Swim Parent University
Scroll down to find answers to FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about all things swim team!
How do I sign up for text alerts?
When we need to send last-minute information (such as practice cancellations due to weather), we will send an email through Swimtopia AND a text message through GroupMe This is a free app you can load on your phone. The app icon looks like this:
Once downloaded, go here:
You're invited to my new group '2025 Hamlet Green Feet' on GroupMe. Click here to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/106740405/yVELs0r2
How do I order a team suit and spirit wear?
Click below for 2026 spirit wear
What is the difference between an A Meet and a B Meet?
There are two types of meets held weekly during the season.
Developmental meets (also called "B" meets) are held on Monday evenings and all swimmers on the team are encouraged to swim. Parents register their children on the Hamlet Swimtopia website for two events. Swimmers who are qualified may also register for the Individual Medley (IM) as a third event (a swimmer is qualified if he/she is legally able to swim IM or Coach Meghan has asked them to swim IM). Our younger swimmers should check with Coach Meghan before registering for breaststroke or butterfly. The goals of a Monday night meet are swimmer development, meet experience and FUN! We swim against another team, but there are no team scores and there is no team winner. Ribbons are given out to individual swimmers for places one through six.
A meets are held on Saturday mornings and count towards our NVSL (Northern Virginia Swim League) standings. Each Saturday, we swim against another team in our division and the meets are highly competitive. The top 3 swimmers in each event compete. Coach Meghan will tell each swimmer individually if they are invited to swim in a Saturday A meet generally on Wednesdays or Thursdays. The goals of a Saturday meet are different than a B meet: we still have lots of fun but Coach Meghan seeds her fastest swimmers in each event to win points for our team and to WIN the meet!
NOTE: If a swimmer places 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in an A meet event, they should not sign up to swim that event at a Monday night/B meet unless Coach Meghan has asked them to.
In addition to the dual meets, the Green Feet participate in the Division Relay Carnival and Divisional Championship meet. The fastest 18 relay teams throughout the NVSL go to the All Star Relay Carnival (held at Hamlet in 2023!!) and the fastest 18 individuals in all of NVSL in each event participate in the All Star Meet held at the end of the summer. These events are great fun, and each year the Hamlet sends many swimmers to both All-Star events.
If you have questions about any of these events, please contact your Team Reps.
Why does the team need every family to volunteer?
See all those parents on the deck during meets, pancake breakfast, at Open House, sending out those emails? They are volunteers.
Swimming is unique in that it requires dozens of adult volunteers to run each meet and to manage the team in general. About 40 adult volunteers are needed in some capacity to run a swim meet (officials, timers (3 per lane), snack bar and grill managers and servers, clerk of course workers, ribbons, data entry, slip runners, food shoppers and marshalls). Even more volunteers are needed to run the team's social events, swim banquet, and weekly pancake breakfasts. That's a lot of people but it's a lot of fun too! No special experience is require, we just ask you to show up. As a volunteer you show your child the importance of giving back to your community and being a part of team of individuals working towards the same goal. As a parent or adult representative from your family, you will meet some of the greatest people in this area by volunteering at a swim meet or in some other capacity to run our amazing team. If your child is swimming in a meet, an adult representative from your family is expected to be volunteering!
How do I register for a B Meet?
Log in to Swimtopia and click on the Calendar tab at the top of the screen. Click on the B meet you want to register for, and then follow the prompts that follow (detailed directions below). Your swimmer can swim any two strokes, as long as they did not place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the A meet held the previous Saturday. Please ask Coach Meghan before registering your 8 & Under swimmer for breast or butterfly. As always, if your swimmer is swimming, please also sign up to volunteer. You can do this from the calendar tab as well!
