Swim Team and Meet 101
THAT Swim Team FAQs
Our Goal
Our goal is for your swimmer to have fun, build their confidence, improve their technique and make friends.
All swimmers (and parents) are required to demonstrate good sportsmanship at practices and meets.
Does my child need to be a good swimmer to start?
All children must be able to swim, unassisted, 25 meters (one length of the pool) to participate in Swim Team. While some basic swimming knowledge is preferred, they do NOT need to be able to swim all strokes to participate. The coaches will teach strokes and technique.
Meet the coaches
At the first practice, we invite all swimmers and their parents to join us at the pool. Board members and Head Coach will discuss the goals of the season, introduce the assistant coaches, and provide a quick overview of what to expect in the upcoming Season. Parents and swimmers will have the opportunity to ask questions and meet the assistant coaches.
Team Suit
The Virginia Swim Shop will be in attendance at the first practice and offer complementary swim suit fittings. Swimmers can order team suits and purchase other accessories. The team suit is not required to participate in practice or meets. If the team suit is not purchased, we recommend buying a fitted (not baggy) competition suit, ie jammers (not board shorts) for boys and a one piece suit for girls. Bikinis are not permitted. Loose fitting swimwear will slow down your swimmer and may perish in a few weeks. Our team color is Purple.
For 2026, we will use the new Speedo Linear lava design.
Communications
Communication will ONLY be via email and Swimtopia App. We recommend all adults responsible for getting a swimmer to and from practices and meets are signed up to receive notifications. Time sensitive alerts will be sent via the app and email. Please ensure you have the app installed and push notifications set to on.
Buddies
We offer all families the option of connecting swimmers of different ages and swimming experience through our Buddy Program. We do our best to match a new/young swimmer with a more experienced/older swimmer for the season. Swimmers are encouraged to get to know and support each other in their swimming journey. The goal is to build on teambuilding and demonstrate support from older swimmers to newer/younger swimmers. Each meet they will exchange small snacks prior to each meet and cheer on your buddy during their races
Practice Schedule
The practice schedule will be determined by the Head Coach. Please refer to the website for days and times.
Does my child need to attend every practice?
Daily practice helps your swimmer develop strength and stamina in the water. Where possible, we suggest your swimmer attends a minimum of three practices a week, but we understand the summer months can be packed with other activities as well as a change in child care routines, so this won’t always be possible.
Do I need to attend practice with my child?
Please note that our Twin Hickory HOA Pool Rules stipulate that all swimmers aged 12 and under need an adult (18 or older) present on the pool deck at all times during practice. Older swimmers can be dropped off/ride to the pool (there is a bike rack out front). Please refer to the yearly swim packet to verify ages of swimmers that do not need a parent present.
Family members may wait on the pool deck during practice, but must not interfere with practice or distract swimmers.
What does my child need for practice
We recommend your swimmer arrive wearing their swimsuit under their clothes/parka and wearing appropriate footwear for ‘in water’, or ‘dryland’ practice. Don’t forget the sunscreen. You may want to pack some, or all of the following: towels, googles, swim cap, water bottle, snack (for after practice).
What does my child need for meets?
We recommend checking the weather forecast before leaving for the meet. Early in the season, your child may need sweatpants, sweatshirt and possibly a blanket. By the end of the season, they will no doubt need sunglasses, sun caps and a spray mist water bottle. If a storm is in the forecast, please check email regularly for updates.
We recommend your child arrives wearing their swimsuit under their clothes/parker. You may want to pack some, or all of the following: towels, swim goggles, swim cap, team shirt, cap, sunscreen, sharpie marker (meet only, to write events), blanket to sit on, themed attire. Subject to the age of your child, you may want to bring something for them to do that won’t get damaged by the water, such as a small card game, coloring book etc.
What is themed attire?
Each season, your child’s coaches will determine the team theme for each meet and share those out within the first two weeks of practice. Previous themes include: pirates, neon, Hawaiian, Americana. Please note participation is OPTIONAL.
