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  James Stockslager

  Youth sports wouldn’t exist without volunteers and Dr. Lee Stockslager is a prime example. He has two passions in life, his practice of dentistry and coaching youth swimmers in Macon. The native Atlantean was a swimmer in high school at Marist and during his undergraduate days at the University of the South, Sewanee. While studying dentistry at Emory he began his coaching career working with Swim Atlanta. After a brief stay practicing dentistry in Plains, he settled in Macon in 1981 and has been involved in youth swimming in the city since. When he arrived, Macon had no USA level swim team, but under his guidance that changed quickly. He and a group of investors partnered with the developers of a new subdivision on Northside Drive and built a 25-yard pool on site and in 1981 Middle Georgia Aquatics was born. Middle Georgia Aquatics eventually became Swim Macon and again partnering with investors, a 50-meter pool was built, Highlands Aquatic Center, and was used by Swim Macon to host meets and train. Swim Macon, under Stockslager’s direction, has produced countless championships swimmers, at all ages and levels, recreational/summer league, USA age-group, GHSA, GISA, as well as the collegiate and national levels. Over 35 young people have been able to swim in college, many on scholarships, because of his tutelage. One of his pupils, Laura Conway, who was inducted into the Macon Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, went on to become an 8 time all American at the University of Georgia. She helped lead the Georgia swimming team to the 2005 NCAA and SEC championships. In 2006 she finished first in both the NCAA and SEC 500 yard freestyle competition. Laura is the only Macon swimmer to ever be named to a U.S. National team. He coached both the girls’ and boys’ JV/varsity swim teams at Mt. de Sales Academy producing 14 GISA State Championship titles over the years while winning 10 Coach of the Year awards in the sport. Dr. Stockslager is a true volunteer and has never been compensated for his work as a swimming coach for the youth of Macon. (more)