Securing Water

Building Stakeholder Relationships

• Understanding Stakeholders
• Building Relationships
• Highlighting Benefits of Club Teams

Successful facility partnerships begin with understanding the priorities of cities, schools, HOAs, and communities. Coaches should build trust through early engagement and community involvement. Emphasize the value a USA Swimming club brings—like youth development, water safety, and economic impact—to align with stakeholder goals and demonstrate mutual benefits.

Crafting Sustainable Agreements

• Customizing Proposals
• Financial Considerations
• Collaboration and Flexibility
• Facility Rent vs. Meet Host Fees
• Insurance, Legal, and Operational Framework
• Right of First Offer (ROFO)

Tailor proposals to each facility partner. Address priorities such as financial sustainability, community engagement, and educational outcomes. Explore flexible financial models like flat fees or revenue sharing. Ensure contracts are clear, legally sound, and include strategic clauses like ROFO to protect long-term access. Collaboration and adaptability are key to securing lasting agreements.

Evaluating and Sustaining Partnerships

• Monitoring and Evaluation

Establish systems to regularly assess the success of your facility partnership. Track program outcomes, financial performance, and stakeholder satisfaction. Maintain open communication to address challenges and continuously improve the relationship, ensuring long-term viability for both the club and the facility.

Managing a Facility

Financial Considerations of a Swimming Facility

• Operational Costs & Budget Management
• Revenue Streams
• Best Practices

Whether you are a coach-owned team, board run, or a team that operates financially under an institution, it is important to understand the financial intertwining of a facility and the financial considerations that are always at play. Some of your “rent” may help operational costs or long-term savings for a “rainy day” where there is maintenance upkeep needed. It is important to work and understand what is expected of your team within the facility that you use.  By carefully considering these financial aspects, a swimming facility can achieve sustainability and success, providing valuable services to the community while maintaining financial health. 

Does your club have an opportunity to take over a facility?

• Taking over a facility
• Swimming outside year round

If your club has an opportunity to take over a facility, here are some top considerations when beginning the negotiation stages or things to look for.

Managing a Multi-Site Program

• Leadership Structure
• Training and Development
• Scheduling and Logistics
• Community Engagement

Managing a multi-site swim program presents unique challenges and opportunities. Effective coordination, communication, and consistency across locations are crucial for delivering high-quality programming and maintaining operational efficiency. Managing a multi-site swim program requires a strategic approach, strong leadership, and effective communication with all stakeholders: staff and club members. By establishing a centralized leadership structure, standardizing policies and procedures, ensuring consistent communication, coordinating scheduling and logistics, maintaining quality assurance, managing finances prudently, and engaging with the community, coaches and team leaders can successfully oversee multi-site operations and provide high-quality programs that benefit all participants. 

Programming for Financial Success

• Diverse Program offerings
• Pricing Strategies

By developing diverse, well-structured swimming programs and employing effective financial management strategies, swim coaches can ensure the success and sustainability of their facilities. A focus on understanding the market, optimizing facility use, implementing strategic pricing, and effective marketing will contribute to a thriving swimming program that meets the needs of the community while achieving financial goals. 

Building a Facility

Getting Started

• Financial considerations
• How to get Started

Building a swim facility requires careful planning and a clear long-term vision. Clubs must first assess community needs and confirm they have the financial capacity to support the project. Before looking for land, they need a business plan, secured funding, and loan approval. Once financing is in place, they can select a site and hire an architect and project manager to move the project forward.

Business Plan Elements

• Programming
• Demographics, Market Analysis, and Initial Feasibility Study
• Proforma/Budget

A strong business plan—with clear goals, target customers, revenue strategy, and diverse programming—is essential for securing funding for a swim facility. Market analysis and early cost estimates help confirm demand, competitive position, and pricing. A simple feasibility study and a detailed proforma with financial projections and startup operating costs are required before lenders or investors will consider supporting the project.

