A giant banner hanging on the clubhouse wall at Dunn Loring Swim Club said "We are the dolphins, the mighty, mighty dolphins," in tall blue letters. Another featured a picture of three dolphins swimming in a circle around the letters DL.
Banners like these, which Dunn Loring is famous for, always hang along the roadside for away meets, and surround the pool area at home meets. Some banners, according to Laura Wood, swim team representative, are over a decade old.
"Other people do sheets, but not like we do," said swim team coach Rachel Brown.
"The social stuff is really big here," said Wood. These social activities include the aforementioned banners, Bingo, and pasta parties that could "feed the whole town of Vienna," said Wood. Dunn Loring Swim Club also organizes movies, an annual trip to Kings Dominion, and Friday night pep rallies.
At a pep rally Friday, July 8, swim club members could sample from a dessert table, decorate chef’s hats with spirited messages (to "cook" the competition at Saturday morning’s swim meet, said Wood), or join in on a cheer for the Dolphins. But the pools were open, and so most members spent the evening in the water.
"We’re the most spirited team ever. It’s great," said coach Chris Parkhurst as he hung a banner on the fence.