Our Story
A Family-Friendly Community
Every swimmer’s journey begins with a single splash.
Southside Swim Club was founded with a simple but powerful mission: to create a safe, supportive environment where individuals of all ages can learn to swim, build confidence, and develop a lifelong love for the water. What began as a place for families to gather and grow has become a trusted community resource dedicated to water safety, skill development, and personal achievement.
We believe swimming is more than a recreational activity — it is a life skill. From infants learning essential self-rescue techniques to children refining strokes and adults gaining confidence, each lesson is designed to build strength, safety, and independence in the water.
Our experienced instructors are passionate about guiding swimmers at every stage, meeting each student where they are and helping them progress with encouragement and patience. With year-round instruction in our heated indoor pool and expanded opportunities in our outdoor facility, we provide an environment where swimmers can learn, grow, and thrive.
For generations, Southside Swim Club has been more than a swim facility — it has been a place where confidence is built, friendships are formed, and families return year after year.
Because here, confidence begins with a splash — and a lifetime of swimming starts.
Our
Coaches
Tara Hardin
Founder & CoachTara Hardin is the owner and operator of Southside Swim Club since February of 2023. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who has been serving the swim community in the SBC since 2009. She is a former competitive diver and swimmer with a passion for swimming, sportsmanship and water safety. Her goal is to bring high quality swim lessons and swim team opportunities to the members of our community in a positive and family friendly environment.
Tara is a certified ISR swim lesson instructor, head of the high school/middle school program, group and private lesson instructor and coordinator, and homeschool swim team head coach. She also founded and runs the high school/middle school competition league for the community which allows students to practice at Southside and compete for their schools that has grown to over 20 schools.
Emma Burnett
Swim Teach Coach & InstructorEmma Burnett has been a swim team coach and instructor since 2010 under Tara. She is a mother of five and has a background of competitive swimming. What started as a desire to make infants and toddlers safer in and around the water expanded into offering options for those children to receive the same high quality lessons as they grew older and progressed in skills. Emma is a certified ISR swim instructor, swim team coach, stroke lesson instructor, and program coordinator at southside.
Hallie Little
Hallie Little is a wife and mother of 3 whose children were competitive swimmers. She began teaching lessons and coaching at Southside in 2015. She is a certified ISR instructor, stroke lesson instructor, and coach and her expertise is invaluable at Southside. 
Ashton Hardin
Ashton Hardin is a former competitive swimmer who has been coaching and teaching swim lessons since she was fourteen, and now has over 14 years of experience. She is a certified ISR instructor, stroke lesson instructor, group lesson instructor, and coach. Our
Junior
Coaches
Amelia is a former competitive swimmer that trained under Tara at southside. She now has over five years of experience as an instructor and coach at Southside.
Caedin is a former competitive swimmer that trained under Tara at Southside. He now has over six years of experience as a coach and swim instructor at Southside. He is also a certified lifeguard.
Kyndell is a former competitive swimmer that trained under Coach Tara at Southside since she was in the sixth grade. She has moved up to coaching and teaching lessons at Southside.