We are ONE week away from our first day of practice, and we are excited to get started! If you have not yet registered for the 2026 season, please do so as soon as possible. Remember, swimmers may not attend practice until they are fully registered in the system.

When registering, please make sure your swimmer’s t-shirt size is updated, as we will be placing our team t-shirt order on June 1.

Swimmers should bring:

• A towel
• Goggles
• A swim cap

Since the weather can still be chilly at the start of the season, please also send warm clothes for swimmers to change into after practice.

If you are new to the swim team, please know that the first few weeks of afternoon practices can feel a little chaotic as we work through lane assignments and adjust to the pool being open to members. Once we transition to morning practices, everything settles in and the real fun begins!

We can’t wait to kick off another amazing season together.

Registration Information

To register, log in to the team website and click the Registration link.

Please note:

• June 1 is the last day to register before the $50 late fee is added.
• June 12 is the final registration deadline.

If your swimmer is new to the team this year, they will need to complete a tryout. Outdoor tryouts will be held on June 1 and June 2 in the afternoon.

If you are interested in scheduling a tryout, please contact Lauren Iannitto directly.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• May 28 – First Day of Practice
• June 1 – Last Day to Register Before $50 Late Fee
• June 1 – Team Suit Try-On with Sport Fair (4–6 PM)
• June 4 – Welcome Back Potluck & New Parent Orientation (6 PM @ Pool)
• June 12 – Time Trials Setup
• June 13 – Time Trials
• June 15 – B Meet: Hollin Meadows @ Mansion House

🚗 Last Call for Car Flags

Heading to an away meet? Grab a Barracuda car flag and show your team spirit before you even hit the pool! It’s a fun way to spot teammates on the road and bring the energy wherever we go.

Orders close tomorrow, so make sure to get yours in! Link to order.

Mini Barracuda Program

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for our inaugural summer of the Mini Barracuda program! We have had an incredible response and are excited to welcome so many new swimmers to the Barracuda family this summer.

As stated on the website, the Mini Barracuda program will officially kick off on June 22.

As we prepare for the season, if you have not already done so, please email Lauren at [email protected] to:

• Schedule an evaluation for your child, or
• Let us know which group you believe would be the best fit

This will help us finalize group placements and ensure swimmers are placed appropriately for a fun and successful experience.

We are looking forward to a great first summer of Mini Barracudas!

Important Changes to Meet Declarations & SwimTopia

As many of you have probably noticed, we recently transitioned the team over to a new website platform powered by SwimTopia. In addition to hosting our team website, SwimTopia will now also manage all swim meets behind the scenes this season.

Returning families will notice several changes to how things have been done in past years.

One of the first things we strongly recommend is downloading the SwimTopia app. The app is a great way to:

• Access our team website
• Declare your swimmer for meets
• View meet entries and heat sheets
• Receive swimmer times and results quickly during meets

Meet Declarations

The biggest change for parents this season will be the meet declaration process.

It is extremely important that all families begin declaring swimmers for both A Meets and B Meets as soon as declarations open.

For B Meets specifically, parents will now have the ability to select the two events they would like their swimmer to participate in.

Because meets will now be pre-seeded and lane/timing sheets printed in advance, swimmers will not be able to participate in a B Meet unless they have been declared available ahead of time.

We know this is a big transition and appreciate everyone’s patience as we learn the new system together. We will have additional information, instructions, and updates to share after attending SwimTopia training on May 30.

In the meantime, please make sure you are beginning to declare your swimmers for all upcoming meets and events.

📱 Remind App

Throughout the season, we will use Remind for quick updates such as weather delays, cancellations, and important announcements.

To sign up for Hollin Meadows Swim Team 2026 notifications, please use the following link:

https://www.remind.com/join/789ac22

Calendar of Events

If you have not already done so, please visit the Events or 2026 Calendar tab on the team website and add all swim meets and team events to your calendar.

Swimsuit Try-On

Team suit try-on will be held Monday, June 1 from 4–6 PM at the HMSTC pool.

Please note:

• Suits and goggles will only be available onsite that day.
• If you cannot attend or would like to purchase sooner, please visit our online SwimOutlet team store.

Even if you shop elsewhere on SwimOutlet.com, the team still receives a portion of the sale when Hollin Meadows Barracudas (hmbarracudas) is selected as your team.

🍩 Donut Tuesdays

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for a Donut Tuesday spot!

We are currently setting up a Friends of Hollin Meadows Swim Team fundraiser through the donut orders. Donuts will cost $10 per dozen, and 20% of each order will be donated back to the swim team.

More ordering information will be shared soon.

Pep Rally Themes

Our 2026 Pep Rally themes are posted on the website under each meet, and a separate document is attached to this email.

Start planning your outfits early — we cannot wait to see everyone’s team spirit!

Parents: Don’t forget your white shirts and blue shorts for Time Trials and all meets (no team logos).

Private Swim Lessons

We receive many questions each year about private swim lessons.

All of our coaches are available for private lessons. A contact sheet will be available at the front desk. Please coordinate directly with coaches regarding scheduling and availability.

We Need Your Help

Volunteer sign-ups for all meets are now live on the website.

Running a successful swim meet requires approximately 30 parent volunteers from our team at every meet. We ask that every family contribute throughout the season in some capacity.

If you are new to swim meets, don’t worry — there is a role for everyone, and we are happy to pair you with experienced volunteers. Volunteering is also a great way to meet other swim families and be part of the team community.

NVSL Officials — We Need Your Help

Several longtime officials are graduating, and we urgently need new parents to step into these roles. Simply put, we cannot run meets without certified officials.

No experience is necessary — training is provided.

In addition to deck officials, we are also looking for another Head Timer to help with Away B Meets.

Please consider attending NVSL University training sessions.

Important Update for 2026

All NVSL clinics will be held in person only this year (no virtual options).

Saturday, May 30 — NVSL University (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 Recertification — 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 Recertification — Crosspointe
• Ref/Starter Recertification — Sully Station II

Wednesday, June 17 — 7–9 PM

• Stroke & Turn — Hayfield Farm
• Stroke & Turn — Sleepy Hollow Recreation Association

Please note: New Referee/Starter clinics are for new officials only and cannot be used for recertification.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Thank you to everyone who has already donated!

This is our final call for sponsors for the 2026 season. If you are interested in sponsoring or donating to the Barracudas, there are two ways to contribute:

• Mail in a check using our sponsorship form
• Sponsor online through our website

Thank you for your continued support of the Barracudas!

Go Barracudas!

Lauren & Michelle