River Rats Swim Club

08/03/2026

07/27/2026

🌊 HARD WORK PAYS OFF! 🏆
What a championship week for our River Rats swimmers in Buffalo! 🥇🥈🥉 Every early morning, every tough set, every lap — it all showed up on the blocks at NI LC Championships.

We are SO proud of this team. Personal bests, podium finishes, and pure determination from start to finish. This is what dedication looks like! 💪💚

Congratulations to Angela, Arabella, Brayden, Olivia, Jonathan, Luna, and Steven — you earned every second of this. Onward and upward, River Rats! 🐭✨

07/27/2026

07/25/2026

Ended the night with some festive t-shirt relays!

07/23/2026

Accidental twinning at practice last night!

07/22/2026

Good luck to all the River Rats competing at the Niagara LCM Gold meet in Buffalo Thursday-Sunday!

Angela, Arabella, Olivia, Luna, Steven, and Brayden—we're cheering you on! Represent the River Rats with heart, speed, and sportsmanship. You've got this! 💪🏊‍♀️💚💙🐭🥇🥈🥉

Send a message to learn more

06/21/2026

☀️🏊‍♂️ Outdoor season kicks off MONDAY at Harris Hill! 🏊‍♀️☀️

The wait is over—River Rats Swim Club is heading back outside, and we’re excited to dive into another summer of training, racing, fitness, and fun!

There’s still time to join! Whether you’re new to competitive swimming or ready to keep building your skills, we’d love to have you on the team. We have lots of registration options to fit every swimmer, including 10 and 20 practice bundles.

📩 Message us today to schedule a swimmer evaluation and learn more about our summer program.

Come see why River Rats has been helping swimmers grow, compete, and succeed for 55 years!

JoinTheRats

06/15/2026

Congratulations to our Niagara LSC Class of 2026 High School Seniors; best of luck in your next adventure!

Aidan will be attending and swimming for Hartwick College!

06/10/2026

We couldn’t be more proud! Congratulations to Coach Mike on receiving the USA Swimming Officials Excellence Award.

This recognition reflects his dedication to the sport, and our athletes and families he serves every day. River Rats are fortunate to have such an outstanding coach, official, and role model representing our club. We truly have the best staff around!

Well deserved, Mike! 👏🏊

❗❗Big congratulations to Niagara’s Mike Burgess on being awarded the Officials Excellence Award from USA Swimming!❗❗
Mike Burgess embodies the excellence, professionalism, and dedication that the USA
Swimming Officials Excellence Award is designed to recognize. He is one of Niagara
Swimming’s most trusted and versatile officials, known for his reliability, deep rule
knowledge, and unwavering commitment to supporting athletes and fellow officials.
Serving on multiple committees and consistently ranking among our highest contributing volunteers, Mike has become a cornerstone of our LSC’s officiating community.
His impact extends well beyond Niagara. Mike has officiated at numerous national-level meets, where his calm presence, consistency, and fairness have earned him the respect of officials, coaches, and athletes alike. He approaches every assignment with integrity and a clear focus on ensuring a fair and positive competitive environment.
Over the past three years, Mike has also served as an evaluator during the Niagara
Swimming Open Championships. In this role, he has demonstrated exceptional
leadership and mentorship, helping developing officials grow in confidence, judgment, and professionalism. His thoughtful guidance and high standards have strengthened the quality of officiating across the LSC.
Mike’s service reflects the very best of our sport. His integrity, professionalism, and
dedication to both athletes and officials make him an outstanding and deserving
recipient of the June 2026 USA Swimming Officials Excellence Award.