NKB In The Community
NKB recognizes we are part of a larger swim community. While we have a primary focus on our grassroots and our athletes here at NKB, when we are able to support the swimming community as a whole everyone benefits. There are many ways NKB does this.
NKB Volunteers in the Community
Electronics Support: We provide significant help with electronics for other swim meets. This includes, set up, tear down, trouble shooting, training, and sometimes even running the meet itself.
Electronics Maintenance: The electronics at the Nepean Sportsplex are not solely for use by NKB. But, NKB provides the people, skills and funds to keep the electronics operational for everyone’s benefit. We spend approximately $7,500/year and provide upwards of 100 hours of our volunteers’ time to maintain the equipment.
Support for Other Clubs / Organizations at swim meets: NKB provides free electronics services* for many swim clubs and other organizations so that they can hold swim meets throughout the year. In any given year, NKB members volunteered their time at an average of five local meets to setup, operate and tear-down electronics. These meets include Masters meets, OFSAA (High School) meets, other local clubs, and Special Olympics.
* NKB volunteers provide set up and tear down services on a volunteer basis, and we are reimbursed for providing electronics operators at the meet, in accordance with the City's policy to charge for this service.
Meet Management Support: NKB provides meet organization, planning and management for other clubs. NKB has helped Technosport, Masters, High Schools, Universities, Swim Canada, and Special Olympics with their meets.
Officiating at other Meets: NKB officials actively volunteer at many meets throughout the city and out-of-town. Just since the beginning of 2015, NKB had officials at the numerous local meets hosted by other clubs, Nepean Masters, USport, Swim Ontario, and Swim Canada meets.
Putting the Swimmer and Swim Community First: A few years ago when hosting Regional championships was awarded to another team in the region, it was unfortunately identified very late in the short course season that the new pool in would not be ready in time for the meet. The region asked NKB with only six weeks’ notice if we would be able to host the meet, and we accepted without hesitation. On another occasion, there were complications with finding a host for the Swim Ontario Festivals meet, a provincial level championship with considerable additional elements to the planning and hosting process. As the region had done previously, Swim Ontario turned to NKB to host and we accepted without hesitation.
As one of the largest clubs in Eastern Ontario, and with the support and commitment of our members, we felt it was up to us to step up so that all swimmers who had worked so hard to achieve qualifying standards would in fact have a meet to swim at. The region and Swim Ontario knew they could rely on NKB because of our reputation of hosting well-run, quality swim meets and our demonstrated willingness to help our swim community whenever possible.
It's Not About the Money: Yes it is true that we earn money by hosting swim meets, but, plain and simple, if NKB was hosting swim meets solely for the money we would not host the types of swim meets that we do. Meets that include multiple distance events, championship meets, and awarding medals (not only ribbons) have higher associated costs, and generate less revenue per swim overall (since offering more shorter swims can earn more revenue than offering fewer longer swims over the same period of time).
NKB offers Qualifying Events: NKB's meets are designed to offer as many qualifying events as possible for all swimmers. This includes distance events. Using Welcome to Long Course as an example, the Friday session is an opportunity for athletes to make qualifying times. By the time we pay for pool time and other costs necessary to run this session, we don’t make any money since we offer these distance events at a low rate per swim (which also take more time, meaning fewer swims are possible). We of course also need a full slate of volunteers to run this distance session.
NKB offers Quality Meets: We should all be proud of how NKB approaches our hosted meets. We never focus on how to make money, but more about how to offer the events needed for the athletes in the order that will afford swimmers the best chance for many successes. For example, if two events are regional qualifiers, we try to separate them in the meet/session so the swimmer can be rested for both. We also believe we offer a quality experience at our meets with announcers, awards (we award medals, which cost more than ribbons) and presentations, and high quality hospitality.
NKB hosts Championship Meets: NKB has a strong history of hosting Swim Ontario Championship Meets. Only Ontario swim clubs with a proven record of hosting high quality meets and who have the officials and capability (thanks to our members) to host a championship meet, are invited by Swim Ontario to place bids on which meets they would like to host for the upcoming season. Swim Ontario reviews all bids placed by swim clubs and awards the meets. The effort required to host championship meets is significant, and NKB has a reputation with swim clubs who attend our meets of always hosting well-organized, high quality meets. NKB has been honoured by being awarded one to two championship meets every year.
Fundraising: We don’t just fundraise for ourselves - we fundraise for a good cause! For many years, it has been our pleasure to donate a portion of the money we raise through Swim-a-Thon to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any member of the NKB Board. And if you happen to find yourself at a non-NKB meet and want to watch your child swim from on deck, ask any official – we’re sure they will find an officiating or volunteer position for you, and all of the swimmers will appreciate it.
