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| The Nickel City Splash Masters Swim Team is an adult (19+) swim team recognized by the USMS (United States Masters Swimming) and the USMS Niagara District. The team is made up of over 90 members and is coached by highly trained professionals affiliated with the women's varsity team of the University at Buffalo.  The team offers three weekly coached workouts, encourages participation in local, regional, national and international swim meets, hosts two meets a year, organizes social events, and supports its members in their athletic, professional and personal endeavors. Outreach activities include annual participation in a pediatric cancer research fundraising open water swim, a pediatric dentistry fundraising open water swim, Tour de Cure diabetes fundraising bike ride, among others.Workouts are scheduled as follows (but see news for changes and updates):
 Team workouts are held in the pool in Alumni Arena at the University at Buffalo. Click here or here for a campus map. If they choose to do so, swimmers may arrange to rent lockers and have towel service in the locker rooms, which are fully equipped with hot showers, a steam room and a sauna.Members must register with the team, and have a valid and current USMS membership ($30 or $25 annually). New members are welcome to join the team at any time, and may swim with the team on a trial basis before making a commitment.
Membership seasons are defined as follows, with due dates for payments indicated in parentheses:
The team maintains a listserv through which schedule changes or pool closures are announced by the coaches. To join the listserv, click here. Where you see YOUR NAME in the body of the message which this link generates, be sure to replace those words with, you guessed it, your name. Don't add quotation marks, don't add a subject line, or send images or a signature file (not because they annoy the recipient, but because you will be corresponding with a machine following its rules :->). Be sure that the e-mail you are about to send is originating from the e-mail account at which you wish to receive team mail. In other words, be sure that the message is coming from your G-mail account if that's the one you want to use. Once submitted, your request will be sent to a team listowner for approval. If you have trouble with your request, please contact a listowner.  Swimmers interested in joining the team are encouraged to contact Brandi Boyle by clicking on her name to send e-mail.How much does it cost to join the team? The cost is $200 for an annual membership, $75 for a semester membership (October 1 to February 1, February 1 to June 1, June 1 to October 1), and $30 for a one-day-per-week membership (per semester). In addition, swimmers are required to be registered members of the United States Masters' Swimming organization, which costs $30 annually, or $25 annually for those who are willing to receive their newsletters by e-mail. Other than that, the only costs associated with joining are the team are the cost of personal belongings (suit, goggles, etc.) and the cost of participation in optional swim meets, which usually runs about $15 for team-sponsored meets. Do I have to pay the first day? No, your first two weeks are absolutely FREE!! No charge, no commitments. Can I join in the middle of a semester? Absolutely. We always take new members. Your fees will be pro-rated accordingly. How can I find out about joining the United States Masters Swimming Organization? You can click here to get a printable membership application. Or you can phone the Registrar of the Niagara District Masters Swimming organization, John E. Pilger, at (315) 673-2268, or click on his name to send him e-mail.  What equipment do I need?Bathing suits and goggles are a must. We provide kickboards and pull-buoys. Paddles are optional. Zoomers are discouraged, but may be used during KICK sets only (some of our members may tell you differently, but don't listen to them). Need a suit or goggles? Call Peter at Competition Teamwear at 675-9020, or stop in the store at 4184 Seneca Street, West Seneca. Is it hard to find parking at UB? Not at 5:30 a.m. How can I get up at that hour? I can't. It's too hard. Mais non! It's FUN. And no matter what might go wrong for you during the rest of your day, you can always look back at a great workout and feel a real sense of accomplishment. Think how well the workouts will make you sleep! Can I join the team even if I haven't swum competitively before? Absolutely. If you already know how to swim, you're in good cardiovascular shape, and you can commit to coming to practice regularly, you'll find that you can do the workouts. I swam on age-group teams and in school, but I've been away from it for a while. Once I catch up, will I find the team workouts challenging? There are several swimmers on the team who recently competed for Division I teams. They swim in the most challenging workout groups, and find that the workouts keep them in competitive form. This sounds really competitive. Is there a lot of competition among the swimmers? Not really. Many swimmers naturally pace themselves looking at stronger teammates they hope to emulate, but it's all done in a friendly spirit. Are all the swimmers as fabulously good-looking as the ones featured on this web site? and will I have a chance to buy a calendar featuring The Men of Nickel City Splash? Of course. And dues-paying members of the team get a substantial discount. What am I waiting for? Exactly! You could get started by e-mailing Brandi Boyle (click on her name to send mail) to schedule your first workout. How can I contact the team?
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