Good morning Piranhas families!

Two great meets this week to wrap up our regular season. Piranhas defeated Kincaid Forest on a stormy Wednesday night, winning 575-217. Yesterday we won against Potomac Station with a score of 745-210.

Congratulations to all of our swimmers on some great swim performances this week and throughout the season. Summer swim team has always been about community, love and encouragement, and the Piranhas embody that spirit!

All Star Cut Times

ODSL has released the time standards for the All Star meet this year. They have been posted under the Meet Sheets & Results page on the website.

We have 47 swimmers who have qualified for the All Star meet this year! Congratulations on an amazing season!

Divisionals on July 20

For all swim team members, our next meet will be Divisionals hosted by Dulles Farm this Saturday, July 20.

• You must declare your swimmer's events by Wednesday, July 17. Minis swimmers should not declare for the meet.
• Swimmers may only compete in the End of Season (EOS) meets if the swimmer has swum in at least two League sanctioned meets during the current season.
• A swimmer without an official League time (NT) in an event cannot swim in that event in an EOS Meet.
• Swimmers who make 1 All-Star qualifying time are eligible to swim at Divisionals, but not in the event they qualified for.
• Swimmers who have 2 or more All-Star qualifying times are not eligible to swim at the Divisional meet.
• Each swimmer may declare for up to 3 individual events for the meet. Please reach out to Coach Sabine if you have questions about what events to sign up for.
• No relays will be held at the Divisional or All Star meet.

Questions on how to sign up your swimmer or volunteer for a meet? Check out this help article for detailed instructions or reach out to a board member with any additional questions.

Other notes on meets

A few other reminders to families for meets:

• Please have your swimmers check in as soon as they arrive to the meet. This helps our clerks of course know who is present when lining up the swimmers for events.
• It is critical the swimmers check in on time. There is a lot of work involved to set lanes assignments and finalize heats between the time swimmer's check in and the time the meet starts. If swimmers check in late they will not be able to swim in the meet. If you have issues getting to check-in on time, please call or text Tracie Buckley at (703) 665-9901.
• Volunteers should also check in as soon as they arrive to the meet. You need to check in to ensure you get credit for your volunteer hours.
• Please make sure you honor your volunteer commitments. If unexpected circumstances arise, let a board member know as soon as possible so that we can find a substitute.
• If your swimmer cannot swim in one or more events that he/she initially signed up for, please let a board member or coach know as soon as possible. We understand that unexpected changes in plans can happen, but it's imperative that our clerks know when swimmers are absent so that we can adjust our event lineups.
• If your swimmer is not swimming they are not allowed in the pool. No exceptions.
• DO NOT photograph or record your swimmer from behind the blocks. This is a safety rule for our swimmers. You are welcome to take pictures from the spectator areas on the sides of the pool but not from the pool ends where swimmers enter and exit the pool.
• Finally, a word about courtesy when it comes to our pool and our neighbors' pools. There is a principle in Boy Scouts called Leave No Trace that states that you should leave an environment exactly as you found it. It is imperative that our swimmers follow this same principle at swim meets. Please ensure that you clean up any food wrappers or other trash off the pool deck before you leave. It is important that we treat our pool facilities and other communities' facilities with respect as it reflects on our team, our parents and our community. Parents, please make sure your swimmers are cleaning up after themselves and are respectful of the pools we compete in.

All Stars on July 27

The All Star meet will be held on July 27 at Loudoun Valley for those swimmers who qualify (see above). Qualifying swimmers must declare for the meet by Sunday, July 21 to participate.

Stroke Clinics

This week we will offer stroke clinics for swimmers who want to get some extra help with their stroke development and technique. The sessions run from 12:15 - 12:45 am at Southern Walk pool and cost $10 per swimmer, cash only. These clinics are very popular so be sure to sign up fast, and please only sign up if your swimmer is able to attend so that everyone gets an opportunity to participate.

You can sign up for this week's stroke clinics at this Signup Genius page.

Piranha Pals and Mini Meet #2

This Friday will be our last Piranha Pals and Mini Meet of the season. Swimmers should arrive at 8:15 am with their tie dye shirts. We will sign autographs on the shirts, have a pancake breakfast to celebrate the season and cheer on the minis!

Practices

Practices continue in the mornings at Southern Walk pool this week Monday through Thursday. Friday will be our final Piranha Pals and Mini Meet of the season. 

Practice Reminders

• Do not go up to your swimmer or a coach during practice
• Bring all your equipment to practice. This includes goggles, fins and a cap or at least a hair tie for long hair
• Do not record/video practices - you can record/video your swimmer in a meet but not at practice
• During practices and swim meets, swimmers (and their siblings) are NOT allowed in the shallow end of the pool or in the baby pool. This is a safety issue as there are no lifeguards on duty during our practices

End-of-Season Party - July 20 - RSVP Today!

• Please RSVP here by July 14th to help us out with a headcount!
• We still have Food & Drinks contribution slots open, so please check it out and bring what you can :)
• We need a few more brave parents to complete the Relay and Races!

Let's celebrate our swimmers and a great season! Music, awards, a photo booth, games, pool fun, and food!

Saturday, July 20th: 5-9pm

Southern Walk Pool

Awards at 6:50pm, Relay/Races begin around 7:15pm

Help us with a headcount and RSVP here by July 14th!

**Due to pool capacity, attendance is limited to swimmer(s) and immediate family only.**

Food & Drinks

Chick-Fil-A Nuggets and Rubino's Pizza will be provided! Help us make it an even more delicious team feast and contribute yummy food and drinks: Food & Drinks Sign Up Genius

Volunteer Hours

If you still need volunteer hours (or just want to help because it's fun!), we'd love to have you. Volunteer Hours Sign Up Genius

Fun & Games

We'll have a blast with Parents vs Coaches Freestyle Relay, T-Shirt Relay, and a Chariot Race! Join the fun at Relay and Race Sign-Up!

Tennis Ball Toss Fundraiser: be sure to bring your cash for a chance to play and win some money! $10 for 12 balls or $1 per ball.

See you at the party, Piranhas!

Contact Becca Koontz ([email protected]) and Kristin Burns ([email protected]) with any questions!

HOA Notes

Please note that per HOA safety rules, glass containers, alcohol, and tents/shade structures with sides or walls are not allowed at the party. Pop-up shades without sides or walls are fine. Pool floats are permitted.

Weather alerts

Our new website allows us to send alert notifications directly to team members via the SwimTopia mobile app. In the event of thunderstorms, if we need to cancel practices we will send out mobile alerts as well as emails. Please download the mobile app to ensure you get these notifications. Make sure notifications are enabled for the app!