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Lee pitts
- Male
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- United States
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Lee pitts's Page
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Gainus, very inspiring. Keep up the great work.
Lee
The great history continues. Bruce keeping them honest!
Lee
That was great stuff by my friend Bruce. He is loaded with great information on the Black swimmers. Let's hear more, more, more!
Lee Pitts
Wonderful story! That's a man on a mission. Let's continue his work. Thanks for sharing.
Rage on!
Lee
Profile Information
- Relationship Status:
- Single
- About Me:
- LEE PITTS BIOGRAPHY
Lee Pitts, an internationally renowned swim instructor, is one of the most decorated swim instructors of his generation. In 1992, Lee secured his place in history by becoming the first African American to produce, direct, and instruct in the award-winning swim lesson video Waters: Beginners Swim Lessons for Adults and Children with Lee Pitts. With over 25 years of experience in the areas of swimming and water safety, He has taught thousands to swim. Lee, a former competitive swimmer, love of swimming blossomed at the A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club at age 7 in Birmingham, Alabama, where his mother Johnnie Pitts enrolled him and his older brother Eugene. After perfecting his competitive swim strokes by age 10, he found himself teaching his childhood friends to swim. He went on to swim for the Macline Swim Team, and the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Swim Team. By age 17, Lee became a Red Cross certified lifeguard and swim instructor and began teaching swim lessons and coaching swim teams in Birmingham.
After completing Talladega College with a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Clark Atlanta University with a Master's Degree in Economics, he started conducting swim clinics around the United States. In 1991, he founded the Lee Pitts Swim School in Fort Myers, Florida. Eight years later, the Lee Pitts Swim School Swim Team, which consisted of 80 African American students, obtained the Division I swim team championship in the Southwest Florida Swim League. Lee is a highly sought after swim instructor. He conducts swimming clinics throughout the world. These clinics attract swimmers and non-swimmers of all ages.
Lee’s impeccable reputation as a swim coach secured him the position as spokesman for 20 swim tip television commercials for NBC affiliates WBBH and WFLA in Florida. He made history as the first and only African American swim instructor in the role. Additionally, he has been featured as a swimming and water safety expert on many TV shows including CBS This Morning, CNN Headline News and Fox News. Lee, also a certified scuba diver, was inducted into the Boys and Girls Club of America's National Hall of Fame in 1998. The induction celebrated his distinguished swim teaching career and community involvement with youth. Ebony Magazine called him a national and international role model for minority swim instructors. In 1998, Aetna Insurance profiled Lee in its annual national African American History Calendar for his outstanding contribution to swimming and water safety for Blacks. He is the only swim instructor inducted into the Who’s Who in African American History. In 2003, Lee was selected to Who’s Who in Aquatic Leadership in the United States. In 2004, America chose him to lead a delegation of ten American swim instructors to Haiti to teach 500 children. He travel to South Africa in 2006 to conduct swimming clinics in Cape Town. Pitts is the author of the critically- acclaimed article "Black Splash: The History of African-American Swimmer". The Hall of Fame instructor has received five NAACP Image Awards.
Lee reflected on his early days during an interview with the Tampa Tribune in 1994, “At about age 8, I knew I wanted to be a swim instructor, because that would allow me to go swimming for free and whenever I wanted, which was my simple goal at the time. But, to think that it would allow me to touch so many people and make so many friends around the world was unimaginable. Who would have thought that from my humble start, gathering soda bottles to pay for pool admittance because my mother couldn’t afford the 50 cents cost, that it would have resulted in me teaching thousands to swim and getting to swim for free!”
He rose from the low income Collegeville Public Housing Projects in Birmingham to become one of America’s most celebrated swim instructors. He has made a lifetime commitment to teaching youths, especially minority and disadvantaged children to swim. As a highly sought after instructor and speaker, he educates audiences on the effects of social and economic conditions and their contribution to the lack of swim skills in minority and low income communities. The lack of basic swimming skills results in increased drowning statistics for minorities. At its 2006 conference, the National Drown Prevention Alliance tapped him as its keynote speaker on minority drowning issues. Aquatic International Magazine named his to its 100 Most Influential In Aquatics list.
Lee has been featured in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Birmingham News, USA Today, Fort Myers News-Press, Tampa Tribune, Community Voice News, Essence, Ebony, Swim Magazine, Fitness Swimmer, and Aquatic International Magazine.
He is currently the Aquatics Director for the Carver Ranches Boys and Girls Club in Hollywood, Florida, a program that taught 500 inner-city children to swim in 2005. Some of his past experiences are as follows:
-Aquatics Director/ Head Swim Team Coach/ Lead Swim Instructor for the Quality Life Center
- Head Swim Instructor/Lifeguard for the STARS Swimming Complex, Fort Myers, FL
- Head Swim Instructor/ Lifeguard, City of Fort Myers
-Aquatics Director/Head Swim Team Coach/ Lead Swim Instructor, Dr. Martin Luther King Swimming Pool, Tampa
- Swim Instructor/ Lifeguard, Atlanta Parks and Recreation, Atlanta, GA
- Swim Instructor/Lifeguard/Head Swim Team Coach, City of Birmingham
-Swim Instructor/ Lifeguard Fourth Avenue YMCA, Birmingham
Outside on swimming he is the Host and Executive Producer of Lee Pitts Live and award-winning TV talk show in Florida and a Vice President at Wachovia Bank.
