What SwimMAC Carolina does

SwimMAC Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit swim club founded in 1977 (originally as the Mecklenburg Aquatic Club) and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The organization delivers a vertically integrated aquatic program portfolio across seven facilities in the Charlotte region: a learn-to-swim curriculum (MiniMAC, preschool, grade school, teen, and adult lessons) powered by the SwimAmerica methodology; tiered year-round competitive teams (Marlin 10-and-under through Seniors 15-18); bridge programs (Pre-Comp/JSL and MAC Fit/Teen Fit); Masters and adult fitness swimming for ~200 members ages 19-81; private lessons; homeschool PE programming; and a public lap swim offering ($10 drop-in / $60 monthly). Nearly 10,000 people are served annually, with 700+ competitive team members.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring program memberships and registration fees (subscription-style), pay-as-you-go drop-ins and private lessons, Masters monthly dues ($60-$105 per month plus a $40-$80 annual registration and a required $75 US Masters Swimming registration), corporate sponsorships across Gold and Silver tiers (Speedo, Novant Health, Harris Teeter, OrthoCarolina, Kiefer, and other regional brands), and 501(c)(3) donations. Registration and billing are centralized through Team Unify (GoMotion) for competitive teams and Jackrabbit for the swim school, with on-site Kiefer retail at both North and South locations. All program delivery is in-person at pool facilities; no digital products or remote delivery are offered.

The club is the reigning #1 program in the USA Swimming Club Excellence rankings for the third consecutive year (88,076 points in 2024-25) and has held Gold Medal status for 20 consecutive years, with two USA Swimming National Junior Team athletes (Elle Scott and Jordan Willis). Operational leadership comprises Executive Director Brent Smith, Head Coach Chuck Batchelor (formerly Head Coach of the Pan-American Games and World Junior Championships, hired July 2021), and Head of Business Management Tom Avischious (formerly USA Swimming, joined August 2022); Director of Developmental Swimming Martha Hocutt oversees the swim school and Director of Auxiliary Programs Christie Close (joined April 2023) oversees North-region MAC Fit, homeschool, and Pre-Comp offerings.

Name

SwimMAC Carolina

Legal name

SwimMAC Carolina

Website

https://swimmaccarolina.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SwimMAC Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit swim club in Charlotte, NC operating a seven-facility network that delivers learn-to-swim instruction, year-round competitive teams, Masters adult swimming, and public lap swim to nearly 10,000 people annually under the SwimAmerica curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swim Instruction and Aquatic Training Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Swim instruction
• Learn-to-swim programs
• Competitive swim club
• Masters swimming
• Youth aquatics training

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Memberships and Registration Fees: SwimMAC generates revenue through various program fees including competitive team memberships, swim school lessons, Masters swimming, and special programs like homeschool and MAC Fit. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that also receives donations and sponsor support.
2. Lap Swim and Day Passes: General public can pay $10 per swim session or $60/month for unlimited lap swim membership during open hours.
3. Masters Membership Dues: Masters swimming program charges annual registration ($40) plus monthly dues ($60-70 for general public, $60 for SwimMAC alumni/Charlotte Latin members). Additional US Masters Swimming registration required at $75 annually.
4. Donations and Sponsorship: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SwimMAC receives donations and corporate sponsorship support. Sponsors receive recognition through signage, website, e-blasts, and event opportunities including the Charlotte UltraSwim flagship meet.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SwimMAC Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit swim club that delivers learn-to-swim instruction, year-round competitive team training, adult Masters and fitness swimming, pre-competitive and bridge programs, private lessons, homeschool swimming, and open lap swim across a seven-facility network in the Charlotte, NC region. Programs are structured by age and ability, from MiniMAC (6 months) through Senior competitive (15-18) and adult Masters swimmers aged 19-81, with curriculum powered by SwimAmerica.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swim School Learn-to-swim program offering lessons for all ages from MiniMAC (6 months) through adults, covering skill progression from water safety basics to stroke mastery. Curriculum powered by SwimAmerica with small group or individual settings and a 4:1 student-to-coach ratio in group lessons.
• Competitive Teams Year-round competitive swim program organized by age groups: Marlin (10 and under), Dolphin (11-12), Shark (13-14), and Seniors (15-18), focusing on technique progression, all four strokes, long-term development, and competitive racing skills. Try-outs required.
• Masters Swimming Adult swimming program for members 18+ offering competitive, triathlon, fitness, and beginner (ALTS) tracks. Includes coached practices at both Charlotte and Huntersville locations, unlimited lap swim at Charlotte Latin, and open water training opportunities.
• MAC Fit Fitness swimming program for ages 10-18 focusing on aerobic conditioning, stroke refinement, and skill-building without competitive pressure. Formerly known as Teen Fit.
• Pre-Comp (Pre-Competitive) Pre-competitive swimming program bridging the gap between lessons and year-round competitive swimming. Formerly known as Junior Swim League (JSL).
• Private Lessons One-on-one swim instruction offering personalized coaching for students seeking focused individual attention outside the group lesson setting.
• Homeschool Swimming Dedicated homeschool swim program designed to fulfill physical education requirements through structured daytime aquatic instruction.
• Lap Swim Open lap swim offering for the general public, available at $10 per swim session or $60/month for unlimited lap swims during open hours, cancelable at any time.

