Swim Team

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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!

Head Coach: Grace Sadler

We are so excited and lucky to have Coach Grace be our Head Swim Coach this year!  Grace was one of our Senior Assistant Swim Coach in 2022, and went above and beyond by handling our meet/champs entries and learning all of the complex RMAL rules that govern those entries.  She has such an engaging and enthusiastic energy that our swimmers really connected with.  Grace also has a passion for working individually with swimmers to get them past any obstacles they face in their development.

Grace 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 is in her sophomore year of college at the University of Tennessee, studying Supply Chain Management.

Senior Assistant Coach: Erica Stanley

We are elated that Coach Erica will be joining our team as Senior Assistant Swim Coach.  As a youth, Erica swam in summer league and year-round teams.  She then swam on the team at Radford University.  Erica coached summer and year-round teams during college, and then took a break when her three children were small.  She has returned to her love of swimming by coaching at Woodmont for 2 years, and as a Swim Instructor at NOVA.  Erica is also the James River High School swim coach.  Erica’s passion for swim coaching shows in everything she does when interacting with swimmers and parents.  She loves that swimming is a sport that anyone can participate in and excel at, and enjoys encouraging swimmers at all levels.  

Erica is an ASCA Level II certified coach.  This certification only adds to a strong passion for growth, community and sportsmanship in and out of the water. 

Her three children, ages 11, 9 and 7, will join the Blue Streaks this summer.  She looks forward to learning the Blue Streaks culture and the RMAL ropes from Grace this season!

Assistant Coach: Sebastian Florez

Coach Sebastian will be an excellent addition to our coaching team!  Sebastian joins us with a lifetime of swimming knowledge.  He swam at NOVA from age 3 ½ to 18, and was also a NOVA swim instructor in High School.

Sebastian is currently a freshman at Randolph Macon College, where he is studying Nursing, and is on their Swim Team!

Junior Assistant Coach: Arabelle Rafferty

Coach Arabelle is very excited to start her first year of coaching as a Blue Streak.  She has been on our swim team since 2015, and joined the SwimRVA team in 2018.  She also swims for James River High School, where she made it to Regionals this year!

Arabelle is in her freshman year at James River High School.

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Maddie Donovan

We are so fortunate to have Coach Maddie back as a volunteer coach again this year!  As she did in 2022, Maddie will be at morning practices all summer, to help instruct the younger swimmers on technique and drills.

Maddie has been a Blue Streak swimmer since 2014, and joined the SwimRVA team in 2021.  She is currently a freshman at James River High School in the Leadership Program, where she is also on the High School Swim Team.

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Helen Wilck

We are lucky to have Coach Helen join our team this year as a volunteer coach! Helen will be at morning practices on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, to help instruct the younger swimmers on technique and drills.

Helen has been a Blue Streak swimmer since 2011. She is currently in her junior year at James River High school, where she is on both the swim and volleyball teams.

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Finn Rafferty

We are happy to welcome Coach Finn as a volunteer coach!  Finn will be at morning practices all summer (except during his tennis clinics!), to help with the younger swimmers.

Finn has been a Blue Streak swimmer since 2015, and joined the SwimRVA team in 2021.  He is currently an 8th grader at Robious Middle School.

Aquatics VP: Catherine Rafferty

swimdiveBACA@gmail.com
804-852-8507

Catherine has three swimmers ages 15 and 13, and 4.  She has no personal experience swimming, but has grown to love swim team watching her children swim since 2015. Catherine works in tech at a bank, and is a Bon Air native.

Blue Streaks Aquatics Captains

These parent volunteers have been hard at work organizing activities that make our swim and dive teams stronger and better:

  • Swim Rep: Kristen Hicks


    Kristen has a 15 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.

  • Swim Parent Rep: Sarah Stanton

Bio and picture coming soon

  • Marketing and Fundraising: Jennifer Hall


Jennifer has 4 kids and is excited to be watching her oldest, 8, start her second year as a Blue Streak. Jennifer swam for many years on summer leagues as a kid and is thrilled to now be a part of the Blue Streak’s Captains team promoting summer swim and dive.

