For nearly 20 years, summers for the Bennett family consisted of little more than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Rappahannock Swim League (RSL) meets, and lots of them. 

The Bennetts’ two oldest sons, Paul and Kevin, were the first to take the plunge and join the Curtis Park Seahawks. They were followed into the pool by younger brothers Ian and Craig. That was 17 years ago, and countless swim meets have passed since that first dip into an array of community pools with the RSL.  

All four Bennett boys went on to swim at Colonial Forge High School, and three went on to swim at the college level. But for their father Mark, the takeaway from those summers, and what he misses most now that all his boys have graduated high school and the RSL, is the joy and community that arose around those swim meets. 

“The meets themselves were a form of organized chaos. A hundred-plus kids running around a pool with numbers written in black Sharpie on their arms,” said Mark. “The RSL and the friends we made through the Seahawks formed the backbone of our summers for many years.” 

The RSL is made up of 25 teams that cover Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George and Caroline counties as well as Fredericksburg. The season usually starts in early June and runs through the middle of July, ending with a league championship. Practices are generally during the day with meets on Wednesday evenings. Most of the meets are held at outdoor community pools and the teams are open to swimmers from ages 5-18.  

For many families, the RSL is not just a one-season experience. Year after year, swimmers return to the pool, and many eventually come back in a new role, stepping up as coaches and mentors for the next generation.  

Brendan Pifer, a senior at Chancellor High School, has been swimming with the RSL since he was five years old. Pifer is one of those swimmers who now coaches for the team he swam with as a child, the Salem Fields Sunfish.  

For the Pifer family of swimmers, including sister Bella and brother Mason, their preferred pre-race meals came with pickles. 

“I remember eating a lot of Chick-fil-A sandwiches that our mother would get us for meets,” said Pifer. “Then before events I would eat Skittles for energy! At least that’s what I said if anyone asked. Now, as a coach, I like to eat a nice meal before meets because I’m always up and running around trying to get the right people to the right places and events. I still eat Skittles, too.” 

For families like the Bennetts and Pifers, the RSL became part of their identities. Not just because of one month every summer, but for the lasting friendships that were forged over herding kids in swimsuits and making Chick-fil-A runs. 

“My wife, Sally, was involved in helping to run the meets, and she met a bunch of people who she is still friends with and keeps in touch with,” said Mark. “There were a number of families in our neighborhood that did RSL, and it was fun getting together on those summer evenings and watching all the kids swim. I miss that.”   

A Parent’s Guide to Your First RSL Swim Meet 

Watching your kid’s first swim meet, you may find yourself secretly praying they don’t pee themselves with excitement (don’t worry, no one can tell in a wet swimsuit) or tire themselves out halfway across the pool because they were trying to not only win their heat but also qualify for the Olympics (again, don’t worry, they have lifeguards). 

So here are some helpful tips to make you look like a confident and well-prepared parent at your first swim meet even if you aren’t: 

1. Have a Game Plan: Meets typically start at 6 p.m. and swimmers usually have to be there an hour before, so know where you are going and get there in time to set up your base camp. Bring umbrellas and canopies for shade along with comfortable folding chairs as there is no seating on the pool deck because that would add more chaos to the organized chaos that is a swim meet. 
2. Know Your Events: Keep track of which events your swimmers are competing in and brand them accordingly. You can never have too many black Sharpies on hand. Swim meets can move very quickly, so pay attention to the events around your child’s meet so they are ready to go when the pistol fires. 
3. Snack Smart: Sure, kids love fast food and carb loading, but French fries and ice cream are best saved for after the meet. The only thing that might be worse than your child missing all of their events is your child puking and delaying everyone else’s meets. If you want your child at peak performance level, pack healthy snacks. Orange slices aren’t just for parks and rec soccer anymore. 
4. Embrace the Chaos: Swim meets are exciting and loud. Think of a Taylor Swift concert but with chlorine. There is also a lot of sitting around and doing nothing, so parents can and should volunteer at the meets so they can not only help move things along swimmingly but also get a front row seat to look upon other people’s kids with haughty disdain. 
5. Keep It Simple: Yes, we live in an era of cell phones, but kids may surprise you with their capacity to learn how to throw a frisbee or play cards. So don’t be afraid to give your swimmer a true 1990s swim meet experience while they wait. 
6. Have Fun Together: Lastly, have fun and keep it in perspective. The Fredericksburg area has produced a number of world-class swimmers but odds are that your child might just enjoy making new friends and learning a life skill without ever being named an All-American in the 50-meter backstroke.