Why Swim?
The Blue Streaks Swim Team is a great opportunity for children of all ages to be part of a team, improve swimming skills, and make friends. This summer especially, our kids could all use a constructive outlet for their energy!
- No competitive swimming experience is necessary for any age level to join, however we do require that swimmers be able to swim the length of the pool (25 yards) by themselves to ensure the safety of all swimmers.
- Swim Team is a great team sport that provides both group (relay) and individual competition opportunities, and encourages teammate support.
- Swim Team offers a very inexpensive summer opportunity for kids to be involved in an activity every day that is engaging and will wear them out!
Meet Our Coaches
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Head Coach: Gene Bryson
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Senior Assistant Coach: Kaila HewittCoach Kaila will be returning this year as an assistant coach! She was a year-round swimmer for NOVA, and just completed her freshman year in college. She was a Blue Streak swimmer for 10 years, and we are very excited to have her back! |
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Assistant Coach: Brian KwonCoach Brian will be joining the Blue Streak staff this year with a wealth of swimming knowledge! He was a year-round swimmer for NOVA since he was 5 years old, and was a swim instructor at the YMCA. He just completed his freshman year in college. |
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Senior Assistant Coach: Grace SadlerCoach Grace will be joining the Blue Streak staff this year bringing very valuable experiences! She was a year-round swimmer for NOVA from age 6 – 14. She then spent most of her free time during her senior year of high school teaching swim lessons and coaching swim team at Aquatots, where she became a supervising instructor. She just completed her freshman year in college. |
Meet Our Volunteer Leadership
Aquatics VP
Catherine Rafferty
[email protected]
804-852-8507
Catherine has two swimmers ages 14 and 12, and 3-year-old future blue streak! She has no personal experience swimming, but has grown to love swim team watching her children swim over the past 7 years. Catherine works in tech at a bank, and is a Bon Air native.
Blue Streaks Swim Team Captains
These parent volunteers have been hard at work organizing activities that make our swim team stronger and better:
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Swim Rep: Kristen Hicks
Kristen has a 14 year old son who swims at Bon Air. She grew up swimming in Chesterfield, and went on to swim in college. She has coached summer league teams in the past, and is excited to use her swimming knowledge to help the Blue Streaks. She works full time as a Physical Therapist.
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Marketing and Fundraising: Ashley Rolfe
Bio and picture coming soon
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Registration: Open
We’re looking for a parent to help with this in 2022!
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Spirit Wear: Stacey Donovan & Courtney Kamer
Stacey has two daughters, a 13 year old Junior and an 11 year old Midget. She grew up in the Bon Air area and has been a member of BACA for several years. Stacey is a VA Tech graduate and loves seeing live music and reading/listening to a good book. She works as a Senior Underwriter for an insurance company.
Courtney’s bio and picture coming soon.
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Social: Katie Burgess and Kristen Grayson
Katie has 10 year old twins swimming for the Blue Streaks this year. Katie works as a school librarian at Spring Run Elementary School and has lived in Bon Air for five years. She lives in the Crestwood Farms neighborhood and has enjoyed meeting new people through being a member of BACA.
Kristen’s 9 year old son Luke has been swimming for Bon Air for four years. Kristen is a former nurse, but now a working artist. Most days she can be found painting in her home studio or at YellowDoor Studio here in Bon Air. When she’s not painting, she’s poolside with her sister, Katie Burgess 👆🏻, corralling the cousins.
Blue Streaks Swim Team FAQ
New to Swim Team or just new to BACA? This FAQ document has a wealth of information to help orient families to our swim team.
Fees, Registration & Team Attire
2022 Swim Team Fees
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BACA Member Rate |
1 Swimmer | $110.00 |
| Sibling Swimmer | $100.00 | |
| 15-18 year old Swimmer | $30.00 | |
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Swim Team Only Member Rate |
1 Swimmer | $190.00 |
| Sibling Swimmer | $175.00 |
Registration
2022 Registration will run from 3/29 – 6/20. Registrations and payments are all completed online. We will have caps on the number of swimmers that we have in each age group, so sign up early to secure your spot!
