It’s fun. It’s great exercise. It builds confidence. It’s a great way for your child to meet other kids in Kelowna, the Okanagan, and the Province. It’s a great way for you to meet other families with similar interests.

The Ogopogo Summer Swim Club is more than just swimming.  Swimmers learn the skills necessary to help them progress in lifte.. courage… positive attitude… hard work… friendship. The club is dedicated to creating a healthy sporting environment that encourages each child to grew to their potential.

The Ogopogo Summer Swim Club is a team of parents, coaches and dedicated swimmers striving to create the best competitive experience possible.  Swimmers participate in a full competitive schedule between May and August and maintain and enhance conditioning through winter training activities.  This mix of conditioning activities allows swimmers to fully develop their potential and yet realize the positive social aspect of belonging to a club composed of great kid and great families. 

Through a mix of conditioning, technical development and sport psychology, swimmers with the club develop well rounded skills.  The club’s long term approach to athlete development provides a solid base for swimmers to progress in competitive swimming, and to creat a solid base for other athletic pursuits.

Most of your questions can be answered here or on the website. If not, anyone on the Board of Directors should be able to answer any of your questions.

Our main communication is via email. Please ensure you have provided the club with a valid email address. We encourage you to use the web site, as it is the quickest and most effective way to get information. We also encourage you to talk to the coaches, or any other parents on deck. There are many families with lots of experience in the club who are happy to share their knowledge with new families.

Swimmers learn and use Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly in individual and relay events.

If your child is 5 to 18 and can swim a lap of the pool (25 meters) without touching bottom, then they should come to a swim team practice and have the coach evaluate them for the team. Younger children do not necessarily have to be proficient in the breast stroke or butterfly in order to participate.

Proper swim technique comes much quicker when practicing regularly with a swim club. We encourage you to bring your swimmer to all available practices; you will see the improvement with regular attendance. The competition, or racing, actually speeds the learning curve as the swimmers are trying their absolute hardest. It is at these times when the largest improvements in technique and skill are made. Swimmers are required to participate in competitions throughout the summer, in a minimum of 2 swim meets, or 4 swim meet days (2 swim meet days for Ogies).

The age groups are determined by the year in which the swimmer was born. All swimmers will race against other individuals within the same age range. To see what "Division" a swimmer is in or will be in, click here or go to the Links page and click on the BCSSA Age Locator - Swimming.

The length of our pool is 25 meters, located at the H2O Center on Gordon Drive.

Not during practice. In fact, to reduce wear-and-tear, the swim team suit should only be worn during meets. It is common for swimmers to have a practice suit and a racing suit.

Team suits are not required during practice. In fact, to reduce wear-and-tear, the swim team suit should only be worn during meets. It is common for swimmers to have a practice suit and a racing suit. Ogopogo team swimsuit is recommended to be worn for competing at swim meets. It is available from the Apparel Representative, each year. Caps are required to be worn during relays, and recommended for individual events. Swimmers should wear the Ogopogo swim cap at all meets to promote team unity and pride of the club. It also enables spectators to identify Ogopogo swimmers so they can cheer them on.

Cap and team t-shirt are included in registration for new swimmers; they are available for purchase for returning swimmers, as needed.

Ogopogo Apparel is available at registration and throughout the year. The Apparel representative is listed under the "Board" tab under "About Us".

Ogopogo swimsuit and cap are recommended to be worn for competing at swim meets. Cap and team t-shirt are included in registration for new swimmers; they are available for purchase for returning swimmers, as needed. Swimmers should wear the Ogopogo swim cap at all meets to promote team unity and pride of the club. It also enables spectators to identify Ogopogo swimmers so they can cheer them on.

Goggles are needed to keep eyes chlorine free and to help swim in a straight line. Swim goggles range in price; each swimmer has their own preference and fit, so try a few pairs on to find the right fit.

Other apparel available to purchase, includes hoodies, t-shirts, backpacks, parkas, and goggles.

Swimsuits, goggles and caps are available from local and on-line retailers. See below for details:

Team Aquatics -
For anyone interested in purchasing on-line from Team Aquatics, if you log on here, you can save!
Each order our swimmers make, benefits our team. Family and Friends receive 20% discount.
Login Information for Team Family & Friends:

Username: ogoteam
Password: aquatics

If you can't find what you are looking for at Team Aquatics, you can try:

Aquam Canada

All American Swim. They ship to Canada and discounted suits can be purchased.

Registration for the summer swim session (May 1-August 31) is held in late March or early April. Practices start the first week of May and run through to the Provincial Championships, usually held mid-to-late August. Mid-season registration will depend on space.

