It’s sink or swim time for this west Charlotte community pool
When twin brothers John and David Small were released from the hospital after their birth 42 years ago, their parents made a little detour on the way home. They went straight to the Coulwood Hills Swim Club so they could show off the babies and check on their older children during a swim meet.
“The Coulwood pool is the first place I went after I left the hospital, and it’s been a huge part of my life ever since,” said John Small, now a father of four. “My first job was a lifeguard at the Coulwood pool, and I went on to be a swimmer in high school and college. … I’ve made lifelong connections at the pool, and now my children are enjoying the friendships and bonds made at the pool, too.”
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Located in west Charlotte about halfway between the airport and Mountain Island Lake, the Coulwood pool is considered a rare hidden gem by surrounding neighbors. It’s one of the last remaining non-HOA or city-owned pools in Charlotte and is funded entirely from membership sales, sponsorships and community support. Membership is open to anyone who lives in west Charlotte.
The multigenerational pool opened in 1962 and is celebrating its 60th birthday this month. Although there’s plenty to celebrate, the festivities are also being overshadowed by the looming critical expenses that are piling up in order to continue operating.
‘It’s much more than a pool’
The sense of community and belonging at the Coulwood Hills Swim Club is unrivaled by anything else for Betsy Mauney, who remembers long summer days at the pool as a teenager. Her mom, Robin Gurley, managed the concession stand and they would have fun serving up pizza, nachos and cheeseburgers to hungry swimmers.
“My mom loved this pool and just put so much energy into it,” Mauney said.
Sadly, Gurley was taken from her family too soon after losing her battle with cancer in early 2018. That was one of the darkest times in Mauney’s life. But she found comfort in evening swims that summer.
“My daughters joined the swim team the year Mom died. When the girls were swimming, I felt a connection with my mom,” Mauney said. “I learned strokes just by watching them, and at night I would come back to the pool myself and practice. I processed a lot of grief swimming laps that summer. It was incredibly therapeutic.”
By 2021, Mauney found herself even more embedded in pool life when she stepped up as the new head coach for the Coulwood Barracudas swim team.
“That’s when I truly saw the benefit of this pool for the entire community,” Mauney said. “It’s much more than a pool. We’ve created a safe, uplifting culture where kids of all walks of life can be together in a wholesome and healthy activity.”
Anyone can join the swim team
The Coulwood swim team is unique in that there are no requirements to join. If you want in, you’re in. If boys aren’t comfortable in tight jammers, they can wear whatever swim shorts they want. If a girl prefers a swim dress, that’s OK, too. They also accept swimmers with special needs — and the entire team rallies behind them.
“I wasn’t brave enough to try out for swim team as a kid, and that was a painful point of my childhood. I don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t join, for whatever reason,” Mauney said. “We’re very welcoming, inclusive and we’ll meet kids where they’re at on their swim journey. We don’t turn anyone away. If they can’t swim, we’ll give them basic lessons then work up to races. It’s really empowering for the kids.”
David Cook, 16, and his sister Abbie, 13, are some of the newer members of the swim team. In 2020, their family moved to the Coulwood community to be closer to their grandmother. The pool helped them with the transition and became a good outlet for forming new friendships. David joined the swim team last year, and Abby followed his footsteps this summer.
“It’s been so great. We’re all building off each other and encouraging each other, and not just during swim meets,” David said. “I’ve made a lot of friends with swim team.”
Abbie added, “I started late and was worried I’d be a bad swimmer. I didn’t want to let my team down, but they were all so encouraging. They told me I don’t have to be the fastest to be good. Just try my best.”
But it’s not just young families and swim team members who enjoy the pool. It’s become a beloved gathering spot for neighbors of all ages.
Jackie Peay is one of the “floating pool ladies,” a group of about nine women who meet up at the Coulwood pool for conversation and camaraderie. They line their floats side by side and spend hours just chatting and connecting.
“We all met at the pool. We’re a bit older with grown kids, so we have a lot in common,” Peay said. “It’s turned into a nice friendship, and we truly enjoy each other’s company. We all like to be in the water and we all like to talk. We’ve really meshed together and have something special here. … It’s nice to have a group of people where you feel comfortable and have lots in common with.”
Critical renovations needed to reopen next summer
For six decades, the pool has operated exclusively on the community’s support and willingness to join. But recently, there’s been a shift. “A lot of older people whose kids have moved away no longer have memberships. Each time that happens, the funds for upkeep and maintenance go away, too,” Small said.
The lack of funds and an aging facility are not a good combination.
The pool’s leadership committee — the volunteer-run Coulwood Community Council — has scraped together just enough money for basic repairs and minor updates throughout the years. The group has patched areas as they could. However, this year’s health inspection revealed significant repairs are necessary prior to opening next year.
The concrete pool deck has major cracking and deterioration. The metal piping is rusting, and all the original 1960s plumbing needs to be updated. The committee will need to resurface the bottom of the pool, and more immediately, put a whole new coping around the pool before it can reopen next summer.
The cost for these critical renovations is expected to run between $300,000-400,000 — an overwhelming amount for the community-funded pool.
Mauney, who is a member of the Coulwood Community Council, said the group will launch a major fundraising campaign this weekend during a 60th birthday bash. It will roll out several other grassroots initiatives like golf tournaments, popcorn sales and smaller fundraisers to help chip away at the costs. The members are also seeking grants and major sponsorships.
‘If the Coulwood pool goes away, there’s nothing’
Losing the pool is just not an option, neighbors say.
“The children of Coulwood and surrounding west Charlotte neighborhoods need access to a community pool in summers, when they may otherwise spend the hot days inside with video games or screen-based sources,” Mauney said. “Our safe, welcoming and positive pool environment provides a place for them to exercise, make friends and have enriching childhood fun while also learning the life-saving skills of swimming.”
Similar neighborhoods have shut down their pools over the years, including Oakdale, which is right across N.C. 16 from Coulwood. “Now, it’s a parking lot for baseball fields,” Small said. “But we don’t have baseball fields. If the Coulwood pool goes away, there’s nothing that would take its place.”
The Coulwood pool was commissioned to be built by two families who put up second mortgages on their homes to help the entire community have access to a place to swim. “There’s always been a community aspect to this pool that is holistically undeniable because of how it was started,” Small said. “It’s become such a linchpin in the neighborhood, and we can’t stand the idea of it not being here anymore.”
Want to help?
Donations may be made by clicking the “Donate Now” button on coulwood.org.
Coulwood Swim Club
Location: 506 Coulwood Drive, Charlotte, NC 28214
Neighborhood: Coulwood West
Instagram: @coulwoodhillscommunity
