Nova of Virginia Aquatics

What Nova of Virginia Aquatics does

Nova of Virginia Aquatics (NOVA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 by Geoff Brown and headquartered in Henrico County, Virginia. The organization owns and operates two purpose-built aquatics facilities — NOVA Aquatics Center-Gayton Road (1996, expanded 2005) and NOVA Aquatics Center-Regency (opened September 2021 at 100 NOVA Way) — providing 46 lanes of total pool capacity across an 8-lane 50-meter pool, two 25-yard warm water pools at Regency, and two 25-meter/25-yard pools at Gayton Road.

NOVA's product portfolio spans the full aquatics lifecycle: SwimNOVA, a five-level learn-to-swim program for ages 3+ delivering 6,000+ lessons annually; Stroke School, a three-tiered (RED/WHITE/BLUE) technical development program priced $160-$540 per session; a year-round competitive team of ~800 swimmers ages 5-18 ranked #1 in Virginia Swimming and consistently Top-Ten by USA Swimming nationally; adult fitness lap swimming (NOVAFit, $10 day pass to $300 annual); adult competitive Masters swimming ($80/month requiring US Masters registration); seasonal and high school clinics; and American Red Cross-style lifeguard certification ($275 full / $125 recertification). The competitive team serves the only material proprietary 'technology' surface, supported by an on-site Virginia Swim Shop at each facility and registrations managed through Jackrabbit Class, EZ Facility, and TeamUnify platforms.

Revenue is diversified across subscription/recurring program fees, per-session lesson and clinic fees, retail swim shop sales, professional services revenue from lifeguard certification, and donations/sponsorships — anchored by a $1.75M Henrico County grant, $500K from the Sharp Family Foundation, and additional Platinum family/corporate sponsorships. The organization distributes programs through self-serve online registration, two direct-to-consumer facility fronts, and channel partnerships — most notably the Henrico County Public Schools Learn2Swim program reaching ~1,600 Title One second graders annually at no cost, plus adaptive partnerships with Special Olympics, Sportable Adaptive Sports, and the Central VA Autism Society serving 2,300+ outreach swimmers. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and operated under CEO Leigh Peterson following founder Geoff Brown's 2020 departure from the head coach role.

Name

Nova of Virginia Aquatics

Legal name

Nova of Virginia Aquatics

Website

https://novaswim.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nova of Virginia Aquatics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating two aquatics centers in Henrico County, VA, delivering learn-to-swim lessons, an 800-swimmer competitive team, adult fitness, and community water-safety programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquatics Programs and Swimming Instruction Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF), Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

Keywords

• Learn-to-swim lessons
• Competitive swim team
• Adult lap swimming
• Lifeguard certification training
• Youth aquatics programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Swim Lessons and Programming Fees: Revenue from learn-to-swim lessons for children ages 3+ and adults, with tiered pricing based on session length and frequency. Programs include weekday lessons, weekend sessions, and summer intensive sessions.
2. Competitive Swim Team Membership: Membership fees for the competitive team with 800 swimmers ages 5-18, including coaching, practice access, and meet participation.
3. NOVAFit Adult Fitness Membership: Monthly and multi-month membership for adult lap swimming and water exercise, ranging from day passes to annual memberships. Partners/family members receive 50% discount.
4. Masters Swimming Program: Monthly membership at $80 per month which includes NOVAFit privileges, providing early morning training for adult swimmers who want competitive swimming.
5. Virginia Swim Shop Retail Sales: On-site full-service swim shops at both Gayton and Regency locations selling swimsuits, equipment, and team outfitting for summer league and year-round clubs.
6. Stroke School and Clinic Fees: Fees for Stroke School programs (Red, White, Blue tiers) and seasonal clinics for summer league swimmers, priced per session or multi-week course.
7. Lifeguard Certification Classes: Revenue from lifeguard certification training classes at $275 and recertification at $125.
8. Corporate and Individual Donations/Sponsorships: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization receiving major sponsorships from corporations (Henrico County $1.75M, Sharp Family Foundation $500K, Armstrong Family $50K, META/DPR Construction $50K) and individual donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nova of Virginia Aquatics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aquatics organization that delivers year-round swimming programs for all ages and skill levels from its two Aquatics Centers in Henrico County, VA. Core offerings include a five-level progressive learn-to-swim program (SwimNOVA), a competitive swim team of ~800 youth swimmers, adult fitness lap swimming (NOVAFit), Masters adult competitive swimming, a Stroke School progression pathway, clinics, high school prep, and lifeguard certification training, complemented by on-site Virginia Swim Shop retail.