For more details on registration, check the Registration Tab or contact our Registrar (click "About Us" and the "Board" tab).

The mission of the Ogopogo Summer Swim Club is to encourage personal development accomplishment and team spirit, in an atmosphere of family involvement through supportive youth competition.

We strive to carry out this mission in a manner that stretches us to reach our vision, to be the best swim club in Canada.

We guide and measure the achievement of our mission through the following goals:

1) Coaching Staff - To attract/retain/develop the most effective coaching staff that demonstrates inspired, enthusiastic leadership; are skilled, experienced, and nationally qualified; are effective communicators; and conduct themselves with professionalism.

2) Supporting our Competitors - To provide the funds, coaching, support, equipment, and facilities to enable each participant to reach his/her potential as swimmers and team members.

3) Family Involvement - To utilize the strength of family involvement to ensure the long-term viability and standards of excellence in the club and its leadership.

4) Finances - To ensure the long-term financial viability of the club through savings, investments, charges, dues, fees and management.

5) Team Spirit and Acheivement - To foster a club culture that promotes team spirit and produces competitive results at all ability levels.

The Ogopogo Summer Swim Club is a Summer swim club, supported by the BC Summer Swimming Association. The competitive season runs from May to August, each year. During that times swimmers train 3-8 times per week, depending on age and ability, and are expected to compete in a minimum of two swim meets, or four swim meet days. Ogopogo swimmers swim in "Winter Maintenance" from October to April, each year, where they are only allowed two (2) hours of coached swimming per week. Summer swimmers who swim more than the 2 hours a week, are required to swim in "O" Category at swim meets.

Winter swim clubs (Kelowna Aquajets and Liquid Lightning) have their training and competitive season from September to June, each year. Winter swimmers may compete in summer swimming as "O" Category swimmers.

The Ogopogo Triathlon Club is is a FUN group that likes to not only work on developing safe bike handling skills and good running technique, but also provides a FUN and enjoyable social atmosphere for kids to learn and grow.

As a youth based program, we primarily work with kids between the ages of 6 and 15+ years old who are interested in exploring the TriBC kids of steel triathlon events.

No. All we ask is that every member of our triathlon club is also a member of a swim club. They can be involved with the Ogopogo, Kelowna Aquajets or Liquid Lightening swim teams.
The Ogopogo triathlon team mainly focuses on developing the athlete’s bike handling and running. During the summer we will include some swim to bike sessions at Gyro but majority of the athletes swim training is done during their swim club workouts.

A triathlon begins with a swim, followed by a bike ride and ends with a run but really the main focus is making sure you have FUN!

Anyone who wants to have FUN, meet some new friends and learn a bit more about the sport of triathlon.

In the youth ‘kids of steel’ triathlon program the race legs are determined by the athlete’s age. In the swimming leg, the distance ranges from 50M for the 7 and Under Group, to 1500M for those 18-23. In the Biking leg, the distance starts at 1.5km for the 7 and Under Group and 40km for those 18-23. In running, it starts at 500M for those 7 and Under and goes up to 10km for those 18-23.

No, you do not have to compete but triathlon events are a lot of FUN and participation in the triathlons are encouraged.

Check out the events schedule on the TriBC website calendar:
http://tribc.org/race_calendar (all Kids of Steel races are labelled as KOS in the Distance column)

For the Swim: Swimsuit / Tri Uniform, Cap and Goggles
For the Bike: Helmet, any bike is okay but road bikes are recommended, shoes, race belt
For the Run: Shoes and possibly a running hat.

We typically train around the H2O Centre Monday (run) and Wednesday (bike) afternoons from 4-5 pm beginning in May. Monday mornings beginning in late June / early July we also add in a conditioning workout at the Apple Bowl from 7:30- 9:00 am. On occasion there may be a swim/bike/run workout at either Gyro beach or Tug Boat bay in order to practice transition workouts.

A swim meet is where all the fun happens. Swimmers who have been practicing so diligently throughout the year, month, week, and every day, get to put their 'practice' to the test - against other swimmers of the same age grouping and gender. Swim meets take place on weekend throughout the summer and typically happen on a Saturday and Sunday. The swimmers race in a variety of strokes and distances. Their times are recorded and become a benchmark to improve upon.

A timed finals meet is where the swimmers only swim each race once. The ribbons and rankings are based upon their time in each race. Timed Finals swim meets are usually completed much earlier in the day.