Quantifiable outcome

• #1 ranked swim club in nation for 3 consecutive years (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered corporate sponsor - gold medal, gold medal sponsor, silver medal sponsor, bronze medal sponsor, core and facility partner.

• Speedocorporate sponsor - gold medalOthersMajor swimwear brand sponsor providing equipment and apparel support. Speedo logo displayed on SwimMAC website sponsors section.
• Novant Healthcorporate sponsor - gold medalOthersHealthcare system partnership providing health and wellness alignment. Novant Health logo featured on SwimMAC sponsors page.
• Harris Teetercorporate sponsor - gold medalOthersRegional grocery chain sponsor supporting the swim club through community partnership.
• Kiefergold medal sponsorOthersSwim equipment and apparel supplier with on-site store at SwimMAC locations. Kiefer Aquatics Store available at both North (980-339-8960) and South locations.
• OrthoCarolina Shoulder & Elbow Centergold medal sponsorOthersOrthopedic healthcare partner supporting athlete injury prevention and recovery.
• Performance Staffing Solutionsgold medal sponsorOthersStaffing solutions company supporting SwimMAC operations and employment.
• Charlotte Roofing Specialistsgold medal sponsorOthersLocal roofing contractor supporting SwimMAC as community sponsor.
• Cornerstone Dental Groupgold medal sponsorOthersDental practice supporting SwimMAC community programs.
• Carolina Voltagesilver medal sponsorOthersLocal business sponsor supporting SwimMAC operations.
• Layton Dentistrysilver medal sponsorOthersDental practice sponsor for SwimMAC programs.
• TruNorth Homesilver medal sponsorOthersHome services company supporting SwimMAC as community sponsor.
• Fitter & Fastersilver medal sponsorTechnology or IntegrationSwim training and education resource partner supporting SwimMAC athletes with additional training opportunities.
• Grown Up Swimmingbronze medal sponsorTechnology or IntegrationAdult swimming education resource partner supporting Masters and adult swimming programs.
• USA SwimmingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body for competitive swimming. SwimMAC is a registered USA Swimming club, participates in Club Excellence Program, and develops athletes who represent USA Swimming internationally.
• North Carolina Swimming (NCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Swimming Committee (LSC) for NC. SwimMAC competes in NCS championships and its coaches participate in LSC governance.
• US Masters SwimmingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body for adult swimming. SwimMAC Masters requires USMS registration ($75 annually) for all adult members.
• Team Unify (GoMotion)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegistration and team management platform used for competitive team registration, lap swim membership, and Masters sign-up.
• SwimAmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearn-to-swim curriculum provider. SwimMAC Swim School curriculum is powered by SwimAmerica methodology.
• Charlotte Latin Schoolfacility partnerOthersEducational institution hosting SwimMAC's South location pool and main office at 9850 Providence Rd., Charlotte.
• Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics (HFFA)facility partnerOthersPublic aquatic facility housing SwimMAC's North region location at 11725 Verhoeff Dr., Huntersville.
• Davidson Collegefacility partnerOthersHigher education institution providing pool access at Baker Sports Complex for SwimMAC North programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lakeside Swim Team: Kentucky-based USA Swimming club offering competitive teams and learn-to-swim programming, a directly comparable mid-size regional swim club.
• Carmel Swim Club: Indiana-based elite USA Swimming club that has consistently ranked among the top programs nationally, directly comparable to SwimMAC in the competitive team and developmental pathway segments.
• Mason Manta Rays: Ohio-based USA Swimming club that consistently ranks among the top developmental programs nationally, with similar age-group and senior competitive structure.
• Nashville Aquatic Club: Tennessee-based competitive swim club offering learn-to-swim through senior-level competitive programming, comparable in scale and program breadth to SwimMAC.
• Bolles School Sharks: Jacksonville, FL-based elite swim club attached to The Bolles School, with a comparable mix of learn-to-swim, age-group, and senior competitive programs and similar reliance on a private school facility partnership.
• North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Elite competitive USA Swimming club based in Maryland, historically one of the top-ranked programs in the country and a direct peer in the elite competitive swim club category.
• Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics: New York City-based multi-program aquatics organization offering swim school, competitive teams, Masters, and lap swim across multiple facilities, mirroring SwimMAC's diversified programming model.

Emerging players

• Big Blue Swim School: Multi-site franchise swim school focused on year-round lessons for children; competes for learn-to-swim families in Charlotte-area suburbs and represents the emerging commercial threat to traditional club swim schools.
• Goldfish Swim School: National franchise of learn-to-swim schools targeting the same beginner-to-advanced youth swim lesson segment; a competitor in SwimMAC's swim school market rather than its competitive team space.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Greater Charlotte: Local YMCA operates aquatics programming including swim lessons, lap swim, and Masters-adjacent programming at facilities including HFFA, where SwimMAC also operates, making it a facility-level incumbent peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/swimmacc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SwimMACCarolina
• Facebookfacebook.com/SwimMACCarolina
• Instagraminstagram.com/swimmac_1977
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swimmaccarolina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SwimMAC Carolina