Registering your swimmer(s) for the meet is easy to do:
1. Sign in to hamletgreenfeet.swimtopia.com (you're already there!)
2. Click on the 2026 Calendar at the top of the home page
3. Scroll down to the date of the meet you are looking for
4. Click Meet Entry
5. Choose "Not attending" if s/he is unable to attend (we need this info too)
6. Choose "attending" if s/he is able to attend and then check the individual events that s/he will swim. Remember that if your swimmer came in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the A meet from 2 days earlier, s/he cannot swim THAT EVENT at the next B meet
7. Click on the green "Save" button at the bottom of the page
8. Review your entries then click on "Return to swim meets"
To choose your volunteer job for the B meet:
1. Click on the green "JOB SIGNUP" tab on the B Meet: (varies) line
2. Choose the name of the parent who will be volunteering
3. Check the box of the desired job (paying attention to shift times, if applicable--if you only have a young swimmer, you will probably want to work the first shift)
4. Click on "Save assignments"
How do I MARK AVAILABILITY for an A meet?
You don't sign your child up for an A meet! BUT, you must go on Swimtopia and mark your child's availability for each Saturday A meet so Coach Sarah knows who is available to swim when she is seeding for the A meet. We need every swimmer to tell us their availability for the summer! You never know when your child will be asked to swim on a Saturday.
Directions: Go to the Hamlet Swimtopia homepage and click on the Calendar tab at the top of the page. Scroll to each A meet and click on it to mark your child's availability by clicking on the "Meet Entry Button". You will then be asked to edit your child/children's availability. (Unfortunately, even after you declare your eligibility, the "Meet Entry" button will still display a ?. You will only be able to see that you have registered your availability by clicking on the button.)
Why do I need to register for a B meet by 3pm Sunday?
Because there is a lot of work required in order to get the meet ready for Monday night. We need all the entries so we can print and prep the cards each swimmer will get for each event. Thanks for your cooperation!
What's a DQ?
DQ stands for disqualification. You will see several NVSL-trained (but still volunteer!) officials dressed in white shirts standing around the deck during our meets. These officials make sure everyone is swimming "legal" strokes in compliance with NVSL rules. A swimmer will "DQ" for violating the rules of a stroke (for example, a one-hand touch on the turn of 50 butterfly...every stroke has rules which the coaches teach the swimmers) or for violating an NVSL rule (for example you must wear a cap that has your team's logo on it or no logo at all). It's no big deal to DQ in a race. It is a learning opportunity for each swimmer to improve as they get older and develop their swimming skills. If your child DQ's, Coach Meghan will work with your swimmer to ensure it doesn't happen again but it is just part of learning the sport, and it happens to everyone (even in the Olympics).
Where do we pick up the ribbons after a meet?
There are two files boxes located on shelves near the snack bar. Each family has a folder in one of the boxes where all ribbons are filed. Volunteers aim to get Monday meet ribbons in each folder by Tuesday afternoon and Saturday ribbons filed by Sunday evening/Monday morning.
My child swam in an A meet: How do I find out his/her times?
Watch a video how-to here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ahL2P6hfsO2DykfQF...
Good 'ole written directions:
1.) Go to www.mynvsl.com and click on "Schedules & Results."
2.) Select the current year and our Division.
3.) Scroll down to the Hamlet A meet and click on "Results."
When is world famous pancake breakfast held?
Pancake breakfasts are held on Friday mornings. Swimmers may enjoy a pancake feast when their practice is over compliments of the swim team and the many volunteers who devote their whole morning to filling hungry stomachs. There is no charge for pancake breakfasts.
What's a Pep Rally?
Every Friday evening before an A meet we invite the WHOLE TEAM to come to the pool to get pumped up for the meet and to build team spirit. All swimmers are invited and encouraged to attend! These are loads of fun and involve everything from the world's greatest slip and slide to crazy hair night. These aren't to be missed.
Why can't I park in our lot for a home meet?
We reserve our lot for the visiting team. Visiting teams do the same for us when we go to their pools. It's good sportsmanship and hospitality. We are known for being the most welcoming team around!
Hamlet families can park at Spring Hill Elementary near the Kiss 'n Ride area and walk the very short distance on the path to the pool. There is also parking in the neighborhood but please don't block any driveways.