Let's Get Started

Are there requirements for being on the team?

To be a member of the team you need to register (see the front page of the site) first and foremost. There are also some skill progressions necessary for certain levels of the team. 

To be on the Swim Team you must be able to swim one lap Freestyle, and one lap  of Backstroke without stopping. Included in that is the ability to put their face in the water while swimming and have their arms complete the stroke by reaching out of the water in both strokes.

What is the Junior Team?

Junior Team is a dedicated team for our younger or less experienced swimmers. Swimmers on the Junior team are comfortable in the water and should be able to put their face in the water and do a few strokes before resting in a ‘doggie paddle’ mode. Swimmers on the Junior team must also be able to float on their back comfortably and take a few strokes of backstroke.

Evaluations take place within the first week of practice to assess ability.

Practices

When are practices?

Practices are held daily throughout the season. For specific times and information please see the "Practice Times" tab under the Season Information section.

Are practices at the Arlington facility or at Fairfax?

We use Arlington as our home base of operations for the swim team as it is more centrally located to our team membership and offers the best facilities for competitive swimming. 

Is practice attendance mandatory?

The short answer is no. We are a summer league swim team and are very understanding of families that may have a packed schedule. If you are going to miss a portion of the season for camp, vacation, etc... we only ask that you keep the coaching staff abreast of those plans.

That being said, to gain the full affect of swimming at Army Navy entails (the joy, elation, camaraderie, and general ubiquity of awesomeness) being at more practices and more social functions will make for the best possible summer. You'll also get better at swimming the more you come, which is always a nice byproduct of the season.

Which practice should my swimmer attend?

If it does not seem clear the best option would be to ask one of the coaches. They will make sure to place your swimmer where they are going to have the best chance to grow, succeed, and enjoy themselves.

The practice time for my swimmer is not the most convenient for me, can I bring them to a different one?

Not at this time. The practices are aligned to best suit the level of swimmer that is there. Bringing your swimmer to a different practice, no matter how convenient, may hinder their enjoyment and ability to grown and improve as a swimmer. We want to place our swimmers in the best possible position to succeed.

Swim Meets

How do we sign up for meets?

Every meet that is posted will be sent out to those that are eligible. Some meets you will only have to respond with whether or not you are planning to be available to swim or not while others may ask you to pick events for your swimmer(s). Only swimmers that have positively responded that they are coming will be entered in meets. This means it is very important that you reply, one way or the other, as to your swimmers' availability for meets. This must be done 48 hour prior to the start of the meet.

Does everyone swim at the meets?

This will somewhat depend on the type of meet it is. See below for a breakdown of the different types of meets that we have throughout the season. For our regular dual meets (the majority of our meets) the answer is yes. Every swimmer on the team that is attending will swim at least Freestyle at those meets.

How do I find out what my child is swimming?

The lineups for each meet will be physically posted at the Arlington pool by the front entrance. They will also be available through Swimtopia by the morning of the meet at the latest and usually earlier. All lineups are subject to change.

How long do meets usually last?

There are many different meets, but for the dual meets (the majority of our meets) will last a little over 2 hours. This can vary depending upon the size of the teams however.

Should I stick around until the end?

Many meets have a buffet and some have a dance party/social function following. That information will be made available before the meet. These are really what add to a summer league swim team. So, if you are asking me, I would stick around, yes.

Is it okay to leave a meet early?

As long as your swimmer's events are completed (remember that the Free relays are at the end of the meet) it is acceptable to leave early as long as you let the coaching staff know before you go. This way we can be sure that they are not entered in any other events. Just know that you may be missing out on the energy and excitement that comes at the end of a close meet or a killer dance party that is being had afterward.

What are the different types of meets?

There are quite a few different types of meets. I will try to layout all the information for each type below. I will break it down into the Who (as in who swims in the meet), What (as in what do you swim at the meet), Why, and When.

Blue & Gold Kickoff Meet

Who: The entire swim team. This is an intra-squad meet, so it will only be us.

What: Each swimmer swims each and every event they are eligible for

Why: To welcome everyone to the season and to get some base event times down for the coaching staff to use throughout the season for lineups and progression.

When: Please click HERE to review the schedule.

'A' Dual Meets

Who: Everyone can swim. We will swim another team in our division.

What: Each swimmer is allowed to swim in 3 individual events and 2 relays. There is a limit to all of the stroke events, so the only guarantee is that each swimmer will swim at least freestyle.

Why: These are league division meets and count toward our overall record and league standing. 

When: Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the season. Warm-ups start at 5:30 for home meets and 6PM for away meets unless otherwise noted.

'B' Dual Meets

Who: Swimmers who do not compete in the full complement of events at regular 'A' Meets.

What: Normally this will be a meet where the swimmers can choose 3 individual events to swim. 

Why: We are a large team and have very many good swimmers who may not always swim multiple events at our 'A' meets. This is a chance for them to get some racing and times on the board.

When: Wherever and whenever we can fit them into our schedule.

Developmental Meets

Who: 10&U swimmers who do not normally participate in multiple events at 'A' meets. 

What: Events are chosen by the swimmers, but can be pared down by the coaching staff depending on the swimmer's ability in a certain stroke.

Why: To offer a shorter more condensed meet to the largest portion of our team, giving them a chance to swim multiple events.

When: Normally Saturday mornings, but they have been known to pop up elsewhere.

SuperNova Tri Meet

Who: All swim team members who are not competing in the A Division Championship and CCSDA Championship Meet.

What: This will act as a championship meet for those swimmers who are not at Divisionals or Champs. The entry process will be made by the coaching staff with recommendations from the swimmers and their parents.

Why: An annual tri-meet between the 3 Virginia teams in CCSDA, it is a fun opportunity for competition mixed with fun relays like the Wet T-Shirt, Kickboard, and Stroke-specific. The events are at the behest of the host club.

When: Please click HERE to review the schedule.

Divisional Relay Meet

Who: Only those who make their age group relay. This will be the smallest number of swimmers we have at any event the whole summer.

What: Each age group and gender swims a free relay and a medley relay. We may only enter one relay for each event.

Why: A chance to compare our age groups with the other teams in our division. It will count toward our league standings.

When: Please click HERE to review the schedule.

'A' Division Championships

Who: The top three swimmers in each event

What: Colloquially referred to merely as 'Divisionals', each swimmer may swim 3 individual events and 2 relays as chosen by the coaching staff based on the most competitive options.

Why: To crown an 'A' Division Champion

When: Please click HERE to review the schedule.

CCSDA Championships

Who: The top two swimmers in each event. Only swimmers who have swum 3 dual meets during the summer are eligible.

N.B. Because of the different entry structure it is possible to swim in Champs even if you did not swim in Divisionals.

What: Each swimmer may swim 2 individual events and 2 relays as chosen by the coaching staff.

Why: For all the marbles. This decides who wins the league among all 15 teams and what division we will be in next year.

When: Please click HERE to review the schedule.

Miscellaneous

Do I need a team suit and cap?

No, it is not a requirement to wear the team suit and cap, however, it is greatly encouraged that you do. We ask that, at the very least, the suit be one conducive to competition instead of trunks or two-pieces. It should be noted here that while you are not required to wear an Army Navy suit, you may not wear a suit or cap with another team's logo (High School, Club Team, previous summer team). Doing so will result in immediate disqualification from the event in which it was noticed.

Do you offer private lessons?

Yes, the coaches are available to provide private lessons to any member of the swim team. If you would like to set one up please contact the coach or coaches directly to ask about setting up a time convenient to both parties.