Blue Ridge Barracudas

What an amazing 2026 swim season! Congrats to all of our Barracuda swimmers on an awesome season, and thank you families for all of your support throughout the season. We can't wait to see you back next season!

We know families start planning summer trips early, so here is a first look at tentative key dates for the 2027 Blue Ridge Barracudas season.

This is a tentative, speculative schedule based on typical dates for the GSSSL summer season. League schedule will not be finalized and approved until the Spring meeting (likely March 2027) but this should be helpful for planning purposes. Look forward to seeing you in 2027. Go Barracudas!

2027 Key Dates

• Registration opens: April 1
• Mini Barracudas start: Week of May 3
• Practices start: May 10
• Dual meets: Late June, start of dual meets (Tuesdays/Thursdays in June/July)
• Post-season: July 26, likely start of post-season meets (Prelims and Northerns)
• All Cities: August 3
• End of Season Party: August 4

Planning a trip for Summer of 2027?

If your swimmer is hoping to compete in post-season, please avoid travel between July 26 and August 3. Swimmers who enter Prelims are committing to swim in Northerns and All Cities if they qualify.

We have completed the 2026 swim season. Below is information about the swim team and introductory programs for 2027 planning!

Summer swim team season is just around the corner. Register today!

Below we’ll share information about how to register; team overview; introductory options; registration and pricing; coaching staff; season schedule; practice schedule; and contact information.

How to register

You can register for the Blue Ridge Swim Team (including introductory programs) on the Swimtopia website. If you're new to the team and site, you'll need to create an account and authenticate your email to register your swimmers to any group. Returning users can sign in using their existing credentials. There’s extensive online help for Swimtopia.

Contact [email protected] for any questions about registration or anything else, and one of the Swim Team Coordinators or coaches will help you out!

About the Blue Ridge Barracudas Swim Team

The Blue Ridge Barracudas are a quintessential neighborhood experience for both kids and grown-ups alike — and a highlight of our Pacific Northwest summers. The team is open to any Blue Ridge pool member, between the ages of 4 and 18, including children and grandchildren of residents. No prior swim team experience is required. We offer multiple entry points for swimmers of all ages and experience levels — from brand-new swimmers to seasoned competitors — in a welcoming, supportive environment.

The Barracudas swim team is a great way for kids to stay active, make friends, and have fun in the sun, while enjoying friendly athletic competition against other neighborhood teams. Many swimmers participate in other summer sports and activities in addition to swim team.

We’ll host a parent informational session on Thursday, April 2nd at 7pm at the Blue Ridge Clubhouse this spring for families interested in learning more about swim team programs and what to expect.

Introductory Options

We have two different programs for swimmers who are new to swim team or need more support before joining the team: Mini Barracudas (ages 4-8) and a new Barracuda Introductory Swim Camp (ages 9-18). If you need additional program description or help selecting the right program, please see our program description and placement guide.

Please note, that for Summer 2026, registration for Mini Barracudas and Barracuda Intro Swim Camp is now closed - if you have a younger or newer swimmer who is interested in swim team, either for this season or in the future, email us and we'll discuss how to best support!

Mini Barracudas

Mini Barracudas is a program for younger swimmers (age 4-8) who are comfortable and competent at swimming in the pool and are looking to make the leap from swim lessons to swim team and start learning competitive swimming strokes (e.g. freestyle, backstroke). Mini Barracudas is a two-week, 30 minutes per practice, program that starts the week before regular practices and is designed to help younger swimmers get ready to join the regular swim team. At the end of the Mini Barracudas program, coaches will help each swimmer transition into the setting that best supports their continued progress. Most swimmers move directly into regular swim team practices as a cohort. If a swimmer would benefit from additional skill-building first, our coaches will provide guidance on next steps. Readiness criteria for swim team include the ability to swim one length of the pool (25 yards) freestyle independently. Most graduating swimmers will end up practicing together as a cohort during the regular season.

Mini Barracudas starts on Monday May 4 and costs $100 (+ processing fees) for the two-week program (Monday-Friday, 30 minutes per practice). We are offering two sessions, Session A (starts at 5:30 PM) and Session B (starts at 6:00 PM). Each session is limited to 15 swimmers. Please only sign up for one of the two Mini Barracudas sessions. If you have previously participated in Mini Barracudas but did not participate on the regular swim team, you can sign up for another session of Mini Barracudas. Please do not sign up for Mini Barracudas if you have previously swum on the team in order to reserve space for our youngest swimmers.

Barracuda Introductory Swim Camp

Barracuda Introductory Swim Camp is a new program for older swimmers (age 9-18) who are new to swim team, new to the neighborhood, or need a gentler introduction to this season (e.g. returning to the team after a break). Introductory Swim Camp is a one-week, 45 minute per practice program that runs the week before regular practice starts. Upon completion of the program, swimmers will have the option to join the swim team, and the coaching staff will provide guidance and support to help graduating swimmers successfully transition to regular practices.

Barracuda Introductory Swim Camp starts on Monday May 4 at 6:30 PM, and runs one-week, 45 minutes per day, until Friday May 8. This program costs $50 (+ processing fees) per swimmer.

Blue Ridge Swim Lessons

For kids who are inexperienced swimmers, and not ready for swim team programs, Blue Ridge also offers an extensive line-up of swim lesson programs. While swim team programs are only for Blue Ridge community members, our swim lesson programs are open to anyone! For more information about swim lessons, please visit the Blue Ridge Swim Lessons page.

Swim Team Pricing and Registration

The regular season registration fee is $275 (+ processing fees) for the first swimmer in each family and $250 for each additional sibling on the team. This fee includes all practices, regular season meets, and post-season meets. Equipment (swimsuits, goggles, etc.) is purchased separately by families. Note that we will have a “suit exchange” for families to obtain discounted or free swimwear from other families, and many families often trade or give away suits on the neighborhood Facebook group. Additionally, families who withdraw from the swim team on or before May 31 can receive a 90% refund of their registration fee.

Coaching Staff

We are excited to welcome back Dominic Nouwens (Coach Dom) for his second season as Head Coach of the Barracudas. Coach Dom brings extensive coaching experience and is known for creating a fun, positive, and motivating environment for swimmers at every level. Learn more about Coach Dom and his team of assistants (many of whom are former Blue Ridge swimmers) on the Coaching Page.

Season Schedule Overview

Our season includes:

• Introductory Options for younger kids (Mini Barracudas) and older kids (Barracuda Introductory Swim Camp) new to swim team (starting May 4)
• Evening practices (starting May 11)
• Morning practices once school is out (starting June 22)
• A regular season of neighborhood dual meets (Tuesday/Thursday evenings at 6pm, starting late June through end of July)
• Post-season meets (late July and first week of August)
• Fun, community-focused events, including our end-of-season celebration

You can view the full meet and events schedule on the Events page.

Practice Schedule

View the Practice Schedule.

Contact Information and Future Updates

Please check back on Swimtopia for updates and stay tuned for more information in future Blue Ridge neighborhood bulletins! In the meantime, if you have any swim team questions or need help, please contact [email protected], and one of the Swim Team Coordinators or coaches will help you out!

• Lulu Teeter (Swim Team Coordinator)
• Stephanie LaBarge (Swim Team Coordinator)
• Joe Fitzgerald (Swim Team Coordinator)
• Jenn Brannstetter (Tennis and Pool Chair)
• Phillipa Dugaw (Blue Ridge Manager)
• Dom Nouwens (Head Swim Coach)

Go Barracudas!!