Friday, December 2, 2016

Winter 2017 Swim Session Information

Winter is here! What better time to jump in the pool and fight those winter blahs!

The 12 Week Winter Session began on Monday January, 9, 2017 at the University of Ottawa will run until Sunday April 2, 2017.  BUT it's not to late to join.

Are you curious about Masters Swimming? Check out our post "What is Master's Swimming" for more information.

Session dates:
Fall: Monday September 12 to Sunday December 4, 2016
Winter: Monday January 9 to Sunday April 2, 2017
Spring: Monday April 3 to Sunday June 25, 2017

Winter Swim Times:
Monday Evening: 9:00pm - 10:00pm (Montpetit Pool – Ottawa University)
Thursday Evening: 9:00pm - 10:00pm (Montpetit Pool – Ottawa University)
Saturday Morning: 9:00am - 10:00am (Champagne – 321 King Edward St.)
Sunday Morning: 9:00am - 10:00am (Champagne – 321 King Edward St.)

Winter Fee Options (12 week session):
12 drop-ins - $175.00
Unlimited Swims - $265.00

The drop-in option is the equivalent of 1 swim a week. We call it a drop-in so that if you miss a week or out of town etc. you can use those swims whenever you'd like in that 12 week period**. Unlimited swims are just that - swim as much as you'd like in that 12 week session.

Here's a break-down of each swim practice costs, based on how much you want to swim, and the package you chose:
OCM offers one free swim/trial swim for new members to come and check out the club and give us a try before you register. 
Registration and Payment Information:

OCM registers its members on a first come first serve basis.  You can complete a registration form before your first swim (please click on the link here) or you can complete the form at your first practice. Payment is to be made at your first practice each session, and can be made out to the Ottawa Centre Masters. We accept cheques, money orders, or cash. 

A club board member will be present to give/take your registration package, and collect your payment on the first practice you swim. We can also provide a receipt if required. 

If you didn't swim with us in the Fall please remember to include the annual $35 registration fee in your first payment - Registration fee payment is required for all members as we are an official Canadian Masters Swimming Club.

Contact Us: ottawacentremasters@gmail.com

If you have any questions on how to register/join or anything questions about the club in general - please consult the FAQ section of the blog on the right hand side of the page or or email us at ottawacentremasters@gmail.com.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

End of Session/Holiday Brunch Saturday December 3rd.

Please join OCM for our Holiday Brunch on Saturday, Dec. 3rd at Memories Café.

The Café is located at 136 St. Patrick (in the courtyard area behind the Earl of Sussex). We plan on making the reservation for 10:30am so you can meet us there or meet in the lobby of the pool after practice and we'll walk over from there.

If you are able to join us, please RSVP by 4pm Friday, Dec. 2nd so we can confirm the reservation. Friends, family, and partners are always welcome to join :)

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Mid-Session Brunch!

OCM will be having another brunch after practice on Saturday November 5th
at The Aulde Dubliner (62 William St).

Reservations are for 10:30am.  You can meet us there or meet in the lobby
of the pool after practice and we'll walk over together.

Family/Friends/Partners welcome!

Please RSVP at: ottawacentremasters@gmail.com

The Breakfast Menu can be found here.

Image result for aulde dubliner

Saturday, September 17, 2016

First Brunch of the Year!

OCM will be having our first brunch of the year on Saturday September 24th at Memories Café 136 St. Patrick (in the courtyard area behind the Earl of Sussex). 

Reservations are for 10:30am. You can meet us there or meet in the lobby of the pool after practice and we'll walk over together. 

Family/Friends/Partners welcome! 

Please RSVP at: ottawacentremasters@gmail.ca

Image result for brunch

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Fall 2016-17 Swim Session Information

Please find below all the information on Ottawa Centre Masters' 10th Swim Season!

Pour lire cet article en français, cliquez ici.

The 12 Week Fall Session will begin on Monday September 12, 2016 at the University of Ottawa will run until Sunday December 4, 2016. We will have two additional session, as usual, in the winter and spring. We are pleased to be adding another swim practice on Monday nights at the University of Ottawa, and by a landslide vote in our members' survey Sunday swim will be held at Champagne Pool from 9:00-10:00am.

Are you curious about Masters Swimming? Check out our post "What is Master's Swimming" for more information. 

OCM offers one free swim/trial swim for new members* to come and check out the club and give us a try before you register. Please sign-in as a guest swimmer.

