Emler Swim School Glides into California with Acquisition of King’s Swim Academy


”King’s Swim Academy has been a blessing for us and families in our community, and we are excited for the next generation of kids to grow under Emler’s leadership. Emler Swim School will be a tremendous community partner in teaching water safety.”

Emler Swim School acquired award-winning King’s Swim Academy, a family business with facilities in San Carlos and San Mateo, California. The deal, which closed last week, expands Emler’s footprint to 44 facilities and counting across Texas, California, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“This is a great cultural fit, as our organizations have similar goals,” said Emler CEO Greg Laird. “The Smiths have created a safe and fun place for families to bring their children to learn how to swim. Emler’s first priority is safety, and one of our founding principles is about giving children a fun experience so they fall in love with the water. We found environments just like Emler’s when we visited the King’s Swim Academy locations.”

King’s Swim Academy started in a backyard pool by Jeff and Joan Smith and their teenage daughter. Prior to starting the swim school, Jeff had coaching experience at varying levels from youth up to college and master level. Joan was an elite athlete, earning NCAA All American honors in college for swimming, and participating in triathlons professionally.

With their passion for swimming, the Smiths grew their family swim lessons into an award-winning swim school in 2007 and later expanded further with an additional location. King’s Swim Academy teaches lessons for babies, toddlers, kids and adults.

Taking the trust parents place in them seriously and creating a nurturing environment for their kids has earned King’s Swim Academy a welcoming and stellar reputation. The school has won honors from families like Parents’ Press Best of the Bay and Bay Area Parents Family Favorite.

”King’s Swim Academy has been a blessing for us and families in our community, and we are excited for the next generation of kids to grow under Emler’s leadership,” said Joan and Jeff Smith, founders of King’s Swim Academy. “Emler Swim School will be a tremendous community partner in teaching water safety.”

Emler Swim School provides safety with a splash of love. In business for more than 45 years, the organization teaches an award-winning curriculum while nurturing children in a healthy, safe and fun environment. Founded on the principle that every child has the ability to swim, Emler offers a 100% swimmer guarantee and teaches children how to self-rescue in case of an accident. Emler takes the view that swimming is not just another activity, it’s another layer of drowning prevention to keep children safe. For more information about Emler Swim School, visit https://emlerswimschool.com/

King’s Swim Academy will continue to operate under its current name with the same enrollment plans and staff. For more information about King’s, visit https://kingsswimacademy.com/

About Emler Swim School

In 1975, Emler Swim School was founded on two principles, that every child should experience a fun lesson that causes them to fall in love with the water, and that every parent should receive a guarantee that their child will learn to swim.

Emler utilizes a proven, ever-evolving curriculum, a quality staff that undergoes thorough training and – above all – a passion to nurture children in a healthy, safe and fun environment.

With more than 20 different classes and levels, the award-winning swim school is proud to meet the need of every swimmer with the same “Emler Sure,” 100 percent guarantee. For more information on each location and job openings, visit emlerswimschool.com. Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

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