  • Spirit Wear: Courtney Kamer


Courtney grew up in West Virginia swimming for a local year round swim club, her neighborhood summer team, and her high school team. She has 3 kids ages 20, 10

  • Social: Lauren Powell


Lauren has one BACA swimmer who is a goldfish. She is a Bon Air native and swam for BACA from 1984-1996. She loves to throw a good party. Lauren works in higher education and is a doctoral student at VCU.

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.

Blue Streaks Swim Team FAQs

2023 Swim Team Fees

BACA Member Rate

 1 Swimmer $115.00
Sibling Swimmer $105.00
15-18 year old Swimmer $30.00

Swim Team Only Member Rate

 1 Swimmer $195.00
Sibling Swimmer $180.00

Registration

2023 Registration will run from 3/27 – 6/12.  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

Please see this page for our 2023 suit recommendations!

We’ll be holding a suit try-on event again this year at the BACA Clubhouse on 4/26 from 5:30-7:30 pm.  Disco Sports will be there for kids to try on suits to ensure they get the right size.  If you aren’t able to make it to this event, you can go to Disco Sports (near Regency mall) at any time to try on the suit and order it.

Spirit Wear

Check our our spirit wear section for more info on what our swimmers and parents can wear to show their team spirit!

Age on May 31, 2023:

  • 6 & Under * (Bon Air calls them “Goldfish”)
  • 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.

Dates Practice Days Age Group Practice Time
2023
Spring
Schedule		 5/22 – 6/9 * M, T, W, R, F 11 & Up 4:30-5:30 pm
9 & 10 + New to Swim Team Age 11 & Up 5:30-6:15 pm
7 & 8 6:15-6:45 pm
5/31 – 6/9 * 6 & Under 6:45-7:15 pm
2023
Summer
Schedule		 6/12 – 7/11 **
All swimmers
7/12 – 7/17
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 + New to Swim Team Age 11 & Up 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
6 & Under 5:30-6:00 pm
7-18 6:00-7:00 pm

* 5/29 – No practice on Memorial Day, 6/6 – No practice due to first meet of season

** 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.   7/5 – No practice due to meet held on Wednesday night

Bon Air has a program 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 4-6 year old 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?
    • Guppy morning practice is 8:30-9:00 pm, and evening practice is 5:00-5:30 pm (swimmers must stick with their assigned practices so that we can meet safety ratios)
    • Guppy practices are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (mostly), from 6/12-7/11.
    • Some adjustments have been made to the regular cadence to accommodate swim meets.  The exact Guppy practice dates are:
      • Monday 6/12, Wednesday 6/14, Thursday 6/15
      • Monday 6/19, Wednesday 6/21, Thursday 6/22
      • Monday 6/26, Wednesday 6/28, Thursday 6/29
      • Monday 7/3, Thursday 7/6
      • Tuesday 7/11
    • As with regular swim team practice, any practices cancelled due to weather will not be rescheduled.
  • 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.

The dates below are accurate…RMAL’s meets will start one week earlier than usual, due to Champs needing to be held 1 week earlier to be able to hold it at SwimRVA.

Date Opponent Home/Away
6/6/23 Surreywood Away
6/13/23 Brighton Green Home
6/20/23 Walton Park Away
6/27/23 Settlers Landing Home
7/5/23 (Weds.) YMCA Home
7/10/23 (Mon.) Woodlake 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.

Swimmers who have a qualifying time, or are BACA’s top swimmers, are invited to swim the annual Richmond Metro Aquatic League (RMAL) championships.  ALL swimmers should plan to attend Champs, as we often need swimmers to participate in relays!

  • Location:  Collegiate Aquatics Center (Swim RVA)
  • Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2022
  • Times (from 2022, 2023 may be different):
    • 13 & under:  9:00 am – 1:00 pm
    • 13 & older:  2:30 – 5:15 pm

Swim Team will cover the cost of entry for each swimmer in 2023! (Thanks to our wonderful sponsors!!!)

