Michael Phelps Swim School

What Michael Phelps Swim School does

Michael Phelps Swim School (MPSS) is a Baltimore, Maryland-based swimming instruction provider offering a structured curriculum for children and adults, organized around a proprietary "Four B's" framework — Balance, Buoyancy, Body Position, and Breathing — developed over 30 years by founder Cathy Lears Bennett using her formal training in child psychology and early childhood education. The company originated in 1990 as North Baltimore Swim School and was rebranded in 2009 when Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, a former student of the program, invested alongside Coach Bob Bowman and assumed the role of brand ambassador.

The business operates a dual model. The direct operation runs year-round at the Meadowbrook Aquatic and Fitness Center in Mt. Washington, Baltimore, delivering group, semi-private, and private lessons across progressive levels (Get Wet for ages 6 months–3 years, Pre Beginner 1, Beginner 1 and 2, Advance Beginner 1) plus a specialized Autism Specific Program trained in partnership with Pathfinders for Autism. Class sizes are capped at 6 for individualized attention, and the flagship operates 50+ hours of instruction weekly serving 1,000+ families, with cumulative instruction of roughly 30,000 people since inception and a steady 1,500+ unique participants per year since 2004.

The second arm is an affiliate/licensing program that grants external swim school operators rights to the MPSS trademark, branding, logo, curriculum, teaching materials, and philosophies, paired with a mandatory two-day staff training session, ongoing consulting, marketing materials, and territorial non-compete exclusivity. The program is positioned globally, with MPSS citing USA Swimming data showing 29.6% growth in swimming participation from 2000 to 2010 and 11.3% growth post-2008 Olympics to substantiate demand for licensed instruction. No external institutional capital, M&A activity, or public-market presence is recorded; ownership remains with founder Cathy Bennett and the Phelps investor group.

Name

Michael Phelps Swim School

Legal name

Michael Phelps Swimming

Website

https://mpswimschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michael Phelps Swim School is a Baltimore-based swim instruction provider offering a proprietary curriculum for children and adults through a flagship facility serving 1,000+ families weekly and a global affiliate licensing program leveraging the Michael Phelps brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swimming Instruction

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Safety, Lifeguarding & Training Services (Staffing, Certification) (THAAABAL)

Keywords

• Swimming instruction services
• Swim school franchise
• Children swim lessons
• Water safety education
• Swim school affiliate licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Affiliate/Franchise Licensing: The company licenses its method, trademark, branding, curriculum, and teaching materials to local swim school operators. Affiliates pay for the right to use the MPSS brand and receive training, materials, and ongoing consulting support.
2. Direct Swim Instruction Services: The company operates its own swim school location at Meadowbrook, providing group, semi-private, and private swimming lessons to families. Serves over 1,000 families weekly at its main location.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Michael Phelps Swim School provides structured swimming instruction for children and adults through a proprietary curriculum built on Balance, Buoyancy, Body Position, and Breathing ("Four B's"). It operates its own year-round swim school at the Meadowbrook Aquatic and Fitness Center in Baltimore and licenses its brand, curriculum, and teaching methodology to affiliate swim schools globally. The school also offers a specialized Autism Specific Program with private lessons taught by Pathfinders for Autism-trained instructors.

