By Sarah Merritt Ryan
I grew up in Cary, went to Apex High School, and moved to Apex with my husband six years ago when we were expecting our son. Our neighborhood doesn’t have a swimming pool, so we attended a larger swim club location to get him lessons. But I recently learned Apex has a swim club where you can pay to become a member, regardless of whether you have a neighborhood pool or not. You don’t even have to be an Apex resident to swim there. Now my son has the opportunity to join a swim team if he would like to.
The Lila E. Jones Swim Club is located at 309 Holleman Street beside the C.C. Jones Community Building. Jean Yates is a longtime resident of Apex, having moved here in 1972, and has been Board Treasurer of the organization since 1988. “One person came this summer who has lived here 32 years and didn’t know the pool was here.” Yates says. “If you don’t come down this street from Williams or Salem Street, you won’t know it’s here because there’s no sign.”
This swim community has a competitive team called the Apex Breakers, which are a member of the Tarheel Swimming Association, North Carolina’s largest summer recreational youth swim league. For those who have yet to master the ability to swim, Jones has the Little Ripplers program. According to Yates, spots on their swim team fill up quickly, so this pool is not a secret to everyone. “If you have children interested in a very active swim team with encouraging coaches, we invite you to join us next year.”
The Lila E. Jones swimming pool is open Memorial Day to Labor Day and features:
- Olympic Size Pool; 2-1/2′ to 9-1/2′ depth
- Separate Wading Pool
- Two 1-meter diving boards
- Lifeguards
- Concession Stand
- Apex Breakers Swim Team
- Swimming Lessons for a fee
For more swim club locations, check out our July/August 2025 print feature on local locations or our Midtown article about free swimming lessons in the area.
