Hi Barracuda Families!

We are looking forward to having your swimmers back in our pool this summer and are so thankful you are part of our summer swim team community.

After receiving some questions regarding this year’s registration fee, we wanted to take a few minutes to provide some additional context.

While the increase is modest, it reflects rising costs associated with operating the team. This year, the Chesterfield Aquatics League increased its per-swimmer fees, and we also saw increases in insurance costs per swimmer. These are required expenses that directly impact our overall budget each season.

In past years, we’ve worked to offset rising costs through community sponsorships and fundraising efforts—such as meet shout-outs, reserved tables, and preferred parking. While these initiatives have been helpful, they haven’t fully kept pace with increasing expenses.

As part of this process, the Board also conducted research on other area swim teams to ensure our pricing remains competitive and aligned with similar programs. Based on that review, our updated registration fees are now in line with other teams in our league and surrounding community.

One of the biggest limitations we’ve faced is that many companies are unable to sponsor organizations that are not registered nonprofits. Many other local teams are already established nonprofits and benefit from strong community partnerships and sponsorships.

For that reason, our Board has been actively working toward transitioning the Barracudas to a nonprofit organization. Since the end of last season, we’ve been meeting regularly and are making strong progress toward filing.

This transition will allow us to:

• Increase sponsorship opportunities
• Improve financial sustainability
• Provide greater transparency
• Continue enhancing the experience for our swimmers and families

We know that any change can raise questions, and we are committed to being open and thoughtful as we continue to build a strong future for the Barracudas.

Join Us: Virtual Info Session
We invite all families to join us for a brief Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m. where we will share more details and answer any questions you may have. More details on how to join will be shared soon.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of our Barracudas families. This team is built on community, and we’re committed to making thoughtful decisions that benefit both our swimmers and our families—this season and for years to come.

If you have any immediate questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

GO BARRACUDAS!

The Collington Barracuda Swim Team Board
[email protected]