Education Non-profit Website in Purple and Orange Colorful Blocks Style

welcome to the

Born out of a group of ofpy makos swim team families passion and unique experiences, the black swimmers alliance

is dedicated to bridging the gap in aquatic skills. Empowering African-American youth to dive into a world of safe, fun and even competitive, opportunities while increasing safety awareness in communities of color.

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OUR MISSION

The Black Swimmers Alliance is committed to providing exposure, training, competitive opportunities, mentoring and fostering character and leadership and safety skills among African-American youth through the sport of swimming.

5.5x

African-American children ages 5-19 drown at a rate 5.5 times higher than Caucasian children of the same age.

64%

64% of African-American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino children have few to no swimming skills.

78%

Due to systemic racism, 78% of African-American children cannot swim because their parents cannot swim.

Water Safety

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children! Let’s ensure all children can swim through:

Sponsoring swim lessons for all ages.

Encouraging on-going practice on swim skills.

Fostering non-judgemental spaces to learn swim safety skills.

Developing the Athlete

African-American youth can build confidence and character through competitive swimming.

The Alliance provides mentorship, leadership development and financial assistance to empower our youth to become swim champions.

Education

Swim Scholarships provide access for talented youth to compete in the pool and in the classroom.

The Alliance is here to advocate for water safety and diveristy in the sport of swim through community involvement.

Civic Responsibility

WHO IS THE ALLIANCE?

O’Fallon Park Rec Complex Makos Swim Team is the only all-African American swim team in the St. Louis region! Under the leadership of Head Coach, Terea Goodwin, the team is comprised of competitive, regionally ranked swimmers from ages 5-18.

WE ARE BORN OUT OF MAKOS SWIM!

As parents, most who did not know how to swim ourselves, we aligned on the importance of water-safety within our families and community. After one season together, 5 of the teams families could not ignore the lack of diversity, access and support our children received when competing and the history of African-Americans and swimming that is still an epidemic. We quickly learned our children succeeding on this team was not enough to encourage the waves of change in the sport of swimming, here in St. Louis.

We created the MAAKOS Alliance. Motivating African-American Kids with Opportunities in Swimming. Or as we now call it, The Black Swimmers Alliance.

We break down barriers by introducing swimming to black youth, promoting water safety and fostering a love for healthy-lifestyle through recreational and competitive aquatic activities!

We empower all young athletes to participate in the sport of swim and amaze themselves with their full potential!

We cultivate strong, positive mental health through mentorship- encouraging strong personal relationships, team relationships and interpersonal relationships.

We nurture future leaders by instilling the importance of education, integrity, resilience, advocacy and service. Inspiring athletes to become leaders in competition and in their communities.

We are just getting started. Together now, let’ take deep breath, dive in, and swim forward. Empowering, inspiring and cultivating a legacy of African-American swimmers.

The Black Swimmers Alliance