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
  • Adult Women’s Tank Tops $15
  • Coozies $5
  • Latex Swim Caps $4
  • Silicone Swim Caps $13

Courtney Kamer (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.

Volunteer Signup

Descriptions for each position can be found below (tap or scroll over each position to see the description).

  • Timer

    Novice

    Three timers are assigned to each lane to independently time the swimmers (a mix of timers from each team).  The computers average the times for each swimmer.

  • Runner

    Novice

    The runners are responsible for bringing DQ slips from the Judges to the
    Referee and then from the Referee to the Table workers.  They also collect the timer
    sheets at the end of each event and bring them to the table workers.

  • Heat Winner Awarder

    Novice

    Hands out awards (usually lollipops) to the winner of each heat immediately after the event.

  • 8 & Under Helpers

    Novice

    Keeps the kids that are 8 and under lined up, and ensures that they stay in the right order as they move from Clerk of Course to the side of the pool for their event.

  • Clerk of Course

    Novice

    The Clerk of Course workers call swimmers with a bullhorn to line up for upcoming events in the meet, ensures they are lined up in the right order as they enter the pool deck to wait for their event, and tells swimmers when to advance through the waiting area.

  • Announcer

    Intermediate

    Announces the progression of events and provides periodic reports on meet results over a loudspeaker.

  • Head Timer

    Intermediate

    Ensures that all timers understand their jobs prior to the start of the shift, handles the “backup stopwatch” used in the event of equipment malfunction, and troubleshoots any timing issues that may arise.

  • Computer Operators

    Intermediate

    The Computer Operators (Meet Managers) ensure that the times from the Dolphin timer system are placed correctly in the computer program used to score the meet.  They also verify that the times in the computer match the times on the timers’ clipboard sheets and ensuring the DQs are appropriately noted.  And yes, they DO get to take breaks to see their kids’ events!

    RMAL Training provided and required.

  • Starter

    Intermediate

    The Starter person starts each race, and watches for “false starts” (when a swimmer enters the pool before they were supposed to).

    RMAL Training provided and required.

  • Strokes and Turn Judges

    Expert

    Strokes and Turns Judges are responsible for ensuring a level playing field (pool) for all swimmers.  They judge whether the swimmers have completed the race legally.  If they observe infractions they raise their hand a fill out a DQ (disqualification) slip.

    RMAL Training provided and required.

  • Head Referee

    Expert

    The head referee is responsible for ensuring the meet is run appropriately and within the rules.

    RMAL Training provided and required.

This google calendar can be imported by families to ensure that they never miss a swim event!

BON AIR AQUATICS ARE PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

Patient First

8110 Midlothian Turnpike
804-320-8160
Open from 8am until 8pm, 365 days a year, with no appointment necessary, to meet all your urgent and primary care needs.

Once Upon a Child

9770 Midlothian Turnpike
(804) 272-2229
We buy & sell gently used kids’ stuff

Patrick Loth, Realtor

Keller Williams Midlothian
804-339-0060 (cell)  |  804-858-9000 (office)
Bon Air native and swim enthusiast, ready to help with any real-estate needs!

The Strum Group

5706 Grove Ave.
804-937-7653
Realtors That Truly Care

Bruce Davis

River City Insurance, LLC
bruce@RiverCityLLC.com
(804) 539-5091

Ashley Rolfe, Realtor || Alicia O’Brien, Senior Mortgage Consultant

(804) 248-0504 || (804) 855-4590
We take the “Blues” out of the home buying process!

Good Foods Grocery

3062 Stony Point Rd
(804) 320-6767
Your neighborhood grocer, located in the Stony Point Shopping Center

Dances With Wool

1358 Sycamore Square
804-594-5849
Knitting, Crochet, Spinning and Weaving

Orthopedic Physical Therapy

2000 Bremo Road, Suite 202
804-285-0148
At Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Inc we strive to be a leader in the field of physical therapy by providing the highest quality of individual focused care. We address the person as a whole, so that we can help you reach your maximum functional ability, health, and happiness.