Team Culture and Community

Established as an IGLA swim team in 1997, Ohio Splash is a diverse team of central Ohio swimmers who are committed to achieving better fitness and a healthy community through swimming.  Our inclusive team culture attracts men and women in their 20s through 60s who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight.

Swimming improves overall fitness, balance and coordination with low-impact exercise. The sport easily adapts to people with a wide range of abilities.  Masters swimmers set and achieve their own goals, which can be as simple as maintaining a healthy weight, improving proficiency in a new technique, or setting a personal best record at a meet.  Yet, individuals of similar skill swim together as a team for fun and motivation.

Fitness

Each week, Splash holds three coached practices that run from an hour to an hour and a half with total yardage in the 2,000 to 4,000 yard range.  Coaches make the best use of pool time by varying the strokes, distances and intensity of each set by lane.  Individuals can tailor workouts to fit their own skill level and goals.  

Practices focus on improving stroke technique, endurance, and strength.  Technique development comes through drills, for improving body position, pull and kick; as well as, invidual coaching, stroke clinics, and occaisionally introduction of a new technique. 

With good technique, sets that focus on endurance and strength training are more productive.  Emphasis is placed on building fitness in each of the four key strokes:  freestyle, backstroke, breastroke, and butterfly.  Continuous change in the workout routine provides variety that keeps practices interesting and challenging, and produces the fitness adaptations swimmers want for achieving their own fitness goals. 

Meets - Competitive and Social 

Splash is affiliated with International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) the world's foremost international organization solely devoted to developing and promoting gay and lesbian swimming.  IGLA promotes participation in aquatic sports among lesbians and gay men and friends of our community; and works to ensure maintain the highest international standards for championship meets.  As an IGLA team, Splash swimmers establish friendships with our sister teams such as K.C. Wave, the Philadelphia Fins, DC Aquatics Club, Toronto's Downtown Swim Club, and many others.

Each year, Splash targets a number of swim meets many of which follow the long IGLA tradition of balancing competition with social activities.  Typical IGLA meets start with a party, and the hosting team shows its hospitality by offering hosted housing and group dinners.  The fun continues at the pool, where the competition is exciting for our competing swimmers, as well as, team members, friends and partners who travel with us to show their support and join in the fun.

Recent IGLA Meets

• Ohio Masters State Championship (hosted by Splash)
• IGLA Championships (Washington D.C.)
• All Out Swim (Toronto, Canada)
• Fins Aquatics Club Annual International Swim
  (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

While many of the meets that Splash attend, such as the Fall and Spring Redfin Masters meets, are in Ohio or nearby, Splash travels abroad every few years to places like:

• Paris, France (IGLA Championships)
• Sydney Australia (Gay Games)
• Montreal, Canada (World Outgames)
• Copenhagen, Denmark (World Outgames)

World Outgames and Gay Games are world-class events that draw tens of thousands of sport competitors from multiple disciplines, their fans, and those interested in conferences that highlight the right of every LGBT-person in every countrry to participate fully, equally, and openly in every part of life.

Beyond the Pool - Community

Splash's membership center of gravity is situated squarely in Victorian Village; which, is the heart of central Ohio's large GLBT community.  The Village is also the home of Stonewall Columbus and other sports organizations like:

• Capital City Volleyball
• Columbus Lesbian and Gay Softball Association
• Columbus Metropolitan Tennis Organization

The team shows its commitment to building a healthy GLBT community by participating in community events such as the Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade, and contributing volunteers and resources to other GLBT organizations such as Columbus Aids Task Force.

Sponsorship

Our generous sponsors play a critical role in helping Splash carry out its commitment to serve our community through our swimming programs and community engagements.  Sponsor contributions lower membership dues, and by doing so, enable those with less to particpate in this wonderful sport and be active in the community.  General donations help to cover the cost of pool rental, coaching, and administration.

For more information on contributing to Ohio Splash, please contact us.

Membership

Join Splash by attending one of our weekly coached practices. Bring a suit, and come ready to swim! A coach or practice leader is available at every practice to help familiarize you with the pool facility, register with Splash, accept dues, and show you how to get started. 

Further information about practice times and location is available at ohiosplash.org.