Swim Meet 101
What to know for any swim meet:
The purpose of this quick guide is to give parents an idea of what to expect at a swim meet.
What to bring:
Required:
Swimmer
3-4 Towels
Racing suit
Goggles
Team cap
Suggested:
Folding chairs or blankets to sit on between events
Shade
Well-stocked Cooler - Light nutritious snacks and drinks
Team parka or warm clothing
Games, books, crayons, or other restful activities to keep busy between events
Sharpie or permanent marker
When to arrive:
Swimmers & Volunteers should check-in by 8:00 AM for meets that start at 9:00 AM. Some of our away meets will feature multiple sessions with later start times and check-in times for swimmers of different ages
A day or two before the meet, definitive warm-up times will be announced. Some meets have more than one warm-up session, so you want to be sure you get there for the right one. It is a good idea to get there a little early so you can find a good place to set up your stuff.
At the meet (during warm-up/before start):
Write on your swimmer with a sharpie (optional but VERY helpful, especially with multiple swimmers). Many parents will write their swimmer’s events on their arms or leg in some variation of the following format:
E stands for EVENT number
H stands for HEAT number
L stands for LANE number
Not only does this make it easy for the swimmer to look up their next event, but now just about any volunteer/parent at the meet will be able to help a lost swimmer figure out when they are supposed to swim next. However, it is still important to follow the meet as it progresses to avoid missing an event.
Get mentally prepared:
The coaches like to talk to the swimmers before and after their swim. Give your swimmer time to stop by and still make it to the starting blocks or line-up.
Get to the blocks:
Line-up: All meets will feature a line-up for the 8 & under swimmers prior to their events. Coaches and brave volunteers line-up the little swimmers and get them to the right lanes for their events. They usually start getting the kids organized 4 events before the one they are swimming in. Either listen for announcements calling swimmers to the line-up or watch for activity there.
Older swimmers should arrive at the starting end of the pool, behind the timers in their lane, during the 2 events preceding theirs. If there aren’t many heats in the preceding event they may want to get there even sooner. It is the swimmer’s responsibility to be be in place for his/her event. 9-10 year-old swimmers will need the most support becoming responsible for themselves as they transition away from the line-up procedures.
Relays:
Swim meets have relays at the beginning and end of the session. Please check with the head coach before you leave with your swimmer after his/her events to make sure they aren’t needed for a relay. When swimmers depart early we often do not have enough swimmers to fill out the relay teams. This leads to relay teams having to scratch and some swimmers unable to compete in all of their scheduled events. Swimmers are only allowed to participate in 4 events total, so most swimmers will not have an available race to fill in as a substitute. Leaving a swim meet early before fulfilling a relay swim shows little concern for your teammates and your team. Swimmers that leave early and cause relay teams to scratch may be asked to not participate in the next swim meet.
Disqualifications:
Fondly referred to as DQ’s, but not as in Dairy Queen. There are two types of swimmers. Those that have been DQ’d and those that will eventually get a DQ. Officials watch the swimmers to ensure that the strokes are performed legally. This is to prevent any unfair advantages and to let the coaches and swimmers know what areas need improvement. Most of the young swimmers are happy just to make it to the end of the pool and don’t know/care about DQ’s. Meet results will typically feature the DQ codes that allow swimmers and coaches to know what the primary rule violation was, but only one code may be entered. New swimmers might break many rules in a race, but the official has to choose the most egregious violation for recording purposes. Use this information to help your swimmer grow without shaming them for their mistakes. Swimming is a very technical sport and the rules of all the strokes will take some time to master.
Results:
The results of each event will be posted as soon as possible and include the swimmer’s official time. Use the Swimtopia App to check results. Ribbons or awards from the meet will be printed and compiled within a few days after the meet ending and will placed in the swimmer’s family folder in the clubhouse filing cabinet.
Most important:
Enjoy the meet!!!!!!!!!!! Swim meets are lots of fun! If you have any questions about what’s going ask any seasoned swim parent. They were in your shoes once too!
Some etiquette/terms to know:
Starts:
No flash photography during starts and no recording of any kind from behind the starting blocks. There is a strobe that flashes to start the swimmers and a camera flash can be confusing to swimmers and cause a false start. Also, spectators should keep quiet after the "swimmers take your mark" command is given. Swimmers are in a vulnerable position when they take their mark and should not be photographed or filmed from behind at that time. Please record from the sides or opposite end of the pool.
Whistle starts:
Used for starts at most meets. Referee will blow a whistle 4 times (quick and short) signaling the swimmers to get ready. One long whistle is the signal for the swimmers to step up on the block (or step in the water for backstroke starts).
Flyover starts:
Used at some meets to keep swim meet moving along quickly. After swimmers finish their swim, they remain in the water close to the wall while the next heat starts. (The next heat to swim will usually be on the blocks waiting for the last swimmer in the heat in the water in the water to finish). As soon as the next heat starts and is in the water, the waiting swimmers climb quickly out of the water. NOTE: Flyover starts are not used for backstroke.
