The Association of Lakeshore Pools, or ALPs, was formed in 1958 and originally consisted of only four Community Pools. The primary motivation for the creation of ALPs was to promote inter-club communication in the areas of water safety, operation standards, water treatment and the operation of aquatic programs.

With population growth and a sharp increase in interest in swimming as a sport, ALPs has grown significantly. Today, there are 22 participating clubs.

The activities have expanded to include not only competitive swimming, but also water polo, synchronized swimming and diving.

The ALPS philosophy regarding competition can be summarized as follows:

It is a competition, and in any competition there is always a winner and a loser. There is nothing wrong with winning – we all like to win. But when some clubs put winning above all, ahead of fair play and involvement, then everyone has lost something – the competitors, the clubs, and the ALPs organization.