Ann Arbor Family: Big Blue Swim School Dives Into Ann Arbor

In a recent article with Ann Arbor Family, Big Blue Swim School announced its new location at 914 Eisenhower Dr. at Cranbrook Village in Ann Arbor. It’s scheduled to open by April of 2022.

Founder and president Chris DeJong, a Michigan native and competitive swimmer at University of Michigan, opened the first Big Blue Swim School location in Wilmette, Illinois. “All we do is cater to kids and their families and help them feel comfortable, so that we can make not only fast progress in the water, but make really positive memories for kids so they can associate swimming with a confidence building experience that they can take with them, even outside of the pool,” DeJong told Ann Arbor Family. Now, the franchise has more than 170 swim schools in development, including the Ann Arbor location.

The Ann Arbor franchise partner and local resident, Hiag Avsharian, worked for more than 20 years for Shar Music Company, which his grandfather founded in the 1960s. Now, he is looking forward to making a positive impact on children in Ann Arbor by providing them with a vital life skill.

“I was ready for a different challenge,” he told Ann Arbor Family. “I went into tech startups, which was fascinating, interesting and challenging. I learned a lot, very quickly. I had done that for a while, and I think I was really ready to be back in an ownership position, interested in being a business owner again.”

The store is slated to open in 2022.