Read what others have to say about Mike's Minnows!
TESTIMONIALS
incredible
perfect amount of time
no more pool anxiety
Our 6-year-old son was very nervous about learning to swim, but Mike’s Minnows was truly transformative for him. We were absolutely amazed by the daily progress he made. By the second day, he couldn’t wait to get to his lessons each morning.
Mike gave our son so much more than swimming skills — he gave him confidence and helped him believe in himself. In just 7 days, our son went from tiptoeing into the water to confidently swimming multiple strokes. The process was incredible to watch.
Mike is patient, motivating, and truly gifted at working with children. We are so grateful we found him and cannot recommend Mike’s Minnows highly enough!
Gina, May 2026
no more pool anxiety
perfect amount of time
no more pool anxiety
We came to Mike with 2 water-anxious kids. Our oldest was 6.5yrs old and had never put her head under water. Day 1 and 2 were a lot of tears and hard to get through but by day 5 both kids were not only going under with confidence but, even more surprisingly, looking forward to their lesson! We’re grateful to have had Mike’s help in getting through a fear so that now our family can enjoy the pool without the stress.
-Brittnee, May 2026
perfect amount of time
perfect amount of time
perfect amount of time
We had such a great experience with Mike’s Minnows. Coach Mike is amazing with kids and really helped my 3.5 year old face his fear of going underwater. 10 minutes a day was the perfect amount of time for my son to get used to the water and learn new skills. The consistency of going everyday made it something my son looked forward to in the morning. Highly recommend this to any parent, especially those with kiddos who are a bit anxious around the water. I came into it a bit skeptical but am a total believer! Thank you Coach Mike for a pool filled summer!
-Kayla, May 2026
scared to smiling
scared to smiling
perfect amount of time
My 2.5 year old had a transformative week with Coach Mike, going from being uncomfortable and a bit scared on day 1 to smiling and initiating going underwater on her own by the end of the week. It was incredible to see her progress each day. She is now obsessed with watching the videos of herself swimming and keeps asking when she gets to go back in the pool. I highly recommend Coach Mike!
-Mary, May 2026
warm and engaging
scared to smiling
warm and engaging
We are SO happy we signed our daughter up for Coach Mike's swim lesson. Our daughter (almost 3 years old) never had any swim lesson in her life, but Coach Mike made her feel so comfortable by being so warm and engaging with her. Our daughter got to learn all the important survival skills in the water, and we feel way more comfortable and safe around in the swimming pool now. Yes, it was rather a "big" decision for us given our limited budget and tight schedule, but we decided to sign her up as my birthday gift (yes, the lesson started exactly on my birthday :D), and we are so happy we did it. THANK YOU SO MUCH, Coach Mike, our little one misses you already!!!
- Chika, May 2026
anxiety resolved
scared to smiling
warm and engaging
We had such a great experience with Mike’s Minnows. Coach Mike is amazing with kids and really helped my 3.5 year old face his fear of going underwater. 10 minutes a day was the perfect amount of time for my son to get used to the water and learn new skills. The consistency of going everyday made it something my son looked forward to in the morning. Highly recommend this to any parent, especially those with kiddos who are a bit anxious around the water. I came into it a bit skeptical but am a total believer! Thank you Coach Mike for a pool filled summer!
- Kayla, A Minnow Mom
works with kids of all abilities
works with kids of all abilities
works with kids of all abilities
My son who is 11 has dyspraxia which causes motor skill delays and it is hard for him to kick and swim with his arms at the same time. He was struggling with swimming in terms of form and technique. He took swim classes and also swims at camp. The kids sometimes mock him because of his technique. After two sessions, you would never know he has struggles! So thankful to Coach Mike!
- Kinza, A Minnow Mom
transformation
works with kids of all abilities
works with kids of all abilities
My 2.5 year old had a transformative week with Coach Mike, going from being uncomfortable and a bit scared on day 1 to smiling and initiating going underwater on her own by the end of the week. It was incredible to see her progress each day. She is now obsessed with watching the videos of herself swimming and keeps asking when she gets to go back in the pool. I highly recommend Coach Mike!
- Mary, A Minnow Mom
All Smiles
works with kids of all abilities
All Smiles
We’re so grateful to Coach Mike and amazed by the progress our daughter made in just one week. He was able to push her in a way that challenged her but not too much that it increased her already heightened anxiety around swimming. She left being able to swim for the first and as Mike promised, left with a smile on her face.
-Lauren Wurgaft
worthwhile
no more floaties
All Smiles
I really cannot say enough good things about Coach John and Coach Mike. They are both so obviously experts at what they do and are so warm and compassionate with the little ones, which helps them build trust immediately. We just finished a session for our 2 year old last week and were a bit skeptical going into it, but their approach just works. We had tried other swimming lessons a few times and they never went well. I felt like we were just wasting everyone’s time (and money), but this was different. It’s so effective in a short time. After 3 days, my son stopped crying completely and was all smiles and happily jumping into the water and swimming underwater a couple feet. The progress he made in just a few days was honestly unbelievable. I recommend John and Mike wholeheartedly! We are so grateful.
