About

It's not easy to define what makes a team stand out from the rest. There are so many factors that go into what makes a team unique that finding the one thing that makes us special is probably impossible. We can say that we have team spirit and that we are like a family, but other teams say the same thing. We can point to the fun that we have each summer (and all the time in between), but other teams have fun, too. So what separates us from the pack?

We do have an unwavering team spirit that is known across the league and we do have more fun than any other team, regardless of how the meet is going. Our family quickly falls back into step with familiar faces each season and we immediately welcome new members with open arms. We know that there are other teams out there that you can choose to join, so when you choose to be a part of our team - our family - we genuinely appreciate it.

We're a team that doesn't take anything for granted. We choose to see the pool as half full. We see challenges as opportunities. We're innovative and flexible - like riding out the waves. We're laid back but serious about our swimmers. We're a small team with "big team” talent. We've competed in the lower divisions and we've competed at the highest levels, but we've never lost sight of who we are. We are a competitive team that appreciates the competition.

We're grateful for the opportunity to swim. We are the BWaves.

The Bridlewaves Swim Team was founded in 1998 as part of the community development. The purpose of the swim team is to develop, in the children involved in this program, a love of the sport and to advance swimming skills, teamwork and principles of good sportsmanship.

The Bridlewaves participate in the Prince William Swim League (PWSL), which is a summer swim league. The league and team encourage children to participate regardless of their skill level. We are governed by the rules of the PWSL swim league. Rules of the PWSL swim league can be found in the PWSL by-laws and are available upon contacting one of the Bridlewave board members.

The Bridlewood Bridlewaves are committed to offering age specific training for all of our athletes geared towards challenging each individual and developing each individual to the best of THEIR abilities. With that in mind, there are three levels of participation in the BWaves program, each with specific qualifications and goals. A brief summary of each level follows:

 

Guppies 1

This program is designed as an introduction to water and swimming. These guppies will learn basic water safety tips and grow more and more comfortable in the water as they begin learning some simple techniques of swimming. Children need not know any swimming strokes to enter the Guppies 1 program, but they will need to meet the following requirements:

 

Guppies 1 Participants must be:

  • willing to jump into the pool

  • capable of putting their face in the water

  • comfortable being away from family members for 30 minutes at a time

 

Guppies 2

The Guppies 2 program builds on the foundation of Guppies 1 and encourages swimmers to learn basic swimming techniques (freestyle and backstroke) and ultimately prepare them for the competitive team. This program is designed to allow swimmers to learn how to be comfortable and confident in the pool as they learn key swim concepts such as, streamline, proper breathing, kicking, and diving starts.

 

Guppies 2 Participants must meet the Guppies 1 requirements AND be able to swim at least 10 meters (from the wall to the end of the solid color on the lane line) without  any assistance. It doesn’t have to be a recognizable stroke; it just has to be 10 meters.

 

BWaves (Competitive Team)

Members of the BWaves competitive swim team are expected to understand water safety concepts, swim independently during daily practices (45 minutes to an hour long), and participate at team events, including the swim meets. The season will consist of a practice meet (Time Trials), six dual meets, and a final tri-meet (Divisionals).

 

BWaves must be able to:

  • demonstrate confidence, comfort, and an understanding of water safety

  • swim unassisted for 25 meters on their stomach

  • swim unassisted for 25 meters on their back

 

All swimmers new to the team MUST be evaluated in order to join the team!

 

If your swimmer is new to swimming, you must schedule a time for a swim evaluation. Currently, we anticipate hosting evaluations from 6:30-7:00pm each day during the first week of scheduled practices (May 29 - June 1) at the Bridlewood pool. There will also be an evaluation time available on Sunday, May 20th from 5:00-6:00pm at Central Park Aquatics Center in Manassas. Your swimmer cannot practice with the team until after they have been evaluated. (Please schedule your evaluation by emailing [email protected] ).

 

However, if your swimmer has legal times in all four strokes from USA Swimming and/or PWSL (or another swim team), they CAN and SHOULD practice with the team from day one. Their evaluation will take place during their normal practice time during the first week of practice. (Please provide a screenshot, link, or other evidence to [email protected] ).

Please send any remaining questions about the programs and/or evaluations to [email protected] .