Budget

• Types of Financing

Building a large swimming facility requires significant capital, often secured through a mix of funding sources. Options include bank and SBA loans, which offer structured terms but require strong credit; private investors, who can provide substantial funding in exchange for ownership; and self-funding, which maintains control but offers limited capital. Choosing the right combination depends on your financial situation, project goals, and long-term plans.

Finding the right locations and beginning the build

Total Aquatic Programming – Mick + Sue Nelson (719) 238-1561

Email: snelson@totalaquatic.llc or mick@totalaquatic.llc

Resources: https://totalaquatic.llc/resources

Community Facility Funding

Municipal bonds (“Muni”)

Municipal bonds are debt instruments issued by state and local governments to fund public projects. They work as loans to the government, where investors receive regular interest payments and the principal back at maturity. General Obligation Bonds (GO) are backed by the municipality’s full credit and tax revenue. Revenue Bonds are repaid from project-generated income (e.g., entry fees, rentals).

Process to secure

• Needs Assessment: Evaluate community demand and justify the project.
• Project Proposal: Define scope, costs, benefits, and revenue projections.
• Approval: May require voter or council authorization via referendum or ordinance.
• Issuance & Execution: Bond proceeds to fund design, land, construction, and start-up costs.

Process for Repayment

• GO Bonds: Paid with tax revenues.
• Revenue Bonds: Paid with facility income.

Advantages: Affordable, long-term financing. Tax-exempt interest attracts investors and lowers borrowing costs. You can build community investment and ownership.

Challenges: Lengthy approval and compliance process. Reliance on municipal credit rating and accurate revenue forecasts. Sensitive to market and economic shifts.

Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs)

A PPP combines public oversight with private funding and expertise to develop, finance, and operate community facilities. A public partner provides land, oversight, and regulatory support. A private partner finances, builds, and often operates the facility.

Common models:

• DBFO: Design, Build, Finance, Operate
• BOT: Build, Operate, Transfer
• BOO: Build, Own, Operate

Financing & Revenue

Private capital (equity/debt) is supplemented by public contributions (land or grants). Revenues from memberships, rentals, or concessions sustain operations and repay investment under agreed terms.

Advantages: Shared risk and resources. Faster delivery through private capital and efficiency. Access to innovation, technology, and operational expertise. Enhanced community amenities.

Challenges: Complex, time-intensive agreements. Long-term commitments require clear governance. Need for transparency and accountability.

Both municipal bonds and PPPs can successfully fund swimming facilities. Bonds spread costs over time with strong community ownership, while PPPs leverage private expertise for innovation and efficiency. The best approach depends on community priorities, financial capacity, and desired control over operations.

Community Aquatic Facility Benefits

• Learn to Swim programs to help eliminate drowning risk and promote lifelong water safety.
• Family Recreation: water activities bring families together through shared, intergenerational fun and exercise.
• Adult Fitness: Aquatic exercise and lap swimming provide low-impact fitness for the community.
• Youth Recreation & Exercise through aquatic programs promote fitness, reduce obesity, and create positive youth engagement.
• Competitive Swimming clubs foster skill development, discipline, and lifelong engagement.
• Aquatic Rehabilitation in therapy pools supports recovery beyond insurance-covered physical therapy.
  Adaptive aquatic programming supports those with special needs, offering essential exercise and therapy opportunities.
• Aquatic Safety & Partnerships promote water safety, health, and wellness through collaborative programming.
• Additional Aquatic Opportunities to host a variety of activities such as diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, masters swimming, and scuba training which expand community participation.

Design Options

Community Pools

• 20’x40’ minimum (42’x75’ preferred)
• 3’–9’ depth range; adjustable temperature and flow
• Ramped/stair access; classrooms; office; dressing areas

Continuum/Therapy Pools

• 15’x20’ minimum (20’x50’ preferred)
• 3’–9’ depth range; warm-water control
• Accessible entry; classroom and support space

Training & Competition Pools

• 45’x75’ minimum (up to 50 meters)
• 4’–9’ depth range
• Athlete/spectator deck space; offices and locker areas