-Natasha Larson, Pediatric Dentist
Confidence
no more floaties
no more floaties
Coach Michael and John are really amazing at what they do. We've spent many weeks going to traditional swimming classes with my daughter with slow progress. She now has so much more confidence in the water. We're glad we found you!
-Carmelie Arthur
no more floaties
no more floaties
no more floaties
My 3 year old son enjoys the water however, prior to training with Coach John & Coach Mike, he could not go in the water without his floaters. The first day was challenging because my kiddo was exposed to all his fears (no floaters, water in his face, momma/dada not in the water with him). However, by the 5th day, you can see my kid’s confidence increased and how he truly enjoys the water WITHOUT FLOATERS. In fact, he enjoys going underwater and his eyes light up when I tell him how proud I am of him. I truly recommend Coach John & Mike! We are truly thankful and we recommend to all parents - Especially the little ones.
-Stephanie Avila
more TESTIMONIALS
worth every penny
amazed by progress
worth every penny
The best swimming class my child has taken by far with actual results. Truly worth every penny. Mike is the best, we'll be back next summer!
– Melissa, July 2026
firm believers
amazed by progress
worth every penny
We’ve now put both of our kids through sessions in Mike’s Minnows and are firm believers in what he teaches. He equips kids with lifesaving skills but along with that comes confidence, which is also incredibly important. We recommend his classes to everyone we know and will continue to do so. Thanks Mike!
– Alex, July 2026
amazed by progress
amazed by progress
Exceptional with kids
My 2- and 4-year-olds both transformed over just seven days with Coach Mike. My older child, who used to hate getting water on her head even during bath time, became a confident and determined little swimmer. More importantly, she learned that she can do hard things and overcome her fears. My 2-year-old learned to float independently, move through the water on his own, and turn back to the wall—skills that gave us much greater confidence in his safety around water. Coach Mike is calm, patient, and reassuring. He knows how to support each child at their individual level while encouraging them to push past their comfort zones. His approach builds both swimming skills and confidence. We were amazed by the progress our children made in such a short time and would highly recommend this program. – Leah, July 2026
Exceptional with kids
Exceptional with kids
Exceptional with kids
This program was transformative for my son in terms of helping him overcome his fear of swimming. He went from hysteria to going under water within two days and by the end was voluntarily doing it. I was not sure this program would work for my son since he is very stubborn and had major anxiety in the water but I was amazed watching the process. Mike is an extremely patient, warm, and talented coach. He knew exactly how to help my son face his anxiety and make real progress. He is exceptional at working with kids. Immediately I knew it was the right choice, even if the beginning was a bit challenging. Trust the process. My hard-to-impress son told me that he was the best coach he’s ever had—a true compliment. He is even asking me when he can go swimming again. Never thought I’d see the day! I cannot recommend Mike’s Minnows enough. Thank you!
- Danielle, July 2026
thriving swimmer
Exceptional with kids
thriving swimmer
Within a few days of working with Coach Mike our Son was swimming! Coach Mike's knowledge of swimming combined with his kindness and compassion allowed our Son to thrive and build his confidence and skills in the water. We are incredibly grateful!
– Elizabeth Hyland, July 2026
Peace of mind
Exceptional with kids
thriving swimmer
Our 6- and 3-year old had the best experience learning to swim with Coach Mike. They made incredible progress over the 7 day session and it was amazing to see what new skills they were able to unlock each day. Not only did they learn so many new swimming skills, but they also gained confidence that we never imagined possible in such a short amount of time. Coach Mike has an amazing ability to connect with children while creating an environment that is encouraging, patient, and fun. Our children are genuinely excited to spend time in the water and can’t wait to start swimming at the town pool this summer (without floaties!). We are so thankful for the care, dedication, and expertise he brought to every lesson. This experience has given our family peace of mind and our children a lifelong skill. We truly can’t recommend Coach Mike highly enough!
– Laura, July 2026
reluctant parent
reluctant parent
reluctant parent
I was extremely reluctant that my young kids (3 & 5) could learn how to swim in 7 days with just 10 mins a day, but had heard rave reviews about Mike’s Minnows and decided to give it a try! It is truly amazing what Coach Mike does with these kids. Mine went from crying the first 2 days to being complete fish and never wanting to leave the water. We have left these lessons with a new confidence for swimming and most of all feeling like our kids are safe in the water. Can’t thank you enough, Mike - you truly have a gift with kids. The amount of patience and empathy you have with them is amazing to see. Thank you! – Bailey, July 2026
Photo Gallery
Videos
Shameless plug for a swim program my 4 year old just did with Mike's Minnows (Mike Donovan), a game changer! It was 7 straight days, 10 minute 1-on-1 sessions at a private pool. He took him from relying on a swim backpack to swimming a few strokes underwater and to grabbing the wall when submerged. He was a huge confidence and safety reinforcement for our kiddo, can't say loudly enough how highly I recommend this lesson - Happy Maplewood Mom
Big progress!
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.