Summer Swim Teams

Published: 03/01/2013

Prince William County Summer Swim Teams are so much fun! We swam on the Barracudas last year, and our kids had a ton of fun. If you have multiple ages and ability levels, look for a team with a developmental program, and be sure to sign up early! Some teams give preference to returning families, and spots can fill up quickly!

Here's a list of teams, along with tryout and/or registration info for 2013, if I have it from them!

Ashland Stingrays
Open registration will open in the beginning of April. No try outs are required.
Ben Lomond Flying Ducks
Braemar Blasters
Bridlewood WavesBrookside Hurricaines-
Open registration February 15th through April 30th. Swimmers must be able to safely make it 25 meters across the pool on the first day of practice, Tuesday, May 28th.
Dale City Frogs
Registration will begin March 1. We accept swimmers regardless of their speed, as long as they are able to swim the length of the pool without assistance.
Dominion Valley Sharks
Open registration from March 1st through March 15th, or when all spots are full.
Kingsbrooke Sea Lions
Lake Manassas Blue Dolphins
Lake Ridge Lancers
Meadowbrook Makos
Montclair Seahawks
Old Bridge Breakers
Piedmont Tsunamis
Ridgewood Barracudas
Try outs are required to ensure a minimum level of confidence in the water. Date TBD.
Southbridge Fighting Seals
Stonewall Park Swim Team
Sudley Seahorses
Urbanna Otters
Veterans Park Marlins
Victory Lakes Piranhas
Virginia Oaks Sea Devils
Wellington Dolphins
Try-outs will be held March 17th to ensure a minimum level of confidence in the water.
Westridge Waves

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Review: Skate N Fun Zone

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Published: 01/17/2013

If you've been reading my site for any amount of time, you know that we're huge fans of "Mommy Dates" and "Daddy Dates" in our family. (If you haven't been reading my site, then welcome.) We truly value having one-on-one time with our children so that we can really have time to know their hearts and how they're doing. We try to make sure that each child gets individual time with one of us at least once a month. Sometimes it's a big deal and we take them out to do something that costs money, but other times it's a walk, or a trip to Starbucks, or a walk around Target and something from the $1 section.

On New Years Eve Day, our boys were invited to go play with friends, which left our daughter home alone. I needed to do some lesson planning, so she and daddy decided to capitalize on their alone time by heading out to Skate N Fun Zone, which offers a New Year's Eve Party at both mid-day and midnight. Brilliant! They actually offer special events both weekly and monthly, including a homeschool skate, rock-n-stroll for parents who have infants and older children, and more.

Skate N Fun Zone is located at 7878 Sudley Road Manassas, VA 20109 (for those of you who always like to have an address listed)

$10 per person covered their admission, glow cups, a balloon drop, party favors, and glow sticks. With just two of them, it was definitely workable, although they also offer a discount for purchasing a "super pack" with 4 admissions. For a special event like New Years, I would say that's worth it.

The actual building is behind a few other buildings, so while there is a sign from the road, you have to "do kind of a u-turn thing" to get to the actual location.

He's an engineer, guys, not a writer.

For this particular event, there was no parking available, and my husband ended up asking a local Liberty Mutual agent if he could park in his lot, and he was very nice, since it was New Years. However, inside my husband heard there's overflow parking (somewhere) so be sure to check on that if you find yourself in the same situation.

After they rented their skates, they found a spot to drop their stuff, which was slightly challenging since there were so many people. Lockers are available to rent for your valuables, which is probably a good idea especially on a special event day. He had this recap:

"Everything seemed relatively clean, but definitely used. The floor was definitely well-worn, but it didn't impede our ability to skate. There's a jungle gym included in the price, a little food area where you can buy food, and an arcade area similar to Chuck-E-Cheese where you can pay for games and get tickets to trade in for lame prizes."

"I'd say what I liked most was that they had a large variety of things to do, and even with the skating they'd shift between a game (like Limbo or backwards skate) and regular skating, and there was the arcade and the gym, so we were able to rotate a lot and stay for a pretty long time considering our daughter is 4. We were there for several hours. We got there just as they were finishing the balloon drop, and it was loud, so she wasn't a huge fan of that becuase everyone was popping balloons and that was "scary" for her. I'd go again, we had a great time. I also liked that their rules included the ability to kick people out who were not dressed appropriately, were cursing, or appeared to be under the influence of anything."

I tried to grill him about something negative to say, but the hard part about reviewing things in our family is that we, generally speaking, have fun, and decide that it's a good time :)

My daughter also said that she had fun and would go again.

Especially with her daddy.

Not a paid or solicited review, hubby and DD went and paid just like everyone else.

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Manassas Blaze 14U Softball

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Published: 01/02/2013

The Manassas Blaze 14U Red is looking for players for their fastpitch softball team. Contact information for the 2012/2013 season is below.

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5K Hustle 2 Health and Wellness Fair

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Published: 09/25/2012

The Northern Virginia Community College's Woodbridge Campus will be the site for the October 7, 2012 "5K Hustle 2 Health" Run/walk and Wellness Expo. This family-friendly event begins at 8am and runs until noon. For more details, visit http://www.racepacket.com/calendar/frace.php?fid=103 where you can sign up before race day and save $10. Runners are $25 early registration and children under age 11 are $10.