Swimsuit Recommendation
The team swimsuit will look the same as the 2021 season. All team swimsuits are blue with the “Bon Air” logo.
- Boys:
- Speedo Lycra Jammer – $36
- Girls:
- Speedo Lycra Thin Strap – $52
- Jolyn Brandon (for older swimmers) – $60
- Jolyn Chevy (for older swimmers) – $60
We will hold a suit “try-on” event at the BACA Clubhouse with our suit provider (Swim & Tri) on Thursday, 4/28 from 5:30-7:30. We highly recommend bringing your swimmer to this event, because suit sizing can be very tricky!
If you are not able to make it to the “try-on” event, you can head over to their shop at SwimRVA when it is convenient for you. (Swim & Tri’s hours are Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM & Thursday: 2:30 PM – 6:30 PM)
Suits will be ordered by each family online through our Portal with Swim and Tri. Suit orders are due by 4/29 if you do not want to have to pay for shipping.
Spirit Wear
We will continue selling the Blue Streaks t-shirt design this year that premiered in 2021, along with our classic Blue Streaks swim caps. To purchase these items contact Stacey Donovan (our Spirit Wear Captain).
This year you can also purchase additional Swim and Dive Team Spirit Wear through the Swim and Tri Portal (towels, swim bags, sweatpants, etc.). A portion of our sales from Swim and Tri are donated to our team!!!
Age Groups
RMAL has decided that they will drop the named classifications for swimmers (ex. Mites, Midgets, etc.), and will instead refer to the swimmer groups by age ranges. The ranges are defined below.
Age on May 31, 2022:
- 6 & Under *
- 7 & 8
- 9 & 10
- 11 & 12
- 13 & 14
- 15 & Up
* Bon Air requires that all Swim Team members be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted (doggie paddle is fine). This will ensure that practices can be run safely, and that our youngest swimmers are not frightened by the prospect of swim meets before they are ready. Any 4-6 year olds that are able to swim, but cannot make it across the pool unassisted should register for our Pre-Swim team group.
Practice Schedule
| Dates | Practice Days | Age Group | Practice Time | |
| 2022 Spring Schedule |
5/23 – 6/9 * | M, T, W, R, F | 11 & Up | 4:30-5:30 pm |
| 9 & 10 | 5:30-6:15 pm | |||
| 7 & 8 | 6:15-6:45 pm | |||
| 6/6 – 6/9 * | 6 & Under | 6:45-7:15 pm | ||
| 2022 Summer Schedule |
6/13 – 7/19 ** All swimmers 7/20 – 7/22 Champs practice only |
M, T, W, R, F (morning option) |
6 & Under | 8:30-9:00 am |
| 7 & 8 | 9:00-9:45 am | |||
| 9 & 10 | 9:45-10:30 am | |||
| 11 & Up | 10:30-11:30 am | |||
| M, W, R (evening option***) |
Pre-Swim Team (Guppies) **** | 5:00-5:30 pm | ||
| Swim Team All Levels | 5:30-6:30 pm |
* 5/30 – No practice on Memorial Day, 6/3 & 6/10 No practice due to high traffic evenings at the pool
** 6/16 Evening practice shifted to 6/14 (due to first meet of season falling on a Thursday), 7/4 – No practice for July 4th Holiday
*** Evening Practice only for those who cannot attend morning practice. We only have 18 spots available for evening practice, due to limited capacity of the pool and this being high traffic hours. These spots will be filled first come, first served. Please indicate your need for evening practice on your registration.
**** Pre-Swim Team practice will be held Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 6/13-6/30 (3 weeks). Any practices that cannot be held due to weather will be shifted to the next corresponding evening practice day after 6/30.
Pre-Swim Team (Guppies)
We have an exiting new program in 2022 for our youngest Blue Streaks that aren’t fully ready for Swim Team: Pre-Swim Team! We’ll call these swimmers our “Guppies”.
