Gaston Aquatics

08/03/2026

Ready to dive into a year-round swimming experience?

Competitive swimming is about more than just racing. It builds strength, endurance, discipline, confidence, goal-setting skills, and a strong foundation both in and out of the water.

The Gaston Gators are inviting swimmers to register for a FREE swim evaluation to learn more about our year-round competitive swim program. Evaluations give swimmers the opportunity to meet our coaches, learn about the program, and find the right fit for their swimming journey.

Whether your goal is to improve technique, become a stronger swimmer, compete at a higher level, or continue developing a lifelong love for the sport, year-round training provides the consistency and coaching needed to grow.

Join the Gaston Gators and discover what’s possible in the pool!

Join the Gaston Gators for a FREE New Swimmer Evaluation and Trial Period! The Gators will host our 2026 evaluations at Gardner Acres Swim Club (937 Ridgeway Dr, Gastonia NC) (please note this is also our normal practice location until our move to Gaston Aquatics) Ages 7+Must be able to swim one len...

07/30/2026

The progress at Gaston Aquatics continues to amaze us! One of our latest milestones is the completion of the concrete pour for our 50-meter competitive pool, and it is exciting to see this incredible facility taking shape.

Every week brings noticeable progress, and our vision is becoming a reality faster than we ever imagined. We are incredibly grateful to the contractors, partners, donors, and supporters who continue to make this project possible.

Before long, this pool will be home to competitive swimmers, first responders training for lifesaving situations, children and adults learning critical water safety skills, and community members of all ages enjoying everything the center has to offer.

Thank you for following our journey. We can't wait to share even more milestones with you as we move closer to opening our doors!

07/22/2026

As Gaston Aquatics continues to grow, we want to take a moment to recognize two young women who have been instrumental in helping us build our SwimAmerica National Office pediatric swim program.

Ila Turner, a rising high school senior at South Point High School, and Lillian Robinson, who is heading to the The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill next month for her freshman year, have become an integral part of what makes our swim lesson program so special.

Both Ila and Lillian have been active competitive swimmers with the Gaston Gators Swim Team Gaston Gators for years, and it has been so special to watch them grow from young athletes into leaders and mentors within our swimming community. Their experience in the pool, combined with their patience, dedication, energy, and ability to connect with our youngest swimmers, has made a tremendous impact. They have helped our pediatric program grow and have played an important role in creating a positive, encouraging environment where children can learn to swim and build confidence in the water.

These two are more than just instructors. They are leaders, role models, and tremendous assets to Gaston Aquatics. We are incredibly grateful for everything they have contributed to our program and are so proud of the women they are becoming.

While we are sad to see Lillian head off to Chapel Hill, we are so excited for her and all the amazing things ahead. We are also confident she will be back to visit us often, and we will be ready to welcome her back every time. We are especially excited to keep Ila with us for a little longer before she heads off to college. Ila brings so much to our program, and we are incredibly lucky to have both of these women as part of the Gaston Aquatics family.

Both Ila and Lillian are doing great things, and we are proud to have them representing Gaston Aquatics. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for each of them.

Thank you, Ila and Lillian, for being such an important part of Gaston Aquatics and for helping us grow something truly special. Y'all are the best!!

07/14/2026

Today is an exciting day for competitive swimming in Gaston County!

We are proud to officially welcome the Gaston Gators as the competitive swimming division of Gaston Aquatics. By bringing our organizations together, we are creating a stronger future for swimmers at every level, from learning to swim to competing on the national stage.

We're also thrilled to celebrate Philip Johnson's qualification for USA Swimming Junior Nationals, the first Gaston Gators swimmer to achieve this milestone in more than 20 years. Philip's accomplishment is a testament to his hard work, the dedication of Coach Trey Taylor and the entire Gaston Gators coaching staff, and the bright future of competitive swimming in our community.

We invite you to read the full announcement from the Gaston Gators below and join us in celebrating this exciting new chapter. The best is yet to come!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GASTON GATORS MAKE HISTORY WITH FIRST SUMMER JR. NATIONAL QUALIFIER IN OVER 20 YEARS, ANNOUNCE MERGER WITH GASTON AQUATICS

GASTONIA, N.C. — The Gaston Gators are making waves this summer with a pair of historic announcements that will reshape the competitive swimming landscape in Gaston County. For the first time in over two decades, a Gators swimmer has punched a ticket to USA Swimming's Junior Nationals. Riding the momentum of Philip Johnson's elite qualification, the Gators are officially announcing a strategic merger between two of the region's premier non-profits to build a unified, high-performance program under the Gaston Aquatics banner.

Philip Johnson Breaks the Drought:
Qualifying for Summer Junior Nationals is one of the most statistically rigorous benchmarks in amateur sports. USA Swimming’s time standards are mathematically engineered to invite only the fastest developmental athletes in the country — representing a fraction of the top 1% of the hundreds of thousands of registered competitive swimmers nationwide.

Philip Johnson’s qualification is a testament to raw talent and relentless passion and training, definitively ending a 20-year drought for the organization. His achievement proves that athletes training right here in Gastonia can successfully go head-to-head with the top college recruits and blue-chip prospects in the nation.

