Business & Tech

New Swim School Opening Soon In Anne Arundel County

A new swim school is opening soon in Anne Arundel County. This will be the business's sixth location in Maryland.

Goldfish Swim School will open a location this fall at the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre. The Gambrills site is pictured above.
Goldfish Swim School will open a location this fall at the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre. The Gambrills site is pictured above. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch)

GAMBRILLS, MD — A new swim school will open this fall in Anne Arundel County. The Gambrills business, called Goldfish Swim School, will be located in the back of the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre.

Instructors will offer year-round lessons to kids aged 4 months to 12 years. The 10,000-square-foot site will also host family swims in its heated, 90-degree pool.

The business will be part of an existing office park, but the interior is still under construction. The pool is already visible from the outside. The completed facility will feature:

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  • A viewing gallery for families
  • Individual changing rooms
  • A blow dry station
  • A snack bar
  • A retail shop
  • Warm and tropical décor

Goldfish Swim School announced this location in an Aug. 1 press release.

That release said drowning is the top cause of accidental death for kids younger than 4. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children take regular, high-quality swim lessons starting at age 1, the release added.

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"We understand how important water safety is to local families," said Sam Colein, the manager of the Waugh Chapel swim school. "We are thrilled to bring the Goldfish curriculum, high quality instruction and state-of-the-art facility to families in this community. Our team wants to ensure that children have a safe, fun, and friendly place to learn this life-saving skill."

Chris and Jenny McCuiston, a married couple, founded Goldfish Swim School in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006. The company is now headquartered in Troy, Michigan.

Goldfish Swim School is on track to have more than 250 facilities throughout North America. A sign outside the future Gambrills location is shown here. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch)

The business opened its first franchise location in 2009. It now has more than 120 schools open and another 130+ in development across the United States and Canada.

This will be the sixth Goldfish Swim School that is planned or already open in Maryland. The others are in:

  • Columbia
  • Gaithersburg
  • Owings Mills
  • Rockville
  • Silver Spring

The Waugh Chapel site is owned by Scott Payne. The franchisee also runs seven schools in Colorado, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

"Our team has seen how Goldfish Swim School truly becomes a water safety resource partner to families and local communities," Payne said in the release. "We are thrilled to bring this high quality learn-to-swim resource to Anne Arundel County families."

Weekly lessons cost $150 to $195 per month. One-time classes are $40. Family swims are $30 per family or $10 per swimmer.

Families can preregister now by visiting goldfishswimschool.com/waugh-chapel or calling (410) 413-7065.

The facility will be located at 989 Waugh Chapel Way, which is behind Dick's Sporting Goods.


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