Fall Session dates:

Fall: Monday September 12 to Sunday December 4, 2016
Winter: Monday January 9 to Sunday April 2, 2017
Spring: Monday April 3 to Sunday June 25, 2017

Fall Swim Times: 

Monday Evening:     9:00pm - 10:00pm  (Montpetit Pool – Ottawa University)
Thursday Evening:   9:00pm - 10:00pm  (Montpetit Pool – Ottawa University)
Saturday Morning:   9:00am - 10:00am   (Champagne – 321 King Edward St.)
Sunday Morning:     9:00am - 10:00am   (Champagne – 321 King Edward St.)
  
Fall Fee Options (12 week session):

12 drop-ins - $175.00
Unlimited Swims - $265.00

The drop-in option is the equivalent of 1 swim a week.  We call it a drop-in so that if you miss a week or out of town etc. you can use those swims however you'd like in that 12 week period**.   Unlimited swims are just that - swim as much as you'd like in that 12 week session.  

Here's a break-down of what each swim practice costs, based on how much you want to swim, at the package you chose:


Payment Information:

We would kindly ask that you bring payment on your first swim. Payments can be made out to the Ottawa Centre Masters. We accept cheques, money orders, or cash. All board members will be present to give you your registration package, and collect your payment on the first practice you swim. We can also provide a receipt if required.

Please remember to include the annual $35 registration fee in your first payment - Registration fee payment is required for all members as we are an official Canadian Masters Swimming Club.

The First Swim Practice on Monday September 12th: 

We would ask that you arrive 15-20 minutes early on the first day you swim in order to have time to get your payment, and your registration forms.

A coach will be giving everyone a run down on coaching plans for the year, your expectations/hopes for your participation and membership in the club. In addition he will go over the lane rules, and provide advice on stretching etc. Of course you will be able to ask questions about the coaching and the lanes/swimmers.

Contact Us:  ottawacentremasters@gmail.com

If you have any questions on how to register/join or anything questions about the club in general - please consult the FAQ section of the blog on the right hand side of the page or or email us at ottawacentremasters@gmail.com.


* the free trail swim is for people who have never been an OCM club member in the past. The free trail is for potential new members to see if they like the club before fully committing to a 12 week session.
** any remaining swims during that 12 week session are not transferable to another session.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Announcement - New coach joining the OCM team!

Please join us in welcoming Coach Aaron to Ottawa Centre Masters!

Aaron has over 25 years of coaching experience. He comes from out west with an impressive swim coach resume which includes former Head Coach of Island Swimming in Victoria, and Former Associate Coach Victoria High Performance Swim Center (Victoria). Aaron’s coaching has earned him multiple awards including Male Youth Coach of the Year’s awards from 2011 – 2012.

In addition to being a former competitive swimmer, he has experience coaching, and developing programs for Masters Swimming Clubs, and has worked with triathletes and long distance open water swimmers. He holds a current Level 4 NCCP certification.

Now a local business owner (Not Your Father’s Barber on Murray Street), father of two and one senior dog Aaron is looking forward to helping OCM swimmers meet their potential in the water.

Aaron will be on deck on Monday September 12 to kick of the Fall Session.

For details about the Fall Session see the blog post here. The coaches schedule will be made available online by the end of August.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Information concernant la session de natation d’automne 2016-2017

Voici toute l’information sur la 10 e saison des Maîtres Nageurs d’Ottawa-Centre (OCM)!

To read this post in English click here.

La session d’automne de 12 semaines commencera le lundi 12 septembre 2016 à l’Université d’Ottawa et se terminera le dimanche 4 décembre 2016. Comme par les années passées, une session d’hiver et une session printanière seront également offertes. Nous sommes heureux d’ajouter un autre entraînement de natation les lundis soir à l’Université d’Ottawa, et conformément au désir exprimé par la majorité dans le sondage auprès de nos membres, l’entraînement du dimanche aura lieu de 9 h à 10 h à la piscine Champagne.

Vous voulez en savoir plus sur les Maîtres Nageurs? Lisez notre entrée de blogue intitulée « Qui sommes-nous? » pour obtenir plus d’information.

OCM offre un entraînement/essai gratuit aux nouveaux membres pour leur permettre d’avoir un avant-goût du club avant de s’inscrire. Veuillez vous inscrire comme invité à votre arrivée.