A heats and finals swim meet is where the swimmers are only allowed to participate in 4 races, plus relays. The heats are held in the morning and those that come in the top 8 swim in the finals in the afternoon.

The coach will enter your child in the races they deem appropriate for your child, based upon their skill level and the strokes / races that they are working on. As a parent you are free to connect with the coach to provide input on what strokes / races you want or your child wants to participate in.

The Ogopogo Summer Swim Club participates in 7-8 regional swim meets per summer. Every August, the season wraps up with the Regional competition then Provincials.

Swim meets are typically on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 7:00am. Their actual dates are posted on the website under "Meets".

Timed Finals meets start at 7:00am and are typically finished by 2:00pm, depending upon how many participants there are.
Heats and Finals meets start at 7:00am and are typically finished by 4:00pm, depending upong how many participants there are.

Directions to the swim club for an away meet will be posted on the website, on the “Meets” page. An actual 'map' link is available to click on.

Have your swimmer eat a healthy diet, get plenty of sleep, bring a water bottle to the meet, and get them to the meet on time. Advise them to listen to the coach and to have fun! Cheer them on too!

An event may be divided into multiple "heats." The more swimmers that are registered for an event requires multiple heats, as the pools can only accommodate 6-8 swimmers per heat. Larger meets may have 3-4 heats per race.

Relays consist of four "legs" with a different swimmer competing in each leg. The distance is typically 200 meters, where each swimmer will complete 50 meters (4x50 meter relay).
There are two types of relays: medley and freestyle. The medley relay consists of four different strokes: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle. The freestyle relay has four legs of freestyle.

The coach makes this decision. There are a variety of factors involved. On most occasions, the coaches will attempt to have every swimmer entered onto a relay. Sometimes, a younger swimmer will swim with older swimmers to fill a gap.

Disqualification - this can happen for a variety of reasons including starting early (false start), leaving the diving block early in a relay, performing an illegal stroke, performing an illegal turn, not touching the wall with two hands during a breaststroke turn, etc.

The younger swimmers, especially the 8 & under age group tend to have more problems early in the season, but you'll see a DQ from time to time in every age group.
If your child is disqualified, do not to get upset about it. It is how they learn how to do the stroke properly. Keep in mind that during a race, the swimmer is trying their hardest to do everything correctly as fast as they can. Mistakes are made, and if a child is DQ’d, they will know why, the coach will know why, and they will work to correct the problem in the subsequent practices.
It is not uncommon for parents to take their DQ’d child to Dairy Queen to alleviate some of the disappointment

Every meet is different in terms of how many ribbons and medals are distributed. On average, those who place in the top 8-16 will receive a ribbon and those who are the top swimmers in their age group will win an aggregate medal.

Regionals are usually held the second weekend in August and it is the swim meet that determines who gets to proceed to the Provincial Championships. In 2011, the Regional Meet will be held in Kelowna. Swimmers must swim in at least one meet during the summer season, in order to participate at the Regional Championships.
Swimmers are allowed to swim in 4 individual events and two relays at the Okanagan Regional Championship.
Swimmers placing in the top three in each event automatically are eligible to represent the Ogopogos and the Okanagan Region at the Provincial Championships, held two weeks after the Regional Championships.

Support your child by bringing them to practice regularly, preparing them for the meet and cheering for them and the team at the meets.

Volunteer to help out at a swim meet or with other swim team duties. It's an all volunteer effort and there is always something more that can be done.

Consider becoming a stroke & turn judge, starter or referee. The officiating is carried out by volunteers and it always helps to have more people trained to step in when others have scheduling conflicts for a meet. You may also enjoy the meet more when you know the rules well.

You can read up on all the coaches on the website, under the coaches tab.

Bring them to practices regularly, prepared and on time. Be supportive and let them enjoy the sport. Let the coaches do the coaching.

Yes! We are always looking for willing volunteers to assist in behind the scenes organizing for the swim club.

The Ogopogo Summer Swim Club is a volunteer organization that relies on its' members to perform the club functions. Each family takes on the responsibility to do their part in helping to raise money and volunteer at various functions.

Strong clubs come from willing members. Ask not what your club can do for you, but what you can do for your club.

Each year we undertake fundraising activities to raise additional funds to supplement our registration fees and Community Gaming Grants. Various fundraisers are held each year. Parent and swimmers' assistance with these events is critical for successful fundraising. We are always looking for assistance in fundraising; please contact our Fundraising Coordinator if you have expertise or contacts for fundraising, or wish to donate items for our annual fundraising raffle.

