FAQS
What is the Junior Team? our Junior Team is for young kids who are not quite ready to join swim team. They must be able to propel themselves to edge of the pool and be able to stay afloat for at least a few minutes and swim 1/2 the length of the pool. This team is geared toward teaching basic freestyle and backstroke technique in order to move up to full team status (does not replace basic swim lessons). They practice alongside the regular team and move over to the regular team during the season when the coaches feel that they are ready to the handle the regular team practice. At the youngest, your child should be a rising 1st grader by June 2025 (in kindergarten the 24/25 school year). Your swimmer should be able to swim, this is not a substitute for swim lessons!!!
Do I need to purchase the team swimsuit? Wearing the team swimsuit at meets is recommended, but not required. If you do not wish to purchase our team suit, any red and black suit will be fine. For Junior team members, any sturdy one-piece is acceptable. Hair must be securely tied back away from their nose and mouth at the meets and at practice. A swim cap should be worn (please wear the Milestone team cap available from the Parent Representative). Caps will be available for purchase at each home meet. VA swim shop is our local team suit supplier. You can visit their store or shop online for our suit and spirit wear (located in NOVA at Regency Square Mall).
What time do swim meets start and when does my child need to be there? Events at the swim meet officially begin at 6:00 pm however, swimmers need to be at home meets by 4:30 for check in and warm-ups, and at away meets by 4:45. It is very important to check in so that we have the seedings correct for the meet. If swimmers don’t check in, they will be taken out of their events and will not swim.
What does my child do when they arrive? We will have a table staffed by a parent volunteer outside the pool area where your child is to check in. There will be a list posted with your child’s events and any relays they will be in on the wall or fence around the pool deck. You can set up chairs and wait for warm-ups to be called.
What should we bring to a swim meet? It is suggested that each swimmer have 2-3 beach towels, sweatpants, sweatshirt, raingear (in case of bad weather), games, books, cards, snacks and a sharpie marker for writing event numbers on swimmers hands. There will be a concession stand where you can buy dinner and snacks. You should plan to bring your own chairs for seating. Bug spray is also a good idea. Parking can be a problem at all meets. Please carpool if possible.
What about smoking and drinking?
The Greater Richmond Aquatic League (GRAL) rules prohibit smoking on the
deck during a GRAL meet. Also, no person officiating or working a GRAL
swim meet shall be allowed to partake OR be under the influence of
alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs during the meet. After being warned
by the referee of the infraction, the offending team must comply or be
asked to FORFEIT THE MEET. Please always honor the host pools’ policy
concerning alcohol and tobacco use at and around their facility. It is
not allowed at the Milestone pool.
What happens if we need to miss a swim meet? RSVP for each meet. You simply click on your child's name and select Attend or Decline for each one. If this is not done, your child may not be entered in any events at the meet.
If you are scheduled to work a swim meet that your child will miss, it is your responsibility to arrange for a substitute.
How are the events my child swims in determined? The coaches decide what events will benefit your child and the team. New swimmers usually start with just one event - Freestyle - with events being added as they gain skill and confidence.
How many events can they swim? Every swimmer may be entered in up to (3) individual events and (1) relay each swim meet
What is the difference between a “heat” and an “event”? An “event” is a particular gender within an age group (ex. boys 6 & under 25 freestyle, girls 9-10 50 backstroke) swimming a particular stroke a certain length. Each event is numbered. There are 55 events in a swim meet and some of the events will be slightly different depending on the week (some events will occur in weeks 1,3,5 and others in 2,4,6).
A “heat” is one race of the event. Swimmers are grouped in heats according to their times. Events often have multiple heats because the number of swimmers in an event often exceeds the number of lanes in the pool. It is possible to win a heat, but not win the event.
What are the age groups?Age groups are a way in which GRAL groups swimmers. They are based on their age as of June 1st.
6 and under
7 and 8
9 and 10
11 and 12
13 and 14
15 – 18 (seniors)
What events can a 6 and under swim? 6 and unders are scored separately for 25 freestyle and 25 backstroke but may swim other strokes in the 8 and under category.
How does my child know when to swim and what should they do? An announcer will call out event numbers. Once your child’s event number is called, they are to report to the Clerk of the Course to be placed in their correct heat and lane. Swimmers are normally called four or five events before their event is to be swum.
