Little Falls Swim and Dive

• Summer swimming is a longstanding tradition at Little Falls. The Penguins have been part of the Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL) since approximately 1967. This year we are competing in Division I. Although we are a competitive swim team, our focus is on fun and good sportsmanship.
• The season runs from the Tuesday after Memorial Day through the last weekend in July. See the Calendar on our team site for details about events.
• Before Montgomery County Public Schools begin summer vacation, all practices are held in the afternoons from Monday through Friday. After school ends, there will be both morning and afternoon practices. Practice times are also on the team site under the Swim Team tab.
• “A” meets are held on Saturday mornings, and “B” meets are held on Wednesday evenings. While there are A meets and B meets, pre-team, swim team, and Nestlings, we are one team; we are the Penguins!
• Swimmers compete based on their ages as of June 1.
• While the children are swimming, the parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles help run the team. Swim team is a family experience!

What are time trials? Do they sell cotton candy at Relay Carnival? Read below to brush up on swim team lingo and learn a little more about our season.

PEP RALLIES—Friday evenings before an A meet the team has a pep rally led by our coaches and older swimmers. These are social events for the team and all swim/dive kids are invited to attend. Kids will cheer, play games, and generally engage in maximum fun! Coaches will select a theme for each pep rally and send it out to the team via email.

TIME TRIALS—Time trials is the opening (practice) meet of every season, swum so new and updated times can be recorded for swimmers.

“A” MEETS—Regular MCSL competition held on Saturday mornings against other teams in our division. Score is kept and the results of these meets count toward our division standings. Each team can put 6 swimmers (per age group) in freestyle events and 3 swimmers (per age group) in events for the other three strokes. The coaches decide the lineup and will send it to the team on Thursdays. Times from Time Trials, Wednesday B meets, and any previous A meets can be used to determine what swimmers will be entered in the following Saturday A meet.  Swimmers may be entered in an A meet with no time (NT) in some instances.

“B” MEETS—Swimming “scrimmage” held on Wednesday evenings against teams that may or may not be in our division. We have chosen pools in close proximity to Little Falls for parent convenience. Swimmers swim for competitive practice and to improve their times. B meets are all about fun and they're open to everyone. Swimmers may be limited to fewer than 4 events depending on the rules of the host team. The first "make up time trial" B meet with Somerset is open only to swimmers who have not yet achieved a time from the first time trials.  While Nestlings aren't usually ready for B meets, pre-team swimmers have often become ready after the first few weeks of practice. Coaches will let pre-team kids know when they're meet-ready. No need to cook dinner on B meet nights; our Penguin concessions team grills up some of the tastiest burgers and dogs in the county.

RELAY CARNIVAL—One of the most fast-paced, fun meets of any swim season, involving every team in a division. Only relays are swum, and some involve swimmers from various age groups. Swimmers are selected for relay team based on their best recorded times in an event—the fastest swimmers are invited to compete.

DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS—The final championship meet of the regular swim season. Each of the 6 teams can enter two swimmers per individual event and one relay per relay event.

ALL-STAR MEETS (Individual and Relays)—A two-day countywide meet held annually the last weekend in July in Rockville for the county’s fastest 16 individual swimmers and relay teams.

FUN MEET AND PRE-TEAM & NESTLING AWARDS -- The last opportunity of the season to have a burger/dog, this "meet" will be held on the last Wednesday night of the swim season and all Nestling & pre-team swimmers have the opportunity to compete in a mini meet before receiving their end of season awards. Also included in the evening are parent and family relays and a parent dive competition.

SWIM/DIVE AWARDS BANQUET—This family event is held at the end of the regular season for the swim and dive team. In addition to an awesome dinner, the coaches give every swimmer a personalized “paper plate” award which celebrates something special and memorable about them during the season. The night ends with cake and a video of season highlights.