Masters swimming is an organized program of swimming for adults. Masters swimming exists to promote health and fitness to its members who participate in a variety of ways ranging from lap swimming to international competition. Everyone has his or her own reason for joining Masters — health, fitness, camaraderie, fun, the thrill of competition, travel and coaching. Anyone 18 years of age or older can join. United States Masters Swimming, Inc. (USMS) provides the national administrative structure for Masters swimming, and it supports the local Masters programs. USMS was founded in 1970 and currently has over 55,000 members with more than 500 local swim clubs located throughout the country. USMS holds national championships each year for short course yards in the spring and long course meters in the summer.

On the local level, Masters swimming is governed by Local Masters Swimming Committees (LMSC). The LMSCs in turn are composed of smaller groups: clubs, teams and un-affiliated swimmers. This is the web site for the Southwest Zone. The Southwest Zone has more than 9,000 members.

For fitness and triathlete swimmers, being part of a Masters Swimming program provides a coached workout for help with swimming technique, and a pool full of teammates to encourage each other to continue with the swimming regimen. USMS also sponsors several fitness challenges throughout the year, such as the 2000 yard fitness challenge and the February fitness challenge. What Masters Swimming is all about