What do the terms "novice(NOV)", ”advanced(ADV)”, “junior varsity (JV)”, “varsity(V)”, and "senior varsity (SV)" mean?GRAL
has (5) classifications of swimmers determined by the times the swimmer
has earned in a particular event in a qualifying swim meet:
Novice – A swimmer who has not achieved an Advanced time. All new swimmers start in this category.
Advanced – A swimmer who has achieved a valid Advanced time, but has not achieved a valid JV time in that Event/Age group.
Junior Varsity (JV) – A swimmer who has achieved a valid JV time but has not achieved a valid V time in that event/age group.
Varsity (V) – A swimmer who has achieved a valid V time but has not achieved a valid SV time in that event/age group. Senior Varsity (SV) – A swimmer who has achieved a valid SV time in that event/age group.
How do swimmers qualify for the Championship meet? Swimmers must have a JV or better time in an event to swim in the championship meet (that event and qualifying time must have been swum and achieved in that same summer). Swimmers should notify coaches as soon as possible after qualifying if they are unable to participate in this meet.
Practice continues after the regular season for swimmers who have qualified for champs until just prior to the champs meet. Times for these practices will be posted.
How does the scoring work at a meet? Points and ribbons are awarded for the top (6) times for each classification (novice, advanced, etc.) in each event. For individual events, 1st place = 7 points, 2nd place = 5 points, 3rd place = 4 points, 4th place = 3 points, 5th place = 2 points, 6th place = 1 point. For relays, 1st place = 14, 2nd place = 10 points, 3rd place = 8 points, 4th place = 6 points, 5th place = 4 points, 6th place = 2 points. Ribbons are handed out at practice the day after the meet. Final meet results will posted on the web site.
What is a DQ card? When a swimmer swims a stroke incorrectly, they may be disqualified by a Strokes and Turns judge who is officiating the meet. The judge fills out a “DQ” card and it is turned in to the team coach. The coach will discuss the information with the swimmer at the next practice.
What happens if we decide to leave a swim meet early? You must let one of the coaches know if you plan to leave the meet early. This is particularly critical if your child is scheduled to swim in a relay. If they are entered in a relay but leave early, the entire relay (3 other kids) cannot swim.
If I don’t feel my child is ready for a swim meet, do they have to swim? No. If you don’t feel like your child would benefit from the experience of a swim meet, they do not have to swim in it. Please write a note to the head coach and place it in his folder to inform him/ her.
What about starting blocks? Each child is evaluated to see if they are ready to jump off of the starting blocks for the start of their swim. Those who are not ready are given a mark on their hand by their coach to indicate that they are not allowed to use the blocks. The swimmers who do qualify may use the blocks if they choose. They are never required to use the blocks.
How many meets are there? We have 6 meets per season. Three of those will be at Milestone, three will be held at different pools throughout the Richmond area.
How many swim meets do I need to work? Each family is required to work six (6) half swim meets. If a parent chooses to work an entire swim meet, it is considered (2) halves. It takes over 70 people to run each meet so it is critical that each person works their designated assignment or arranges for another parent to work it for them.
What is the refund policy? If our coaches determine that your child is not yet ready for either the Junior or Regular teams, we will refund your fees except for the $11 per family registration fee that we pay to our website provider for processing registrations. If you wish to pull your child from the team we will prorate your refund by the number of weeks that we have had available for them to practice. No refunds are given after the first swim meet - by then your child will have had the opportunity for 4 weeks of instruction and we feel that you have gotten your money's worth!
What is GRAL? The Greater Richmond Aquatic League (GRAL) is an organization of swimmers, coaches, and parents whose aim is to promote and participate in the sport of swimming. The league is made up of many swim teams which are divided into divisions, based on size and scores. You can visit the GRAL website at GRALVA.COM for more information.
I have more questions. Who do I contact? Contact the Parent Rep(s) in the about page or email the board from the contact page.
Last, but not least… We ask that you help your swimmers to clean up all their trash before going home. This applies to practice also, but is especially important at meets. Remember that the meets are held at night, and it is very easy to misplace items once it gets dark. We suggest you label EVERYTHING.