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CFA Bristow Sports Breakfast

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Published: 09/24/2012

CHICK-FIL-A® RESTAURANT AT BRISTOW TO HOST SPORTS BREAKFAST

featuring three former professional athletes and The Racing Presidents

Chick-fil-A® restaurant at Bristow will be hosting the Chick-fil-A Sports Breakfast on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 8:30 am to 10:30 which will feature three former professional athletes, mascots, a race car, inflatables, and a cow drop.

The Sports Breakfast is the grand finale to a weeklong friendly, spirited competition between Brentsville District and Patriot High schools. From Saturday, September 22nd to Friday, September 28th the schools will be competing to see who has the most Chick-fil-A spirit. The winning school will receive $1,000 and the second place will receive $500.

Scheduled to appear at the Sports Breakfast and receive the Chick-fil-A at Bristow Inspiration Awards will be Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist in Track & Field, Devon McTavish, Virginia native and former DC United soccer player, and Markita Alridge-Woods, former Washington Mystic player (WNBA).

The Racing Presidents, the bobblehead mascots of the Washington Nationals baseball team will make an appearance along with Screech (Nationals), Talon (DC United), G-Whiz (Wizards), Slapshot (Capitals), Pax the Panda (Mystics), and the Patriot (George Mason University).

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Urban Evolution

Published: 09/20/2012

You need to shake up your child's monotonous perspective on staying fit with some exercise, but you don't want to make them feel like a hamster in a wheel on a treadmill or pass the ball around for 3 hours at a stretch! Check out Parkour classes at Urban Evolution for PwcMoms fans! Pay $100 for 10 visits to the gym (a 10-visit "punchcard"), and change how they look at the world forever! (This is a special savings for PwcMoms.com readers.)

Classes are available for kids ages 6 to 14, with dedicated "homeschool only" classes for kids ages 9-11 on Wednesdays at 1pm, and more classes for other age groups to come as we grow the program! Here's a schedule for all the kid classes that are currently being offered at Urban Evolution Manassas.

Urban Evolution (or "Urban Evo" for short) has locations in Alexandria and Manassas and different age and skill level options each week, allowing boys and girls throughout Northern Virginia to learn Parkour. Cross off the food pellets and wood chips from your grocery list, because thanks to Urban Evolution, you can graduate your child from hamster to hall of famer. It's the perfect activity to grab the interest of kids who might not gravitate to team sports or whose idea of fitness is a PlayStation controller thumb workout...but it can be demanding enough for professional football players! It's a great way to help kids change their ideas about fitness while helping them build self-esteem and encouraging them to work hard.

So you’ve heard of parkour before, and maybe you’ve even seen some pictures or videos labeled as parkour, but what exactly is parkour?

It's not strictly defined by any particular workout or conditioning regiment. It’s more about finding the way to keep improving and eventually reach your greatest physical potential. And that’s what makes it so great! Your only opponent here is yourself. Your competition is you (at least officially speaking). So it does have its philosophical side, but here at Urban Evolution, we’ve come up a variety of ways to challenge your kids and hone their skills in a safe and fun environment!

Urban Evolution offers many other classes as well. After some training, you'll be able to check out more advanced training in parkour. We bring discipline and conditioning together with creative obstacle courses to challenge your mental and physical abilities. Generally, our high teacher-to-student ratio allows us to address questions and work through challenges for kids of all types on an individual basis.

This is a sponsored post from Urban Evolution. As with any physical activity, please note you participate at your own discretion. PwcMoms is not responsible for children's participation in any activity listed.

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Words We Learned at Football, or, A Brief Rant

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Published: 09/12/2012

What is it exactly about parents of young athletes that can potentially bring out the worst in them? The parenting "styles" that I've seen crawl out of the woodwork at sporting events makes me seriously wonder about what kind of adults we're going to have one day.

While any sport has the potential to bring out the worst in over-competitive parents (see hockey, baseball, and soccer examples) our experience has been that nobody takes the cake the way football does.

Bowrag Photography

I've shared briefly that we are trying a new football league this year, based on some coaching issues last year. More specifically, we had a coach that called kids losers, belittled them at practices and games, and told them they were a disgrace. We're not the type of parents to praise kids undeservedly, but there's a big difference between asking kids to earn praise and not completely tearing them apart, especially as an authority figure, and especially when the kids are between 6 and 8 years old.

This year, we've got some really fantastic coaches. The after-game speeches this weekend told the kids that while they didn't win and need to work on some things in practice, there were some things they did right, and they need to keep doing them, and that the coaches were proud of the kids for getting out there and working hard, even though there's room for improvement. It was a happy moment for me, as a mom, to not have to be on pins and needles during the game or after the game about what the coach was going to say to my child and his teammates.

What hasn't changed, though, is the language the parents use. At Saturday's game, I heard a little of everything, from the f-bomb more times than I could count, to commentary on what a s--- call that was, to someone that actually used the term "n-word-ish", which I didn't even realize was a term, let alone wanting my 4 year old to ask me what it meant.

I'm not saying we're perfect parents by any means, and we're about healthy competition, but what happened to fostering a team spirit? It seems like at least once a practice I hear one parent or another yell "Don't let (kid x) knock you over! Look how tiny he is! He shouldn't be knocking anyone over!"

