1 /5 Mukul Marwah: If youre seeing nothing but 5-star reviews, its pretty clear these reviews are not genuine. We spent two years with Carlisle Swimming, enrolling both of our sons with the goal of building solid swimming skills and water confidence. Initially, I liked their structured, goal-focused approach. But as time went on, serious concerns started to arise. The biggest issue was their rigid and outdated assessment system. Progress felt like it was never-ending, with very little transparency on how kids advance through levels. I started questioning the effectiveness of the program when I talked to other parents. Some mentioned their kids had been enrolled for 7-9 years and still couldn’t confidently swim in open water. That was a huge red flag for me. Wheres the real-world confidence that swimming lessons should provide?
When I raised concerns about my childrens progress, instead of getting a helpful response, the situation quickly escalated into a formal complaint. I was shocked by how much time was spent managing the complaint rather than actually addressing the feedback. It made me wonder if the program cared more about student retention for profit than actual student development.
The staffing structure also raised some alarms. Most of the instructors were pretty young, while I’m sure they’re enthusiastic, they simply don’t have the experience or authority to push kids to the next level. The management style felt top-heavy, with supervisors more focused on maintaining hierarchy than fostering parental engagement or achieving good outcomes. To be fair, some instructors are clearly dedicated and do their best within a flawed system. But ultimately, it feels like the program is designed to keep kids in the cycle as long as possible. I really wish I’d read more reviews before enrolling—we probably would’ve chosen a different path.
We’ve since switched to a new academy, and we’re thrilled with the progress. Both kids are in squads within a year and are doing great.
If I were you, I’d seriously reconsider joining this swim school—it seems more like a money-making operation than a genuine developmental program.
*******I shared my honest feedback based on my familys experience with your program. It’s unfortunate that rather than acknowledging a parent’s perspective, your reply chooses to dismiss it outright and deflect with achievements?
As for my comment on reviews, I stand by the fact that todays digital world is full of curated feedback. It’s not “churlish” to question what we see online — its realistic. If that offends you, perhaps some reflection is in order.*****
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