Falcon Woods Fins 2026

Welcome to the Falcon Woods Fins! We are excited that you are a part of our team this season!

Listed below are some swim team tips and reminders:

Payment: Payment can be made via check or money order. We do accept Zelle; however, please note that you will be responsible for paying a fee of 1% of the total cost to do so.

Swimmers are unable to participate in meets until registration is paid. All payments must be made by 5/20/26.

Sign up for Group Me: We will use Group Me this year to communicate with parents and swimmers throughout the swim season; especially when there are delays or cancellations due to weather. Please download the app and use https://groupme.com/join_group/105735903/7XoJ8IPF to sign up. You can also sign up using the QR code located on the Home Page. 

Team Suits: You are more than welcome to use our competition swimming suits from last year available through Kiefer Aquatics. Unfortunately, the team suits from last year have been discontinued. There are still limited sizes available of the Rise Sandies Blueprint style at Kiefer Aquatics (885 Woodstock Rd. Ste 400 Roswell, GA 30075).

For this year we have gone with a competition suit from SwimOutlet:

swimoutlet.com/collections/falconwoodsfins?groupid=6435

You can also purchase plain black competition suits. For your convenience, we have put together a list of swimsuit options. 

Whichever suit you purchase, they should fit a little tight, no wrinkles. They will get looser when they are worn in the water. For your convenience, we have posted links to several cost affordable options from Amazon. Please go to Swimsuit Ordering link under the Registration tab for links. 

Practices: Practices are RAIN OR SHINE, unless there is thunder or lightening. If we have to cancel practice, we will send out a notification via Group Me to let you know.

• Please have your swimmer line up at the pool door at their practice time. The coaches will open the door when it is time for them to come in.

• Swimmers will need a towel and goggles for swim practice.

• Parents, please view practices from the pavilion. Only coaches and coordinators are supposed to be on deck during practices. You are welcome to use the restrooms if needed.

• There will not be a practice the day after a swim meet. Instead, we will have a “Fun Swim” from 10:30-11:30AM.

• Please note that practices will be in the afternoons while school is in session and will switch to mornings starting May 21, 2026. There will not be practice on Memorial Day, 5/25. Please see the Practice Tab for dates and times.

Swim Meets: 

Please RSVP for meets on SwimTopia https://falconwoodsfins.swimtopia.com by 5PM the Sunday before the meet at the latest. If you do not RSVP, your swimmer will not be placed in events for the meet. This is very important as our coaches have to create the lineup for each meet. This involves working with the other team's coaches to assign heats and lanes to ensure that all attending swimmers participate in as many events as possible, in as few heats as possible. The lineup is very difficult to change once it is created. If there is a medical concern or a reason that a swimmer should not swim a particular stroke, please put that in the comments when RSVP’ing for the meet AND let Katie or Sara know so that we can inform the coaches before they do the line up.

• Instructions for how to RSVP your swimmer is located under the Meets & Events tab.

• We understand that sometimes things come up last minute. If something changes your response past the RSVP deadline, please let us know ASAP so that the coaches have time to make changes before the meet.

• Please write your swimmers name on their back and their events on their arm with a sharpie prior to warm up on meet days. Tip: do not write with sharpie and then immediately apply suntan lotion. It will make the writing run and transfer onto surfaces (we may or may not have personal experience with this!).

• Instructions for how to mark your swimmer’s arm is located under the Meets & Events tab.

• Swimmers may sit with their parents or with fellow swimmers during the meet, but each swimmer is responsible for getting to his or her event on time. Our younger swimmers will have a bullpen area available. We ask that parents assist their young swimmers to the bullpen at least 6 events prior to their scheduled event.
• 25 yd = 1 lap; 50 yd = 2 laps

• For an Individual Medley Relay (IM), the order is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breast, and Freestyle.

• In a Medley Relay, each swimmer swims a different stroke. The order of the strokes in a medley relay is: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle. 100yd Medley Relay = each swimmer swims one lap. 200yd Medley Relay = each swimmer swims 2 laps. 

• If you or your swimmer are confused about which lap they are swimming in a relay or which end to line up on, please ask for help! This is confusing for everyone, so please don't be afraid to ask questions in advance and your child will feel more prepared at race time!

• Start Time/Meet Length: Warm up for home meets is 5:00pm and 5:30pm for away meets. All meets begin promptly at 6:00pm. Generally, meets will are over by 10pm (5/6 year olds will be done at the end of the first half (after event 46) usually around 8pm). Inclement weather may delay the length of the meet; however, we do not run past 11:00pm. Swimmers need to check in at the Fins table upon arrival.

• Heat Sheet: Heat sheets are emailed out to parents and will be published on the SwimTopia app on the day of the meet around 1PM. If you want a paper copy of the heat sheet, you must print your own heat sheet. There are no extras at the meet and none for sale. Please be aware that the heat sheet is subject to change up until the time of the meet.

• What to Bring: A positive attitude, your team swimsuit, cap, goggles (an extra pair of goggles is a good idea!), team t-shirt, 2-3 towels, warm clothes for after evening events, money for concessions, snacks and drinks in a cooler (optional), printed heat sheet (or phone with Swimtopia app downloaded), Sharpie, folding camp chairs, a fan, and sunscreen. *High school and USA Swim Team swim suits or caps are NOT allowed.

• **No Alcohol Inside the Fence/on Pool Deck!!** We will be fined and automatically forfeit the meet if any alcohol is inside the pool deck. The league is strict on this!

Volunteers:

• We can’t run a meet without volunteers! We require parents to volunteer for at least 4 positions per family. Each volunteer session is broken up into 1st and 2nd half. You can choose to work the entire meet, or only one half of it. Please see the Volunteer Descriptions located under the Meets & Events tab for more details about each position. Our volunteer coordinator, Allison Cheek, will be available to help make sure you know what your job entails. Volunteers should sign in with the Volunteer Coordinator by 5:30pm. We are requesting a $150 check with registration. It will only be cashed if you have not fulfilled your volunteer requirements. 
• We are doing something new this year! For every job that you volunteer for, we will enter your name in a raffle for a VIP parking spot at one of our 3 Home Meets!

Pictures: Team and individual pictures will be held on Thursday, 5/28, Individual pictures start at 10 AM with a team pic around 11 AM. We encourage everyone to have their individual picture taken! There is no obligation to purchase. 

2026 Coordinators:

Co-Coordinators: Katie Cousineau, Kate Milberger and Sara Henson (email: [email protected])

Volunteer Coordinators: Allison Cheek and Tori Camp

Concession Coordinators: Melissa Barfield and Tisha Oliver

Ribbons Coordinator: Shay Vail

Equipment Coordinator: Matt Peardon

2026 Coaches:

Head Coaches: Payton Thomas and Shannyn Lambert

Junior Coaches: Quinn Cook, Zoe Peterson, Noah Tibbets

Little Fins Head Coach: Zoe Peterson

Little Fins Assistant Coaches: Savannah Heck and Lexi Miletic