What should Adults bring to meets?
Swim meets are busy and space is tight, so please be considerate about how much ’stuff’ you bring, and remember concessions are a fundraiser for the home team (but they may not accommodate all dietary requirements). You may wish to bring some or all of the following: lawn chairs, sun cap, sunscreen, small fan or spray mist, water bottle, sweatshirt or blanket.
Which Teams will my child compete against?
The first 6 Meets will be Dual Meets and will be swum against other teams in the SAME Division. The Division we are in is determined by last year’s team size and total points scored in the Season. At each Meet we will swim against 1 other team. Sometimes we swim with the same team more than once in a season. Meets will either be HOME (at the Twin Hickory Pool) or AWAY (at the pool of the team we are swimming against that night).
What are the Age Groups?
Your child’s age on June 1st will determine their age group for the entire season. Swimmers compete against other swimmers in the same age group (8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18). Boys and girls compete separately. Events always begin with Girls 8 & under then Boys 8 & under.
What are Events?
The Events will vary subject to the age of your child. An event will be a combination of stroke (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle and IM/Individual Medley or Medley Relay) and distance (either 25, 50 or 100 meters/yards depending on the pool).
How many events will your child swim?
A swimmer can compete in a maximum of five (5) events (<3 individual and <2 relays). The number of events will be determined by the number of competitors and the swimmer’s abilities.
What are Heats?
Swimmers are seated in Heats based on their personal best time for that Event, which means swimmers compete against other swimmers with similar times. If a swimmer does not have a previous time, they will usually be entered in the first Heat which may include other swimmers with no previous time.
The number of Heats per Event will be determined by the number of swimmers entered, and the number of lanes in the pool.
What are Champs?
If your swimmer meets the time standards required to compete in Champs at the end of the season, they will compete against all other qualifying GRAL swimmers from any/all swim teams across all Divisions. A swimmer can compete in a maximum of XX events (<XX individual and <XX relays)--number determined by GRAL. Please refer to GRAL for this information. This Meet usually takes place at a Year-Round pool such Swim RVA.
Concessions
The THAT concessions offer a great selection of hot food, cool drinks and snacks. They take electronic payments and cash. All profits support our swim team.
What happens if a meet is cancelled/suspended
Summer storms are common and may lead to the suspension or re-scheduling of the meet. Please check the Swimtopia app and/or email regularly for updates. The safety of all swimmers is of paramount importance. Participants and ALL their gear must be removed from the pool deck area as soon as possible. Competition will resume 30 minutes after the last report of lightning(determined by the pool management and not THAT).
Volunteer Signup
As part of your swimmer’s enrollment for Summer Swim, you committed to Volunteer at XX meets.--Number can/will change yearly. Set number of sessions will be communicated to the parents at the start of the season. Majority of sessions are half meet sessions starting around 530pm and thru Event 28. Select position sessions can be completed beforehand, after, or at different times. Please confirm with the Volunteer Coordinator the time and where to be if you do not know. The timings will be announced via the PA system, so be aware the time your shift will start/end. We cannot run the meets without our parent volunteers. If you find you are unable to volunteer as planned, we ask that you either swap your Volunteer dates/roles with another swim family and notify our Volunteer Coordinator. Alternatively you can ask our Volunteer Coordinator for a contact list of teens who you can pay to fulfil your volunteer obligations. Please note some positions are board-certified and will need extra training. Also refer to Volunteering tab at the top of this page.
Want to be a THAT Sponsor?
Thank you for your interest! Please reach out to our Sponsor Coordinator (Brooke Joyce at [email protected] ) to discuss the options available to you.
THAT Board
The THAT Board is made up, entirely of parent volunteers, who work tirelessly to create a fun summer swim experience for your kids. If you would like to inquire about opportunities to join the Board, please email: [email protected]
