Frequently Asked Questions
- Willingness to participate, a good attitude, a water bottle, swim cap, gogles
- Practice: Swimmers can wear any suit they want to practice
- Meets: Per the MCSL (the league that we swim for)
- Eligible Swimsuits -- MCSL follows USA Swimming rules with regard to eligible swimsuits for competition. In general, these requirements state that swimsuits for men may not extend above the navel or below the knee and for women may not cover the neck or extend past the shoulders or below the knee. No zippers or other fastening devices are allowed, except for a waist tie on a brief or jammer. Suits must be of textile material and must not be made of any rubberized type of material such as polyurethane or neoprene. The swimmer must wear only one swimsuit in one or two pieces except it is permissible for the swimmer to wear a single set of garments underneath his or her competition swimsuit for modesty and/or privacy reasons. Exemptions to this rule will be granted only for conflicts due to a swimmer’s religious beliefs or medical conditions. All requests for an exemption must be submitted to the Meet Referee by the swimmer, coach and/or team representative prior to participation in any MCSL sanctioned event for consideration.
- Typically the Duck Swimmers purchase a black basic competition suit. We sell the team logo/transfer for $10.00 (part of the proceeds are donated back to the team)
- Suits that tend to perform well over the season (chlorine and sun) are Speedo, TYR, Dolphin - these suits can be purchased from Amazon, Swim Outlet, Dick's Sporting Goods, or locally at Capital Sport and Swim in Kensington
- Ideally, yes for performance and hygiene reasons – (if you have ever had to fish long hair out of a swim drain you know the challenge that presents) – Silicon swim caps have more stretch and work well for those with longer hair or are sensitive to things that pull those baby hairs. They also tend to be a bit hotter. Latex caps are cheaper, come in more fun colors and a bit cooler but they tend to tear more easily than Silicon caps. Goggles protect those sweet eyes from the chemicals used to keep pools safe from nasty bacteria. It is easier to see underwater with googles – critical for those who don’t want to bang into the wall (or the person’s feet who is swimming in front of them in a lane)
- Yes but it MUST be turned inside out so that the logo of the other team CANNOT be seen
- Yes, however the logo of the other team MUST be covered up (duct tape, electrical tape, gaffers’ tape are all good options)
- That depends - the rules of the Twinbrook pool state that children under 13 are NOT allowed to be at the pool without an adult - if this is a consideration for families, please let us know, and we will see what we can do to find a solution
- Any child under 13 needs to have a parent present or arrange something with the coaches, team reps, or another parent - this is swim practice and for safety reasons, we ask that parents stay on the pool grounds during practice
- We ask that swimmers who are comfortable attend as many meets as possible - we know this is a commitment for families and can be scary for timid swimmers - but meets are fun and they provide our swimmers with a way to test and showcase all of the work they put in during practice.
What do I need to bring to practice?
What kind of swimsuit do we need?
Do swimmers need to wear googles and swim caps?
What if my swimmer has a swim cap from another team - can they just wear that one?
What if a swimmer has a suit from a previous team, can they just wear that one?
Can we just drop our kids off for practice?
Do we have to swim at the meets?
Do we swim/practice in the rain?
Yes, practice can continue in the rain, however, based on Montgomery County pool rules if there is thunder, the pool must be cleared for 15 minutes, if there is no thunder during the time the pool is cleared – the swim team may re-enter the pool. Coaches will continue the practice on the "hill" (grassy area) with dry-land activities. If the pool is required to clear the pool and grounds due to thunder, lightning, or any other weather-related event, then practice is canceled for that portion of the day. The best way to stay up to date is to check the Twinbrook pool page, and your email (we will email cancelation notices) and to sign up for the Remind App. That is the tool we use to text our family members and swimmers with any announcements.