Unifying Two Non-Profit Powerhouses:
To ensure Philip is the first of many national-level qualifiers, the organization is evolving. The Gaston Gators will officially merge with Gaston Aquatics, transitioning to operate as the dedicated competitive division of the overarching Gaston Aquatics non-profit organization.
At the helm of this newly consolidated powerhouse, Coach Trey Taylor has been named the Director of Competitive Swimming. This merger creates immediate, massive synergy by uniting the resources, vision, and infrastructure of both non-profits. By bringing the Gators under the Gaston Aquatics umbrella, the organization has created a seamless pipeline from grassroots community programming directly to the elite national stage.

Quote for Press Use:
"Philip’s qualification to Junior Nationals is a massive milestone for him, but it’s also a proof of concept for what athletes in this community can achieve. By bringing the Gaston Gators and Gaston Aquatics together, we are unifying two incredible non-profits with a shared vision. Operating as one organization gives us the streamlined infrastructure to put all our focus on the water. We are building a premier destination for competitive swimming in North Carolina."
— Trey Taylor, Director of Competitive Swimming, Gaston Aquatics

07/10/2026

One week. Big Progress!

Take a look at the incredible transformation from July 1 to July 9!

In just over a week, we've seen a tremendous progress on the future home of Gaston Aquatics:
-Significant progress on the building exterior
-Continued excavation of the 50-meter competition pool
-An exciting overall look at how quickly this project is coming together

Our construction team and subcontractors have been working tirelessly to keep this project on schedule for our anticipated October opening, and we couldn't be more grateful for their dedication!

As a small thank you, stopped by the job site with cookies and Gatorades for the crews. It's a simple gesture, but we wanted them to know how much we appreciate the hard work, long hours, and craftsmanship they're putting into creating a facility that will serve our community for generations.

Every scoop of dirt, every wall, and every milestone brings us one step closer to opening our doors to swimmers of all ages and abilities.

We can't wait to share more updates as construction continues!



Foxx Contracting GSM Services Town of Dallas, North Carolina First Horizon Bank

06/23/2026

05/13/2026

We want to recognize the incredible effort and dedication being shown by the as officers continue expanding their water rescue and marine response training. The amount of time, teamwork, and preparation going into this specialized training reflects a strong commitment to public safety across our community.

At Gaston Aquatics, we are proud to support opportunities that strengthen aquatic safety, emergency preparedness, and first responder training in our region. Partnerships and training opportunities like these are truly transformative for our community, helping build a safer, stronger, and more prepared Gaston County for generations to come.

Thank you to the officers, trainers, and leadership involved in this important work. Your willingness to train, learn, and prepare for emergency situations on the water does not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for all you do to keep our community safe.

05/06/2026

What are you most excited about at Gaston Aquatics?

As we continue building what we believe will be a truly transformative resource for Gaston County and the surrounding region, we would love to hear what YOU are looking forward to most!

Swim lessons for children and adults
Competitive swimming and swim meets
Therapy and rehabilitation programs
Adaptive aquatics
Water fitness and wellness classes
Lifeguard and water safety training
Family and community events

We also want to know if there is something we have not mentioned yet that you would love to see offered at the facility.

Drop your ideas in the comments! Your feedback helps us continue creating programs, opportunities, and experiences that will positively impact our entire community for generations to come.

05/01/2026

“From vision to reality... we’re breaking ground in a big way.”

There’s something powerful about seeing progress from above, and this week it got even more exciting. We’ve officially started digging out our pools. What was once just plans on paper is now taking shape right before our eyes, and this drone footage captures just how far we’ve come.

Every scoop of dirt brings us one step closer to creating a space that will serve our community in so many meaningful ways, from swim lessons and therapy programs to competitive training and life-saving water safety education. We can’t wait to continue sharing this journey with you. Stay tuned, the transformation is just getting started.

04/24/2026

We are incredibly grateful for the partners who helped make our Golf Tournament a success! ⛳💙

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing sponsors and community partners. Your generosity, through sponsorships, donations, and event support, truly brought this event to life.

Because of you, we are able to continue building something meaningful for Gaston County; expanding access to water safety, swim instruction, wellness programming, and competitive opportunities through Gaston Aquatics.

👏 Please join us in thanking:

⛳ Hole Sponsors
Sign Connection
Bountiful Blessings Food Pantry
Nan & Dave Kirlin
Griffing Leazer, PLLC
SERVPRO
Craig and Susan Kluttz
Foxx Contracting
Promise for Haiti
Warren and Associates
Gaston Gators Swim Team
Fred Caldwell Chevrolet
Dr. and Mrs. David Major
Key Street Advisor
Custom Physical Therapy and Fitness
First Horizon Bank
Bluegill Pottery

🎁 Silent Auction Donors
Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Gaston County Museum of Art & History
Gastonia Ghost Peppers
HangTime Golf
Bluegill Pottery
Janet Long
inc

Your partnership and investment in this mission does not go unnoticed! We are so grateful to have you alongside us!

Send a message to learn more