Frequently Asked Questions

Joining a Masters swim club gives you structured, coached workouts in a supportive environment — whether you're training for fitness, competition, or fun. You'll improve your technique, build endurance, stay motivated, and be part of a welcoming, social community of adult swimmers of all levels. Swimming is also a very low cost activity compared to most other sports.

Anyone over 18 who can comfortably swim 8 lengths of a 25m pool is welcome. No need to be fast or competitive—many join just for fitness, friendship, and structure.

18 and up. We have swimmers in their 20s through their 70s and beyond. It's never too late to join.

You can register online at https://nmsc.org/#trials

You should be able to swim at least 200m continuously. The sessions are coached and workouts for all levels are coordinated every practice. We will help you improve any level of swimming ability.

Absolutely. Many of our members train for general fitness, stress relief, or fun.

The majority of practices are at the Walter Baker Sports Centre at 100 Malvern Drive, Nepean, Ontario. The practice schedule is posted at NMSC.ORG

You only need a swimsuit, goggles and towel. The club has an assortment of fins, pull buoys and kick boards or you can bring your own.

Lanes are set by speed and comfort level. Coaches will suggest an appropriate lane for you and you are free to move up into a faster or slower lane depending on how you feel. Coaches provide sets suitable for all lanes.

You should be familiar and willing to learn more than just 1 stroke. Some of the sets will include "choice" stroke which means you can do the stroke of your choice.

No problem. Come when you can—your membership allows you to attend on any of the practices you have registered for.

Yes, our coaches provide technical feedback and help you improve your strokes, turns, and general fitness. If you have a particular stroke you would like to work on, mention it to the coach and they will give you specific feedback.

Good swim lane etiquette helps keep workouts smooth and enjoyable for everyone. It describes how to share a lane and follow a practice respectfully and safely. Our detailed lane etiquette can be found at https://nmsc.org/policies/etiquette.

Yes, if you join after the season is already underway, your fee reflects how many weeks of the swim season is left.

• Insurance coverage during official club activities
• Eligibility to race in sanctioned meets and set official records
• Access to training, administrative, and tracking tools for both swimmers and clubs

In short—it’s the foundation of organized, safe, and officially recognized adult swimming in Ontario. More information about MSO can be found at MastersSwimmingOntario.ca

Yes, trial swims are available and described at https://nmsc.org/#trials. Drop-ins are not available because of the need to register and have insurance coverage before the swim.

Access to all practices for which you have registered, coaching, club communications, the option to participate in social events and the Masters Swimming Ontario benefits mentioned earlier.

We do offer a refund if our club does not work out for you. Just notify us after two weeks and receive a prorated amount of your fees returned.

We’ll guide you. Club communications will inform you of meets and you can find them on MSO.ORG. Coaches can help with event selection.

It’s a great motivator, helps track progress, and is surprisingly fun—especially with teammates cheering you on.

Yes, some members attend meets around the region and we host one or more annually.

We are an independent, non-profit club run by a volunteer board of directors since 1977. Our coaches are paid and we pay the city for pool time and life guards. As a member of the club, if you are interested in getting involved as a volunteer, let us know!

We don’t offer refunds for missed practices as you maintain a reserved spot for the swim, but contact us if you need to step away from the club for a refund for any reason.

Reach out. We aim to be flexible and supportive in case of injury or life change.

Position	Role
President	Primary leader and administrator responsible for overall direction, governance and operational health of the club Main liaison between the executive, the city, coaches, members and external bodies such as MSO Set the annual schedule Communications with membership Coordination of all input and moderating the Annual General Meeting Signatory for club disbursements
Past-President	Support the president and executive members by providing counsel and assistance as required Assume the duties and powers of the President during the President's absence or inability to exercise their duties and powers Signatory for club disbursements
Treasurer	Oversee all financial affairs of NMSC Process transactions in Quickbooks, including revenues, disbursements, refunds Issue disbursements from Bank of Montreal and PayPal Prepare financial statements Prepare and file HST returns as required Collect and verify coaches’ invoices Review pool contracts to ensure they are complete, accurate and valid
Registrar	Ensure that all applicants meet all membership requirements and have paid all assessed fees Manage swim sessions and alerts on the website Respond to regular member questions directed to the registrar Coordinate and register individual members with MSO Conduct regular membership surveys
Secretary	Coordinate executive meetings including timing, location, agenda, minutes, and action follow up Maintain official club records on the club website Organize all logistics for the Annual General Meeting
Coach Liaison	Coordinate coaches, including shift scheduling, substitutions, lifeguard coverage, and the coaching calendar Act as main liaison for coaches by communicating updates, resolving issues, and representing concerns at executive meetings Support the President by reviewing communications and contracts and raising coaching-related issues Support the Treasurer by verifying coach invoices against the schedule Liaise with Canadian Armed Forces to coordinate swim details and prepare invoices
Webmaster	Responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the NMSC website as required
Equipment Manager	Seek input from coaches and source equipment Order and manage distribution of shirts, caps, etc. for members and swim meets Purchase and maintain all club equipment
Publicity / Communications	Develop and execute a marketing plan focused on attracting new members and keeping existing members informed Promote evening membership by developing and implementing targeted programs Develop, print, and distribute posters, brochures, videos, and other publicity-related material Promote club visibility on social media through regular postings Coordinate planned changes to the website with the President Respond to incoming requests to info@nmsc.org
Meet Manager	Plan, organize, and deliver all swim meets hosted by NMSC Liaise with Masters Swimming Ontario and the City of Ottawa to plan swim meets Develop meet budgets Work with MSO to develop meet packages for registration Coordinate volunteers for swim meets Configure Meet Manager software to operate swim meets with the electronic timing system
Ambassadors	Engage with new swimmers, including free trials and new registrations Provide input, feedback, and questions on successes and concerns of the membership Support coaches in their interactions with swimmers, acting as a liaison between swimmers and coaches Support special projects as required