Machine Aquatics Team Update: 01.15.2026
Machine Aquatics Team Update
2025-26 Season: Issue 12 - 01.15.2026
In this issue:
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Head Coach’s Note on Event Selection
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Practice Changes Due to High School Swim Season
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High School Swimming Times
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Meet Information for this Weekend
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Upcoming Meet Information
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Volunteer Hours
Note about Event Selection from Head Coach Dan Jacobs
Swimmers and Parents,
Happy New Year, and on behalf of the Machine Aquatics Staff, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate all the swimming success we saw across all levels of our Machine family during the December championship season. As we move into the second half of the season, as the head coach, I wanted to share some reminders and guidance on Meet and Event selection.
As parents, one part of our role in supporting your child's competitive aquatic development is to understand and explain to your swimmer(s) that several variables go into which events are swum at a meet, and equally important, when in the season they are swum. It is very easy to fall into the pattern of selecting the same events at each meet and allowing our children to swim only the events they are “comfortable” in or where they will see “success”.
From our youngest GEARS groups to our HIGH PERFORMANCE to our top at the NATIONAL TEAM level, meet event selection should vary from meet to meet and should be discussed with the coach. If your swimmer has swum the same events over and over, it is probably time to take a “rest” from that event. If your swimmer has not swum an event, January/ February is the time when your swimmer should get a time in that event. If your swimmer is at a higher level within the program, in the 2nd half of the season, coaches will either finalize or adjust your swimmer's event selections based on where they are in the training cycle. In some meets, you will simply indicate a “yes” or “no” for meet attendance and not make event selections; the coaches will select the events. We understand this might cause some anxiety for you as a parent and for your swimmer, but I assure you the coach will never put a swimmer in an event they are not ready for. The confidence they achieve from swimming a “scary” event is huge. This will enable them to participate in other events they never would have dreamed of before. Don’t shy away from the 200 Stroke events or the 200, 400 IM, or the 500 free. A part of our job that you have entrusted us with by joining Machine is to push your children to believe they can do these events because they have trained and are prepared. Our job as parents is to celebrate the accomplishment afterward.
Now that mid-season short course championships are over, it's time to focus on the Spring Championship meets. There are limited opportunities to compete, depending on your swimmer's level, so understanding an event-selection plan aligned with your swimmer's goals is important. Please reach out to your child's primary coach to discuss this, if you have not already. You can always reach out to them via email or after practice with any questions or advice.
The second half of the season is an exciting time. Remind your swimmers to listen to the coaches, discuss event selections, slow down, and work on the small things that matter. Be deliberate in your practice drills and fine-tuning. It's important that they own their performance in each practice and continue to celebrate every swim, regardless of time on board.
We appreciate all of you and look forward to being a part of their swimming journey!
Warmest Regards,
Dan Jacobs
Head Coach, Machine Aquatics
Practice Changes Due to High School Swim Season
As the High School Championship season begins, we will implement various practice changes that will affect all Machine sites. We know these changes are not ideal for scheduling, and we strive to provide as much notice as possible and minimize the impact. Our local public high schools have priority in county facilities over all USA Swimming teams. These schedule changes are not limited to Machine Aquatics and affect all USA Swimming teams across the facilities used for High School swimming.
Please review any schedule changes you receive from your Site Directors and coaches. A workout will be provided at another location at a similar practice time. We understand this may not be convenient for busy families and appreciate your flexibility as we work together in the coming weeks.
High School Swimming Times and USA Swimming
If you have a swimmer on a High School Swim Team, PLEASE READ
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Please provide your swimmer’s USA Swimming ID# to your swimmer’s high school coach. Your USAS Swimming ID is listed on the Member tab in Team Unify. This will ensure that your swimmer’s times show up in the USA Swimming database for any PVS or VA-observed high school meets.
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Please use the link below to send your swimmer’s BEST times achieved at PVS observed high school meets or VA observed high school meets. Once you submit the time, please check Team Unify/Sports Engine to confirm it has been updated (it may take 48 hours). We need all times entered into our system before we submit entries for the March championship meets, and we rely on parents to provide any best times achieved at high school meets.
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Only relay times from the lead-off leg count. If your swimmer is the second, third, or fourth swimmer on the relay, their times do not count as best times.
Use this link to record your best times, from observed high school meets, posted on Team Unify under the Meets tab and in the Best Times tab on your member profile.
