By: Rachel Pillow
SwimAtlanta, founded in 1977 by Chris Davis Sr. and Jim Frasier, grew from a 25-person team at an outdoor pool in Lilburn, alongside a passion for the sport and for coaching, into a nationally renowned organization that includes seven metro Atlanta locations, including: Lawrenceville, Cumming, Roswell, John’s Creek, Hamilton Mill, Marietta and Georgia Tech. Today, SwimAtlanta is a gold medal earner in the USA Swimming National Club Excellence program and has been a mainstay in the program since the time of its inception fourteen years ago. According to USAswimming. com: “The Club Excellence program identifies and recognizes USA Swimming clubs for their commitment to performance excellence and promotes the development of strong, well-rounded age-group and senior swimming programs that produce elite, 18 and under athletes.”
By “building students up” through positive encouragement, SwimAtlanta focuses on instilling confidence in swimmers of all ages and all ability levels. From beginner’s lessons to elite-level training and competition, “we have a spot for everyone,” said Coach Scot Davis, son of Founder, Chris Davis. “My favorite thing about being a coach is watching kids’ excitement, seeing them grow in the sport…watching them compete and enjoy swimming and seeing that passion develop,” explained Scot.
Having fun is also a way of life at SwimAtlanta. Founder and Coach, Chris Davis Sr. was quoted by USAswimming.com as saying, “When I’m on the deck, I want to make sure the kids have a lot of fun. Years after they’re done with the sport, they’re going to remember the trips we went on, the training camps, much better than they will remember how fast they swam.” And that mentality is evident: the energy amidst the swimmers and staff is palpable.
THE DAVIS FAMILY: A PASSION FOR COACHING RUNS DEEP
Scot and his older brother Coach Chris Davis Jr. both grew up swimming at their father’s facility, went on to compete at UGA and UNC Wilmington, respectively, and later returned to coach at the Sugarloaf Pkwy location in Lawrenceville. Their sister, Whitney Neely, manages their onsite swim shop, while Scot’s wife Whitney, runs the lesson program in Cumming.
OLYMPIC BOUND
Amanda Weir, Coach Chris Davis Jr’s wife, Team USA swimmer and Olympic medalist, is currently training at SwimAtlanta, with eyes set on the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Other notable swimmers from SwimAtlanta include Kathleen Hersey and Eric Shanteau, both of whom were on the 2008 and 2012 Olympic teams; Doug Gjertsen, who made the ’88 and the ’92 Olympic teams; and Hans Dersch, who made the ’92 Olympic team.
Today, Doug Gjersten is also a SwimAtlanta coach. It is pretty remarkable to
see the amount of athletes that grow up in SwimAtlanta, then swim competitively in college or at an elite level and later come back to coach in a community that meant so much to them.
SwimAtlanta may breed elite swimmers, but they also focus heavily on new swimmers who are just learning to “swim for safety first,” according to General Manager, Lindsey Collins. Not only is swimming one of the best total-body workouts for you, but it is also the most non-discriminatory sports, in that everyone from infancy to elderly can participate.
10 REASONS TO TRY SWIMMING >
Lindsey Collins, Swim Atlanta General Manager
1. It could save your life!
2. One of the first sports that kids can get involved in – as early as 6 months old!
3. It is an excellent activity for ALL ages, babies to elderly.
4. Multitude of applications: leisure, competitive, fitness, social, hobby.
5. Low impact cardio-vascular workout that strengthens and stretches all muscles.
6. Increases lung capacity and improves asthma.
7. Excellent for recovery and rehab after injury or surgery.
8. Reduces stress and normalizes blood pressure.
9. Promotes a healthy lifestyle.
10. Fun! Gives you the ability to enjoy beaches, pools, lakes, oceans, boats and water sports.
