Why we care
The NSEA Swim Story
NSEA Swim began with a group of experienced coaches, talented swimmers, and dedicated parents. In the first chapter, we were simply a USA-Swimming-affiliated swim club. But we realized we could be so much more.
Wilmington, NC, is a peninsula bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River. This proximity to water, the threat of coastal flooding, and rip-current risk should mean that all residents learn water safety. However, NSEA Swim realized that in the Northside neighborhood where our competitive swim team practices, water safety is not a priority. In fact, many local residents don't know how to swim—or worse, they fear the water.
This is when NSEA Swim started its narrative. The NSEA Swim Foundation set goals to promote water safety, improve health, decrease obesity, and prevent drowning. And, at the same time, we initiated our plan to increase multicultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity in the sport of swimming.
Water Safety in the U.S.
No child is ever water safe. The goal of swim lessons is to make children SAFER in, on, and around water.
79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability.
Research shows 64% of African-American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children have little to no swimming ability.
10 people drown each day in the United States.
Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths among kids under 14.
Among black children, the fatal drowning rate is nearly three times higher than that of white children within the same age bracket, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Formal swimming lessons reduces the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.
Doc Brown (NSea Swim).mp4