Durée des sessions:

Automne : du lundi 12 septembre au dimanche 4 septembre 2016
Hiver : du lundi 9 janvier au dimanche 2 avril 2017
Printemps : du lundi 3 avril au dimanche 25 juin 2017

Horaire des entraînements pour la session d’automne:

Lundis soir : de 21 h à 22 h (Piscine Montpetit – Université d’Ottawa)
Jeudis soir : de 21 h à 22 h (Piscine Montpetit – Université d’Ottawa)
Samedis matin : de 9 h à 10 h (Piscine Champagne – 321, av. King Edward)
Dimanches matin : de 9 h à 10 h (Piscine Champagne – 321, av. King Edward)

Tarification pour la séance d’automne (12 semaines):


12 entraînements au choix – 175 $
Entraînements illimités – 265 $

La première option équivaut à un entraînement par semaine. Les entraînements sont offerts au choix pour permettre aux membres qui manquent un entraînement, qui voyagent, etc. d’étaler leurs entraînements comme ils le désirent pendant la session de 12 semaines. L’option illimitée permet aux membres de nager autant qu’ils le veulent durant les 12 semaines que dure la session.

Paiement:


Nous vous demandons de bien vouloir effectuer votre paiement à votre premier entraînement. Nous acceptons les chèques, les mandats-poste et l’argent comptant. Les chèques et mandats-poste doivent être libellés à l’ordre de Ottawa Centre Masters. Tous les membres du conseil d’administration seront présents pour vous remettre votre trousse d’inscription et recueillir votre paiement à votre premier entraînement. Nous fournissons des reçus sur demande.

N’oubliez pas d’ajouter les frais d’inscription annuels de 35 $ à votre premier paiement – Tous les membres doivent payer ces frais d’inscription puisque nous sommes un club officiellement reconnu par Maîtres Nageurs Canada.

Premier entraînement - 12 septembre: Nous vous demandons d’arriver 15-20 minutes à l’avance le jour de votre premier entraînement, ce qui nous donne le temps nécessaire pour obtenir votre paiement et vous faire remplir les formulaires d’inscription.

Un entraîneur discutera du plan d’entraînement pour l’année ainsi que des attentes/espoirs des membres du club. Il abordera aussi les règles de fonctionnement et prodiguera des conseils sur les étirements, etc. Vous aurez évidemment l’occasion de poser des questions sur l’entraînement et les couloirs/nageurs.

Communiquez avec nous: ottawacentremasters@gmail.com

Si vous avez des questions sur l’inscription ou sur le club en général, veuillez consulter la section FAQ de notre blogue, située à droite de la page ou nous écrire à ottawacentremasters@gmail.com.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

What is Masters Swimming?

Are you tired of swimming by yourself during lane swim?  Getting frustrated by other swimmers or just not feeling motivated to swim as long as you'd like to?  Maybe you just want to mix up your workout or get tips on your technique?  Try Masters Swimming with OCM!

What is “Masters” Swimming?

Masters Swimming is simply a group of people, over the age of 18, enjoying swim practices with a set workout and a coach to give guidance on technique.

Do you have coaches and will I get coaching?

One of the things that makes OCM stand out is our excellent coaching staff.  You will get as much or as little coaching as you'd like.  Just tell our coaches what you’re looking for and they'll be happy to listen. There's no extra cost for help with your swimming technique.

What are the ages of your swimmers?

We have swimmers of all ages, from their early twenties and upwards. As a registered Ontario Masters Swim Club all our members must be over the age of 18 to swim with OCM.

Do I have to be a really good/fast swimmer like Michael Phelps?

We have swimmers of all speeds and abilities; from people very new to fitness swimming, to former competitive swimmers, triathletes or people just looking to get some exercise in a fun environment.

Do I have to know all the swim strokes, or be able to swim a certain distance?

You don’t have to know all four strokes (front crawl, breast stroke, back stroke and butter fly) but you have to be willing to learn (unless of course you have an injury which prevents you from doing a stroke). We don’t have a distance/speed requirement, but you should be comfortable swimming for 30 minutes, and 100-200 meters without stopping.

As a former competitive swimmer will your workouts be challenging?

Absolutely! We have many former competitive swimmers in the club, and they enjoy a challenging workout every time. Our practices are 60 minutes, and include all strokes, distances, kick and pull. Everything you need to feel challenged in the pool.
  