Product overview

Michael Phelps Swim School is a swimming instruction provider offering a structured curriculum of classes organized around the four B's of swimming: Balance, Buoyancy, Body Position, and Breathing. The program ranges from parent-participation introductory classes (Get Wet for ages 6 months-3 years) through progressive skill levels (Pre Beginner 1, Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Advance Beginner 1), and includes a specialized Autism Specific Program for private lessons. The school operates on a franchise/affiliate model, allowing licensees to use MPSS branding, curriculum, and teaching materials with included staff training and business support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Get Wet Class Introductory parent-child swimming class for children between 6 months and 3 years old, designed to build water comfort and basic understanding of water properties.
• Pre Beginner 1 Entry-level swim instruction for young children transitioning from parent-participation classes to independent lessons.
• Beginner 1 Foundational swimming lessons teaching basic skills including breath control, floating, and fundamental stroke mechanics.
• Beginner 2 Intermediate beginner swim lessons building on foundational skills with increased stroke development and water confidence.
• Advance Beginner 1 Advanced beginner swim lessons preparing swimmers for more complex stroke work and independent aquatic skills.
• Autism Specific Program Private swimming lessons for children and adults with autism, taught by instructors trained through Pathfinders for Autism, including a family fun day component.
• MPSS Affiliate/License Program Business opportunity allowing entrepreneurs to license the Michael Phelps Swim School trademark, branding, curriculum, and teaching materials, including staff training and ongoing consulting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 30,000 people instructed since inception
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pathfinders for AutismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPathfinders for Autism provides training to MPSS instructors for the autism-specific swimming program. This partnership enables the school to offer specialized lessons for children and adults with autism, taught by properly trained staff.
• Meadowbrook Aquatic and Fitness CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to the main Michael Phelps Swim School location in Mt. Washington, Baltimore. The year-round indoor facility enables continuous instruction beyond seasonal summer lessons, operating 50+ hours of instruction weekly.
• MPSS AffiliatescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed affiliate swim schools operating under the MPSS brand. Benefits include trademark rights, curriculum access, initial training, ongoing consulting, marketing materials, and territorial exclusivity.
• North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinked as another program under Michael Phelps' aquatic ecosystem. NBAC is where Michael Phelps trained with Coach Bob Bowman.
• Special OlympicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinked as another program providing aquatic sports opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Boys & Girls ClubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership providing swimming programs and access to youth through Boys & Girls Clubs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Big Blue Swim School: Franchise swim school operator with proprietary curriculum and indoor year-round facilities. Comparable in franchise model, year-round indoor instruction, and family/children focus with tiered skill progression.
• Goldfish Swim School: Largest swim school franchise in North America with a structured curriculum and franchise model targeting children. Directly comparable to MPSS in target customer (families with children), business model (franchise licensing of curriculum and brand), and core offering (year-round swim instruction at affiliate-operated pools).
• SafeSplash Swim School: Franchise swim school operator focused on children and adults with a proprietary curriculum and tiered lesson structure. Closely comparable to MPSS in franchise model, curriculum-led instruction, and family/children primary customer segment.
• Emler Swim School: Regional swim school franchise in the U.S. with proprietary curriculum and instructor certification program. Comparable in franchise model, structured curriculum, and children/family target segment.
• SwimJim: Multi-location swim school operating year-round indoor facilities with proprietary teaching methodology. Comparable to MPSS in direct-operation model, year-round indoor instruction, and emphasis on water safety and technique.
• British Swim School: Franchise-based swim instruction provider offering lessons for all ages through licensee-operated pools. Comparable to MPSS in franchise/licensing model, year-round indoor instruction, and tiered curriculum approach serving families.
• Swim Lessons USA: Multi-location swim school with franchise opportunities focused on children and beginner swimmers. Comparable to MPSS in franchise-based expansion, family target market, and structured lesson progression.
• Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: Multi-location swim school franchise with proprietary curriculum and standardized instructor training. Directly comparable in franchise model, family-focused curriculum, and structured progression through skill levels.

Others

• North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Competitive swim club where Michael Phelps trained under Coach Bob Bowman, now part of the Phelps aquatic ecosystem alongside MPSS. Adjacent rather than competing — provides a competitive-swimmer pipeline that funnels advanced swimmers back into MPSS-affiliated programming.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA Aquatics: National nonprofit that delivers swim lessons as part of a broad fitness and community programming portfolio. Overlaps with MPSS in swim instruction for families and children but operates as a broader community fitness incumbent rather than a specialized swim-school specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MPSwimSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/Michael-Phelps-Swim-School-Orange-County-1403699763260187
• Instagraminstagram.com/mpss_baltimore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michael-phelps-swim-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Michael Phelps Swim School