropped 14 seconds in my 400 IM, I was so excited. Thank you so much for everything. You’re an amazing coach.

Thank you so much for everything you did for my daughter. She won third place, overall High Point at Junior Olympics. In order to do that she had to win the 400 IM, which she did. She also broke a state record in the 50 FR. You did a phenomenal job.

Thank you for being such a positive influence. No coach has ever treated my daughter with the respect that you did. I can’t tell you how much this means to me as a parent. You have a way of making people feel good inside. God bless you and we’ll see you next winter.

You did a great job coaching my son at the Lake Tahoe Camp. The weekend after camp he swam in a meet and placed first in every event and won high point! His attitude was fantastic and his strokes looked amazing.

I know I have said this before but this is the time to say it again – we are so very lucky to have you be apart of our struggles and triumphs. You stuck by us during the struggle phase and we appreciate your patience and attention. It is your experience coupled with the fact that you are simply just a good guy that pulled Sam through. Thank you for being her mentor, her sounding board, and her biggest cheerleader. We are forever grateful!

Thank you for teaching me so many new things. When I left camp I went straight to a swim meet. I dropped 57 seconds in six events! No one could believe how fast I was swimming. I couldn’t believe it myself!