New partnership to provide youth swimming scholarships
PALO ALTO, CA (Dec 13, 2019) Alto Swim Club is excited to announce a new partnership with Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation. Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation is based in Redwood City and provides scholarships for aquatics programs to underserved youth. Since the Foundation was founded, Beyond Barriers has subsidized over 33,000+ swim lessons and 6,300+ hours of aquatic activity to over 7,900 children. Alto Swim Club, a local swim club based in Palo Alto and on Stanford University campus, is excited to help grow these numbers through its current swimming programs, which include swimming lessons, recreation, and competitive swim teams.
According to a study by the USA Swimming Foundation (1), close to 80% of children in families with household incomes less than $50,000 have no/low swimming ability. “ALTO is the first competitive swim team to partner with Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation and we are thrilled to have the ability to expand participation in our sport to even more Bay Area youth. At ALTO, it is our goal to bring the sport of swimming to as many children as we can, from high level competitive athletes all the way to learn-to-swim level,” says Laura Mitchell, Head Coach of Alto Swim Club.
“We believe that every child should be equipped with the lifesaving skill of swimming. We also know through experience youth swimming offers a valuable opportunity to develop important life skills that will have a positive impact on the swimmer's life for decades.”
Alto Swim Club’s financial scholarships are now available for all youth under 18 who are enrolled in one of ALTO’s programs and who meet the BBAF qualifications based on household income (https://altoswimclub.com/). ALTO programs include learn-to-swim lessons, fitness and recreational groups, and elite-level competitive groups for all ages offered in Palo Alto and Stanford pools. The team services the Palo Alto and Stanford area, and also draws team members from Menlo Park, Woodside, Mountain View, East Palo Alto, Redwood City, and Sunnyvale in addition to many other cities on the Peninsula.
1. USA Swimming Foundation Announces 5-10 Percent Increase in Swimming Ability Among U.S. Children. USA Swimming Foundation, 25 May 2017, www.usaswimmingfoundation.org/utility/landing-pages/news/2017/05/25/usa-swimming-foundation-announces-5-10-percent-increase-in-swimming-ability-among-u.s.-children.
About Alto Swim Club (https://altoswimclub.com/)
Alto Swim Club, formally PASA-Cardinal, was founded in 2018 by Head Coaches Laura Mitchell, Joey Sementelli and Greg Meehan. ALTO is the premier United States Swimming team in the Palo Alto and Stanford area and offers a comprehensive swim program for all athletes, from the beginner swimmer to the Olympian.
About Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation (https://beyondbarriersaf.org/)
Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation promotes healthy lifestyles, improves personal safety, and adds structure for lifelong achievement by providing scholarships for aquatic programs to underserved youth.