You know, in addition to your kid hearing you, kid x can hear you, too. He hears that you think he's tiny and incapable. That's your child's teammate, why are you tearing them down just to make your child feel better or more motivated?

There's also a difference between encouraging your child to continue even when something is hard, and being inappropriate. Calling your child a wimp or a baby or a loser when something is hard for them seems a little over the top to me, even though I understand the intention is just to motivate the child to continue and persevere. I'm not a psychologist or anything, but it seems to me that there has to be a better way to communicate that you want your child to continue in spite of difficulty versus bullying your own kid.

I guess it's possible that I'm being over-sensitive, but I don't want to believe that. I don't want to believe that name-calling and hypercompetitiveness is the way we make children into athletes. I don't want to believe that equal pressure needs to be applied to little league and the pros. I don't want to believe that children will respond in a positive way to being told they're worthless. I want to believe that we, as parents, can step up, even at sporting events when we want to have our kid be the best on the field.

In that spirit, I'm instituting a few commandments:

1) Thou shalt follow thy child's ambitions- including not being more competitive than your child and not forcing them into a sport or position that they're not comfortable with because you become metally fixated on that goal.

2) Thou shalt treat thy child's teammates with respect- it's little league, not the NFL/PGA Tour/MLB/NBA. There are kids out here that are just trying it out for a season, and there are kids here that are naturals. Be proud of the natural talent of the good kids and the struggle of the newer children equally and don't pit one child againt a teammate.

3) Thou shalt "know your role and shut your hole". You can be a coach, or a spectator, or an official. You cannot be all 3, so if you're just a spectating, stop screaming at the kids playing the game.

4) Thou shalt recognize thou art not in a bubble. We can all hear you. Including other people's small children. Keep it to a Shrek-level on the language.

5) Thou shalt back off the coach, assuming he's not actually harming the kids.

6) Thou shalt pat your kid on the back first. Even if you want to correct something or run a play by play of everything your kid needs to work on, the first words out of your mouth should be praise for something they did right. You can find something, and if you can't, try harder.

Agree? Disagree? Have more commandments? I'm interested. Leave a comment, but try to leave your football language on the sideline when you do it ;)

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Featured Organization Friday: Pink in the Park

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Published: 08/17/2012

Okay, so this isn't technically a featured organization, but it's an event for an organization that's feature-worthy!

The Potomac Nationals will be partnering with the American Cancer Society to bring you "Pink in the Park" on Saturday, August 25th at 6:35pm right here in Woodbridge, Virginia. Tickets are only $8 and HALF of each ticket will go towards the Making Strides Walk. For everyone that wears Pink to the game (not a problem if you have my wardrobe!) the Potomac Nationals have pledged an additional $1 donation.

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Giveaway: Free Week of Camp!!

Published: 08/16/2012

ATA Martial Arts (8088 Sudley Road, Manassas VA) emailed us to let us know they have a few spots left in their last week of Summer Camp, which runs August 27-31st, and that they'd like to fill one of them with a PwcMoms giveaway!

Camp is for ages 6 and up, and runs from 8am-5pm. It's an active camp, so your child will be busy and engaged "minus the video games" according to the description from the owner.

If you don't win, camp is a great price for this area at $150 for full-day care. There are 4 spots remaining for camp, minus the spot available through this giveaway!! Thanks so much to ATA Martial Arts for this great giveaway!!

To Win:
Enter up to 4 ways. Leave a comment indicating you've completed each. If I cannot contact you, you cannot win, so be sure that you provide an email address, either in your comment or by emailing it to me separately!
1- "Like" (or have already liked) ATA Martial Arts on Facebook and leave a comment here saying you did
2- "Like" (or have already liked) PwcMoms on Facebook and leave a comment here saying you did
3- Tweet the link to this contest and include @PwcMoms in your tweet and leave a comment here saying you did
4- Email your entry to PwcMoms

Remember, winners are picked at random, so please do not try to break my heart thinking it will help! It just makes me sad!! Winner will be selected at random at midnight on Sunday, August 19th and announced on Monday, August 20th.

Good luck! (Also, be sure to check out ATA Martial Arts for the school year, too!)

Disclaimer: No purchase necessary, winner assumes all liability and risk, PwcMoms is not responsible for winner's individual experience or any injuries from taking part in a martial arts based program. Winner has 24 hours to claim their prize or it will be forfeit and offered to the next randomly selected winner. PwcMoms is not responsible for ensuring you receive your notification in a timely manner.

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Potomac Nationals Barefoot and Pregnant Night

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Published: 07/26/2012

Join the Potomac Nationals for "Barefoot and Pregnant" night on August 14th. Expecting moms get $4 tickets, as well as anyone who brings diapers for a diaper drive. One lucky momma will go home with all the collected diapers1! If you're really pregnant and go into labor at the stadium, you get season tickets for life!!

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Giveaway: Waterworks Giveaway #2 and Potomac Nationals Giveaway #4

Published: 07/03/2012

If you're looking for some great TV-free fun this summer, you've got some great options. I love our local baseball team here in Woodbridge, the Potomac Nationals, and they've been so kind to sponsor tickets for us to give away all summer long. I don't have 4th of July tickets for you, but I do have some for June 9th- the promotion for that day is $1 day!! If you don't win your tickets, you can buy them for just $1. Hot dogs are $1, too! Check out our review of the Potomac Nationals experience, and see the full list of games and promotions by clicking here.

