GETTING STARTED
I’m Registered—What Should I Do First?
Welcome to the team! Let’s get you set up for success:
📱 1. Download the SwimTopia App
Your new best friend. Meet entries, results, volunteer sign-ups, and real-time alerts (yes, including weather delays).
📅 2. Subscribe to the Team Calendar
Go to 2026 Calendar & SignUp → Subscribe
→ Boom. Everything syncs to your phone. No excuses for missing things now 😉
✔️ 3. Set A-Meet Availability
Take 5 minutes and mark your swimmer’s availability for the A-meet season.
Coaches need this to build lineups—and yes, it matters more than you think. You will sign up for B meet availability each week.
🙋 4. Sign Up to Volunteer
It takes a village. Actually… about 40 volunteers per meet 😅
Pick your favorite jobs early!
All families are expected to volunteer weekly
Time Trials = all hands on deck
How do I order a team suit & spirit wear?
Coming soon! We’re waiting on our Sport Fair link.
📩 As soon as it’s live, you’ll get an email—promise.
🏊 MEETS
🅰️ vs 🅱️ Meets — What’s the Difference?
🅱️ B Meets (Mondays = Development + Fun)
- Open to ALL swimmers
- Choose 2 events (plus IM optional if approved)
- Focus: learning, improving, having fun
- No team score (no pressure!)
- Ribbons for places 1–6
- New this year: Swimmers who swam in an event during the previous A Meet cannot swim that event in the following B-Meet.
- Also new this year: No exhibition swims, no exceptions.
🅰️ A Meets (Saturdays = Competition Mode)
- Official NVSL meets
- Coaches select swimmers (top 3 per event)
- Lineups announced Thursday night
- Goal: score points + win the meet
How do I register for a B Meet?
- Log into SwimTopia
- Click Swim Meets & Events
- Select your meet
- Click Meet Entry
- Mark Attending / Not Attending
- Choose events: Remember that if you swam an event in the previous A meet, you cannot swim that event in the B meet. No exhibition swims!
- Click Save
👉 While you're there… sign up to volunteer too!
Why is the B Meet deadline Monday at 12 PM?
Because we’ve entered the modern era: no more handwritten cards
We need time to prep everything digitally, so:
- 🚫 No late entries
- 📌 Set a weekly reminder now and thank yourself later
How do I mark availability for an A Meet?
You don’t sign up for events but you need to let the Coaches know if you’re available.
Go to each A Meet → click Meet Entry → mark availability
👉 Do this for the whole season. You never know when your swimmer will get the call!
Why can’t I park at the paved lot for home meets?
Because we’re classy like that. We give our paved lot to the visiting team—just like they do for us. Peak NVSL sportsmanship. But you can park in the grassy lot or in the neighborhoods.
📍 Park in grassy lot or the neighborhood (Falls Hill, Poplar Drive and take the bridge over)
What can my swimmer wear?
Short version: Keep it NVSL-legal
- Team cap or plain cap only
- Team suit or team color suits. Tech suits can be worn at the appropriate age-levels
- Medical tape = needs approval
👉 Need an exception? Tell Team Reps early.
What’s a DQ?
A Disqualification = stroke/rule violation.
Also = totally normal.
Even Olympians DQ. Your swimmer is in excellent company.
👉 It’s a learning moment and it happens. If your child DQs, know that we have ALL been there (even at Divisionals!).
Where do we get ribbons?
File boxes near the snack bar. Each family has a folder and our goal is to put the ribbons in the folder by Tuesday for the previous A and B meets.
How do I find times?
<Swimtopia is new to us, so this answer is pending our learning.>
🎉 SOCIAL EVENTS
Friday Breakfast = What is this magic?
The Friday practice is an all-team practice. When it ends at 10am, the swimmers line up for a fun Friday tradition. We have sign-ups to bring breakfast items and we have signups to volunteer at breakfast. There is no charge for the breakfast. The swimmers love Friday breakfasts!
Pep Rally?
Friday night hype session before A Meets.
Think:
- Themes
- Music
- Games
- Questionable fashion choices
👉 Do not skip. Seriously.
🙋 VOLUNTEERING
Why does everyone need to volunteer?
Because swim meets don’t magically run themselves.
We need:
- Timers (3 per lane!)
- Officials
- Concessions
- Ribbons
- Data entry
- And more…
👉 About 40 volunteers per meet
Also:
- You meet great people
- Your child sees you involved
- It’s actually fun (we promise)
👉 If roles aren’t filled: Team Reps will assign them (and yes… lowest volunteer families get picked first 👀)
I can’t stay for a full B Meet!
Whether you have young children that only swim free and back or you have a job that gets you to the meet late, we got you.
We have split shifts for select jobs:
- 🥇 First Half: Freestyle + Back
- 🥈 Second Half: Breast + Fly + IM
Pick what works for your schedule!
I LOVE volunteering… can I do both shifts?
First of all—who are you and can we clone you?
Second—YES. Always yes.
I want to volunteer with a friend... how can I see who signed up?
Just hover over the location or the job and the name of anyone who has signed up will appear!
These jobs look intimidating…
Let’s be clear: No one was born knowing how to run a swim meet. Though honestly, Todd Robyak might be the exception.
You’ll learn by doing—and we’ll help.
- 👉 Officials training + mentoring available
- 👉 You will not fail
- 👉 Even the serious-looking officials are nice off-deck
📣 COMMUNICATION
📧 Email
Check it. Daily. We send a lot.
📱 SwimTopia App Alerts
Important + time-sensitive = notifications
📸 Instagram
Follow, tag, enjoy the highlights.
✨ Still have questions?
Reach out anytime—we’re here to help and excited to have you on the team!
