Who can join?

The Virginia Run Community Association owns the facility that we use, and the Virginia Run Swim Team members are limited to those who live in Virginia Run and pay association dues.

How old must a swimmer be to join?

Swimmers usually start around the age of 6 and can swim up until age 18, but any age is a good age to join, as long as you can swim at least one lap. We are not a "learn to swim" program. New swimmers must be able to swim a 25M (one length of pool) freestyle, unassisted to be eligible for the team. This ensures they are water safe and ready to learn other strokes. We will hold coach evaluations about a week into the season for new swimmers to ensure they can make it. Swimmers who cannot pass the evaluation get a refund for their registration (minus swimsuit cost).

Are there volunteer requirements?

Parent Volunteering is required for the Riptide. All families must either fill 5 volunteer slots throughout the year, or take on one of the larger "exempt" volunteer jobs for the season. One volunteer slot must be at Time Trials, and no more than one may be for a social job.

When is the swim season?

We begin practices the week the pool opens, and the season goes through about the third week in July.

What Division are we in?

In 2025, Virginia Run will swim in NVSL Division 6.

What meets do we swim?

Our team participates in Time Trials, 5 A meets, 5 B meets, Relay Carnival/All Star Relay Carnival, Divisionals, and Individual All-Stars each season.

What age group will my child swim with?

Children compete in the age group corresponding to their age on June 1 of that year.

When are practices?

See our practice schedule page

Is this a learn-to-swim program?

The Virginia Run Swim Team is not a swim lesson program, and for safety reasons, all swimmers must be able to swim a length of the pool to join the team. Stroke technique and new strokes will be taught in a group setting, and we'll help your swimmer become a better swimmer, but if your child cannot swim a length of the pool, they're not ready to join the Riptide (yet!)

Practice Etiquette

• Parents must remain at the pool for all 10 and under swimmers during their practice.
• Parents and siblings should stay away from the deck near the swim lanes during practice, so swimmers can give their full attention to the coaches
• Swimmers may NOT enter any part of the pool during a practice they are not participating in. There is no lifeguard on duty during practice and the pool is not open for recreational swimming during this time. Parents must ensure their children adhere to this rule.

What is a Disqualification (DQ)? 

A DQ is any violation of the rules observed by any appropriate official. Swimmers who are DQ'd will not earn a ribbon for that race, and their time will not count.

What are the Northern Virginia Swimming League (NVSL) "A Meets"? 

NVSL is comprised of over 100 teams in the Northern Virginia area. Each year, these teams are ranked into 17 divisions, with the faster teams being in the lower number divisions. Saturday mornings, teams will swim another team from their division. The meet with have one race for each event, with up to 3 swimmers from each team competing in the race. Swimmers may only swim 2 individual events in any given A meet. Not all swimmers will qualify to swim in an A meet.

What are the West Fairfax Developmental League "B Meets"? 

The Greenbriar, Brookfield, Little Rocky Run, Oakton, Poplar Tree, Sully Station, Pleasant Valley, and Virginia Run pools have joined together for the conduct of un-scored swim meets on Monday nights, which are open to all swimmers on a team. Swimmers can choose to swim up to 2 individual strokes plus the IM in a B meet. Swimmers who have placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in an A meet may be required to swim some strokes "unofficially" - they can swim the strokes at the B meets but they will not be eligible for ribbons/awards in those strokes. The 4th meet of the season will swim the IM races *first*, whereas most other meet will swim the IM races last.

What are Time Trials? 

The week before the first meets of the season, we conduct time trials. This is a mock meet on Saturday morning, with only Virginia Run swimmers. All swimmers are expected to swim all strokes they are legal in at time trials. This gives the coaches times to help determine who will swim in the first A meet. For swimmers who cannot make Saturday morning, we host makeup time trials the following Monday night.

What are Relay Carnivals? 

Another NVSL event is the Division Relay Carnival, which takes place on the Wednesday between the third and fourth weeks of the season. All six teams in each division converge at one pool for an evening of relay races. These include both Freestyle relays (each swimmer swims the Freestyle) and Medley relays (each swimmer swims a different stroke). After each division swims their Relay Carnival, the relay teams with one of the top 18 fastest times in their event across all of NVSL are invited to attend All-Star Relay Carnival the following week.

What are Divisionals? 

At the end of the season, each Division has an Individual Championship meet, called "Divisionals". Each team is allowed to enter two swimmers in each event and a swimmer can enter no more than two events. At Divisionals, the Individual Medley (IM) is also swum. 

What are All Stars? 

After Divisionals, swimmers with one of the 18 fastest times swum in an event in a Divisional meet qualifies for the NVSL-wide All-Star meet.