Now, another great way to have fun this summer is with Waterworks. We did a giveaway for them a few weeks ago, and when I was at the park the last time with our homeschool group, I made a point to find the manager and let her know how much excitement was generated from her giveaway. I think she's like me and felt bad everyone couldn't win, and while we can't get everyone in for free, she hooked me up with two more sets of family 4 packs for after 4pm tickets! I'll do one set this month and one set next month in August. You can read more about Waterworks in Dale City by click here.

To win: Leave a comment for EACH contest you're entering (so one for the Potomac Nationals and a separate one for Waterworks, if you'd like to enter both). Winner will be selected on July 7th. Please make sure that your entry is distinct enough that you'll know it's you (So don't leave a comment as "anonymous" because then I can't tell you that you won! Winners may be announced via blog, facebook, twitter, and/or email. Winners assume all liability. Prizes are non-transferrable and have no cash value. PwcMoms.com is not responsible for your sunburns, hot dog bellyaches, or child being obsessed with Uncle Slam and follwing him all over the ballpark so that you can't actually watch the game.

Good luck! Contest closes at 12am on July 7th.

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Giveaway- WaterWorks Water Park Woodbridge

Published: 06/15/2012

Growing up in Princedale (yeah, Dale City!) I thought WaterWorks in Woodbridge was the coolest place going. It was close enough to walk to (not that my mom was going to let me stay there unsupervised, but I could walk if I wanted to), it had "The Tube" and every summer I tried to prove my upper body strength had improved enough to cross those stupid lily pads.

Y'all, I could do a double salchow, but I have never done a pull-up. That's what figure skating did to me.

Anyway, Water Works is still pretty awesome, and still has the tube. In fact, it's got more than that:

Spacious Beach Pool Entry
Enclosed Speed Slide
Circular Open Slide
3 Challenging Jungle Walks
Shade Pavillions
Full-Service Concessions
Snack Shack
NEW - Parent/Tot Play Date
NEW - Swim Lessons
NEW - Junior Lifeguard Camp

Coin-Operated Lockers
Certified, Professional safety Staff
2 level Children's Wading Pool with:

Colorful Crayon Sprays
Great Slides
Rope Climb
Super Geysers
Fun Bubblers
Whale Slide

WaterWorks will be open for weekdays starting tomorrow (well, Monday, if you're being picky) and we've got their full schedule on our calendar at pwcmoms.com! They have some great special events, too, including late night Fridays. The pool also offers junior lifeguard training as well as group and public swim lessons.

Want to check out Water Works? I have a set of 4 passes good for any evening after 4pm! Check out from work early and take the kids swimming this summer! Leave a comment and I'll pick a winner Monday morning.

WaterWorks, part of the PWCPA, provided free passes for our winner. PwcMoms.com is not responsible for any injuries sustained while at the park. Please follow lifeguard rules and do not leave children unattended regardless of swimming ability.

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Swim Lessons at Waterworks

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Published: 06/15/2012

Waterworks in Woodbridge offers children's swim lessons for all levels. Check out their summer 2012 offerings!

NEW Programs for Summer 2012 SWIM LESSONS

Waterworks is offering group swim lessons and private lessons in the evenings at the park. Below is our schedule of classes being offered this summer. You may register at the park or at any of the other recreation centers. The group lesson fees are $64 per session.

Swim Lesson Schedule Monday - Thursday (8 classes)
Session I: Jun 18 – 28
Session II: Jul 2 – 12 (no class Jul 4)
Session III: Jul 16 – 26
Session IV: Jul 30 - Aug 9

Preschool 1 6:45 p.m.
Preschool 2/3 6:45 p.m.
Level 1/2 7:20 p.m. and 8:05 p.m.
Level 3 8:05 p.m.

Private Lessons
For those who prefer one-on-one instruction, the Park Authority offers private & semi-private lessons on the same days and times of the day (PM) as group lessons.
Fee: $165/6 – 30 min lessons (plus $55/additional person; semi-private)

Junior Lifeguard Camp
This is two-week training program for youth who desire the skills to become a lifeguard. Students will gain valuable on the job training in the areas of recognizing emergencies, introductory lifeguard skills (certification not included) including First Aid and CPR, and effective communication with guests. Participants will work one days with an experienced lifeguard during the second week. T-shirt & whistle provided, discounted admissions and/or volunteer opportunities are available after class until 6 p.m. on class days (weather permitting).

Prerequisite: Students should be able to swim 100 yards continuously in deep water and tread water for 1 minute.
Fee: $150; 8 sessions
Day: Monday-Thursday
Dates: Jun 18-28 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Jul 30 - Aug 9 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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FREE Skating Lesson June 2, 2012

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Published: 05/22/2012

As we've mentioned about a million times, we love skating lessons and hockey at the Prince William Ice Center in Woodbridge, VA. If you've been thinking about a way to keep cool this summer, spending a little time on the ice is a great way to do it!

Prince William Ice Center is offering a FREE skating lesson for ages 4 to adult on Saturday, June 2, 2012. To reserve your spot, just call 703-730-8423!!

