Riptide News 

5-21-26

This is the first installment of the Riptide News for 2026. The Riptide News will be sent out weekly (on Sunday, except for this week due to the holiday weekend) and we’ll try to include all the important information you’ll need for a great Riptide week. You can also expect to get separate emails specific to the A Meet and B Meet for that week. This week’s Riptide News contains lots of important information to help us get the season started. Please take the time to read through it thoroughly. As always don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions [email protected]

In This Addition:

1. Rock the Block, May 24th
2. Practice Begins, May 26th
3. King of Pops, May 29th
4. Registration is Still Open
5. Declare Your Swimmer for A Meets
6. Call for Volunteers
7. Riptide Sponsorship
8. Team T-Shirts
9. Team Swim Suits
10. Master Calendar Updates

Attachments:

1. Master Calendar
2. Sponsorship Form
3. Jolyn at JMRC Flyer
4. VR Riptide Season Schedule 2026

Rock the Block, Sunday May 24th: We will have a tent at this year's Rock the Block at JMRC 2pm-7pm! Jolyn will be on site selling their very popular swimsuits, perfect for practice. This event is open to everyone, so please encourage your swim friends at other pools to come and shop with Jolyn! A portion of the sales will go back to the team. All event details are on the Virginia Run neighborhood website and facebook page

Practice Begins, Tuesday May 26th: Thefirst day of practice is May 26th! Please make sure you have goggles, cap (optional), and fins (write your name in sharpie on both fins). We understand that many sports are wrapping up and there are many end of the school year activities going on. Swimmers should attend practice when they are available. There is no need to email if they will miss a practice.

PM Practice Schedule May 26 - June 17

• 13 year olds and older: 4:00-5:00pm
• 8 year olds and younger: 5:00-5:45pm
• 9-12 year olds: 5:45-6:45pm

King of Pops, Friday May 29: Popsicles from King of Pops will be available for sale at the pool for community members and our team during all practices on 5/29! They serve all-natural, non-GMO, dye free, real fruit popsicles with a variety of fruity and creamy options. A portion of sales will be donated back to the team.

Registration Is Still Open: If you haven't already, register your swimmer(s) today!! It's hard to plan the season when we don't know who is on the team, so the sooner you register the better.

Declare Your Swimmer: Please declare your swimmer's availability for all A meets NOW!! Only declare 'no' if you will be out of town. This helps us determine who will be in town for the A meets. Even if you don't normally attend the A meets, still declare 'yes' because you never know if your swimmer will be selected to swim! Instructions on how to do this can be found here

PLEASE NOTE there is a meet on July 4 this year. PLEASE make every effort to be available to swim that day. VR has never swam against three of our A meet teams before, plus we are swimming against our neighbors at Sully Station on July 4, so let's make sure we show these teams what Riptide is all about!! Division 10 is very new for us, as our team has not been in a double digit division since the 1990s. Let's be committed to doing and bringing our best each and every week!

Please do your best to save vacations for August when swim team is over. If you are already planning to go out of town during swim season, please consider leaving after the A meet or leaving vacation a little early so that you're there for the meet. We are part of a team and we do not want to let our teammates down.

Call for Volunteers: Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to fill important roles this summer!

We are still in urgent need of a Head B Meet timer. This position needs to be filled in order to run our Monday night B meets. This is an exempt position, meaning you will not need to complete additional volunteer jobs. Please reach out to me if you would like more information or are interested.

We are still looking for a volunteer to plan and coordinate our end of the year banquet. Please email Stefanie McCrea if you have any interest and would like to discuss more details. There is a lot of information that will be passed on to you from previous years and there is flexibility in the scale of the event.

Other volunteer opportunities still available:

• 3rd A meet representative / Board position (will work with current representatives; must be willing to continue the job next year)
• 3rd Data Coordinator (will work with current data coordinators; must be willing to continue the job next year)
• Officials (back up referee / head official, stroke and turn) - NVSL training is required but you do not need prior swim experience.

If you have not signed up for your 6 volunteer positions, please do so as soon as you can. All volunteer positions for meets and social events are up on the website! Questions? Contact Stefanie McCrea [email protected]

Riptide Sponsorship: Sponsoring the Virginia Run Riptide is a great way to give back to the community and advertise your business! Sponsorship money in 2026 will help us pay for timing supplies, senior gifts for graduating seniors, and help us start saving for sound system/timing system replacement in the future. Fees are as follows, $500 for a Corporate, $300 if a Riptide family-owned businesses, and $150 for a family sponsorship. We will place your company logo on banner displayed for all 5 home meets (plus Time Trials and Division 10 Relay Carnival). Additionally, we will place your company logo and link on our website, Thank You announcement as a sponsor at all home meets, Sponsorship acknowledgement on team emails, and Shoutouts on our social media. The sponsorship form is attached to this email. Questions? Contact Jen [email protected]

Team T-shirt: Reminder that each swimmer will receive a team t-shirt (designed by one of our swimmers) with registration and they will arrive by our first meet. This was made possible by Pin Oak Tree Services. We have additional t-shirts for sale and matching hoodies available in white, green, and purple HERE. All proceeds support our team. Questions? Contact Jen [email protected]

Team Swimsuits: If you haven’t already, take your swimmer(s) to Cassel’s to get sized. Cassel’s is open Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm.

Suits ordered after May 10th may not make it in time for time trials and you will be responsible for picking them up individually from Cassel’s. Questions? e-mail Jen [email protected]

Master Calendar: Please find our updated master calendar attached. The only change to note is the movie outing has been moved to July 14.

Stay Connected: Follow our team on Instagram and X @vrriptide! We also have a Facebook group where last minute reminders are sent and people can ask questions.

Thank you to our sponsors!  Virginia Run Community, Virginia Run Children's Consignment Sale, Cheron Orthodontics, The Dog Stop, Collegiate Sealers and Paving, and Pin Oak Tree Services