2026-27 OKM Winter Swim & "Red Zone" Training
2026-27 OKM Winter Swim
Registration for 2026-27 OKM Winter Swim Opens Soon
OKM Winter Swim provides an inexpensive opportunity for osprey swimmers to maintain their summer skills through the winter while swimming with their teammates and coaches from the OKM team!
Winter Swim is one hour per week on Sunday evenings and focuses on stroke technique and proper race execution. "Red Zone" training refers to not just our team colors - but to the vital racing skills needed in the 20% of the pool inside the backstroke flags -- i.e., starts & streamlines, breakouts, turns, and finishes. Competitive swimming is a technique and skill-driven sport -- and our goal is to help teach those skills for the OKM team!
OKM runs one of the largest winter swim program in the entire NVSL, and it's conveniently located just 1 mile from OKM at Burke Racquet & Swim Club.
Practice Dates: October 18, 2026 - May 23, 2027
Tentative Practice Off Dates: 11/29/26,
12/27/26, 1/3/27, 1/17/27, 2/14/27, 3/21/27, 3/28/27, 5/09/27.
When: Sunday evenings 5:30-6:30PM
Where: Burke Racquet & Swim Club (6100 Burke Commons Rd, Burke)
Cost: $300 per swimmer
For more info, please contact Winter Swim Coach & Coordinator Dave Bell
OKM Winter Swim Lead Coaches
Evan Downs has been the Head Coach of the OKM NVSL summer team for the past 4 seasons, and he's been coaching for OKM in other positions since 2018: volunteer coach, Junior Coach, Winter Swim Coach, Lead Mini Osprey Coach, and Lead Assistant Coach. During his time as an OKM coach, Evan has seen OKM rise from Division 11 all the way to Division 1!
As Head Coach, Evan has guided the largest team in OKM history. He led OKM to an undefeated Division 2 championship season in 2023, followed by OKM’s first ever season in Division 1, where the team finished 4th in the entire NVSL at the 2024 All Star Relay Championships. During his four seasons as Head Coach, Osprey swimmers have broken more than 70 individual and relay team records.
Evan did not begin swimming until he joined OKM at age 13, but he quickly developed tremendous enthusiasm for both the sport and the team. He later swam club at FBST, though summer league has always been his true passion. Evan began swimming at OKM in 2015 when the team was in Division 15, and he participated in the team climbing to a higher division every year. He has been part of OKM’s long run of success and has an intimate knowledge of all of the team’s traditions.
In addition to his OKM work, Evan is currently coaching with NCAP-Burke and the Lake Braddock varsity team. Evan has also taught at Kids First Swim School and was a member of the LBSS State Championship baseball team in 2019. Evan graduated from West Virginia University and is now a Fairfax County elementary school teacher.
We are excited to have Evan working with OKM Winter Swim!
Dave joined OKM in 2011 and has been involved in the OKM swim program for over a decade. He and his wife Elizabeth have six children who have swum for OKM.
Dave has been the OKM Winter Swim Coordinator since its inception in 2014 and was OKM's NVSL Team Rep from 2018-2023. He has been on the OKM Board since 2015 as the Competitive Activities Director and as the Club President since 2023.
Dave has been a lifelong competitive swimmer after starting NVSL swimming in 1982. He swam and coached at Walden Glen Pool for 17 summers and competed as a D1 college swimmer at the University of Miami (FL). He still competes today in Masters Swimming and has won numerous Masters national titles over the last decade.
Mike has been a member of OKM for five years, and he has his wife Allie have three children on the OKM Team, ranging from age 6 to 11.
Mike grew up doing many sports and swimming in the Philadelphia area. He completed his swimming as a D1 college swimmer at the University of Maryland. This is Mike's third season coaching OKM Winter Swim.