Bethlehem has a new summer swim team, the Bethlehem Tides, whose home base will be Memorial Pool on Illick’s Mill Road, and who will compete in the Suburban Swim League of the Lehigh Valley.

The Tides are part of the Bethlehem Aquatic Club which recently was relaunched, having begun in 1974 and having run for 14 years.

“Our goal has been to provide more access to swimming to a wide variety of youth, ages 5-18, and make swimming as equitable as possible,” said Sara Collins, the club’s president. “We have worked so hard since September 2023 to put the team together, set up our board, get our nonprofit status, and we are officially off the ground and running.”

The Tides have 96 swimmers and will host Soleco on June 13.

“We are so excited and have begun an amazing partnership with the City of Bethlehem,” Collins said.

The Tides’ coaches are Collins, Jaime Bloss, Alexa Kutch, Addison Collins, and Samantha Miller.

Memorial Pool had been the temporary home of the Hanover Stingrays summer swim team for the past three years while Hanover Township’s pool was being rebuilt.

Now that the Stingrays have moved back home, the Tides have taken up residence, providing a team for residents of the city.