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Giveaway: Potomac Nationals

Published: 05/17/2012

It's extreme giveaway week over here at PwcMoms....so, here's another one!

We're so excited to be partnering with the Woodbridge, Virginia Potomac Nationals this year to bring you baseball all season long! You can find our original post on Potomac Nationals Baseball complete with pictures of Uncle Slam, too! My kids love them some Uncle Slam!!

So- would you like to go to tomorrow night's (May 18th) game? The P-Nats are hot right now! They just finished a doubleheader against the Keys and came out on top in both games!!

Here's the rest of the May schedule:
May 17- Date an Intern Night
May 18- Reading Program 3, Halloween
May 19- Scout Night, FIREWORKS
May 20- Reading Program #4, Family Fun Day
May 28- Memorial Day, Dollar Night
May 29- Batman Night, Two-For-Tuesday
May 30- Chili Cookoff, Bellybuster
May 31- Battle of the Sexes
**Details on each promotion on the P-Nats Website, subject to change or alteration without notice.

To win, please leave a comment and be sure you can attend the May 18th, 2012 game! Winners will be selected tonight at midnight! The 18th is Halloween Night- so your kids can dress in costume for the game!!

Baseball is such a fantastic family-friendly activity and we're really thankful we have baseball locally here in Prince William County!

Tickets generously provided by the Potomac Nationals. Winner assumes all risk and liability by accepting prize. PwcMoms was not compensated for this post. No substitutions on prizes offered. Watch out for pop flys. :)

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The First Tee Family Fun Event

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Published: 05/09/2012

golftraininglesson.com

Piedmont Club will be hosting a Family Fun Event on June 10th from 12pm-6:30pm with family and couple 9 holes of golf, a massage therapist, kid friendly activities, a BBQ, a performance by Matt Waller, and more!

Timeline of Events:
12-4pm Kids Activities (bounce houses, face painters, etc.)
12:30pm BBQ on the patio
2-3pm Clinic
3pm Shotgun -- families on the front nine and couples on the back nine
5:30-6:30pm Light Hors D'oeuvres & apps with music on the patio

Admission is $25 per person and includes all activities, food, and fountain drinks; children 12 and under may attend free of charge.

All proceeds benefit The First Tee Campaign.

For more information and to make tee times, visit www.thefirsttee.org/campaign or, to attend the Family Fun Event, RSVP (703) 753-5922 ext. 221.

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Potomac Nationals Giveaway #1

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Published: 04/11/2012

We love love love having the Potomac Nationals practically in our backyard, and with opening weekend coming up THIS WEEKEND, I want to share some details with you!

I want to admit right up front that I absolutely LOATHE watching baseball on TV, but I love a game in person! It's so much fun to get the family out and cheer from the grandstand! I am a total sucker for the wave, and I want it to go as long as possible. Yeah, I'm that person doing it one more time than everyone else. So what?

We take our whole family to the 4th of July game (hint: buy your tickets NOW) every year. We even met a preschool teacher that way! They've got a great game followed by an awesome fireworks show. Doesn't get any more American than that! I also love that the stadium is now non-smoking in all seated sections. (When I was little, you had to reserve early to get in the "family section" for that!)
I also love this guy:

My kids think Uncle Slam is just about the coolest thing on the planet. I haven't figured this out yet. That little blonde guy? I have absolutely ZERO pictures of him with the Easter Bunny (and he loves bunnies) because he thinks the Bunny is terrifying. Uncle Slam? AWESOME. Your individual results with that may vary, but it works for us!

The P-Nats also run some great promotions. Check it out! We especially love an inexpensive mid-week game (see the Monday/Tuesday games) and we also love Scout Night!

April 13th- Freebie Friday
April 14th- FIREWORKS!
April 15th- Family Fun Day, Iceberg Giveaway (Titanic Theme)
April 19- Mustache Night
April 20- Superhero Night, Freebie Friday
April 21- Epic Fail Night, FIREWORKS
April 22- Bark in the Park
April 27- Team Autograph Day, Freebie Friday
April 28- Internet Safety Night, FIREWORKS
April 29- Reading Program, Sunday Family Fun
April 30- DOLLAR NIGHT, 2008 Championship night
May 1- Extreme Couponing Night/Two-For-Tuesday
May 2- Fan vs. Food
May 3- PWCS Middle School Night
May 4- Educator's Appreciation Night
May 5- Cinco De Mayo, FIREWORKS
May 6- Reading Program #2, Sunday Family Fun, Coin Frenzy
May 14- Late Mother's Day, Dollar Night
May 15- Wrestling Night, Two-For-Tuesday
May 16- All Faith Night, Bellybuster
May 17- Date an Intern Night
May 18- Reading Program 3, Halloween
May 19- Scout Night, FIREWORKS
May 20- Reading Program #4, Family Fun Day
May 28- Memorial Day, Dollar Night
May 29- Batman Night, Two-For-Tuesday
May 30- Chili Cookoff, Bellybuster
May 31- Battle of the Sexes
**Details on each promotion on the P-Nats Website, subject to change or alteration without notice.

Also, be sure to check out the details on Uncle Slam's Reading Program! Students at your school can read books to earn free Potomac Nationals tickets! This is a really great alternative if your school has banned the pizza reading promotions due to healthy eating restrictions.

