Frequently Asked Questions

 Click on a question below to view the answers relating to your selection.  Links throughout the answers will guide you to further information on our website or from other sources.  Should you have any further questions, please consult our Contact Information.

1.  What is required of a family to be able to register for the team?

2.  What is required of the swimmer to be able to make it onto the team?

3.  What are the volunteer requirements for each family?

4.  What do I do if my swimmer cannot make a practice or meet?

5.  How do I communicate with the Coaches?

6. If my swimmer needs to drop from the team, how do I request a refund?

7.  Do you have practice in the rain/cold? How will I know if practice or a meet is canceled?

8.  How do I get the team suit if I cannot attend the fitting date scheduled?

9.  What age group will my child swim in for the Barracudas?

10.  My child is on the waitlist. Can they swim with the team?

11.  My child did not receive a ribbon. Why is this?

12.  What if I need to change my volunteer dates?

 

---

 

1. What is required of a family to be able to register for the team?  A family must obtain a pool membership for the current year through the Ashburn Farm Homeowners Association (HOA). This must be completed prior to commencement of practices. By requirement of the HOA, all HOA dues must be current to obtain your pool membership. The Barracudas follow the residency requirements of the HOA in determining whether registrants must reside in Ashburn Farm.

2. What is required of the swimmer to be able to make it onto the team?  Swimmers must be at least 5 years old and may not be greater than 18 years old as of June 15 of that swim season. Swimmers must be capable of swimming a legal freestyle or backstroke for 25 meters safely and unassisted and then tread water for one minute. New swimmers will be required to demonstrate this to a team coach. Coaches reserve the right to reconsider a swimmer’s qualifications within the first two weeks of practice.

3. What are the volunteer requirements for each family?  Because the team is administered entirely by volunteers, each family must volunteer to work at one of the time trial meets, and work at 3 regular season swim meets, and participate in one meet set up or clean up, and work one social event during the season. Each family is also required to donate concession items, as determined by the Barracuda Committee, to be sold at our concessions stand during our home meets.

4. What do I do if my swimmer cannot make a practice or meet?  If you know of an absence regarding your swimmer in advance, please note it in the Vacation Log Book located in the family folder boxes.  If you have a last minute absence, please email Kim Coon at kimberlycoon@verizon.net and this will be passed on to the coach.  If you will miss a Saturday meet that you have already signed up to swim in, please call Kim Coon at (703) 472-5335.

5. How do I communicate with the Coaches?  Please do not interrupt the coaches during a practice session.  Parents wishing to speak to coaches must set up a meeting time with the coaches outside of practices.  Parents may not approach, distract or speak to coaches while swimmers are in the water or once official practice time has commenced. You can leave a note in the Coaches’ file in the family folder boxes and they will pick these up and get back to you.  Please include full name and contact information on your note.  If you have a concern about the operations of the team or of a member of the coaching staff or how the coaching staff is performing, please direct it to the President of the team, John Kost, via phone, e-mail or in person.  Contact information is listed on the website.

6. If my swimmer needs to drop from the team, how do I request a refund?  If your child must drop from the team for any reason, please send an email as soon as possible to Kim Coon at kimberlycoon@verizon.net.  Refunds for the 2011 season will be issued in the amount of $90 if the request is received by June 11th, 2011.  NO REFUNDS will be issued after this date.

7. Do you have practice in the rain/cold? How will I know if practice or a meet is canceled?  This is Virginia and our weather, particularly early in the season and in the evenings, can be quite variable. Since practice time prior to the first meet is limited, our general rule is to practice when we can so long as it is safe. No matter the weather, you can assume that practice will go on as scheduled unless there is thunder/lightning or if the rain is so hard that the bottom of the pool cannot be seen. We may be able to send out and email, but if there is a question, you should come to the pool for an update or status check. If the pool is open, the practice or the meet will go on.

8. How do I get the team suit if I cannot attend the fitting date scheduled?  You can go to Cassel’s Sports and Awards to pick up the suit.  Let them know that you are with Ashburn Farm Barracudas and they will be able to assist you.  The address is 14000 Park Center Rd, Herndon, VA 20171 and phone number 703-435-4446.

9. What age group will my child swim in for the Barracudas?  Your child’s age group is determined by their age on June 15th of the current year.  This year, it is their age on June 15, 2011.  This age applies to both practice sessions as well as age groups for swim meets.  Under very unusual circumstances where we have an abundance of capable swimmers in an age group and a shortage of swimmers in an older age group, a swimmer may be asked to “swim up”.  This only occurs with the most capable and confident of swimmers so if you are concerned about this, don’t worry – it won’t happen to your child.

10. My child is on the waitlist. Can they swim with the team?  Unfortunately, they cannot.  Due to insurance and liability issues and to ensure there are not too many children for the coaching and space available, only children that are registered for the team can participate.  If you are on the waitlist, we will contact you if space becomes available.

11. My child did not receive a ribbon. Why is this?  By policy, ribbons are only issued to a swimmer who successfully completes an event (an event is one race, not the entire meet).  If your child was disqualified during a particular event, they will not receive a ribbon for that event because they did not successfully complete the event.  When this happens, the coaches will receive notices of who disqualified and will be working with these children to correct their strokes for the future.  If you don’t think your child disqualified, you may contact Kim Coon at kimberlycoon@verizon.net for clarification.

12. What if I need to change my volunteer dates?  Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Alicia Boyles, at jab72989@aol.com, regarding any meet volunteer changes. If it pertains to one of our social events, please contact our Social Event Coordinator, Linda Bulk, at bulk5@verizon.net. They will try to work with you to find another date/position that will work for you. Please bear in mind that these volunteer coordinator jobs are, themselves, volunteer jobs. They are thankless jobs but ensure that we have sufficient volunteers to actually allow the meets and social events to take place. So, please be considerate in giving plenty of notice and offering up alternative dates to fulfill your own volunteer commitment to your kids and the team.