Team history
Since 1984: the City of Atlanta Dolphins Swim Team
The Dolphins are a program of the City of Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. The team was founded in 1984 by Aquatic Program Manager Askia Bashir, and it started with nine swimmers.
It was formed to give inner city youth an organized, structured competitive swim program, with instruction and racing all year round. Since 1984 the competitive program has widened its goals to include training and strategy that help members secure athletic or academic scholarships.
Each year graduating team members receive education support through those scholarships. The families who join today are joining a team with that record behind it. The people who carry it forward are on the coaching staff, and the way a new swimmer gets in the water is laid out under the programs.
Team philosophy
Character first, then the stopwatch.
The team puts its emphasis on positive character development, self-discipline, consistent work ethic and courage. In the Dolphins' words, these are vital components for achieving success in swimming and in life.
The coaching staff is charged with keeping that commitment, and with teaching healthful behaviors as skills learned and practiced over a lifetime.
“Hard work, perseverance and courage are the backbone for success in any endeavor of life.”
Six values on the board
The mission
Four commitments the Dolphins make to every swimmer.
- To provide opportunities for swim participants to grow and develop socially, mentally and physically, and to attain their maximum potential in competitive swimming.
- To provide opportunities for participants to develop and practice self-discipline, good sportsmanship and respect for the rights of others.
- To instill in each swim participant the appreciation of the value of hard work, commitment, dedication, perseverance, self-esteem and the importance of self-confidence.
- To provide professional instructional, training and learning experiences that will meet the needs, interests and abilities of the swim participants.
Team members have attended and graduated from
- Air Force Academy
- Emory University
- Florida A&M University
- Howard University
- North Carolina A&T University
- Albany State University
- Stanford University
Dolphins now attending, and others
- North Carolina A&T University
- Georgia Southern University
- Albany State University
- Clark Atlanta University
- Morehouse College
- Georgia Tech
- Duke University
The pool
Where the history is swum
The deck, the blocks and the lanes in Atlanta, and the racing that fills them Monday to Friday.
Starting blocks along the pool, Atlanta 
A six-lane race, Atlanta 
Spectator seating and the flag, Atlanta 
After the history
Meet the coaches, then find your group.
Head Coach Tommy Lee Jackson and his staff carry the philosophy day to day. Read who they are, or go straight to the practice groups and the stroke evaluation that places a new swimmer.