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Preparing for a Swim Meet
- Parents/swimmers should bring blankets, parkas, towels, sleeping bags, and camp chairs. Keep your swimmer warm and comfortable. Some facilities do not allow camp chairs.
- It's important swimmers stay energized and hydrated before, during, and following the meet. Bring healthy snacks, sports drinks, and water.
- Swimmers need to make sure they have their swimsuit(s), two pair of goggles, swim cap(s), and towel.
- We recommend swimmers arrive early as swim meets are frequently crowded and seating is sometime scarce.
- Swimmers need to be on deck, cap and goggles at the ready, at least 10 minutes prior to their scheduled warm up.
- For directions to the competition pools, please visit Competition Pools.
Getting Ready Before Warm Up
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Parents should immediately purchase a meet program, heat sheet, from concessions (some meet hosts will post on Meet Mobile or send tp us beforehand). Find your swimmer's events and write the information on the back of their hand with a sharpie - event, heat, and lane
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Please be aware, some events will require a positive check in, typically for longer distance evens such as the 400/500 freestyle, 1500/1650 freestyle, and 400 IM. Some meets will require positive check in for 200 events.
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The meet host will have a positive check in table set up at the beginning of the session. Swimmers are responsible for signing/checking themselves in; coaches will help if needed.
Warm Up
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All swimmers are required to warm up with the team, unless excused by a coach.
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Swimmers continually arriving late to warm up are a distraction to the entire team and may be scratched from relays. We understand unforeseen events happen; if you are running late, please email your group coach.
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Please understand, warming up is an important piece to a successful meet.
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Following the initial warm up, swimmers should warm up before each event and warm down following each event if a warm up pool/lane is available. Coaches will provide appropriate warm up and down procedures and expectations.
Before and After Events
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Swimmers need to talk with a coach before and after each of their events. They should plan accordingly to get behind the blocks early enough to be prepared for their event. Swimmers should warm down first following their race, then speak with a coach.
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Our pre-race talk with swimmers is usually brief and simple; quick motivation and race strategy. We keep it simple as not to overwhelm swimmers with too much information; swimmers should be prepared to race from their training at practice..
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The post race discussion is equally important, consisting of constructive feedback, technique advice, and splits. We want our swimmers to know their splits to help them plan for the next time they swim that event.
Events
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If a swimmer is behind the blocks and misses an event, please allow a coach to deal with the situation. Our coaches will immediately speak with an official, possibly getting the swimmer into a subsequent heat (not at championship meets using the USA Swimming National Scratch Rule).
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Swimmers missing an event because they weren't ready or behind the blocks in time, will learn from their mistake and be better prepared next time.
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No pulling out of an event to save yourself for another race, unless excused by a coach. Swimmers need to swim the events they signed up for. If a swimmer is not feeling well, speak to a coach before the next event.
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Swimmers qualifying for finals during a prelims/finals format are expected to swim finals, unless excused by a coach.
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