Who can join the Rockville Racers Swim Team?
The Rockville Racers Swim Team is open to children ages 18 and younger of families who are members of the Rockville Center Pool. Team members must be able to swim across the pool. We have a Jr. team for children (typically ages 5-7) who can swim, but not yet across the pool. A date will be scheduled at the beginning of the season for evaluations of young swimmers to determine if they can join the Jr. team.
How much does it cost to join the team?
The 2019 swimmers’ fees are $85.00 for the 1st swimmer, $150.00 for 2 swimmers, $205 for 3 swimmers, and maximum of $260 for 4 or more swimmers.
Additional costs to the swimmer may be associated with the purchase of swimsuits, caps, goggles, or spirit wear.
What if my child isn’t a strong swimmer or doesn’t know all the strokes?
The Rockville Racers is comprised of swimmers at all skill levels. Swim team is a great way to learn and improve in an encouraging and fun environment. Regular practice attendance will typically result in significant learning and improvement for a swimmer over the course of the season.
When does the season start and end?
Swim team begins mid-May and extends to mid-July. Expect 3-4 weeks of training before the first meet. The season consists of six meets held weekly (usually on Wednesdays). The 2019 meet schedule will be 6/12 (tentative), 6/19, 6/26, 7/3, 7/10, and 7/16. If your child qualifies for Champs, practices will continue through July and the Champs meet will be held on 7/27 and 7/28.
When is practice?
There are both morning and evening practices held throughout each week. You do not have to attend all the practices. You pick and choose the ones that work for your schedule and how many times a week you would like your child to practice.
What is the meet schedule?
There are six meets in a season, three home and three away. Typically, the meet schedule starts at 4:30PM with check-in and warm-ups and the meet officially begins at 6PM. Each meet is divided into two halves. Younger swimmers (8 and unders) swim in the first half and are usually finished by 8:30PM.
What if my child will miss a meet?
If you know ahead of time that you will not be at a meet, please email rockvilleracersteam@gmail.com and notify the coach as soon as possible, but AT LEAST two days prior to the meet so the coaches do not schedule your child. Missing swimmers especially impact relays and it takes a lot of work to redo the relays if the coach finds out later that a swimmer will be absent.
What should I bring to a meet?
- Extra towels
- Extra goggles: it’s always a good idea to have a back-up pair
- Extra hair bands for swimmers with long hair
- Swim Cap: we encourage you to wear the Rockville Racers team cap
- Fold-Up Chairs and/or blankets to sit on, especially at away meets
- Sweatshirts: swimmers can get chilly at the night goes on
- Money for concession items
- Things to keep your swimmer busy while they are waiting to swim (books, cards, etc.)
How do I know how well my child did in his/her event? Each meet will have a designated area where event results are posted. Your child will be grouped with other swimmers by age and swimming ability for their finish place. The five categories, which are determined by time (based on event, age, and gender), are Novice, Advanced, Junior Varsity, Varsity, and Senior Varsity. Any time that is in the JV, V, or SV category qualifies your swimmer for Champs. Your child may win his/her heat, but not win first place in the event.
Do I have to volunteer?
Yes! Meets are made possible solely by the efforts of our amazing parent volunteers! With approximately 50 positions (each position is for either first or second half of the swim meet, NOT the whole thing) to fill for each meet, it is mandatory that at least one member from each family volunteer one half of each meet. No matter what position you fill, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH YOUR CHILD SWIM! Most positions require no formal training (like timing—you get to watch all the swimming and get to know other swim parents) and are easy and fun. A few (such as Strokes & Turns Official) require training and certification by GRAL. A SignUpGenius link will be emailed once the season starts to secure volunteers for each meet and a description of each volunteer position and its responsibilities will be provided.
What is GRAL?
GRAL stands for the Greater Richmond Aquatic League. We belong to this league with 29 other teams. The teams are broken into divisions (determined based on past performance and team size). Our division determines the teams against whom we compete. See the GRAL website for more info.
How do I find out more?
We are so glad you are interested in finding out more about the Rockville Racers Swim Team! We hope to make 2019 a fun and positive experience for all the swimmers! For more information, and to ask other questions, please contact at rockvilleracersteam@gmail.com.