If you have any more questions, or are interesting in joining the club please feel free to send us an email at ottawacentremasters@gmail.ca

Friday, July 8, 2016

Updated - OCM Swim Club is Looking for Experienced Coaches for September 2016!!

***Update***

OCM has found our new coach. Please click here for all the details.


OCM Swim Club is Looking for Experienced Coaches for September 2016!!

Ottawa Centre Masters is looking for enthusiastic coaches that can deliver a good variety of work-outs, along with technique help and plenty of motivation. 

We currently have one main coachand are looking for another to split coaching 3, one hour, practices a week. Saturday and Sunday's from 9:00-10:00am and Thursday night practices from 9-10pm from early September to the end of June. Practice attendance ranges from 10-18 swimmers.  To get an idea of the number of practices please take a look at the 2015-16 coaches schedule. Pay range for coaching is from $20-$30 an hour depending on experience.


We'd also welcome the addition of a couple of back-up coaches who'd be interested in filling in a couple practices a month, when needed. 

OCM is a small club of about 40 members that has been swimming out of Champagne Pool, at 321 York Street and the University of Ottawa for the past 9 years. Our swimmers are a mix of former competitive swimmers, tri-athletes, to people just looking for a good work-out. We do expect our swimmers to have a degree of ability in the water, so coaches are not expected to teach our members to swim.

If you're interested in helping adults that are passionate about swimming please send us an email at ottawacentremasters@gmail.com and we'd be happy to discuss opportunities with the club.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Ottawa Centre Masters is on Summer Hiatus!

OCM is on Summer break!

Be sure and keep checking back for details on our 2016-17 Swim Season!


If you're interested in joining the club or curious as to what exactly Masters Swimming is - check out this post.

Friday, April 22, 2016

April 2016 Brunch!

Photo by Liz Humphrey




We hope you can join us at Memories Cafe for brunch on Saturday April 30th.

We'll meet in the lobby after practice and walk over to the cafe together. Or you can meet us there at 10:30!  Friends and family are welcome to join.

Memories is located at 136 St. Patrick Street in the Byward Market.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Spring 2016 Swim Session Information


We are excited to spring forward into our 9th Spring Session. OCM has had a great year so far spreading our wings at Ottawa U. Unfortunately Montpetit will be closing to undergo annual maintenance on April 30 to the end of June. We have therefor moved the weekday practices in May and June to Lowertown Pool on Wednesday night, and the Sunday swim to Champagne. April's practices will continue as per the Fall and Winter session, at Ottawa U and Champagne.

Are you curious about Masters Swimming? Check out our post "What is Master's Swimming" for more information. What to know more about our coaches - you can ready their bios here.


Session date: March 31 to June 19, 2015 (*** Denotes a change compared to Fall and Winter.)

Wednesday 9:00-10:00pm -  Lowertown Pool***
Saturday 9:00-10:00am Champagne – 321 King Edward St.
Sunday 9:00-10:00am Champagne – 321 King Edward St.***


Fee Options (12 week session):
12 drop-ins (1 swim a week) - $175.00
24 drop-ins (2 swims a week) - $275.00
Unlimited Swims - $300.00

The two drop-in options are the equivalent of 1 or 2 swims a week. We call them drop-ins so that if you miss a week or are out of town etc. you can use those swims however and whenever you'd like in that 12 week period AND you can always upgrade to the 24 drop-in or unlimited options throughout the session. Unused swims do not carry over to other sessions or years.



Payment Information:
We would kindly ask that you bring payment on your first swim. Payments can be made out to the Ottawa Centre Masters. We accept cheques, money orders, or cash. All board members will be present to give you your registration package, and collect your payment on the first practice you swim.

If you didn't swim with us this fall or winter you may need to pay the annual $35 registration fee in your first payment - Registration fee payment is required for all members as we are an officially sanctioned Canadian Masters Swimming Club. For more information please email us or see a board member on your first swim with the club.

The First Swim Night (for new members this spring):
We would ask that you arrive 15-20 minutes early on the first day you swim to have sufficient time to get your payment, your registration form and to answer any questions you may have.

A coach will be giving everyone a run down on coaching plans for the rest of the year, your expectations/hopes for your participation and membership in the club. In addition they will go over the lane rules, and provide advice on stretching etc. Of course you will be able to ask questions about the coaching and the lanes/swimmers.


Contact Us:
If you have any questions - please consult the FAQ section of the blog on the right hand side of the page or or email us at ottawacentremasters@gmail.com.