Brambleton Bettas Swim Team
(Scroll down for Mini Bettas Program)

What are the Bettas?
- The Brambleton Bettas Swim Team is an Old Dominion Swim League (ODSL) summer swim program established in 2004 offering a supportive and competitive swimming community with coaching for ages 5-18. The Bettas team competes against other ODSL teams.

- The Brambleton Bettas Swim Team is not the same as swim lessons. While our swimmers improve with excellent coaching every day, we are a team that competes against other teams. It is not meant to be an introduction to swimming.

What are the eligibility requirements?
- Ages 5-18
- You must live within the boundaries of the Brambleton HOA. (This means that you pay dues to the Brambleton Home Owners Association and thus, have access to the pools and amenities.)
- Swim the length of the pool ~25 meters unassisted in any stroke.

What if my child cannot swim 25 meters unassisted?
- Mini bettas is for swimmers ages 5-8 who are comfortable in the water and can swim 1/2 the length of the pool independently. Mini Evaluations will take place on First dat of evening practice at the Corner Pool. You do not need to sign-up for evaluations. Space is limited to 25 swimmers and priority registration is offered to existing Betta families. Cost per swimmer is $260.

What if my child cannot swim at all?

- It is recommended that you look for swim lessons for your child. The Bettas team does not offer swim lessons for first-time swimmers. There are many swim schools in the area. The Brambleton HOA sometimes contracts with swim instructors at the Beacon Crest Pool. Please contact the HOA directly about that.

What is the cost of the Bettas?
- Current rate is $260 per swimmer.
- There is no multi-swimmer discount.

How and when do I register for the Bettas?
- Registration for current members opens on our website March TBD.
- Registration for new members on March TBD (evaluations for new members will be in April).
- Look for information in the Friday Flash, our Facebook page, and here on our website.

Is space limited?
- Brambleton is one of the largest communities in Loudoun County. As such, the Bettas are the largest team in the League. Our team is capped at 250 swimmers, so registration is not guaranteed.

How long is the Season?
- The season begins with a parents meeting on May TBD and runs through All Stars on July TBD.
- There are Dual meets held on Wednesdays and Saturdays and practice daily on weekdays.
- Post regular season meets are TBD.

When is Practice?
- Practices are held every weekday (not on weekends). Each practice is 30-40 minutes and is divided up by age group.
- Practice is held in the evenings between 5 and 8pm by age groups.
- Once school is out, practice is daily from approximately 7:00am-10:30am.
- Working parents/camp practice time is at 7:00am. Sorry, no Mini Bettas at the 7am practice due to the coach/swimmer ratio.

We already have a vacation/camp scheduled. Is practice mandatory?
- Like any sport, kids get the most benefit from consistent practice and training. That said, we understand that other commitments sometimes interfere. Our coaches expect full participation but are understanding.
- If camp conflicts with practice times, swimmers are eligible to swim at 7am. No signup required.

When are Meets?
- The season kicks off with Time Trials, on June (To Be Announced), which is a Bettas only meet.
- Typically there are 7-8 dual meets throughout the season, which are held on Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm and Saturday Mornings at 8am. Warmups begin approximately 45 minutes before the meet begins. 
- Meets last approximately 4-5 hours, but your stay depends on events your swimmer is participating in - younger swimmers typically finish earlier.

Where are practices held?
- Brambleton Corner Pool (corner of Shreveport Dr and Northstar Blvd) is the home of the Bettas. All practices are held there. Our HOME meets will be held at the Brambleton Community Center Pool (Regal Wood Drive).

What is the volunteer commitment?
- It requires approximately 90 volunteers to make our home meets run smoothly. Therefore every family is required to volunteer at 4 dual meets and at Time Trials.
- Grandparents, Baby Sitters, College age siblings etc. are eligible to volunteer.
- If you are unwilling or unable to volunteer you may pay the $260 opt-out fee.

What Equipment is needed for practice?
- Girls - One piece swim suit
- Boys - Jammer style bathing suit
- All - Goggles and Fins. Swim caps are provided by the team and are optional.
- There will be an opportunity at a date TBD to try on and order team suits.

What equipment is needed for meets?
- Girls - One piece Bettas suit, cap and goggles
- Boys - Jammer style Bettas suit, cap and goggles
- Suits will be sold at the beginning of the season.