We've also participated in the Scout Nights where the Nationals also offer camping on the outfield! We had a really great time. Not much sleep, not much quiet, but a really great time!

PwcMoms.com is really excited to work with the Potomac Nationals this summer to bring you both information and free tickets! Our first ticket giveaway is for a family 4-pack of tickets to the April 20th Superhero Night, where you and your kids are invited to have even more fun dressing as your favorite super hero!!

Want to win? You have several options, and can get an entry for each one!
1- Leave a comment telling us your favorite Potomac Nationals Promotion

2- Tell the Potomac Nationals you're excited they're working with PwcMoms on Facebook! (You only need to do this once. For subsequent giveaways (one each month all baseball season!) you can just leave a comment that you did. Be sure to leave a comment telling us you did this step, as the comment here is your entry!

3- Have a blog? Share your favorite Potomac Nationals memory and get 5 extra entries! Be sure to link back to this contest, and leave a comment with your blog link.

4- Tweet that you want @PwcMoms to take you out to the ballgame with @PotomacNats

Disclosure: PwcMoms.com was generously provided with tickets to give away to readers. No other compensation was given in return for this post. All opinions expressed here are my own and all information is valid as of the time of publication.

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P-Nats Opening Day Supports CASA

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Published: 04/10/2012

CASA of Greater Prince William will benefit from tickets purchased by calling 703-330-8145. This is a great way to treat your family to a fun night out and help a great cause!

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Giveaway: Spring Break Skate Camp

Published: 03/25/2012

You've seen our friends from the Haymarket Iceplex before, and they're generously offering another great giveaway!

The Piedmont Skating School hosts several great options for those who want to learn to skate, including weekly lessons and camps. Coming up, their Spring Break Series will run from April 2nd through the 5th and is $93. Lessons include skate rental and a daily punch card (4 sessions) for the learn-to-skate practice session or public session.

Ages Prerequisites (Must attend same class each day)

Snow Plow Sam 1 3-6 None 1:40 or 6:30

Snow Plow Sam 2 3-6 SP 1 2:15 or 7:00

Snow Plow Sam 3 3-6 SP 2 6:30

Basic 1 7-16 None 1:40 or 7:00

Basic 2 7-16 Basic 1/SP 3 2:15 or 6:30

Basic 3 7-16 Basic 2 1:40

Basic 4 7-16 Basic 3 2:15

Free skate 1-2 7-16 Basic 8 7:00

Want to win a session for your child?

1- Enter below by leaving a comment with what time/level you'd like to get into, and we'll select one lucky winner at random on Tuesday!

Want an extra chance to win?

2- "Like" Piedmont Skating School on Facebook and leave a comment that you did. Per Facebook rules, the "like" is not an entry, but the comment here that you did so.

3- Click "share" from the Facebook status on PwcMoms' Facebook for this post, and leave a comment here that you did. Again, per Facebook rules, your entry is the comment here.

(Enter up to 3 times per person! Good luck!)

Disclosure: The Piedmont Skating School provided PwcMoms with a promotional week of Spring Break Skating to give away, which prompted this post. No other compensation was exchanged or provided.

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Skating Lessons at Prince William Ice Center

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Published: 03/02/2012

Growing up, I was a figure skater.

Well, kinda.

I didn't start at age 3, wasn't going to the Olympics, and much to my coach's dismay, I had hips.

But, I loved skating. My mom made gorgeous costumes, and I felt beautiful gliding along the ice in a way that I never did on the ground in shoes. I was so excited to offer my daughter the chance to start skating earlier than I did, since we have rink near our home, in case she took to it ;)

She did! Much to our amazement, the first time we took her to skate, she just hopped on the ice and went. (If you are teaching your child to skate, tell them not to touch you, or the wall, and to lift their knees and march like a soldier. Works every time. Also, have them fall down and stand up about 12 times on the ground before you put them on the ice.) My daughter even demanded a ballet outfit to wear to lessons.

Yeah, I was pretty psyched :) This fantastic outfit was completed with her new skates from Grammy and Papa, but the rink has rental skates available as part of your lesson fees.

The coaches at PWIC are fantastic. Patient and friendly, they do a great job. My daughter was one of the youngest in her class as she JUST turned 4 before class started, and I think I probably would've waited a little longer to start her if I had it to do over, just because she was so interested in watching everyone around her that she didn't skate as much as she could have. She was particularly interested in holding hands with another little girl who was typically at the back of the line "so my friend isn't alone". That's a "my child" problem, though, and not a reflection of the classes. The older girls who were more used to being in a class setting did a fantastic job and were swizzling their way across the ice like old pros! My daughter's other sport is swimming, and she does private lessons, so the class format is new to her.

I would definitely recommend the group lessons at PWIC. Online Registration is available.

I would offer the following notes, however. First, while our coach did a great job, with a big group of little girls, I think she could have done even better with an assistant. Preschoolers frequently need emergency potty breaks, and taking girls off the ice in a hurry to get them to mom and then getting them back to the group again could have easily been done by a junior coach. Our lessons were on Tuesday mornings, though, so perhaps there are assistants in afternoon and/or weekend classes. Also, be aware that there are NO makeup classes. That was frustrating to me since it's winter and we missed weeks due to illness. I'm sure with such a large program makeup sessions are a nightmare to coordinate, so I get it, but be aware that if your child misses a session, you're just out that week.