This process is not automatic. The time sent to USA Swimming is not automatically updated in Team Unify. When you provide your USA Swimming ID to your team, the time will be sent to USA Swimming when the meet results are certified. If the ID is not correct, the time will not be recorded in USA Swimming. This form will allow us to capture your swimmer's times.
Meet Information for this Weekend
NOVA LC Winter Invitational
NOVA Aquatics - Regency, 100 NOVA Way, Richmond, VA 23229, USA
January 17-19, 2026
*AT LEAST ONE 2026 PVS OPEN CHAMPS QT REQUIRED FOR ENTRY - SEE ELIGIBILITY REPORT
NOVA LC WINTER INVITATIONAL ENTRIES ARE CLOSED
Individual Event Entry Fee: $12.00 Swimmer Surcharge per person: $2.50
Click HERE for the NOVA LC Winter Invitational meet announcement
Click HERE for the NOVA meet fees report
Click HERE for the NOVA LC Winter psych sheet
Click HERE for the NOVA LC Winter Invitational estimated timeline
Click HERE for the NOVA LC Winter warm-up schedule
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.
** Machine is no longer participating in the Polar Pentathlon. We added a full complement of 8&U events to the Green & Orange Block Party. Please enter your swimmer in the G&O Block Party by Monday, January 19. **
Machine Green & Orange Intersquad Dual Block Party
The St. James, 6805 Industrial Road, Springfield, VA
January 23-25, 2026
GREEN AND ORANGE BOWL BLOCK PARTY ENTRIES DUE: MONDAY, JANUARY 19
$4.00 PER EVENT
PLEASE NOTE: IF POSSIBLE ONCE ENTRIES ARE RECEIVED, THE 12& UNDER & 13 & OVER SESSIONS COULD BE COMBINED OR SESSION START TIMES CHANGING. THIS DECISION WILL BE MADE ON TUESDAY, 1/20 AFTER ENTRIES CLOSE.
Click HERE for the Green and Orange Block Party meet announcement
Click HERE to enter the Green and Orange Block Party
PAC Little Blue Penguin
Fairland Aquatic Center, 13820 Old Gunpowder Road, Laurel, MD 20707
January 25, 2026
OPEN TO 10&U MD SWIMMERS
LITTLE BLUE PENGUIN ENTRIES ARE CLOSED
Per Swimmer Surcharge: $5.00 Individual event fee: $7.00
Click HERE for the Little Blue Penguin meet announcement
Click HERE for the Little Blue Penguin entry report
39th Black History Swim Meet
Takoma Aquatic Center 300 Van Buren Street NW Washington, DC 20012
February 13-15, 2026
QUALIFYING STANDARDS APPLY - ENTRIES WILL CLOSE BEFORE THE DEADLINE IF ENTRY LIMITS ARE MET
38TH ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY INVITATIONAL SWIM MEET ENTRIES ARE CLOSED
Per Swimmer Surcharge: $5.00 Individual event fee: $7.00
NO TIMES (NTs) ARE NOT PERMITTED
Click HERE for the 39th Annual Black History meet announcement
Click HERE to enter the 39th Annual Black History meet
Machine Qualifier
The St. James, 6805 Industrial Road, Springfield, VA
February 20-22, 2026
Click HERE for the Machine Qualifier meet announcement.
Click HERE to enter the Machine Qualifier meet.
OPEN TO ALL MACHINE SWIMMERS
MACHINE QUALIFIER ENTRIES CLOSE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6
Per Swimmer Surcharge: $5.00 Individual event fee: $8.00
PVS Short Course Championships
University of Maryland, Eppley Recreation Center, College Park, MD
March 5-8, 2026
RMSC Mini Champs
March 7-8, 2026
PVS Age Group Championships
University of Maryland, Eppley Recreation Center, College Park, MD
March 12-15, 2026
NCSA Junior Championships
Rosen Aquatic Center, Orlando, FL
March 17-21, 2026
Spring Finale
March 20-22, 2026
March Madness
March 20-22, 2026
NCSA Age Group Meet
March 25-28, 2026
Eastern Zone Sectional Meet
March 26-29, 2026
Machine Long Course Classic
April 24-26, 2026
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 issue a refund once you have completed your 22-hour volunteer requirement. This is time spent assisting at meets or with other special projects that may arise during the season.
Please submit your hours as you complete them via our volunteer form 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.
