After both the boys and girls varsity swim and dive teams came out victorious in their meets against Chantilly last Friday evening, the team participated in one of their most sacred events of the season. The Oakton Swim and Dive team is the only sports team at Oakton to be allowed to host a lock-in event. For those of you who do not know, a lock-in is when a group of people are literally locked into a building for an entire night. Oakton’s doors lock from the inside out starting at 12AM until 6AM the following morning. Thanks to the amazing coaches and parent volunteers behind Oakton Swim and Dive, the event was a success filled with fun games and activities for swimmers, divers, managers, and coaches alike to enjoy.
Among the team’s arrival back at Oakton, around 11pm, everyone was given dinner so everyone would be well fed and ready for a night of fun. Before starting with games and activities, the team participated in a community services project set up by the coaches. Influenced by his experiences with Teach for America, Head Coach Parker Ramsdell wanted to see his team give back to the school community here in Northern Virginia. Together the team collectively made over 200 bagged lunches, for students who are on the free and reduced lunch plan, as meals for them to take home over the weekend. Afterwards, the team took part in a more sentimental part of the evening: Senior Talks. At this point in the evening (which was in actuality the next morning), the team gathered in the auditorium to hear each senior tell a story and share advice on their experiences with Oakton Swim and Dive.
Once the more serious parts of the evening were over, the team participated in many games and contests planned by the coaches. The team played trivia, participated in scooter relays, played full-contact musical chairs, dodgeball, and basketball, and a wacky food relay. These crazy fun activities kept the team busy until 4:30 AM, a time most of these swimmers are used to being awake for morning practice! After the activities were over, the team was given free time to play in the gyms or watch a movie in the auditorium.
In conclusion, the lock-in is a very special, fun and unique experience that always resonates with Oakton’s Swim and Dive team members. Due to the wonderful planning of the coaches and parents, this wonderful event was able to happen, and create memories for the entire team to remember for a lifetime.