I have more questions! Help!
- If you still have questions please contact Parent Liaison @ [email protected]

MINI BETTAS

Who is a Mini Betta?

Any registered Swim Team member aged 8 and under who cannot swim the length of the pool is a Mini Betta. A 7- or 8-year-old who is unable to swim 25m freestyle may also become a Mini Betta.

Are Mini Bettas members of the Brambleton Bettas Swim Team?

The Mini Bettas are the youngest members of the Brambleton Bettas Swim Team. They are Team members who have their own practices, are invited to all the age-appropriate social activities and are recognized at the end of the season banquet along with the other team members of all ages. You will receive email updates as do all team members, however some of the updates will not pertain to your age group or meets. We hope that the Mini Betta program will be a positive and fun experience for each swimmer and that they will be excited to continue to work and improve their strokes in order to make more meets and eventually swim in a Betta meet in future summers.

Can I sign up for Mini-Bettas after the season has begun?

YES. However, the season will not be prorated.

If I only have a Mini Betta, must I sign up online for the volunteer positions?

You do not need to volunteer if your swimmer stays in mini bettas for entire season. However, you are expected to volunteer if your swimmer is promoted to the regular team and participates in regular meets. Volunteers are essential to the smooth running of Mini Bettas meets so it is imperative that you sign up for positions. Jobs at meets include timing, and clerk of course positions (organizing kids for their events), set up and clean up.

When are Mini Betta practices?

Mini Betta practices are Monday – Friday starting in June.

What happens at a Mini Bettas practice?

Your swimmer will be assigned to a lane or the beach-entry area of the pool by the head Coach at the first practice that they attend. Your swimmer should report to that lane for all future practices unless the coaches ask them to switch to a different lane. The purposes of the lane assignments are to group like skills. Please do not move your child so that he/she can be with a friend. There will be several coaches in the water working with your swimmers.

Is Mini Betta practice ever cancelled?

Rarely, but in the event of a pool closure or inclement weather which results in the pool being closed, all practices (Mini Betta and Swim Team) will be cancelled and not rescheduled.


What if my swimmer will miss days?

It is helpful if you can let a coach know if your child will miss several practices (if you know ahead of time) so they can staff practices appropriately. However, if your swimmer randomly misses a practice, that is no problem.

What do I do during Mini Betta practices?

Have fun meeting other parents. Parents are not allowed on the pool deck due to covid restrictions. Please remain outside of the pool gates. When allowed on-deck, parents are encouraged to let the coaches coach and not interfere during practice. This allows the swimmers and coaches to concentrate on the practice with the swimmers focused on their coach.

Are Mini Betta practices the same as swim lessons?

Teaching occurs throughout the Mini Betta practices, but the program is geared more as practices and are not individual swim lessons. Their practices will focus on the competitive swim strokes and their coaches will teach them proper form, technique, breathing, etc. When they learn a component of a stroke they will also work to build up their endurance with that component to help reach their goal of swimming 25m of that stroke.

Do Mini Bettas swim in swim meets?

There will be one meet at the end of the season. Information will be sent to all Mini Bettas families once we know the schedule.

What swimsuit and equipment are needed for Mini Bettas?

All swimmers should have goggles and fins. It is recommended that girls wear a comfortable one-piece suit and boys wear jammers (long speedo type suit) during practice. Team colors are black, purple, white and gray. Coaches may ask the swimmers to bring fins to practice, but that is not required on the first day. Fins help your swimmers get stronger in the water and give them more confidence in their kicking.

Will my Mini Betta swim in the older swimmers’ practices?

Depending on ability, Mini Betta swimmers may be invited by the Head Coach to “graduate” from Mini Bettas and attend the daily swim team practices or swim in a Bettas Meet.

Are there social events for Mini-Bettas?
As Swim Team members, they are invited to attend all family social activities, pep rallies, and team events which are age-appropriate.

How do I find out about Swim Team activities?
The team website, email and Facebook page are your resources for the most up to date information about activities and events.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brambleton-Bettas-Swim-Team/169024626534233

Whom do I speak to if I have concerns or questions?
You can speak to or email the Head Coach. Please do not approach them with concerns during practice time. They may be available after practice.