By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam
Let’s be blunt: if you own a swim club in the U.S. right now, this episode should punch you in the gut — and wake you up.
Because today on the GMM Podcast, I sit down with Tom Ugast, CEO of Nation’s Capital Swim Club, a team that’s been at the top of USA Swimming’s rankings more years than it hasn’t. But Tom didn’t inherit a machine. He rebuilt one — from the turmoil of the Curl-Burke collapse — and turned it into one of the nation’s top-producing clubs with a long list of Olympic swimmers including the greatest female swimmer in history: Katie Ledecky.
This conversation is part of a series I’m doing with club leaders who’ve built empires, not just teams. I’ve already talked with Mike Koleber of Nitro Swimming and Chris Davis of SwimAtlanta. Tom rounds out that trio — and he brings something different to the table.
Tom didn’t come up through the traditional coaching ladder. He came out of the private sector, running a 200-person publishing business, moving millions of units for brands like Time and The Economist. When the 2008 crash hit, he pivoted — and brought every ounce of that business discipline back to the pool deck.
The result? One of the most important club turnarounds in U.S. swimming history.
And look — I’m on a mission right now. This isn’t a content grab. This is a war room.
USA Swimming registration was flat in an Olympic year — something that’s never happened before. If that doesn’t rattle you, you’re not paying attention. The base of the sport is eroding.
So I’m going to the front lines. To the people who’ve figured out how to win — not with excuses, but with execution.
In this episode, we get into:
How private-sector business systems saved NCAP What USA Swimming can learn from club operators Why flat 2024 registration is a 5-alarm fire for USA Swimming Why media and storytelling aren’t optional anymore — they’re survival How AAU’s return could change the entire playing field – or notIf you’re a club coach, club owner, board member, or swim parent — and you actually care about the future of this sport — listen to this episode. Not because it’s comfortable. Because it’s true. And because the clock to LA 2028 is already ticking. LFG!
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Many thanks to Swimoutlet.com for their 13 years partnership and support of this swimming news and media.
This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
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