How to Get Started


Ready to Give Masters Swimming a Try?

Maybe you are a lap swimmer who is ready to move up to the next level. Maybe you swam on a team before. Maybe not. Maybe you’ve been a couch potato for a bunch of years. Okay, raising kids is not being a couch potato, but it’s not swimming either. So you are just a little bit out of shape. Or maybe you are a triathlete who is really good at running and biking, but swimming is your weakest event, i.e., you sink in water. We welcome all of you.

Check out the benefits of joining U.S. Masters Swimming and O*H*I*O Masters. These benefits include:

  • Coached Practices

  • Organized Swim Meets
  • Open Water Training & Clinics
  • Stroke Clinics

  • Swimmer Magazine
  • Membership in U.S. Masters Swimming

  • Social Activities

  • Local open water and pool workouts 





Try Four FREE Workouts with Our Club!



The first four workouts are at no cost to you. This trial period should give you time to decide if masters swimming meets your expectations. Go to the USMS website and fill out the Trial Membership Form. Be sure to choose O*H*I*O Masters as the club you wish to swim with.

How to Join O*H*I*O Masters

Congratulations! You are taking your first step into joining a fun group of swimmers!



Join by filling out an online application. Be sure to chose the Lake Erie LMSC and O*H*I*O Masters Swim Club. Questions? Just contact us!

What To Expect



Each pool location has locker rooms for men and for women. In all cases, locker room facilities are adequate with lockers and showers.

You should bring a swim suit, goggles, a towel, a lock for your locker, and any desired locker room/shower items.

At practice, swimmers tend to gravitate to lanes in which the swimmers are all the same speed. It may take a few workouts to figure out which lane is right for you.

At your first workout, introduce yourself to the coach. He or she will ask you some questions and then suggest a lane for you to try. If the lane is not right for you, you may change lanes during the workout.

Introduce yourself to the people in your lane. “I’m Bill and this is my first time here.”  

Workouts vary in duration from one to one and one-half hours. Total yardage will be between 1500 and 5000 yards, depending on the lane and the length of time of the workout. The workout will be broken into sets. A set may be a kick set, a swim set, a stroke set, a distance set, a sprint set, etc. No two workouts are ever the same.

If you get tired, stop and rest. It’s okay to rest. If you get really tired, get out and go home. Just make sure you come back. Conditioning takes time. Especially for us masters swimmers.