Mount Kisco, NY — Looking for plenty of summertime fun for the whole family? You’ve come to the right place when you enter Willowbrook Swim & Tennis Club. With its deep connection to the community at large, the club offers a wide range of compelling summer recreation programming to its members.
Willowbrook opened in 1965 as a solution for a community lacking a public pool. At the time, a vote was conducted to build a public pool in town but the decision was not approved. As a result, multiple swim and tennis clubs were constructed and put into operation around the Chappaqua area — including Willowbrook Swim & Tennis.
Since 1965, Willowbrook has offered a family-friendly place where kids of all ages can disconnect from their devices, kick back, play, swim and engage outdoors.
And the adults love it too. Harriet Engel, President of the Board of Directors at Willowbrook, described the varied offerings, from monthly ice cream socials, regular wine and beer tastings to board games and bingo days. There’s even a book club!
At a post 4th of July event on July 6, members can enjoy a bounce house, a waterslide with treats like popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy.
Along with its pool, Har-tru tennis courts, and the addition of two new pickleball courts, Willowbrook members also have access to Somers National Golf Club due to a reciprocity agreement between the two clubs.
Perhaps the most exciting feature of Willowbrook is its very successful swim team: every child has an opportunity to participate. Engel mentioned, “Our swim team is the ‘winningest’ swim team in Northern Westchester. A lot of the competitive swimmers around town got their start here; this was their very first swim team.”
Engel’s own three children started swimming at Willowbrook. “This was their very first swim team and now they all swim in college; that’s the case for many competitive swimmers in the area.”
In fact, the Horace Greeley High School Swim team was featured in this very press last year to acknowledge their achievement of being the first Horace Greeley team to win state championships three years in a row. Engel said, “Several of those boys got their start swimming here and still swim on the team here.”
The swimming success stories might well be attributed to the great staff and swim coaching Willowbrook offers.
One coach who has become positively legendary is Kelly Blacker. Blacker is the head coach at Willowbrook and a year-round USA Swimming Team swim coach with Storm Aquatics. Engel added, “Of the Chappaqua pool clubs, we’re the only one that has a USA Swimming swim coach who expertly teaches the strokes to the kids.”
Several kids, as young as five years old, got their start in the kiddie pool. They joined the swim team, and grew to be competitive college swimmers like Eric Engel, Oliver Engel, and Connor McHugh. Willowbrook members can take advantage of certified swim instruction lessons, tennis camps and clinics with coaches and staff who are experienced and care deeply about the people and community.
Ultimately, Willowbrook is about family bonding and memory making. Engel said,” My family has been a member here for 20 years; my kids have grown up here, I think it’s a great family environment.”
Visit willowbrookswimtennis.com for more info.
