Team practices begin Tuesday, May 27

Thank you to the many Dolphin families who pitched in for WRA clean up last weekend. Practices start Tuesday (but not just yet for Little Dolphins). The team has over 290 swimmers registered. This weekly newsletter typically goes out on Sundays but due to the holiday weekend we’re sending the season’s first edition a little early. 

The team uses this weekly communication as the primary vehicle for information about upcoming events. Once we get to meets, we’re also sending out sign-up reminders and updates throughout the week. Important information is in this newsletter so please read.

This week’s calendar at a glance: 

• Tuesday—First day of afternoon practice 
• Friday—First opportunity to pick up shirts and caps 

In This Message: 

1. First practice instructions and equipment list 
2. Last communication and farewell to 2024 families 
3. Shirt & cap distribution, volunteers needed 5/30 & 6/2 
4. Call for National Anthem singers 
5. 2025 team sponsors 
6. 2025 Dolphins coach staff 
7. 2025 Parent Handbook 
8. Early season look ahead – FHS Relays are back! 
9. Winter swim concludes 
10. Download the SwimTopia app for your phone

1) First practice instructions and equipment list 

Coach Dylan and our excellent 2025 staff are preparing to welcome your swimmer to practice this Tuesday after school. 

After-school practice schedule: 

Tuesday, May 27 thru Wednesday, June 11 

• 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 as soon as possible via a message that goes to your phone if you’ve downloaded the free SwimTopia App (more below). 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 still 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 or temperature 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 the 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.

2) Last communication and farewell to 2024 families 

This is the last communication the Dolphins will be sending to our 2024 family list. Going forward, unless or until your family has a swimmer registered for summer 2025 you won’t be receiving further communications from the team. 

If you are still looking to register, 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). 

To our 2024 families who aren’t swimming with us this season: thank you for being part of our team! We have awesome memories from watching the team improve and have fun together. We wish you an amazing summer. 

3) Shirt & cap distribution, volunteers needed 5/30 & 6/2 

T-shirts will arrive at the end of this week for families who registered by April 30 (and a few who registered just a little later may have slipped in too)! Distribution will be this Friday, May 30 and Monday, June 2 from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. 

• We need volunteers to help with distribution by taking 90-minute shifts. This is a great opportunity to get a head start on your family volunteer obligation (please register for only one of the two days so that others have a chance to help). Sign-up here after logging into your account. 
• Parents or swimmers may pick up shirts at practice (this includes Little Dolphin swimmers even though their practices haven’t started). 
• Parents, please check carefully to make sure the shirt your swimmer brings home has exactly the name and size you ordered. It’s otherwise likely another swimmer’s shirt, and we’d appreciate its return. 
• If you’re unable to make one of these distributions, there will be other pickup opportunities.

4) Call for national anthem singers 

Dolphins have talents besides swimming! We have seven home events this year and would like to have a national anthem performer for each. Please reach out 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 Team Reps if your swimmer would consider helping us. 

5) 2025 team sponsors 

The Waynewood Dolphins would like to thank the team sponsors for the 2025 season: 

• Absolute Tree 
• Amy Shibilski, Reach for the Magic Destinations 
• Frida Hopper, Realtor 
• Grit and Grace Counseling Group 
• Hughes Orthodontics 
• Kristin Try Interiors 
• Lyssa Seward, Realtor 
• Master Roofing 
• Paul Krizek, Delegate 
• Potomac Marlins 
• Senator Scott Surovell 
• Southside 815 
• Springfield Lorton Dental Group 
• Sunstone Counseling 
• The Cut Butchery 
• Village Hardware 

We’ll update the team website to recognize these sponsors once we have logos from everyone. Businesses interested in sponsoring the Waynewood Dolphins should contact Sponsorship Coordinator Melanie DeMaria.

6) 2025 Dolphins coach staff 

Pictured: Little Dolphins Head Coach Gabi Leth and Head Coach Dylan Keightley 

Head Coach: Dylan Keightley 

Assistant Head Coaches: Lizzie Cooke, Ben Henderson 

Little Dolphins Head Coaches: Ben Bluey, Gabi Leth 

Assistant Coaches: Logan Allgeyer, Bella Connally, Jackson Coyne, Ava Dushaw, Hana Keenan, Ava Mamienski, Charlie Schourek, Caleb Wolf, Joshua Wolf, Moses Wolf 

Little Dolphins swimmers will meet the full Little Dolphins staff when their practice season begins June 17. 

7) 2025 Parent Handbook 

For those wanting to learn more about our team and how it operates, we’ve updated our parent handbook for the 2025 season. It’s on the front page of the team website and you can read it here. For information about the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) that sets rules used by the Dolphins for swim meets click here for the league handbook (rulebook).

8) Early season look ahead – FHS Relays are back! 

The Fort Hunt Sportsman Relays, which took a hiatus last year following weather disruptions the previous two years, are back on the schedule for Wednesday, June 18 this year. We’ll talk more about FHS Relays when we get closer. It’s a fun event that is especially notable for expanding the opportunity to swim on a relay team among swimmers who regularly attend practice. 

The team’s full swim schedule is available here. Below is an overview of upcoming team events through the end of the school year: 

• Pasta Potluck Dinner – Fri., June 6 at 6 pm. A Dolphins’ tradition, this event is moving back to its traditional date, the night before Time Trials. It is open to all swimmers and families including Little Dolphins. Next weekend, 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. 
• Time Trials – Sat., June 7 at 8 am (warm-up begins at 7 am). 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 @ Waynewood – Mon., June 9 at 6 pm (warm-up at 5:00 pm). All big Dolphins swimmers will be invited to sign up for swimming two strokes at this meet. It’s a school night so we’ll try not to go too late. Again, we’ll send information about sign ups and volunteers next weekend. 
• First morning practice – Thurs., June 12. We’ll send reminders on summer break practice times beginning after FCPS finishes. 

9) Winter swim concludes 

Congratulations to our 60+ participating Dolphin swimmers, coaches, and parents who just completed our Winter Swim program. You’ll see that work pay off this summer! The Dolphins’ Winter Swim practices 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 ‘25-’26 will happen in late July or August.

10) Download the SwimTopia app for your phone 

We recommend downloading the Swimtopia App from your app store to get up to the minute information on meets, practices, weather delays and cancellations. It has some other functions, but the alerts are 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