AAU Rising: SwimAtlanta CEO And Coach Chris Davis Explains Why USA Swimming Is Losing the Base

Chris Davis doesn’t mince words. The longtime SwimAtlanta head coach, founder, and CEO joined us for a candid conversation that cuts to the heart of where club swimming is—and where it needs to go. In this episode of the GMM Podcast by SwimOutlet.com, we sit down with one of the most respected figures in American coaching. Chris Davis is the godfather of club swimming in the United States. He has been in the game since 1977, when he launched SwimAtlanta with just 28 swimmers. Today, his club spans seven locations, serves over 1,800 athletes, and has produced five Olympians. Additionally, he is widely considered the entrepreneur of entrepreneurs in aquatic sports, building a successful aquatic business, and mentoring countless other coaches who have sought his guidance and then gone on to launch superteams of their own across the nation. But Davis isn’t on the mic to relive glory days. He’s here to explain the radical shift SwimAtlanta made by embracing dual-registration with AAU, and why he believes the entire swim ecosystem needs to evolve.