Every parent wants their child to have a safe and happy introduction to Swim Team. Unfortunately, introducing a child to Swim Team before they are strong enough swimmers can be scary for them at swim meets, and can present safety concerns during practice. Bon Air requires that all Swim Team members be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted (doggie paddle is fine). Any 4-6 year olds who are not able to swim the length of the pool unassisted, but are still able to swim, should join our Pre-Swim Team program!
FAQs
- Do Guppies need to know how to swim?
- Yes! This is not a “learn to swim” program. These swimmers should be able to tread water, and safely keep their head above water. This program is for building their endurance and introducing them to basic freestyle, so that they will be ready for Swim Team next year.
- If your child does not know how to swim, we have private swim lessons available.
- How do I know if my child should be a Guppie (Pre-Swim Team) or a Goldfish (Swim Team)?
- If you are not sure if your child can swim the length of the pool unassisted, now is a great time to sign them up for swimming lessons at nearby locations, such as AquaTots, YMCA, ACAC, MAC, SwimRVA, and NOVA.
- Additionally, our coaches will be conducting swim tests at the beginning of the season to ensure that the younger children are in the correct group.
- When do Guppies practice?
- Guppie practice is 5:00-5:30 pm, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 6/13-6/30 (3 weeks). Any practices that cannot be held due to weather will be shifted to the next corresponding evening practice day after 6/30.
- Do Guppies swim in meets?
- No, Guppies do not swim in swim meets.
- Can Guppies graduate to Swim Team during this season?
- Yes, our coaches will be assessing the Guppies’ progress throughout their lessons, and will graduate individual Guppies to Swim Team if they are ready and if the parents are comfortable with that change.
- Will there be a limit to the number of spots in Pre-Swim Team?
- Yes, we will only be able to accommodate 8 Guppies this year.
- How much does Pre-Swim Team cost?
- The cost is the same as regular Swim Team.
- How do I register my child for Pre-Swim Team?
- Just register them in our Swim Team program, but be sure to select “Guppie” as the level for your swimmer.
Swim Meets
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away |
| 6/16/22 | Charter Colony | Away |
| 6/21/22 | Walton Park | Home |
| 6/28/22 | Willow Oaks | Home |
| 7/5/22 | Brandermill | Away |
| 7/12/22 | Shenandoah | Home |
| 7/18/22 | Brighton Green | Away |
Warm-up Times for Swim Meets
Swimmers are expected to arrive for warm-ups at 4:45 pm for home meets and 5:00 pm for away meets unless otherwise instructed by the coaches.
RMAL Swim Championships
Swimmers who have a qualifying time, or are BACA’s top swimmers, are invited to swim the annual Richmond Metro Aquatic League (RMAL) championships.
- Location: Collegiate Aquatics Center (Swim RVA)
- Date: Monday, July 25, 2022
- Times (from 2021, 2022 may be different):
- 10 & under: 8:00 am – noon
- 11 & older: noon – 5:00 pm
Swim Team will cover the cost of entry for each swimmer in 2022! (Thanks to our wonderful sponsors!!!)
Social
TBD
Spirit Wear
We have awesome Spirit Wear again this year!
T-shirts are a super soft 60/40 blend, with Adult Sizes Small through X-Large, and Kids Sizes Medium & Large.
- Adult T-shirts $15
- Kids T-Shirts $10
- Coozies $5
- Latex Swim Caps $5
- Silicone Swim Caps $12
Stacey (our Spirit Wear Captain) will be selling these items at some of our spring swim practices.
Swim Team is Volunteer Powered!
Swim meets are run by the families of the two pools competing. Without volunteers, we can’t have the meet!
All families must complete 4 volunteer time slots across all of the season meets. This is per family, not per swimmer. Families who do not complete their volunteer slots for the season will pay a $25 fee per slot (this may be arranged in advance for families that know they will have unavoidable conflicts). We will be cross-checking that each family has met their volunteer commitment at the end of the season (and actually volunteered at each meet that they signed up for). Any families that did not meet their commitment will be charged the applicable fee, and will not be able to swim next year until this fee is paid.
Families will sign up via Signup Genius for their volunteer shifts.
Descriptions for each position can be found below (tap or scroll over each position to see the description).
This google calendar can be imported by families to ensure that they never miss a swim event!
