Welcome from the Lake Ridge Lancers Swim Team!
ALL SWIMMERS WHO ARE NEW TO THE LANCERS NEED TO ATTEND AN EVALUATION PRIOR TO REGISTRATION. TO SCHEDULE AN EVALUATION, CLICK HERE
WHO WE ARE:
The Lake Ridge Lancers Swim Team (LRL) is a seasonal competitive swimming program that participates as a member of the greater Prince William Swim League (PWSL). Each summer, the Lancers provide opportunities for swimmers 18 years & under, residing in the Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, and adjacent areas to participate in a competitive swim program. Participants are assigned to one of two programs: the competition team or Lil’ Lancers. The competition team is for members who possess the minimum PWSL requirements for competitive swimmers, while the Lil’ Lancers is geared towards developing the skills & techniques need to reach those requirements. Competition seasons begins at the end of May and runs through the end of July.
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION:
Membership for the Lake Ridge Lancers Swim Team is open to residents of Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, and the surrounding areas. Each registration period opens with an unlimited number of openings for participants ages 18 & under. In order to be considered for the competition team, swimmers must be able to legally swim a 25-meter freestyle with good side breathing, as well as a 25-meter backstroke.
The sport of swimming is unique in its need for volunteers through the summer season. Once a registered member, the Lancers look to parents & family in to volunteer their time in various capacities. The most prevalent of these is the swim meet. Swim meets rely on parent & family participation to serve in various functions which help the meet progress. Positions include Timers, Recorders, Card Runners, Clerk of Course, Computers, Heat Ribbons, Meet Marshals, Scorers, and other essential jobs. Volunteer opportunities are not limited to administrative positions during swim meets, however. Other needed positions during a summer season include grill cooks, Café workers, Apparel Sales, and Water Runners. There are also jobs available for those families who are unable to assist during regular meets. We can work with you to ensure that your volunteer job works for your family. More information regarding fulfilling volunteer commitments and the various available positions will be given to parents at the start of each season.
REGISTRATION:
All registrations are completed through the Lake Ridge Lancer’s website. To register, click the “Registration” button on our home page and follow the corresponding prompts. Please be mindful of the required information throughout the registration process. Details such as emergency contacts and health considerations are extremely important to our coaching staff. If you have any questions regarding the registration process or trouble with the website, email us: [email protected]
ALL SWIMMERS WHO ARE NEW TO THE LANCERS NEED TO ATTEND AN EVALUATION PRIOR TO REGISTRATION. Email [email protected] to request an evaluation before you register.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR SUMMER BROCHURE which contains practice dates and times, meet info and our summer fees.
COACHING STAFF:
Coach Lauren Downer
At the helm of the Lake Ridge Lancers is Lauren Downer. Coach Lauren has been swimming in Lake Ridge her whole life. She grew up in the PWSL as a Ridgewood Barracuda starting at the age of 6. Her love for swimming continued to grow as she was a team member on OCCS, QDD, and the Woodbridge High School Swim Team.
She starte
d her coaching experience during her teen years as a swimmer coach and then became an Assistant Head Coach while running a "learn to swim program" for Ridgewood. Additionally, Coach Lauren has been a Red Cross certified instructor for 17 years, an Assistant Coach for the WSHS Viking Swim Team, and a Master’s Swim Coach. During the 2019 summer season, she was elated to join the Lancer Swim family as an Assistant Head Coach.
Coach Lauren’s experience with children goes beyond coaching, as she has been a Prince William County teacher for over 10 years. She has a great passion for teaching and supporting children to challenge themselves as they grow mentally and physically.
Our Head Coach describes her coaching philosophy as, “I believe my job is to not only nurture and develop swimmers, but to also contribute to growing their life skills and promoting positive character traits. It is also my desire to create a fun, supportive, uplifting team atmosphere that causes these swimmers to fall in love with summer swim just as I did. I cherish the opportunity to share my passion for this sport with these swimmers so they too can have wonderful memories.”
Working with Coach Lauren, the Lake Ridge Lancers employ a “grass roots” support staff. All of the Assistant Coaches grew up swimming on the Lancer team and have worked their way up the coaching ladder. The Lancer Coaching staff is comprised of highly qualified individuals, many of whom possess certifications in CPR, First Aid, and as life guards. Most importantly, they love to work with kids and are passionate about the sport of swimming.
Coach Jonathan Parker
Coach Jonathan started swimming with the Lake Ridge Lancers when he was 11 years old before becoming a Lancer coach in 2010. Coach Jonathan is also the lead coach for the Amberjax yearround swim team. He swam for Hylton High School before he was recruited by Wingate University Varsity team where he specialized in sprints and had the opportunity to be a part of the conference champion team in 2011. Afterwards, he transferred to James Madison University where he became a member of the club swim team. He is an ASCA Level 2 certified coach and Level 2 Masters Coach.
He graduated from JMU with a degree in Sports and Recreation Management and a minor in Business. Coach Jonathan also earned a Master’s Degree from Concordia University Chicago in Sports Leadership. He is currently working on completing his second master’s degree from Liberty University in secondary education concentrating in PE and Health while working in the Special Education department at Colgan High School.
