The Splash Club Families: The McKenzies and The Reynolds

Resident Feature by Craig Whitney

Photos courtesy of Annie Whittington Photography www.AnnieWhittington.com

With all the buzz about The Splash Club, we decided to talk with the owners, Nick Reynolds and John McKenzie. Both are proud of their deep Marple Newtown roots.

Nick grew up in Newtown Square. He attended St. Anastasia School and then Marple Newtown High School. “I have such great family, friends, and memories in this town! My mom, brothers and sisters and their spouses, and 16 nieces and nephews are all in Marple Newtown. We love it here. We’re part of the culture,” said Nick.

Nick and Alana Reynolds

Photo by Annie Whittington Photography www.AnnieWhittington.com

Nick’s wife Alana recalls when they met. “We were both out with friends one night in Sea Isle. After we got introduced, from that day on, we never left each other’s side.” Alana attended O’Hara High School and grew up in Media and Glen Mills. When deciding where to raise their children, Nick and Alana settled in Marple Township. “Whenever I was with Nick at a party or event in the area, I really loved the family feel. It was an easy decision,” Alana said.

Nick and Alana have four kids: Nicky 11, Anthony 8, Milania 5 and Giovanna 3. Nicky and Anthony attend the Marple Newtown schools. Milania and Giovanna attend Saint Anastasia’s.

John McKenzie grew up in Marple Township. He attended Saint Pius X School and then Malvern Preparatory High School. “I’m still close to all the friends I made while playing Marple Tiger Football, Broomall Little League and swimming at the old Marple Swim Club. My parents still live in the house where I grew up, and my sisters are raising their families here too,” said John.

John and Jackie McKenzie

Photo by Annie Whittington Photography www.AnnieWhittington.com

John and his wife Jackie both went to St. Pius X. They were friends and also close with each other’s siblings. Their parents were friends, too. In their early 20s, Jackie was a 3rd grade teacher and worked as part-time secretary for John’s landscaping company. As they grew closer, they realized how much they enjoyed each other’s company. When they’d go out together for lunch, Jackie’s uncle would tease, “These lunches are going to become dinners.” And soon enough, they did. “I love many things about John, especially how much he makes me laugh!” Jackie said fondly.

John and Jackie now live in Marple and have four boys: Jack 9, Coleman 7, Max 4 and Jameson 2. Jack and Cole attend St. Anastasia and Max starts there in the fall. “We always knew this is where we wanted to live and raise our kids. We are lifers in Marple Township,” John said.

Nick and John met 25 years ago, through mutual local friends. From a young age, they both had an entrepreneurial spirit, something they continue to share as co-founders of Splash Club. While at Teca Restaurant last fall, Nick and John talked about many things, all related to Marple Newtown and what they felt the community needed. They had heard people talking about the closed Marple Swim Club. They both felt the community had a big need for an updated swim club, one where friends come together and children hang out with friends from school and sports.

We decided to go for it and knew we had to do something different,” said John. “We wanted to create a vacation destination in Marple,” Nick said.

The next day, they met in the pool parking lot, to start formulating their plan. “We wrote down ideas we had picked up from places we’ve traveled to, and also what we’d want to see if we were members,” said John.

They brought in some favorite elements from their families’ tropical island vacations. “We wanted to incorporate those enjoyable amenities,” John said. “We didn’t know where to stop,” Nick said laughingly.

The Reynolds and McKenzie Families at The Splash Surf Club in Broomall

Photo by Annie Whittington Photography www.AnnieWhittington.com

The amenities they incorporated include hundreds of poolside lounge and Adirondack chairs, 27 private cabanas, an air-conditioned restaurant – The Wave, a state-of-the-art kitchen, a 2,000-square foot covered pavilion with wait service, frozen drinks, espressos, and TVs. They also installed an air-conditioned Xbox gaming room, a full basketball court, a wiffle ball field, ping-pong tables and a play set. On weekends, you can sit back and enjoy their live Reggae band and DJ.

In early February 2019, they announced on Facebook that Splash would open Memorial Day Weekend. “We knew after we posted that, we’d have to deliver,” said Nick. By the following week, they had over 500 Facebook followers and the buzz had begun around town. “We then announced our membership fees and launched our website,” said John. “I’ll never forget that night. We sat and watched the memberships pour in."

We were motivated by the faith and support we received from our friends and neighbors,” said Nick.

Motivation, hard work, and a deep commitment to the Marple Newtown community were required to pull this off. The pool, abandoned for 2 years, was in total disrepair. To deliver their promises, Nick and John fully dedicated themselves for the next 3 months. “We had different crews here day and night,” said John. “Week after week, we updated our Facebook followers about our progress, and memberships continued to come in,” said Nick.

Splash Surf Club 2705 Sunset Blvd, Broomall

610-601-4868 www.Splash-Club.com

“As Opening Day approached, we felt the pressure from this huge undertaking. We had so much to do in so little time. The night before we opened, we looked at each other and said we HAVE to finish what we promised,” said Nick. They asked some family members, friends and neighbors to lend a hand that night. “We’re so lucky to live in such a great community! We had at least 25 people here, doing different tasks. Nick and I worked through the night, left around 8:30 Opening Day morning, quickly ran home, showered, and returned for the Grand Opening ceremony. I thought I was dreaming!” said John.

Families started coming in at 10am. The chairs were set, the umbrellas were up, and the pools were ready for swimmers. “The first day was unbelievable. Our vision was now a reality. You could hear the laughter and see the smiles. We knew we pulled it off,” said Nick.

John and Jackie McKenzie with their children (left to right) Jack (9), Max (4), Jameson (2) and Coleman (7)

Photo by Annie Whittington Photography www.AnnieWhittington.com

I love the atmosphere at Splash,” said Jackie McKenzie. “I really enjoy just being here and seeing so many people I grew up with. Our kids are having such a fun, memorable summer and absolutely loving the time they spend here, too!

Nick and Alana Reynolds with their children (left to right) Nicky (11), Giovanna (3) Milania (5) and Anthony (8)

Photo by Annie Whittington Photography www.AnnieWhittington.com

We have a pool in our backyard, but I’m still here every day,” Alana Reynolds explained. The kids love it. They have all their friends here, and with The Wave Restaurant, I get a couple nights off from cooking! It’s a win-win. We used to send them to some summer camps, to keep them busy. That’s no longer necessary with all the amenities Splash offers. You can’t beat it.

That sense of family is a very important part of Splash Club. There’s other Delaware County swim clubs, but there’s only one “staycation” swim club: Splash Club. It has already established itself as THE place for Marple Newtown families to come together and enjoy everything good about our community and summertime.

Come visit the Splash Ice Cream Truck!

The Splash Ice Cream Truck

Serving Members and Non-Members • Bassets Ice Cream • Philadelphia Water Ice • LaVazza Coffee • Ice Cream Sundaes • Other Summer Treats

SPLASH SURF CLUB

Get Your Splash On!

2705 Sunset Blvd, Broomall

610-601-4868 • www.Splash-Club.com