Who are the Fort Washington Sharks?

Since 1971, the Fort Washington Sharks have been a competitive youth swim team. The Sharks are the home team of the Fort Washington Pool Association, Inc. The team swims competitively as a part of the Prince-Mont Swim League.

How much does it cost to register as a Fort Washington Shark?

1.     Shark families must be up-to-date members of the Fort Washington Pool Association. See fwpool.com for the current annual pool membership fees.

2.     All Sharks also need to have registered and paid all team fees to compete.

• REGISTER HERE Team fees can be found at the link.

How does the swim team use these fees?

Swim team fees and other funds raised during the year are used to cover numerous expenses incurred by the team before, during, and after the season. Our major expenses include salaries for the coaches and equipment used for meets (timers, flags, ribbons, audio equipment, etc.). There are other expenses from the beginning of the season (software) to the end of the season (year-end trophies and medals, social events) in addition to basic supplies and operating needs.

Who are the coaches for the swim team?

Click HERE for a complete Bio of our Coaches

What is PMSL?

The Prince-Mont Swim League is a summer, recreational swim league comprised of teams from Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Charles County, Anne Arundel County, Howard County, Calvert County, and the District of Columbia. The league includes teams from public and private community pools.

Our team follows the rules set in the PMSL handbook.

What age groups are eligible to swim?

Children up to 18 years are eligible to swim; the PMSL handbook states, "eligibility of a competitor to compete in a particular age group shall be determined by his/her age on 11:59 p.m. on the last day of May of the current season."

What skills are required to join the team?

Beginning swimmers should be able to swim the length of the pool without stopping. If you are concerned about your child's ability, speak with the coach. In general, the Sharks team includes swimmers of all abilities, from year-round competitive swimmers to novices. 

When practice starts & what time?

The first day of practice historically falls on the 1st Tuesday after Memorial Day. While PG County schools are still in session, practices are held in the evening on weekdays only. Morning practices, in addition to PM practice, start the very next weekday after PG County School lets out. Click HERE for practice times.

How many meets are there in the season and when are they held?

2024 Schedule PMSL Swim meets

TBA by PMSL

Swim meets typically begin at 7am and end around noon— and, similar to practices, meets are held rain or shine (but not in thunderstorms).

How important is parent involvement?

So very important! It takes dozens of parents to pull off a successful swim meet. We’re not joking! At most meets, we are looking for parents to pitch in as timers. Lane timers are provided a stopwatch and help record swimmers’ times. This job gives you the best view of the pool and the swimmers during their races! But, there are numerous other roles, from announcers to stroke judge, to data entry and scoring.

How else can I help the team?

Certain swim meet duties require training which is offered by PMSL. The League offers referee and starter; stroke and turn; data management; and coaches training. Please consider becoming a qualified meet official! Our team must staff certain roles in order to qualify to participate in PMSL swim meets.

During the season, the team also hosts social events, special “Shark Week” events, and a year-end banquet. Your help is needed to make each of these activities a success.

What is Shark Week?

During the designated week, the team often plans a number of fun activities. In the past, this has included a money dive, an arts and crafts night, donut practice and more.

Are you on social media?

Yes! Please follow @fwsharks on Facebook and Instagram.