To all of our returning swimmers, welcome back! We are also thrilled to welcome new swimmers to the team each year. SHRA Sharks are a team of swimmers from six to eighteen years old, with a wide variety of swim abilities. 

The summer swim team season begins the day after Memorial Day and wraps up by the end of July.  It’s short but action-packed. We ask our competitive swimmers to please avoid vacations during this time.  Your team needs you!

Our Meets

At the heart of the excitement are the A and B swim meets, as well as a handful of special meets that occur once per summer:

• • A meets are dual meets that are recognized by the Northern Virginia Swimming League (NVSL), and are conducted according to NVSL and USA Swim official rules. They are held on Saturday mornings, and swimmer assignments are determined by our coaching team. With each A meet swimmers compete for first, second, and third place points, which add up over the summer to determine a division champion pool at the end of the season. Standings are displayed on NVSL’s Standings web page. 
  • B meets are Monday night dual meets and are developmental experiences for all swimmers on the team.  Scores are not kept, but swimmers compete for good times, regulation swims (no disqualifications), and are awarded first through sixth place ribbons for each event. At B meets, any swimmer can sign up to swim for two events plus the individual medley event if they are eligible to swim it.  If a swimmer scores points for the team at an A meet they are asked to refrain from swimming that event at the following Monday night B meet.

2024 Time Trials and “B” Meets

6/8 (Sat) home – Time Trials @ SHRA
6/10 (Mon) B Meet – away at Dowden Terrace
6/17 (Mon) B Meet – home vs Dominion Hills
6/24 (Mon) B Meet – away at Wakefield Chapel
7/1 (Mon) B Meet – home vs. North Springfield
7/8 (Mon) B Meet – home vs. Chesterbrook
7/15 (Mon) B Meet – away ‘Rock and Roll Relays’ at Lee Graham

6/22 (Sat) Pinecrest at SHRA

6/26 (Wed) Divisional Relays at Virginia Run

6/29 (Sat) Cardinal Hill at SHRA

7/6 (Sat) Virginia Hills at SHRA- Class of 2024 Senior Recognitions!

7/10 (Wed) All Star Relays at Rutherford

7/13 (Sat) SHRA at Virginia Run

7/14 (Sun) Todd Potts IM Invitational at Forest Hollow

7/20 (Sat) Divisionals at Cardinal Hill

7/27 (Sat) All Stars at Pinecrest

When we begin

The 2024 meet season begins with swim practices starting after Memorial Day (Tues 5/28) and time trials are on Saturday, June 8th.

Joining the Team

For your child to join the swim team, a parent or guardian must be a SHRA member, register your children to join the team and pay a fee. Once you have registered and paid for your children’s swim team participation at the SHRA Sharks main website, please go to SHRA’s Swimtopia site to add your swimmer(s) and adult contact information.  All swim team information will be communicated through Swimtopia including B meet events and volunteer sign-ups.  It is essential that you are signed-up on Swimtopia, and please give every effort to complete SwimTopia creation by 5/31.

Swimmers’ Eligibility

SHRA swim team members must be able to demonstrate the ability to swim the length of our 25-meter pool unassisted. Parents seeking lessons to teach their children to swim may inquire about private lessons with our swim coaches.

Minnows/Learn to Swim Program (2024)

As described in the May 9, 2024 email:

• ‘Minnows’ is designed to be a stepping stone into SHRA’s swim team program, and is available for children ages 4yo-6yo. It is important that Minnows can be in the water without a parent, put their head in the water, hold on to the side of the pool on their own and be able to float on their backs. They do not need to swim across the pool on their own. There will be one certified coach with the Minnows, along with up to six junior coaches who will be in the water with the swimmers. The Minnows program is not individualized swim instruction.
• The ‘Learn to Swim’ program is geared toward SHRA’s youngest swimmers with a focus on water safety and introductory swimming skills in a hands-on group lesson setting. Swimmers should be comfortable detaching from parents/caregivers and listening to coaches to ensure their safety in and around the pool.

Coaches will hold evaluations in mid-June (~6/13-6/14) to determine if swimmers best fit in Minnows or Learn to Swim groups, the swim team, or if individualized swim lessons would be the best choice for this season. Swimmers should come to evaluations & practices with goggles, water bottles and a towel. Specifications will be communicated regarding appropriate/suggested goggles.

Minnows and Learn to Swim target start date is Monday, June 17th after evaluations are complete, as the full team transitions to morning practices. Minnows and Learn to Swim groups will practice at the same time, consistent with past Minnows practices at 11:15a-11:45a weekdays. Minnows and Learn to Swim runs weekdays for five weeks, through Friday 7/19. Minnows and Learn to Swim programs do not require the purchase of the SHRA swim team suit.

Registration for Minnows & Learn to Swim will be available online AFTER the mid-June evaluations, so that each family signs up for the path most appropriate for skill level.

Please contact swim@shrasharks.org with any questions. 

Swim Team Philosophy

We are a family-oriented team with the primary goal of providing swimmers of all abilities, ages 6 through 18, the opportunity to gain swimming experience emphasizing fundamentals and camaraderie. 

The coaching staff at SHRA believes that every successful swimmer has a love for the sport of swimming.  The coaches nurture this philosophy by developing swimmers at their own pace and constantly support swimmers to enhance all four competitive strokes, improve racing technique, build self-confidence, be active team members and learn that good sportsmanship is a non-negotiable regardless of the outcome of an event or meet.  

2024 Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Rich Early

Assistant Coach: Aubrey May

Assistant Coach: Jessica Early

Junior Coaches:

TBD

2024 Practice Times  

Swim practices begin afternoons the Tuesday after Memorial Day (5/28/24).  

Afternoon Practice (May 28-June 14):

3:45-4:45 p.m.:  13-18 age groups

4:45-5:45 p.m.:  9-12 age groups

5:45-6:30 p.m.:  8 & Under

Morning Practice (June 17- July 19)*:

7:30-8:45 a.m.:  13-18 age groups

9:00-10:00 a.m.:  9-12 age groups

10:15-11:00 a.m.:  8 & Under

*Minnows/Learn to Swim program practice details will be refined pre-season and added here. They start Mon 6/17.

Attendance by every swimmer at every practice is critical for personal growth and the team’s success.  Though we swim rain or shine, make sure you watch for email related to any dangerous weather cancellations. If you are going to be absent from practices, please notify the coaches.  

Volunteers

Summer swim relies completely on volunteer support.  If your child is signed up to swim in a meet, please plans on attending and volunteering at the meet.  Meets require 20-40 volunteers each!  Volunteer roles range from timing, to clerking, to writing ribbons and so much more.  Most roles don’t need training, they are a lot of fun, and many give parents a close-up view of the competition.

Swim Gear

Swimmers must wear the Shark’s team swimsuit and SHRA swim cap at meets.  SHRA team suits will be available for purchase at the start of the season.  Swimmers will get a t-shirt and swim cap as part of their registration.  Silicon caps will also be available for sale.  Swimmers should bring towels and water to all swim practices and meets. 

Please put your child’s name on everything!   

Social Events

Did we mention that we love to have fun?  Throughout the summer we will spice up our weeks with different events including pep rallies, the buddy program, team pictures, senior night, teams social and your year-end banquet.  We need parents to lead/organize these fun events! Please write to teams@shrasharks.org to learn more of our Team event needs.

Team Records – https://shrasharks.org/swim-records-18/

Top 10 Fasted Times – https://shrasharks.org/swim-records-best-times-last-10-years-18

Social Media –