Lesson prices include a free skating session each week for your child to practice, but these are "use or lose", so be sure that you take advantage before your session ends!

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Try Hockey Free- Prince William Ice Center

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Published: 02/15/2012

It may seem like this blog is turning into the official sponsor of the Prince William Ice Center, but it just worked out they got 2 posts this week. Promise.

Check out the info above for details on "Try Hockey Free" for ages 4-9. Children over 10 who'd like to try the sport can contact the rink for more information. You need to register at TryHockeyForFree.com, but other than that it's totally free and even equipment is provided.

(We love hockey, and spring registration starts soon!! Get out and try it!)

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Activities for Little Guys/Gals

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Published: 01/11/2012

Sometimes one of you asks a question on the wall that warrants you an entire blog post.

My goodness some of you are needy. ;)

Just kidding. I wouldn't have anything to claim I'm doing if I didn't have questions. Then I'd have to admit I really AM watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and not "doing laundry and blogging".

I would never live that down, y'all.

Okay, so, user question was something along the lines of "I'm looking for sports activities for my 3 year old"

You wanna nab an early sports scholarship for junior? Let's do this.

Gymboree (Happy Birthday to our Gymboree Woodbridge Friends!!) offers sports for ages 3-5, art for ages 18 months-5 years, music 6 months to 5 years, and play and learn from birth to 5 years. (Bonus- they've got scheduled indoor play times you can take advantage of!) Classes vary by location.

Haymarket Ice Plex offers Skating lessons for children as young as age 3. Hockey classes can be started after passing the first two levels of skating lessons so a child has a firm grasp of the fundamentals.

SoccerTots/Little Sluggers offers classes starting at age 18 months for soccer (which involve parents) through age 10. Locations are all over the NOVA area, including Haymarket. Baseball starts at age 2 and goes through age 5.

The Little Gym (in Gainesville) offers classes ranging from Parent/Child (4 months-3 years), Sports Skills (starting at age 3 through age 6, includes hockey, baseball, soccer, and more), gymnastics from ages 3-12, dance from ages 3-12, and karate from ages 4-12.

The Freedom Center in Manassas has "Little Hoops" basketball starting at age 2.5 and 3.5 year olds can try "Little Pucks" hockey. Pee Wee Football classes start at 3.5, as does T-ball. Parent/Child sport classes start at age 2, and Soccer and Sports Mix start at 3.5, with Tae Kwon Do starting at age 4.

Prince William County Park Authority offers swimming and gymnastics for toddlers, including "Parent/Child" classes that start at 6 months for swimming. Ballet begins at age 3 and gymnastics at 18 months. The Dale City Rec Center offers two courses of "Tiny Titans Tri-Athletes" classes for ages 2-5, and has both soccer and t-ball for ages 4 and up. Basketball through the Park Authority begins at 4, All Star Sports (a mix) is ages 3 and up, and Little Pros is 4 and up. For these courses, check out Our Leisure Magazine.

Gymnastics- most gyms offer classes for toddlers and up. Rates vary GREATLY based on the credentials of the instructor, and all I can say is that from a personal perspective, unless you 2 year old hops on the uneven bars and throws out a triple flip with a stuck dismount the first time they touch it, you do not need to be paying over $80 a month for gymnastics. If the first place you call gives you sticker shock, try again.

Prince William Ice Center starts their skaters at age 4.

Most Martial Arts studios that I've looked into seem to have a class for children as young as 3. I'm linking to this one but just because it's the one I found that actually listed their class ages. Call and check the studio nearest you. As with gymnastics, let me point out that if you're signing up a 2 or 3 year old, please do not let some push owner pressure you into a 1 year contract. Your kid is too young to know if they'll like mashed potatoes from one day to the next, a year is insane. Just throwing it out there.

Swim Kids starts em young, too, with classes for parents and children beginning at age 6 months.

Hope this helps you get started!! Have a favorite sports location for your child? Share it in the comments!

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Giveaway: Piedmont Skate School/ The Haymarket IcePlex

Published: 12/09/2011

(Shhhhh.....don't tell my son I'm writing this! His mini mites team plays against the Haymarket mini-mites team!! But, if you're on the other side of the county.....well, I understand if you have to play on the other team!)

The Haymarket IcePlex is such a fun story. From my understanding (PWC Grandpa plays Ice Hockey, too!), "The Lumberyard" was built in a former 84 Lumber warehouse to make sure that the PWHC members could continue to play when the Prince William Ice Forum/Plex/House/Center collapsed. Once they got going, though, people decided that having a second skate location was a great idea, and even with the original hockey club moving back to Woodbridge, Haymarket is rocking out on its own!

The complex now houses open skating, hockey, a Synchronized Skating team, learn to skate, and special events!! One such event coming up is the "Skate With Us" event on December 19th from 6-8:30pm which will feature performances from local skaters and teams and public skating sessions. This event will be $7 for adults, $6 for kids, and $3 for skate rental.