For more information on Lee Pitts, visit www.leepitts.com.,www.leepittslive.com or call (877)830-0391.
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Comment Wall (19 comments)
- At 12:40pm on October 8, 2009,
Jennifer Galvin said…
- Lee - If you have any friends or colleagues in Los Angeles, please do spread the word . . . THANKS!
The award winning documentary FREE SWIM (www.FreeSwimMovie.com) is coming to LA!
Come to see FREE SWIM
Sunday, October 18
10AM
Davidson/Valentini Theatre, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038
For more about the film festival, visit www.lafemme.org
It would mean a lot to have DAP members there and please do spread the word!
- At 5:26pm on April 1, 2009,
DrParrottfish said… - I don't rage, I raise ;-)
(what r we talkin' 'bout again???)
- At 9:31am on March 18, 2009,
Regina Mobley said… - Thanks!
- At 11:30am on March 13, 2009,
Darrick Linton said… - Lee,
No pun intended with your saying. I am not saying it can't be done, but I wish someone would interrupt me, and show me how to get it done.(smile). Darrick
- At 11:07am on March 13, 2009,
Darrick Linton said…
- Lee,
I tried to pull up the video, and again to no avail, I am not able to view the video in its entirety. I can access it, but it will play, stop, play, stop, play, stop, etc.....I will admit, and I don't know if this is affecting my capability to view the video nonstop, but we do not have DSL in our area.. My computer skills are very limited, but it is getting frustrating. I will go to my public library and see if I can have better luck. Darrick
- At 10:39am on March 13, 2009,
Darrick Linton said…
- Lee,
Thanx for the pull up. I will go to CBS and check it out. I am only 35 miles Southwest of Hattiesburg, and we will be on the look out for you in your future travels. I will get back with you after viewing the video. God Bless Ya. Darrick
- At 8:47am on March 13, 2009,
Darrick Linton said…
- Lee,
I viewed your website and to say the least, it is AWESOME!!!!! Wonderful job you have achieved. With your permission, I will use your slogan. What a powerful affirmation "Those who say it can't be done, are usually interrupted by those who are doing it" Thanx for the discount, and I will be sure to indicate this in a note when I send my check. By the way, I do not know if you have been asked to speak or present a Swim Clinic in the State of Mississippi, but the next time you do, or are asked to speak here, please let me know, and irregardless of where that takes place in Mississippi, I will be in attendance, and will make my presence known. In the meantime, I will continuek to "Rage On". God Bless You Lee. Darrick
- At 7:46am on March 13, 2009,
Darrick Linton said…
- Lee,
Thanx for the response. I will contact Jayson and let him know what I am experiencing with not being able to view the video. I will also go to your website and purchase your DVD. Who knows, maybe I can purchase your series and use as a teaching tool in the future, when God Blesses us to have a pool. Your encouragement is greatly appreciated, because partly what you have had to endure back in the day, I am still going thru in our present day. When folks do not want to see change come about, particularly positive changes that will not only effect African American Children, but ALL Children, as well as adults and Senior Citizens, they have an ugly way to try to discourage you with political funding and lack of support, and all the other political jargon I have heard, and quite frankly, they are just mere excuses used to hide behind the walls of racism. I will continue the struggle, because knows my heart, and I truly desire to see stats on drowning decrease tremendously, and I just want to play my part. I do look forward to meeting you in person, and I Thank God for Jayson and Shaun for sharing you with the rest of us. God Bless You Lee. Darrick aka dswimmerman
- At 11:33pm on March 12, 2009,
Darrick Linton said…
- Mr. Pitts,
What a Plumb, Pleasing, Pleasure just to meet and greet you, even if it isn't in person. You are truly a legend before, during, and after your time. Your accollades, accomplishments, and overcoming adversities in your life are "Bar Second To None". You truly exemplify that of a "Swimmer's Swimmer and Coach, all wrapped in one!!!!!! I Am Very Impressed with your life's work, and the impact you have had on a great number of young people's lives. For some reason, I could not view your video Jason put together, but I would love to see it. It just encourage me to continue my plight in knowing someone like you and what you had to endure, to get to where you are today. God has really been good to you My Brother, and I can tell that you too believe, in that as much is given, much is required. God Bless You Lee, and I hope to meet you in person one day, if it be the Lord's Will, and share some ideas in what I am trying to accomplish in my neck of the woods. Take Care, Darrick aka dswimmerman
- At 9:01pm on March 12, 2009,
Charles Lumpkin said… - Lee: Great Bio and Great pictures. We have many great people of color in aquatics.
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