Welcome to the 2024 season of the Greenbriar Dolphins Swim Team! We’re excited to have another large, competitive team this summer with 175 swimmers ranging from ages 5 to 18. Look for a weekly update like this from now until the end of the season with everything you need to be tracking for the week ahead. There’s a lot of information in them so please be sure to read them all the way through.

Practices Begin on Tuesday: Our first practice sessions kick off on Tuesday afternoon. Our practice schedule can be viewed by logging into our team website https://www.greenbriardolphins.org) or navigating directly the practice schedule (https://www.greenbriardolphins.org/practices). We’ve again slightly altered the schedule from what was originally posted to align with our team size, and assigned every swimmer to an afternoon practice group. You may locate the practice group for each of your swimmers two ways:

1. Next to the swimmer’s name in the SwimTopia Mobile app
2. By logging into the SwimTopia website and viewing each swimmer through your account

Our older swimmers in Session A (3:30 to 4:15) will be expected to help get the pool situated before practices begin (dropping in lane lines, backstroke flags, etc.). Swimmers for all other sessions should rally near the flagpole in the grassy area behind the diving well as indicated for their practice sessions on the schedule to do some stretching and dryland before they start swimming. There will be no practice on Wednesday, June 12th, and we will switch over to morning practices on Thursday, June 13th.

Pool Capacity For Afternoon Practices: Until school is out and we switch to morning practices, our afternoon practices will be held while the pool is open to all pool members for recreational swim. This means that there may be days, especially as the weather warms, when you arrive at the pool to find it at full capacity. If this should occur, you must simply wait until patrons already in the pool depart. We do not have any priority over any other member to access the pool. Here are some hints and requests from us to help alleviate this situation:

●Please limit the number of family members who accompany your swimmer to the pool for practice. Every person through the gate counts towards the pool capacity of 248 whether they are in the actual pool or just on the pool deck.

●Please leave the pool as soon as your swimmer has finished their practice. This will allow those swimmers waiting outside the pool to enter to start their practice.

●As your swimmers become more familiar and comfortable with the routine they may enter and exit the pool for practice unaccompanied.

Should the pool reach capacity, and you are unable to enter the pool, please remember above all else to be patient and kind to the front desk staff. They really do want to let you and your swimmer in the pool, but until other patrons depart their hands are tied.

Coaching Staff:We have an awesome coaching staff this season with familiar faces, some in different roles. One significant change is we have not one, but TWO Assistant Head Coaches this season to assist Head Coach Pat lead our large number of swimmers and our developmental coaching staff.

●Pat McAndrews, Head Coach ([email protected], 703.424.5866)
●Lilly Nguyen, Assistant Head Coach
●Milo Molloy, Assistant Head Coach
●Coach Will, Developmental Coach
●Coach Liz, Developmental Coach
●Coach Nate, Developmental Coach
●Coach Natalie, Assistant Developmental Coach
●Coach Lorelei, Assistant Developmental Coach
●Coach Riana, Assistant Developmental Coach

While we are holding our afternoon practices, Assistant Head Coaches Lilly and Miloy will be kicking off Practice Session A comprised of our older swimmers. Head Coach Pat, Coach Lilly, and Coach Milo will be assisted by all the developmental coaches for our remaining practice sessions.

WE NEED YOUR HELP PARENTS: It takes a lot of parent volunteers to run our swim team program. Most require no previous experience or training, and you will be able to sign up for them on a per-event basis. HOWEVER, this year especially, we are in need of more certified officials. We can’t run our meets without them, and by them we mean YOU! There are 2 hour clinics which will be held over the next few weeks, the next one being on June 1st at the Fairfax County Government Center. Please, PLEASE, PLEASE consider signing up to be a Stroke and Turn Judge (clinic at 10:30AM on June 1st). Meet officials get the best vantage point for viewing our meets, and we can’t run our meets without them. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have. Please know once you’re certified we will transition you into the rotation over time. You won’t be solo until you’re comfortable.

Additionally, we are also looking for some folks to take over more responsibilities at our Dolphin Diner (our great fundraising operation that helps keep our costs in check), assisting with social events as well as other areas.

Mobile App/Website: To survive summer swim as a parent requires you to keep on top of the schedule. The best way to do that is through the team website. Once you’ve logged in you’ll have access to everything you need. Another way to keep up with your swimmer’s times and the jobs you sign up for is the Swimtopia Mobile App for Android or Apple iOS. For the mobile app, there is NO NEED to upgrade to the Pro version as we don’t use any features paying for the app will unlock. You may also find keeping a link to the website on the home screen of your mobile device is equally, if not the best way to keep track of things.

Facebook Page: Besides our website and the other resources mentioned above, we’ve fostered a great community of current and former parents and swimmers on our team Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/411735892318380). Join the conversation, get your questions answered, and make new summer friends.

See you at the pool!

Team Reps Dan Klanderman, Rob Wayment, and Asst. Team Rep Stephanie Kim
[email protected]

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NVSL University Clinic Schedule

Saturday, June 1st
8AM-1PM NVSLU @ Fairfax County Govt Center
12000 Government Center Parkway Fairfax, VA 22035.
**We will have volunteers in the lobby to direct you to the correct rooms for your clinics.

• NEW Referee Only* @ 8AM
• NEW Starter Only* @ 8AM
• Ref/Starter Recertification @ 8AM
• Stroke and Turn (New and Recert) @ 10:30AM
• Chief Timer Clinic @ 8:30AM
• Hy-Tek @ 8AM
• Table Admin @ 10:30AM
  *New Referee and New Starter clinics are only for those new to the position and cannot be used to recertify.

(more scheduled dates can be found on a document in this folder: https://www.mynvsl.com/documents?folder_id=36249)