The Piedmont Skate School at Haymarket Ice Plex has a great upcoming program if you've been thinking about skating for your child. Their Winter Break Series is a 4 day program that will give your child a jump start on lessons, which will start in 2012 with 7 week series beginning January 9th. The four day program is a great way to make sure your child likes the ice before comitting to a full series of lessons. (As a former competitive figure skater from a hockey family, let me just say your child should like the ice. Ice is Nice.) The Winter Break series includes 4 public session practice passes with skate rental so that your child can really jump start their skills! It's such a great program, in fact, that Piedmont Skate School at the Haymarket IcePlex would like to have one of your children join them for FREE!

Entering is super easy- just head to the link for the group lesson calendar (Here) and then leave a message on the facebook wall for the Piedmont Skate School about which session you'd sign your child up for!! This contest will be open through Sunday, December 11th until 7:00pm.

Look! Even tiny, adorable cows can skate!!

Skating, whether it's freestyle, recreational, or hockey, is a great sport for kids. It keeps them moving, helps with balance and coordination, and the sense of accomplishment from moving up to the next level is great for self-esteem. If you've never put your child on ice, maybe it's time to try!! A 4-day program could be just what you're looking for to try before you sign up for a full session!!

Thanks to Piedmont Skating School and the Haymarket IcePlex for sponsoring this giveaway!! Be sure that you bookmark their website to get the latest updates on public skating, which changes frequently.

The business in this post provided a giveaway item free of charge to be given to PWCMoms readers in return for this posting. No other financial arrangements were made.

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Boys and Girls Club Fall Programs

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Published: 08/18/2011

703-670-3311
kmahoney@bgcgw.org

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER WASHINGTON – HYLTON BRANCH
Fall Youth Programming

Dale City- The Hylton Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington is currently enrolling for their fall programming.

This fall the Hylton Boys & Girls Club branch will be offering some exciting youth programming. Programs will include athletic leagues, before & after school child care, and teen programming. All members have access to our great general membership programming which offers five core program areas: Education & Career Development, Sports, Fitness & Recreation, Health & Life Skills, Character & Leadership Development, and the Arts.

Athletic Programs Offered:
Co-Ed Basketball League
Girls Volleyball League
Tackle Football League

Our licensed before & after school child care program serves the following schools:
Enterprise Elementary
King Elementary
Penn Elementary
Mcauliffe Elementary
Rosa Parks Elementary
Beville Middle
Benton Middle
Sauder Middle
Porter Traditional School

A membership to the Prince William County Boys & Girls Clubs is $30 a year and no child is turned away due to the family’s inability to pay. Membership allows youth to enroll in and participate in programming at all three branches in Prince William County & Manassas. Currently, the general membership program is open at our Dale City and Manassas Branches Tuesday-Friday 3-9pm, and Saturdays 10am-4pm.
The Hylton Branch is located at 5070 Dale Boulevard, Dale City. For more information please call 703-670-3311 or visit the website www.hyltonclub.org

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Boys and Girls Club

Published: 04/09/2011

Several of you have asked about affordable options for your kids, and let me just say that I don't think it gets any better than Boys and Girls Club for affordable, quality options.

Now, if you're anything like me, you're thinking that the Boys and Girls Club is designed for lower-income, inner-city kids. (Or maybe I'm just a bad person....but either way) It's definitely not. While the Boys and Girls Club does serve a high number of the at-risk population, they're open to everyone.

I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with 2 of the directors for our area at the Hylton Club located on Dale Boulevard near what was the ice arena. First of all, as a former children's pastor, I know passion for kids, and these two ladies are seriously dedicated to making sure that each child that walks in the doors is having a safe, quality experience. Second, I was completely impressed by the facility! State of the art computers, X-Box Kinects, well maintained classrooms, a library complete with summer reading titles from local schools, an on-site accredited teacher to help with homework, tabletop games, an outdoor jungle gym, they've really got it all.

The Boys and Girls Club does have a focus on achievement. They have a few key areas they focus on including Education and Career Development, Character and Leadership Development, Health and Life Skills, The Arts, and Sports, Fitness and Recreation. Clubs offer tutoring, volunteer clubs run by the kids, pickup games and even sports leagues for a small additional fee.

So here is the breakdown. Membership is $30 a year. No joke. And your membership is good at the Hylton, Manassas, and Dumfries clubs. That means your child can go to the club Tuesday-Friday from 3-9pm and Saturday from 10-4. Kindergarten through Teens can belong, and there's separate age-appropriate programming for everyone. Classrooms have glass windows everywhere so there's total accountability and transparency.

In addition, the clubs offer very affordable before and after care from 6am to 6pm Monday through Friday. Children can opt to stay until 9 Tuesday through Friday, if they need/desire.

Boys and Girls Clubs also offer Summer Camp and Spring Break Camps. Summer camp includes:
1 Weekly Field Trip
1 Weekly Swimming Trip
1 Field Day
2 days in the club rotation
They're closed 4th of July, but other than that, there's total summer coverage.

I was completely impressed by the Boys and Girls Club, and I'd encourage you to check it out as an option for your child!! At $30 a year, even if you just use it as a rainy Saturday backup activity, it's totally worth the cost. They're doing great work with our kids and youth right here in PWC.
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If Boys and Girls Club doesn't sound like something your family is interested in, but you'd like to support the work they do with at-risk children, including never turning a child away because of an inability to pay, you can support them by attending a Friday night Bingo game (ages 10+) or by attending their Steak n' Steak Dinner and Silent Auction held annually in May

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