Waynewood Dolphins Weekly Newsletter 

(5/24/24) 

It was great seeing the many Dolphin families who pitched in for WRA clean up last Sunday. Practices start Tuesday (but not just yet for Little Dolphins). The team has over 290 swimmers registered. Important information in this newsletter so please read. 

This week’s calendar at a glance: 

• Friday/today—Honeygrow fundraiser 
• Friday/today—Priority registration deadline 
• Sunday—Spirit wear order deadline 
• Tuesday—First day of afternoon practice 

In this message: 

1. Honeygrow fundraiser is TODAY 
2. Priority registration last call/Farewell to 2023 families 
3. Call for National Anthem singers 
4. First practice instructions and equipment list 
5. 2024 Dolphins coach staff 
6. Early season look ahead/No FHS Relays in ‘24 
7. Last call for spirit wear purchases 
8. Winter swim concludes 
9. Download the SwimTopia app for your phone

1) Honeygrow fundraiser is TODAY 

Today, the Dolphins swim team earns 20% of all order proceeds using the GIVE149 code on May 24 at eatery Honeygrow (Mount Vernon Plaza). Families can get delicious food and support the team by dining or ordering food while utilizing team promo code “GIVE149” and ordering at honeygrow.com, in-store at the kiosk, or with the Honeygrow app. Don’t forget to use the code! Our fundraiser has a GroupRaise page with tools to promote this event on social media as well to show your Dolphins spirit. 

2) Priority registration last call/Farewell to 2023 families 

You must register by TONIGHT (Friday, May 24th) if you want to participate in the preseason team t-shirt and swim cap order. 

You can register later, but your swimmer will likely be without his/her team shirt for much of the season. This is also the last email we’re sending our 2023 team list so unless or until you register you’ll no longer receive communications from the team. 

Here is the link for registration – https://waynewood.swimtopia.com/ (look for the red “Register Now” icon). Please remember that only swimmers registered with WRA as being from dues paying households of current WRA members and WRA approved users are eligible to participate. 

Returning families are asked to log on using the same email as last year. Please do not create a new account. If you have forgotten your password or are encountering a problem, please use the forgot password function or email Team Reps. Duplicate accounts cause problems with team data keeping and must be canceled/corrected. When registering swimmers for the first time, please put the name your swimmer wants to be called in the "first name" section, even if that name is really their middle name or nickname (even though the directions in Swimtopia indicate otherwise). 

For our 2023 families who aren’t swimming with us this season: thank you for being part of our team last year! We have awesome memories from watching the team improve and have fun together. We hope you have an amazing summer. 

3) Call for National Anthem singers 

Dolphins have talents besides swimming! We have six home events this year and would like to have a national anthem performer for each. Please reach out to us if you’d be willing to share your talent singing or playing the Star-Spangled Banner with a musical instrument. We’re interested in solo or group performances – please email the Team Reps if your swimmer would consider helping us.

4) First practice instructions and equipment list

Coach Dylan and our excellent 2024 staff are preparing to welcome your swimmer to practice this Tuesday after school.

After-school practice schedule:

Tuesday, May 28 thru Wednesday, June 12

• 3:45 pm-4:30 pm (13 & up)
• 4:30 pm-5:15 pm (11-12)
• 5:15 pm-6:00 pm (9-10)
• 6:00 pm-6:45 pm (8 & under – NOT Little Dolphins)

Practice Instructions: Like last year, swimmers should gather outside the gate by the lap/practice pool a few minutes before practice begins. Coaches will admit the group at the appointed time. At the conclusion of practice, WRA asks that swimmers exit the pool area through the gate swimmers entered and come back in through the clubhouse if they are returning to the pool.

Practice reminders:

• Weather: We practice in the rain but not thunder and lightning.
• Cancellation: When we cancel a practice, we try to send out an alert via text message that goes to your phone if you’ve downloaded the free SwimTopia App. We tend to avoid canceling practice unless we know for sure it won’t happen so alerts are often last minute. If you don’t hear from us, assume practice is on. Even when one group’s practice is canceled, our coaches often hang out to see if the thunder clears in time for the next group.
• Equipment: Ideally, swimmers will have goggles, fins, and a towel. For first practices, swimmers will be able to get by fine with just a swimsuit (a one-piece suit is best).
• Absence: When your swimmer won’t be at practice, you DO NOT need to let us or coaches know. And if you’re concerned about weather, please keep your swimmer home.
• First practice: Our first couple practices are like the first days of a new school year. Please be patient as it can take us a couple days to get swimmers in the right lane and establish routines.
• Our request: Please give our coaching staff space to work with your swimmer and others at practice. This means not communicating with or distracting (even cheering) your swimmer during practice. New swimmers are especially prone to shifting attention away from coaches due to the presence of parents so please be ready to keep a distance from the lap pool if that may be an issue for your swimmer.
• Fun: Kids should be having fun and enjoying swim team with friends. If your swimmer is repeatedly not having fun at practice after the first few, please let Team Reps or the coaches know.

