Destroyers FAQ 2021
Overview:
The Burke Station Destroyers is a swim team in the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) Division 16. We are a comparatively small team but see this as a benefit to our kids as they enjoy more opportunities to swim in meets and receive more attention from the coaches. Team members range in age from around five to 18 years old. The Destroyers’ focus as a team is on summer fun, community, sportsmanship, stroke/time improvement and fostering a love of swimming. In addition to swim practices and meets, the team holds several optional events throughout the season, e.g., movies (in theaters and at the pool), bowling, laser tag, St. James’ Super, Awesome, Amazing, bingo on the pool deck, ice cream socials, fireworks, team dinners and a discounted Kings Dominion trip. The highlight of every season is the End of Season Party which takes place after Divisionals. Awards plaques, trophies and medals are given out, parents and kids enjoy a potluck dinner, BSST’s world-famous SwimShow is shown highlighting all the fun our swimmers had over the season followed by dancing and games.
Eligibility:
Unlike some communities in the region, swimmers do not need to reside in Burke Station Square to be eligible to join The Destroyers. The Burke Station Swim Club (BSSC) is considered an “open pool” and anyone can join. Per NVSL regulations, swimmers must be a member of the BSSC to participate on the team.
Age Requirement:
There is no minimum age requirement to join The Destroyers—only that the participant is able to swim 25 meters, unassisted. It does not need to be fast or pretty! The upper age limit is 18 years, as of June 1st.
Cost:
A typical swim season costs between $150-$175/swimmer (sibling discounts offered). We are examining our funding options this season as COVID restrictions on concessions will hinder our ability to cover our costs. There is also an team suit (optional, approx. $50), an silicon team cap (optional, approx. $8) and goggles which are strongly recommended (approx.. $10-$30).
Schedule:
Swim season begins the day after Memorial Day and ends in late July. Practices start after school until school lets out then switch to mornings.
Practice times Monday-Friday:
- 8-and-Under — 8:00-8:45am
- 9-12 years – 8:46-9:45am
- 13-18 years – 9:46-10:45am
Swim Meets:
There are two main types of swim meets—competitive, dual A-Meets and developmental, dual B-Meets.
- A-Meets take place on Saturday mornings and swimmers are seeded for the events based on the fastest times (max of two individual events and up to two relay events). A-Meets are officially sanctioned by NVSL and count towards team standings and swimmer points (First Place – 5 points, Second Place – 3 points, Third Place – 1 point). Events include: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, relays and mixed-age relays.
- B-Meets take place on Monday evenings and provide all swimmers the opportunity to swim competitively with other NVSL teams. Swimmers work with coaches to determine which events they are ready to swim in. B-Meets are unsanctioned and the results do not appear on the NVSL website. Events include: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and Individual Medley (IM).
Other meets during the season include: Relay Carnival, All Star Relay Carnival, IM Carnival, Lollipop Meet (Junior Destroyers & 8-and-Unders, only), Divisionals and All-Stars.
Volunteer Commitment:
Swim teams are run by parent and family volunteers. Typically, the only paid participants are the coaches. It takes around 40-45 volunteers to run a “normal” season swim meet. With the recent COVID-19 restrictions, teams have run meets on “skeleton crews” of about 30-33 volunteers. Family participation is key to running these events. Some of the many positions include: timers, clerk of course, table worker, data coordinator, ribbons/awards, concessions worker, kitchen worker, marshal, announcer, volunteer coordinator, shopper, recognitions manager, relay/take-of judges and runner. There are official positions that require NVSL virtual training—Chief Timer, Starter, Referee, Stroke & Turn Judges. An additional benefit of volunteering is that you can be on deck to watch your swimmer up close and personal. Volunteer Fee checks are collected at the beginning of swim season from each family. The families who meet the minimum volunteer requirement receive their uncashed checks back at the end of the season. We would much rather have volunteers than the money!
For further information, please contact us at teamrepbsst@gmail.com
NVSL Links