Product overview

Nova of Virginia Aquatics operates a unified aquatics programming platform centered on its two independently owned Aquatics Centers in Henrico County, VA (Regency and Gayton Road). The portfolio spans a five-level SwimNOVA Lessons program (ages 3+), a three-tiered Stroke School transition program, a competitive swim team with ~800 swimmers across age group and senior groups, clinics for non-year-round swimmers, high school prep, adult fitness lap swimming (NOVAFit), adult competitive swimming (Masters), and lifeguard certification training. The platform also includes an on-site Virginia Swim Shop at both locations and community outreach partnerships including the Henrico County Learn2Swim program serving ~1,600 second graders annually and adaptive/special needs programs. NOVA operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit with 46 lanes of total pool capacity across both facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SwimNOVA Lessons A five-level progressive learn-to-swim program teaching children ages 3 and older essential swimming skills, water safety, and proper stroke technique. Run year-round with weekday and weekend options, serving over 6,000 lessons annually.
• Stroke School A three-tiered program (RED, WHITE, BLUE) transitioning swimmers from lessons into a team-like environment. Swimmers must be legal in all four strokes. Tiers differ in practice frequency, duration, and conditioning intensity.
• Competitive Swim Team Year-round competitive swim team with ~800 swimmers ages 5-18, ranked #1 in Virginia Swimming and consistently in the USA Swimming Top-Ten nationally. Organized into groups including Novice Bronze/Silver, Age Group Bronze/Silver/Gold, Senior Bronze/Silver/Gold, and National Group.
• Clinics Seasonal clinics such as the Spring Swim Clinic and Splash into Summer, designed for summer league swimmers and non-year-round swimmers to sharpen technique, build racing skills, and prepare for summer league competition.
• High School Swimming High school prep program held at the Gayton Road location, providing technique development and practice for high school-aged swimmers from September through November.
• NOVAFit Adult community lap swimming program offering 35-40 hours per week of open lap swimming at both NOVA locations. Includes optional water exercise classes. Priced by month, three-month, six-month, and annual terms with family/partner discounts.
• Masters Adult competitive swimming program for former competitive swimmers seeking morning training with coaches Mark Kutz and Laurel Reid. Includes access to swim meets and Masters team records. Priced at $80/month including NOVAFit privileges, and requires US Masters Swimming registration.
• Lifeguard Certification Classes Certification training program for individuals 15 and older covering lifeguarding skills, CPR, AED use, and first aid. Full certification is a 25-hour class costing $275; recertification is an 8-hour class costing $125.
• Virginia Swim Shop On-site full-service swim shop at both NOVA Aquatics Center locations (Regency and Gayton Road), providing swimsuits, equipment, and team outfitting for summer league teams, year-round clubs, and high schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800 competitive swimmers ranked #1 in Virginia Swimming
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Henrico County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearn2Swim program teaching 1,600 Henrico County second graders annually at no cost, all from Title One schools. Partnership has grown from 450 students in 2021-22 to exceeding 1,000 in 2022-23. Private-public partnership enabling NOVA to deliver life-saving water skills to underserved youth.
• Central VA Autism SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership reaching children and young adults with autism through specialized aquatics programming.
• Sportable Adaptive SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching children and adults with physical disabilities competitive and recreational swimming skills.
• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquatics programming partnership for athletes with intellectual disabilities through Special Olympics.
• Henrico Police Athletic LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth aquatics programming partnership with Henrico Police Athletic League.
• Steward School Leap ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized aquatics programming partnership with The Steward School.
• Henrico Fire and RescueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for drowning prevention and water safety education in the community.
• USA SwimmingcoreOthersGoverning body affiliation. NOVA is consistently ranked as a Top-Ten organization nationally by USA Swimming.
• Reel Em InminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership organization participating in NOVA outreach programming.
• Swim Across AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCancer research fundraising organization with swimming events.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Poseidon Swimming: Virginia-based USA Swimming club previously led by Mike Julian before joining NOVA — directly competing for elite swimmers in the same regional market with similar competitive and instructional programming.
• SwimMAC Carolina: Charlotte, NC-based USA Swimming club offering competitive team, lessons, and Masters across multiple sites — comparable in scale, program breadth, and elite national standing to NOVA.
• Irvine Novaquatics: Southern California USA Swimming powerhouse with large youth team and lesson/membership offerings, also affiliated with the local municipality — comparable structure to NOVA including learn-to-swim, competitive team, and Masters programming.
• North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Maryland-based elite USA Swimming club with national championship results and broad lesson programming — directly comparable to NOVA's competitive-plus-lessons, nationally-ranked club model.
• Longhorn Aquatics: Elite year-round USA Swimming competitive club in Austin, TX with a large multi-group youth swim team, learn-to-swim programming, and national Top-Ten finishes — directly comparable to NOVA's model of combining a top-ranked competitive team with broad community swim lessons.
• Carmel Swim Club: Indiana-based USA Swimming club consistently ranked among the nation's elite, operating age group through senior competitive squads plus lesson programming — mirrors NOVA's elite-team-plus-lessons structure with deep community ties.
• Bolles School Sharks: Historic Jacksonville, FL swim program producing Olympic athletes; offers competitive swimming, lessons, and Masters — closely comparable to NOVA's elite development pipeline plus multi-segment programming.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Greater Richmond: Local YMCA branch operating pool facilities, learn-to-swim lessons, and swim teams across Richmond/Henrico County — broad incumbent competitor for learn-to-swim and lap-swim market share that overlaps NOVA's adult and beginner segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NOVAofvaswim
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nova-of-virginia-aquatics-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Nova of Virginia Aquatics