It’s all fun and games until graduation. At least that’s the case for many high school and college athletes wondering what competitive teams are available to them after their time in academia ends.
Luckily, for those ages 18-plus in NoVA, the region is home to Virginia Masters Swimming and Potomac Valley Masters Swimming. They are both leagues part of U.S. Masters Swimming, which is a national membership-operated program with nearly 65,000 swimmers across the country.
Masters Swimming supports over 1,500 year-round Masters Swimming clubs and workout groups in the country, all featuring coaches and a structure similar to competitive teams one would find in college and other organized sports programs. Coaches write the workouts and provide feedback and instruction to swimmers.
Manassas, Chantilly, Reston, Prince William and surrounding areas are a part of VA LMSC and Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria and Falls Church all fall under the Potomac Valley LMSC.
All Masters Swimming programs offer a wide range of competitiveness and skill levels. USMS holds national championships, including the Pool Championship, Open Water Championship and ePostal Championships, which are virtual competitions where participants swim on their own at their local pools and then submit the results to be compared to others across the nation.
For those who aren’t interested in competitions, but still want to improve their swimming skills and get in good workouts, the program can be a great resource for becoming a faster swimmer, starting a new exercise routine and more. There are even classes for adults who do not know how to swim and want to learn.
Besides coaching and the choice to join in on competitions, Masters Swimming membership benefits include a subscription to SWIMMER magazine, product discounts from USMS national partners, access to online workouts, insurance coverage, camps and clinics and more.
To find out more information, visit usms.org.
