With the city approving the removal of the special use permit for the property on which the Phoenix Swim Club’s home pool has sat for decades, the club will officially be out of its water likely sometime in the year 2014.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the team will be without a home. That’s because the Phoenix Swim Club is finalizing a contract to become the operators of the brand new pool located at the Phoenix Country Day School in the nearby Paradise Valley area.
That pool will feature a 50 meter competition pool, a 25-yard warm-up pool, and a diving well with 1 and 3 meter diving boards, all in open air.
The pool is expected to open late in the summer of 2014, and the Phoenix Swim Club hopes to be able to continue using their current pool, which is owned by Brophy Prep, until then.
“This kind of transition is never easy, but thanks to all the work by our board of directors and the patience of our membership, Phoenix Swim Club is coming out of this in a wonderful position for success,” Phoenix Swim Club head coach Garrett McCaffrey said.
The pool was sold by the Brophy Prep. school to the Ryland development company for over $6 million, with Ryland intending to develop it for homes. Brophy Prep has a legendary swimming history of its own, having won 26-straight Arizona High School State Championships, and plans to bring its pool back to campus, meaning that despite the loss of a hub facility, the amount of competitive pool space in Phoenix will actually increase in 2014. The current Phoenix Swim Club is about a 10 minute drive from Brophy.
The Phoenix Country Day School is only about 2 miles east of where the current Phoenix Swim Club location is (Brophy is about 4 miles west), so it shouldn’t vastly change the Phoenix Swim Club’s membership demographic.
As a part of the plan, the Arizona Marlins, who occupy PCD’s current pool, will merge with the Phoenix Swim Club. The Arizona Marlins are a small team, but still have an impressive history of producing collegiate-level talent. The two programs are still working out details on how the coaching structure of the combined team will look, but Marlins coaches Mike and Ken Maczuga are expected to be a part of the equation.
The “merger” would benefit the morale of both teams if parts of each team name are included in the brand. The loss of either the Phoenix Swim Club name or Arizona Marlins name would be a slap in the face to the team whose team name is completely banished.
There’s no such as thing as “just a merger” and a healthy
dose of skepticism should abound on whether this is really so good
for both clubs.
Great to see things work out for both teams. Mike & Ken have done a great job over the years and are class individuals. Kudo’s for everyone working for the betterment of the sport & swimmers.
I am actually sad to see another small team go, in essence. There is a place for smaller teams and AZ swimming seems to be pushing for big machine teams. I am happy for the PSC, as they do hold great meets, but the intimacy of a small team, like the Marlins, allows some swimmers to flourish when they would not on a big team. I have equally enjoyed bringing my son to meets at the Marlin’s pool.
I’m with you, Laurie. My daughter has flourished thanks to the personalized, attentive and easygoing coaching style of Mike and Ken. A larger club could never replicate the close-knit family atmosphere they have created. We are disheartened over the news of the ‘merger’.
I sure hope Mike & Ken Maczuga are seen as an invaluable asset in this deal. They are truly a part of the heart & soul of our sport in AZ and I’d hate to see their continuous contributions diminished at all.
I agree. Mike taught me to swim over 20 years ago. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without him!
I believe they are definitely seen as a valuable asset. It is not anything but merger of two great clubs and I believe they are staying on board. As far as I am concerned the whole should be greater than the sum of the parts. Mike taught my kids to swim as well, so I hope the merger will go as smoothly as it can.
Great work PSC coaches and board. In spite of all of the noise out there the last few years, you have stayed focused on one objective; keeping kids (and masters) swimming and securing water for our future. The Marlins organization also deserves kudos for making this a seamless transition as both clubs move into the future together. Keep up the great work on deck Garrett and coaches we are all behind you.
Looking forward to August 2014 when we all have a new home to swim in and be proud of. Wall included (hopefully).
Are there any attempts to actually preserve the wall itself?
This will be a great development. As sad as I am to see the current PSC pool go (it is fast, in particularly in LCM and with a great setting for meets), adding a new pool in this part of Phoenix will benefit all. As both the Marlins and PCDS have been great and frequent hosts of USAS meets (and PSC of USMS meets), this new pool should be great for the broader swimming community here in AZ.
Now, if only they can somehow save the ‘wall of signatures’ that is at the current PSC pool and transplant it to the new PCDS pool, a great legacy of swimming stars passing through Phoenix will be preserved for the future.… Read more »
Thanks, Patrick. As far as the wall of signatures, we’re bringing in a photographer to take a high quality panoramic photo of the wall so that we can use it as a mural at the new facility.
It would be cool to get the actual wall at the new place 🙂
+1… Garrett… SMASH.