Same here!
I'm all about competition. As a competitive athlete all my life through college, I thrived on it. In fact, that's something I really miss nowadays, which is just one reason I've picked up my golfing in the last year - to be able to feel that competitive spirit, even if I'm only competing with myself! But competition and fun don't have to be mutually exclusive, which I think is lost on far too many people. And while I would love to see our team go undefeated and get promoted through the divisions, I wouldn't want that to happen at the expense of the kids having a blast while it all takes place.
As for the geographic split...given the relative ages of the neighborhoods, I would imagine you generally have newer pools with a more modern setup and amenities in central and western Fairfax County than you do with pools closer to the Beltway, particularly the eastern/southeastern portions of the county, as well in Alexandria and Arlington. There are also some of the upper-class areas in those parts of the county, so you're also dealing with a higher proportion of folks with a...certain mindset. And some folks just get uppity when they encounter any infrastructure (including pools) that just seems older and doesn't have the luxuries they're used to.