Hello HST Parents,

Welcome to the 2026 swim team season! I wanted to send a quick note to introduce myself and the other coaches and share a few pieces of important info for the season.

There are a few things we want to highlight first:

First, your swimmers’ safety and well-being are the most important things to us. We want summer swimming to be a fun, meaningful experience for them. Please let me know if there is anything that the coaches need to be aware of to help make this happen. If any related concerns arise throughout the season, please contact me or a board member directly.

Please try to not approach the coaches during practice unless it is extremely urgent. We want to focus on coaching your swimmers during practice. This helps us ensure their safety and give them the best practice possible. It is also difficult for us to talk in-between practices as we are trying to get the next group started. We would love to talk before the first practice each day, after the last practice each day, or if we are not actively coaching.

The coaches determine meet entries each week. Swimmers have a chance to request events at practice. We take into account swimmers’ preferences and goals, the needs of the team, and the other team’s prior results when determining events. We also think about how to set our swimmers (who qualify) up for success at Champs. We know this means swimmers do not always get to swim their first choice events and we appreciate your support in encouraging them to continue to do their best. Please let me know if your swimmer has a particular goal or if there is an event they really want to swim so I can help them reach their goals.

Please let me know as soon as possible if your swimmer will not be able to come to a meet that they are signed up for. Taking swimmers out of events and changing relays at the last minute is very difficult - it can hurt our team as a whole and it can mean that 3 other swimmers are unable to swim in a relay that they are waiting for and looking forward to. The sooner we know, the better chance we have to fix things. Please also declare your swimmers to attend or miss the meet as soon as possible so we can work on entries.

If your swimmer is not assigned to a relay, please do not leave the swim meet until they have checked in with me. Every swimmer not entered in a relay is considered an alternate and may be needed to fill a relay.

Our league’s Championship meet (Champs) will be held on July 20th for 10 & Under swimmers and on July 21st for 11 & Older swimmers. If your swimmer earns a qualifying time this season (Qual, Silver, or Gold), we are planning to have them join us for Champs. You can check for this on meet results or ask a coach if you aren’t sure! Even if your swimmer does not achieve a qualifying time, we may need them for a relay at Champs. Please let me know if your swimmer will be unable to attend. More information about Champs will come when the league shares it with us, but we are happy to answer any questions that we can about this exciting event!

Practice Groups: Unless a swimmer has prior approval from a coach, they must attend their age group’s practice time.

Swim Attire: At swim meets, all swimmers should wear our team swim cap. This helps us identify our swimmers and helps them swim faster. No tieback swim suits are allowed at swim meets. If any swimmer wants to wear a rash guard or other shirt at a swim meet, please notify me in advance so I can inform the meet referee. At practices and meets, female swimmers should wear one piece swim suits.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we begin the season! If you have any questions or concerns for me, please contact me at [email protected].

Here is more information about our coaching staff:

My name is Katie Robbins and this will be my seventh year as the HST head coach. I am excited to return this summer and work with your child(ren)! I have coached and taught swimming lessons for various summer league teams, as well as the Chester Family YMCA. I absolutely love coaching and I am passionate about teaching proper technique as well as water safety. I hope to inspire swimmers to work hard and develop a love for the sport. I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2020 with a B.S.Ed. in Psychology and Youth & Social Innovation. Go Hoos! I graduated from UVA again in 2022 with a Master’s degree in Counselor Education. During the school year, I am a School Counselor at Thomas Dale High School. I also coach the Varsity Swim Team at Thomas Dale.

We are blessed with the best assistant coaches! Coach Zach is returning for his fourth summer as Hurricanes coach. He has spent 16 summers swimming or coaching in the Chesterfield Aquatic League. He also swam for Quest Swimming and Matoaca High School for several years. He graduated from Matoaca High School in 2023 and now attends James Madison University, where he is majoring in Accounting and just finished his junior year.

Coach Gretchen is returning as a coach for her second summer. She has been swimming for the Hurricanes for over thirteen years and she swam for SwimRVA for a couple of years as well. She was a CIT for five years before becoming a coach. She graduated from Clover Hill High School last year, where she swam for all four years of high school. She now attends the University of Virginia.

Coach Lamont was our Head Coach in Training last year and he is now an assistant coach. He was a Coach in Training prior to becoming our Head Coach in Training. He swam for the Hurricanes for three years and swam for Matoaca High School for two years. He graduated from Matoaca High School in 2024 and he currently attends Virginia Commonwealth University where he is majoring in Computer Science.

Coach Kylee is new to the coaching staff this year. She has been swimming competitively for over a decade. Outside of the Highlands Swim Team, she swims year round for SwimRVA, and is a part of their Junior National team. She is committed to swim Division 1 at The University of North Carolina Wilmington and is going into her Senior year at Matoaca High School.

We also have amazing Coaches in Training (CITs)! These are older swimmers who volunteer to help coach younger swimmers.

Again, thank you for your support and please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns for me.

Thank you so much and go Hurricanes! :)

Coaches Katie, Zach, Gretchen, Lamont, and Kylee