Machine Aquatics Team Update 11.19.2025
Machine Aquatics Team Update
2025-26 Season: Issue 10 - 11.19.2025
In this issue:
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Coach Appreciation Month: November
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Coach Cell Phone Use During Practices
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Only 8 More Bins: Thanksgiving Food Drive
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INOVA Holiday Toy Drive
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Long Hair Caps Available in the Team Store
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Meet Information for this Weekend
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Upcoming Meet Information
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Volunteer Hours
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High School Swimming and USA Swimming
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November is Coach Appreciation Month
November is Coach Appreciation Month, and we’re thrilled to celebrate the incredible group of coaches who make Machine Aquatics what it is. Day after day, our staff brings energy, expertise, and unwavering commitment to helping swimmers grow—not just as athletes, but as confident, resilient individuals. Their enthusiasm on the pool deck, thoughtful guidance, and behind-the-scenes preparation make a real difference in every practice and every meet.
To join in the celebration, be sure to check out our Instagram Reels, where we’re sharing fun insights, quick interviews, and a closer look at the personalities that make our coaching staff so special. Take a moment to say “thank you, coach!” today—we truly couldn’t do this without them.
Coach Cell Phone Use During Practices
Our coaches may occasionally use their cell phones during practice, and we want to reassure families that this is intentional and important to how we run our training sessions. Phones allow coaches to quickly access and record workouts, monitor swimmer progress, and take attendance without stepping away from the pool deck. This helps them stay organized and responsive while keeping their primary attention on the athletes in the water. Coaches are not texting or conducting personal business during practice—any phone use you observe is directly tied to coaching tasks and supporting a smooth, well-managed practice environment.
Thanksgiving Food Drive: 8 More Bins!
We are honored to be asked to help with an annual Thanksgiving Tub Drive again this year. This year, the program is supporting 450+ families over thirteen schools in Fairfax County. We have committed that Machine will sponsor 50 families with support to ensure they have a Thanksgiving Dinner. We are putting these 50 spots out to our families. If you would like to sponsor a family, please use the link below. Any spots not filled, Machine will shop for and complete.
If you want to make a cash donation to sponsor a bin, please email [email protected], and we can set that up.
Details on basket needs (specific shopping list), drop-off information, and sign-up can be found at the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040C45A9AF23A0FE3-60432611-2025
Thank you in advance for considering sponsoring a family.
INOVA Holiday Toy Drive
We are excited to support Inova Children’s Hospital through this year’s Toy Drive in coordination with the Schone family. Former Machine swimmer Isabel is now a nurse at Inova Fairfax, making this effort especially meaningful to our Machine family.
You can purchase items directly from Inova’s 2025 Amazon Wishlist at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2LJM4HN2FOA6J?ref_=wl_share, and all donations will be delivered to the Schone family, who will transport the gifts t
o Inova Fairfax for distribution.
Thank you for helping us bring comfort and joy to children receiving care — we are truly grateful for your generosity.
Long Hair Caps Available in the Team Store
We’re excited to share that TYR Silicone Long Hair Caps are now available in the Machine Aquatics Team Store! Designed specifically for swimmers with longer hair, these high-quality caps offer a comfortable, secure fit without pulling or snagging. They’re perfect for both training and competition days. Caps are $20 each.
Caps can be picked up at the Machine Performance Center or shipped directly to you—whichever is most convenient.
Click here to order yours today!
