Swim Team – 2024 Season Preview!
Welcome to another fun-filled Southampton Swordfish Swim Team summer swim season! Our team practice schedule, calendar and general information can be found here: https://www.teamunify.com/team/vassst/page/home. Here is some important information for you to know!
Registration
Swim team registration will be online through our SRA Team Unify site and open April 1st. A space will be held for your swimmer once the registration form is submitted along with payment (online during registrations or via check) and one JRAC league waiver per swimmer (link to this form will also be provided during the registration process and on our website). When registering in TeamUnify, please note that everyone will be a new member.
If you have questions about registration, please email swim team directors, Jenn Walker and Ashley Barrett, at sraswimteam@gmail.com. All swimmers must be registered by May 24 in order to participate in the first meet on Sunday June 2nd or Monday June 3 (final date TBD).
Fees
- 5-16-year-olds: $115 ($120 after 5/29)
- 17–18-year-olds: $30 ($35 after 5/29)
- Families with 3 or more swimmers: 3rd or more swimmers $55 ($60 after 5/29)
Do you have a new swimmer?
To join the team, a child must be at least five years old and able to swim one length of the pool without assistance. Children new to the team (and who haven’t been on another swim team) must have an assessment with a swim coach to be certain that they are ready for the practice environment. Our 2024 assessments will be held on Sunday May 12 from 5:15 pm – 6:00 pm at SwimRVA. Our coaches will work with children one-on-one to determine readiness. To schedule an assessment for a new swimmer, please email us at sraswimteam@gmail.com. If you have a four year old that you think may be team ready, they are invited to attend the assessment; however our coaches may suggest waiting until the next year. If you are unable to attend the assessment, coaches can assess during the first week of practice but we ask that new swimmers not participate in practice until the coaches have had an opportunity to meet and work with them.
Age Group Designations
The age of your swimmer(s) as of June 1, 2024, will determine which age group they will participate in:
- 8-and-Unders (ages 5–8)
- 9–10
- 11–12
- 13–14
- 15–18 (Swimmers who turn 19 after June 1 may swim the entire season)
A Note about New Swimmers:
Some swimmers in their first year on the team will not be ready to practice with the older or more experienced swimmers in their age group. For our 8-and-unders, we will divide these swimmers into lanes to practice with a coach who can work with them on the skills they need to advance to swimming with the rest of the group. We will also be offering summer stroke and meet-ready small group clinics so stay tuned for more information!
About Practice
Many parents worry about how summer camps and vacations will affect swim practice. Please let the coaches know if your child will be away from practice for an extended time. Though we always recommend regular age group practice attendance — it helps your child make friends with teammates and become a better swimmer — we understand that situations arise where flexibility helps. Please let us know if you have short-term conflicts. Our coaches will be as flexible as possible and can arrange for your child to attend another practice for a short time.
Team Suits
The SRA team suit is a polyester suit in navy, blue and gold, and it is imprinted with our Swordfish team logo! While swimmers are encouraged to wear our team suit, any previous year’s suits are welcome as well. Suits are available for fittings and to purchase at the Disco Sports store on Starling Drive. We encourage all families to attend SRA Day at Disco Sports on Wednesday, May 15, 10:00am – 7:00 pm, to be fitted for a suit (Dolfin suits run smaller than some other brands) and purchase any other items needed for the season. Disco will have special deals on practice suits and goggles, and they will be donating a portion of the sales that day to our team!
Swim Team Communications
If you would like to receive the latest and greatest news about the swim team and are not already receiving swim team emails, contact the directors at sraswimteam@gmail.com or the SRA office at sra2office@gmail.com. Email is the primary and best way for our coaches and volunteers to communicate with you. We also post updates, events, pictures and more on our Facebook group page. Search for Southampton Swordfish Swim Team and follow the prompts to join.
JRAC:
James River Aquatic Club (JRAC) is the summer swim league in which SRA participates. To learn about JRAC and keep up with all of the JRAC happenings, you can visit their website: http://jracsummerswim.org/ or follow them on social media at: Facebook – JRAC in RVA, Instagram – @jracrva and Twitter – JRACinRVA.
Other Important Things to Know:
Our mottos: “Don’t Mess with the S” and “Strength & Honor”!
Questions?
Contact Swim Team Directors Jenn Walker and Ashley Barrett at sraswimteam@gmail.com.