FAQ
What can my swimmer expect at practice? Coaches will lead swimmers through age/ability appropriate drills and exercises to improve their swimming and racing abilities. The goal is for swimmers to build skills while having fun. Practices are divided by age level. Coaches will then further divide swimmers into lanes based on their abilities or strokes each swimmer is working on. This allows the coaches to give more individualized attention to swimmers.
Do I need to stay at the pool during practice? If your swimmer is under 8 years old, we ask that you or another responsible adult remain available at the pool should your swimmer need anything (not felling well, bathroom help etc.). If this is your first year, it is a good idea to remain at practice regardless of age until your swimmer is comfortable.
How does the 2-week Trial work? If you are unsure if your child is ready or will enjoy the swim team, Fox Hall offers a 2-week trial for both your swimmer to experience practice and the coaches to evaluate your swimmer's readiness to join the team. The 2-week trial begins the first day of practice. Fox Hall requests that your swimmer attend a minimum of 5 practices so that the coaches can properly evaluate your swimmer. At the of the period, you will be notified if your swimmer is ready for the team. If you have questions during the period, feel free to reach out to the coaches at any point. The cost of the trial is $30. You will need to register your swimmer through the registration portal on this website. If your swimmer plans to join the team, the cost of the trial will be applied towards registration for the team.
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 green and black suit will be fine. 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 Fox Hall team cap available from the Parent Representative). Caps will be available for purchase at registration and at each meet. Virginia Swim Shop at NOVA is our local team suit supplier.
What can I expect at a swim meet? Check out Meet 101 for everything you need to know about swim meets.
What happens if we need to miss a meet? RSVP for each meet on the first page of the Fox Hall website (Meets Tab) or SwimTopia App. 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.
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. Swimmers must be 5 years old prior to September 30th of the swim year.
- 6 and under
- 7 and 8
- 9 and 10
- 11 and 12
- 13 and 14
- 15 – 18 (seniors)
What do the terms "Novice (NOV)", "Advanced (ADV)", "Junior Varisy (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 (NOV) - A swimmer who has not achieved an Advanced time. All new swimmers start in this category.
- Advanced (ADV) - 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 quailify 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.
If I don't feel my child is ready for a 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 RSVP via the parent portal and speak with the coaches to determine when your child may be ready to swim in a meet.
How many swim meets are there? We have 6 meets per season. Three of those will be at Fox Hall, three will be held at different pools throughout the Richmond area.
How many swim meets do I need to work? With a few exceptions, each family is required to work six (6) volunteer shifts. If a parent chooses to work an entire swim meet, it is considered (2) shifts. 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. Please read our full volunteer policy.
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 Representatives or other board member.
