PDR Swimming for Success

PDR Swimming provides youth and young adults, ages 5 and older, with access to competitive swimming to foster self-confidence, team-building, sportsmanship, responsibility, leadership and academic achievement.

We provide a healthy and stimulating environment where young athletes will build confidence for competitive swimming and in their academic studies. We bring together families from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to encourage a sense of community and commitment to one another.

Just a bit of PDR Swimming for Success history

In 1971, Jim Ellis formed the PDR (Philadelphia Department of Recreation) Swim Team which was the first African-American swim team in the country.  Originally located in West Philadelphia at the Sayre Recreation Center, then moving to the Marcus Foster Recreation Center in the Nicetown neighborhood of Philadelphia in 1979. Until 2010, Jim continued to coach swimming at the Marcus Foster pool, with the program qualifying swimmers for the US Olympic Trials from 1992 through 2008. 

In 2010, Jim moved to the newly built pool at the Salvation Army and started the Salvation Army Kroc Aquatics (SAKA) team.  After nearly a decade as SAKA…Jim is brought PDR back for the 2019 – 2020 season and great things are to come!