Swimsuits: Dolphins team swimsuits are mainly for meets, your swimmer may wear it to practice but doesn’t need to. Our swimsuit vendor Sport Fair is planning to stop by WRA during Time Trials on June 8 to sell suits in case you still need one – more details to come. Please see our April 28 newsletter for more information on swimsuits.

5) 2024 Dolphins coach staff

Coach Dylan (far right) and other coaches for our 2024 team:

Head Coach: Dylan Keightley

Assistant Head Coaches: Dylan Paradise, Ava Viera

Little Dolphins Head Coach: Ava Dushaw

Assistant Coaches: Logan Allgeyer, Lizzie Cooke, Jackson Coyne, Faith Gibson, Ben Henderson, Hana Keenan, Jack Lohmann, Ava Mamienski, Caleb Wolf, Joshua Wolf

Little Dolphins swimmers will meet the Little Dolphins staff when their practice season begins June 18.

6) Early season look ahead/No FHS Relays in ‘24

Schedule update: The Fort Hunt Sportsman Relays, tentatively on the schedule for June 19 this year, have been canceled. This event was canceled due to weather each of the last two years and the organizers have decided to take a hiatus in 2024. There is hope this fun event will return in 2025. The Dolphins will practice as usual on 6/19.

The team’s full swim schedule is available here. For more information about team policies (especially if you’re new) find the parent handbook here. Below is an overview of upcoming team events through the end of the school year:

• Time Trials – Sat., June 8 at 8 a.m. (warm-up at 7 a.m.)
  We’ll send out more detailed information next weekend for time trials and volunteer sign-ups. All big Dolphins team members should try to attend – getting a measurement of where swimmers are for each stroke they can legally swim at the beginning of the season is immensely important to our goals of improving as a team.
• B-Meet @ Mount Vernon Park – Mon., June 10 at 6 p.m. (warm-up at 5 p.m.)
  Our first away meet with another team, all big Dolphins swimmers will be invited to sign up for swimming two strokes at this meet. We’ll send information about sign ups and volunteers next weekend.
• First morning practice – Thurs., June 13
  We’ll send reminders on summer break practice times as FCPS finishes.
• Pasta Potluck Dinner – Fri., June 14 at 6 p.m.
  A Dolphins’ tradition, this event is open to all swimmers and families including Little Dolphins. A week in advance, we’ll send around assignments asking families to bring a large pasta dish, garlic bread, salad, or dessert. This is our social kickoff and a chance for new families to hear about our program and meet neighbors.

7) Last call for spirit wear purchases

https://wwdolphins2024.itemorder.com/shop/home/

May 26 is the last day to order Dolphins spirit wear. Order now as we won’t be sending another reminder before the online store closes Sunday. Orders will be delivered to the pool and we’ll announce when it arrives.

8) Winter swim concludes

BIG Dolphins THANK YOU to our lead Winter Swim volunteer Stephanie Angle for navigating our off-season program that wrapped last Sunday with a little rubber ducky time as well as our entire winter swim coaching staff. Their work goes a long way to help the 60+ participating Dolphin swimmers get ready for the summer. Winter swim meets every Sunday for an hour and is an especially great program for newer swimmers who enjoy time with us on the competitive team this summer and want to improve before the next season. Sign ups for ‘24-’25 happen in late July or August.

9) Download the SwimTopia app for your phone

We recommend downloading the Swimtopia App to get up to the minute information on meets, practices, weather delays and cancellations. It has some other functions, but the aforementioned is the primary benefit. Running in the background, you’ll get an alert when the team has breaking info to disseminate.

Questions?

Don’t hesitate to contact our Team Reps, James & Genna, at [email protected]

Go Dolphins!

Waynewood Dolphins Communications