There are Board of Directors positions, as well as committee positions for Coach Hiring, Fundraising, Swim Meet Organization, Social Events, Media Relations and many others. Contact the President or Vice-President (under the Board of Directors tab) for more information.

Team suits are not required during practice. In fact, to reduce wear-and-tear, the swim team suit should only be worn during meets. It is common for swimmers to have a practice suit and a racing suit. Ogopogo team swimsuit is recommended to be worn for competing at swim meets. It is available from the Apparel Representative, each year. Caps are required to be worn during relays, and recommended for individual events. Swimmers should wear the Ogopogo swim cap at all meets to promote team unity and pride of the club. It also enables spectators to identify Ogopogo swimmers so they can cheer them on.

Cap and team t-shirt are included in registration for new swimmers; they are available for purchase for returning swimmers, as needed.

Ogopogo Apparel is available at registration and throughout the year. The Apparel representative is listed under the "Board" tab under "About Us".

Ogopogo swimsuit and cap are recommended to be worn for competing at swim meets. Cap and team t-shirt are included in registration for new swimmers; they are available for purchase for returning swimmers, as needed. Swimmers should wear the Ogopogo swim cap at all meets to promote team unity and pride of the club. It also enables spectators to identify Ogopogo swimmers so they can cheer them on.

Goggles are needed to keep eyes chlorine free and to help swim in a straight line. Swim goggles range in price; each swimmer has their own preference and fit, so try a few pairs on to find the right fit.

Other apparel available to purchase, includes hoodies, t-shirts, backpacks, parkas, and goggles.

Swimsuits, goggles and caps are available from local and on-line retailers. See below for details:

Team Aquatics -
For anyone interested in purchasing on-line from Team Aquatics, if you log on here, you can save!
Each order our swimmers make, benefits our team. Family and Friends receive 20% discount.
Login Information for Team Family & Friends:

Username: ogoteam
Password: aquatics

If you can't find what you are looking for at Team Aquatics, you can try:

Aquam Canada

All American Swim. They ship to Canada and discounted suits can be purchased.

No, but the swimmers need to ensure that they have been registered to participate in the Swim Meet.

If it is a regular occurrence, you should inform the coaches. There may be opportunity to make up the practice at another time. If it happens infrequently, the coaches understand that all swimmers cannot make all practices all the time.

Parents are welcome to watch. Just let the attendant at the reception area know you are with the Ogopogo Swim Club.

During the summer season Practices are held Monday through Friday. They are in the morning or afternoon. For a detailed schedule, See the practice page for exact times.

During the summer months, there may be practices on Statutory Holidays, for those who wish to attend. Practices will be at different times that usual and may not be for all swimmers. Please check the News section for specific details about Stat holiday practices.

During the winter months, there will be NO practices on Stat holidays.

A swim meet will have a referee who runs the meet, a starter who announces the event and starts the races, multiple stroke and turn judges, place judges, and a head timer with multiple timers for each lane. All officials are volunteers and the volunteers are what enable a swim meet to proceed in a timely fashion.

Sure – please do. At all meets, there are three timers required on each lane. See the head timer if you are interested in timing. If there are already sufficient timers the head timer may take your name to have you as an alternate if someone has to leave or take a bathroom break.
If you are a timer, make sure you use the strobe light instead of the horn for starting your stopwatch. This is why you may see timers craning their necks around the swimmers or other timers to make sure they can see the strobe light.

Please connect with the “Director of Officials” with the swim club. They would be happy to have more ‘hands on deck’.

Yes! A swim meet requires a great deal of organization. Over 100 volunteers are needed to help run a swim meet to process the 200-300 swimmers attending. No single club can provide the personnel necessary. Clubs cooperate by assisting each other at all meets, which makes it an enjoyable social event. It also gets you the best seats in the house.

New parents are encouraged to volunteer for the many jobs available. Timing is the easiest job to learn and a great place to start. On the job training can be arranged at any meet, in order to learn other jobs. Contact our Director of Officials, for more details.

If you are a Summer swimmer, you are allowed to practice swimming, with a coach up to two hours per week. For this reason, Ogopogo’s are able to participate in Winter maintenance where the emphasis is on technique and stamina. The practice times are located on the website.

Check our links page for some good information.

Registration for the winter season (October 1-April 30) is held at the Ogopogo Summer Swim Club Annual General Meeting in September, each year. Practices start the first week of October and run through to April 30, with a 2 week Christmas Break. Swimmers are only allowed to participate in 2 hours of coached swimming per week, throughout the winter season. Mid-season registration will depend on space.

For more details on registration, please contact our Registrar (click "About Us" and the "Board" tab).