Meet Information for this Week
Odd Ball Challenge - OPEN TO 8&U MARYLAND SWIMMERS
November 22, 2025 - November 23, 2025
Fairland Aquatic Center, 13820 Old Gunpowder Road, Laurel, MD 20707
OPEN TO 8&U MARYLAND SWIMMERS
Individual event fee: $ 10.00 Swimmer Surcharge $ 5.00
Click HERE to volunteer at the Odd Ball Challenge meet
Click HERE for the Odd Ball Challenge meet announcement
Click HERE for the Odd Ball Challenge estimated timeline
Click HERE for the Odd Ball Challenge Saturday meet program
Click HERE for the Odd Ball Challenge Sunday meet program
Pumpkin Plunge Mini Meet - OPEN TO 8&U VIRGINIA SWIMMERS
November 23, 2025
Ashburn Rec Center - 21105 Coopers Hawk Dr Ashburn, VA 20148
OPEN TO 8&U VIRGINIA SWIMMERS
Per Swimmer Surcharge: $5.00 Individual event fee: $7.50
SESSION TIME CHANGE:
GIRLS- 6:45am building entry, 7:00am warm ups, 8:00am start
BOYS- 10:15am building entry, 10:30am warm up, 11:30am start
Click HERE to volunteer at the Pumpkin Plunge Mini Meet (*still need lane checkers*)
Click HERE for the Pumpkin Plunge boys psych sheet
Click HERE for the Pumpkin Plunge girls psych sheet
Click HERE for the Pumpkin Plunge estimated timeline
Click HERE for the Pumpkin Plunge Mini meet announcement
Upcoming Meet Information
Meet Schedules for the National and National Prep Groups
Meet Schedules for the Senior Elite and High Performance Groups
Meet Schedules for the Senior and Gears Groups
Click here to record volunteer hours.
18th Annual Turkey Claus Showdown - NO SLOWER THAN MEET - NTs NOT PERMITTED
December 04, 2025 - December 07, 2025
University of Maryland, Eppley Recreation Center, College Park, MD 20740
TURKEY CLAUS SHOWDOWN ENTRIES CLOSE: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
NO FASTER THAN MEET - OPEN TO SWIMMERS 9&O - NO TIMES NOT PERMITTED
Swimmers qualifying for the 2025 Katie Ledecky Invitational Meet (formerly the NCAP Invitational) in FOUR (4) or more events are not eligible for this meet.
Per Swimmer Surcharge: $18.00 Individual event fee: $10.00
Click HERE for the 18th Annual Turkey Claus Showdown meet announcement
Click HERE to enter the 18th Annual Turkey Claus Showdown meet
2025 Katie Ledecky Invitational
December 11-14, 2025
University of Maryland, Eppley Recreation Center, College Park, MD 20740
NO SLOWER THAN MEET (QUALIFYING STANDARDS APPLY) - OPEN TO 9&O SWIMMERS
KATIE LEDECKY INVITATIONAL ENTRIES DUE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17
PLEASE REVIEW THE KATIE LEDECKY MEET ANNOUNCEMENT PRIOR TO ENTERING EVENTS
Per Swimmer Surcharge: $18.00 Individual event fee: $10.00
Click HERE for the Katie Ledecky meet announcement
Click HERE for the Katie Ledecky Invitational eligibility report as of Nov 18
Click HERE to enter the Katie Ledecky Invitational meet
FAST Splash and Dash Mini Meet - OPEN TO 10&U MD SWIMMERS
Dec 20, 2025 - Dec 20, 2025
Fairland Aquatic Center, 13820 Old Gunpowder Road, Laurel, MD 20707
OPEN TO MD 10&U SWIMMERS ONLY
SPLASH AND DASH MEET ENTRIES CLOSE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Individual event fee: $9.00 Swimmer Surcharge $ 4.00
Click HERE for the Splash and Dash meet announcement
Click HERE to enter the Splash and Dash mini meet
Volunteer Hours
We can not do this without you! Thank you so much for donating your time to our swim meets. Machine Aquatics has a $100 volunteer fee. We will refund this to you when you have completed your 22-hour volunteer requirement. This is time spent helping out at meets or with other special projects that may come up during the season.
Please send your hours as you complete them to our volunteer form by clicking below. We are tracking them for you. When you reach 22 hours, we will issue a refund check.
Click here to record your volunteer hours.
High School Swimming Times and USA Swimming
We know many of our swimmers are looking forward to the start of the high school swim season. We have just a couple of reminders before the season starts: please provide your swimmer’s USA Swimming ID# to your swimmer’s high school coach, and please keep an eye out for your swimmer’s times in Team Unify so that any times from PVS or VA observed meets make their way into Team Unify. We will need all times in our system before we submit entries for the March championship meets.
We will have this link to record your HS times posted on Team Unify under the Meets tab. When you provide your USA Swimming ID to your team, the time will be sent to USA Swimming upon certification of the meet results. If the ID is not correct, the time will not be recorded in USA Swimming. This form will allow us to capture times for your swimmer.
