Barracudas Season Updates + Merchandise Orders
It’s hard to believe we’re less than 40 days away from the first Barracuda practice of the season! As we gear up for another exciting summer, we wanted to share a few important reminders:
Registration is open! Please register as soon as possible so we can be fully prepared for a great start to the season.
📅 Upcoming Dates to Remember
- April 26 – Meet the Coaches Pizza Party
- May 12 – Sweatshirt & Swim Cap Orders Due
- May 28 – First Day of Practice
- June 1 – Last day to register before $50 late fee is added
- June 1 – Team Suit Try-On with Sport Fair (4–6pm)
- June 4 – Welcome Back Potluck & New Parent Orientation (6pm @ the pool)
🍕 Pizza Party this Sunday!
We’re thrilled to welcome back Coach Heidi and can’t wait for everyone to meet Coach Avery. Join us for a casual pizza party, reconnect with your swim friends, and kick off the season together.
👉 RSVP by Thursday on the website.
Please note: only families who are registered in the system will be able to RSVP. If you plan on attending and have not yet registered, please email Lauren and Michelle ([email protected] and [email protected]) with the number of people attending so we can ensure accurate pizza counts.
🛍️ Team Merchandise Orders – Now Open!
We’re excited to offer our newly designed team sweatshirts and swim caps!
- Swim Caps: $18 each
- Sweatshirts: $45 each
- Order Deadline: May 12
All orders must be placed through the website.
👉 When placing your order, please use the personalization field to include your last name (and size for sweatshirts) so we can ensure accurate delivery.
🩱 Swimsuit Try-On
Suit Try-on is scheduled for Monday, June 1 at the HMSTC pool from 4–6pm. As a reminder, we will only have suits and goggles onsite for one day only.
If you aren’t able to make this date or would like to purchase your team suit sooner, please check out our online store at Swim Outlet, which can be found on our website.
Don’t see what you are looking for in the team store? No worries—you can shop anywhere on SwimOutlet.com and we will still earn a portion of the sale. Just make sure you identify Hollin Meadows Barracudas (hmbarracudas) as your team.
🍩 Donut Tuesdays
Donut Tuesdays are back again this year—and we need your help!
We are looking for 5 volunteers to sign up and bring donuts. Information on dates, times, and quantities needed can be found on the team website under events. This is a great option for working parents to earn volunteer points!
🐬 Additional Mini Barracuda Time Slot
We are so happy with the response to the new Mini Barracuda program! We’ve heard from a few working families requesting an earlier time slot and will be adding a session from 8:00–8:45.
Registration
Online registration is now open through our website. All swimmers must register each season, including those currently participating in winter swim.
To register:
- Log in to the site
- Navigate to Home → Registration
Please note: Registration closes June 12th, with a $50 late fee applied after June 1st.
Mini Barracuda Program
We’re excited to introduce our Mini Barracuda program, designed for younger or developing swimmers who aren’t quite ready for the full swim team experience.
This program is a great fit for swimmers who:
- Are still building confidence in the water
- Are working toward swimming a full length of the pool independently
- Want a fun, supportive introduction to swim team basics
Mini Barracudas will focus on:
- Stroke development and technique
- Water safety and endurance
- Building confidence in a team-oriented environment
Program groups and times:
- Minnows (working parents): 8:00–8:45
- Dolphins: 8:45–9:15
- Minnows: 9:30–10:00
- Guppies: 10:15–10:45
We will cap each group at 10 swimmers to maintain a strong instructor-to-swimmer ratio and ensure individualized attention.
The program will be led by Sayla Runnels and a fantastic group of coaches and will help prepare swimmers to transition to the full team when they’re ready.
More details, including structure and expectations, can be found on our website.
Swim Team Tryouts (New Swimmers)
New swimmers interested in joining the full team will need to attend a tryout. Swimmers should be able to swim the full length of the pool (any stroke) without assistance or touching the bottom.
Indoor tryouts (Mt. Vernon Rec Center at 6:45pm):
- April 26
- May 3
- May 17
Outdoor tryouts:
- June 1 (afternoon)
- June 2 (afternoon)
To sign up for a tryout, please email:
[email protected] and [email protected]
Stay Connected
Our 2026 calendar, including practice schedules and meets, is now live on the website. You can subscribe directly to sync events with your personal calendar.
Sponsorship Opportunities
We’re also seeking support from local businesses and families to help fund team equipment, events, and traditions. Sponsorships are a great way to support the team while gaining visibility in our community.
New this year, sponsors can:
- Mail in a check using our sponsorship form
- Sponsor online through our website
NVSL Officials — We Need Your Help to Run Meets
Many of our longtime officials have swimmers graduating, which means we need new parents stepping in now. Simply put: we cannot host A Meets or B Meets without enough certified officials.
Becoming an official is one of the best ways to support the team while still having a front-row seat to watch your swimmer compete. No experience is required, and veteran officials will help you learn.
Important 2026 Update:
All NVSL clinics will be held in person this year. There are no virtual recertification options.
👉 Action Needed:
If you plan to attend a clinic or recertify, please email Lauren at [email protected] so we can track our official coverage for the season.
2026 NVSL Officials Clinic Schedule
Saturday, May 16 — 8–10 AM
- New Referee — Shouse Village
- Stroke & Turn (New/Recert) — Sleepy Hollow Bath & Racquet
Sunday, May 17 — 8–10 AM
- New Starter — Pleasant Valley
Wednesday, May 20 — 7–9 PM
- Ref/Starter Recert — Little Hunting Park
- Ref/Starter Recert — Old Keene Mill
Saturday, May 30 — NVSL University (NVSLU) | 8 AM–1 PM
Fairfax County Government Center
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA
- New Referee — 8–10 AM
- New Starter — 8–10 AM
- Ref/Starter Recert — 8–10 AM
- Meet Maestro Training — 8–10 AM
- Chief Timer Clinic — 9–10 AM
- Stroke & Turn (New/Recert) — 10:30 AM–12:30 PM
Sunday, June 7 — 8–10 AM
- Stroke & Turn — Orange Hunt
- Stroke & Turn — High Point Pool
Sunday, June 14 — 8–10 AM
- New Referee or Starter — Rolling Valley
- Ref/Starter Recert — Crosspointe
- Ref/Starter Recert — Sully Station II
Wednesday, June 17 — 7–9 PM
- Stroke & Turn — Hayfield Farm
- Stroke & Turn — Sleepy Hollow Recreation Association
⭐ New Referee/Starter clinics are for new officials only and cannot be used for recertification.
We’re looking forward to a great season — see you on deck soon!
Lauren & Michelle