F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)

Swimmers ages 5–18 who can swim one length of the pool (or are close to it) can join. If you’re not sure, reach out and try a practice!

Swimmingly is the platform that the North Brandywine Swim League (NBSL) has adopted to run our swim meets. Each swimmer is assigned a unique 3 digit code when the register in Swimmingly. Parents will indicate in Swimmingly what meets their child will attend. Volunteer timers use Swimmingly to record swimmers times during the meet as well. Parents are able to see the lineups in Swimmingly to know what their child is scheduled to swim. It also displays times and scores so you can see in real time how your swimmer is doing. 

Registration costs $100 per swimmer (this is collected through Swimmingly). There is also a Swimmingly fee of $16 per swimmer. 

Registration is done through Swimmingly and there are instructions for returning swimmers as well as for families that are joining for the first time. Check out our registration page for all that information!

As long as they are comfortable in the water and can attempt to swim the length of the pool, they can join. Coaches group swimmers by age and skill.

That’s ok! It’s not necessary for your child to be able to swim a full lap, the coaches will work with the kids everyday to get them to that point. Once they are able to swim a lap unassisted, they will be able to swim in the meets. 

No! Our coaches will help teach techniques for all strokes, flips, and starts. Many new swimmers join each year and learn as they go.

Afternoon practices take place from May 27 – June 6
5:00pm-6:00pm (6 & under, 8 & under, 10 & under)
6:00pm-7:00pm (12 & under, 14 & under, 18 & under)
Combination of morning and afternoon practices begin June 9 – June 11
8:00am – 9:00am (14 & under and 18 & under)
9:00am – 10:00am (10 & under and 12 & under)
10:00am – 11:00am (8 & under)
11:00am – 11:30am (6 & under)
6:00pm – 7:00pm (any age group, this time is reserved for PA students and kids attending camp)
Morning practices begin June 12 and continue throughout the rest of the swim season
8:00am – 9:00am (14 & under and 18 & under)
9:00am – 10:00am (10 & under and 12 & under)
10:00am – 11:00am (8 & under)
11:00am – 11:30am (6 & under)

Meets are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings between June 17th and July 10th. Meets begin at 6:00PM. We ask our swimmers to arrive by 4:45PM for home meets and 5:15PM for away meets. Here is this season’s schedule:

Tuesday, June 17: HOME meet vs. Shellcrest
Thursday, June 19: Away meet @ Graylyn Crest
Tuesday, June 24: HOME meet vs JCC
Thursday June 26: Away meet @ Lane
Tuesday, July 1: HOME meet vs. Crestview
Tuesday, July 8: HOME meet vs. Silverside (senior recognition night)
Thursday, July 10: Away meet @ Elks

Meets can last 3 to 4 hours (running until 9 or 10pm sometimes). However – younger swimmers events are always first and they wrap up much earlier than that. All swimmers are free to leave after their events. To learn lots more about how the meets work check out Swim Meets 101

Yes! Parent volunteers are absolutely essential to run a successful meet. Each family is required to fill at least 3 volunteer shifts throughout the course of the season. Many jobs are split so that you’d only work the first or second half. Only a few special roles require knowledge of the sport and there will be training available for those specific positions. We’re always happy to help find you the best fit or have you shadow someone with more experience. We use a sign-up genius to fill these roles. If you’re interested in learning how to be a stroke and turn judge there is free training at the JCC on June 5th, 2025 at 6:30pm.

To read job descriptions and find sign-up links check out our Volunteer Page

Specific roles that we need to fill for each meet include:

• Starter
• Stroke and turn judge
• Place judge
• Announcer
• Head timer
• Lane timers
• Swimmer wranglers
• Bullpen
• Ribbon writers
• Concessions
• Parking/set up
• Runners
• Scorers

No. While we definitely encourage you to come to meets (they’re a ton of fun!) just let the coaches know if your child can’t attend the meet. 

• Swimsuit (we encourage you to get our team suit, but that’s not required) 
• Goggles
• Swim cap (optional) 
• Towels
• Water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Warm clothes for meet nights (it can get chilly after the sun goes down)

Yes, Fair Blue does have a team suit, this year it’s new for 2025 and will likely be used for the 2026 season as well. Purchasing it is optional however. If you do choose to buy it, you can purchase at the Swim Shop in Fairfax Shopping Center. There’s more info about our suit here!

Yes, from the sides of the pool. USA Swimming strictly prohibits photography and video recording from behind the starting blocks, including the spectator area behind them to ensure the safety and privacy of all athletes. All NBSL pools will enforce these guidelines for the safety of our swimmers. If you see someone in violation of this rule, please request they take pictures on the side or end of the pool, or find a representative to rememdy the situation.

Returning for 2025 we also have a team photographer that will take professional photos at our meets and share them with families free of charge. Links to photos are typically shared through the Telegram app.

Note – a professional team photo and individual swimmer photos will be offered through another company and there is a charge if you wish to take advantage of these.

The NBLS end of season championship meets take place on these dates (note that times have not yet been finalized): 

Monday, July 14: 6 & under @ Windy Bush in the evening
Friday, July 18: 18 & under and 14 & under @ Graylyn Crest in the evening
Saturday, July 19: 8 & Under Girls/Boys and 10 & under Boys @ Graylyn Crest in the morning
Saturday, July 19: 10 & under Girls and 12 & under Girls/Boys @ Graylyn Crest in the afternoon

Yes! Our annual swim team banquet will be held the evening of July 13, 2025. The pool will close to other members early for this event. More information will be shared as we approach this date. 

We use the free Telegram app for notifications and updates, you can learn more about that and access the codes to sign up right here!

If you have more questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our team reps. They’re available at most practices or you can email fairblueswimteam@gmail.com