SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT TO BRING TO A SWIM MEET

For swimmers:

**At least 2 towels

**2 caps

**2 pairs of goggles (tinted for outdoor, sunny meets)

**2 suits

**Sunscreen/ chap stick

**If the meet is early in the morning or if it will finish at night, bring a light windbreaker or sweatshirt. Sometimes it gets chilly for the swimmers while they are waiting for their events

**Money to buy a heat sheet (a heat sheet is a program that has the order of the events and other important information such as in which lane your swimmer is going to swim etc) Heat sheets sell anywhere from $2.00 to $12.00 depending on the size of the meet.

**MP3 player, book to read, playing cards, homework, etc. (sometimes there is a lot of waiting between events.)

For parents:

**Sunglasses

**Pen to write your child’s time

**A highlighter to mark MACG swimmers’ events and lane assignments on the heat sheet

**A sharpie. Some swimmers like to write their event and lane numbers on their arms to make sure they are in the right place at the right time.

**Portable folding chairs (sometimes there are bleachers for parents and swimmers to sit down, but the bleachers are not always large enough or in the best location)

**An umbrella or poncho for protection from the rain. Remember swimming is not cancelled for rain unless there is lightning. Bringing a team tent is a common practice for many swim teams. If anybody owns a tent and would like to bring it for the team to use, it would be wonderful! Since most meets are outdoors it would be nice to
have a shaded place for all the swimmers and parents to sit together. By sitting together as a team, coaches, swimmers, and their families get to know each other better and become a more cohesive team.

Bring a cooler with drinks and food. Most of the time the host team has a concession stand where food and drink can be purchased, but this is not always the case, and the choices they have may not be what your swimmer likes to eat.
    

                  Bring items that are light, but filling like:

                    **Water/Gatorade Power bars

                    **Cut up fruit/vegetables Slices of lean ham or tuna

                    **Bagels, soda crackers Peanut butter sandwiches

Good hydration is critical for swimmers at all times, but it is particularly important at meets, whether indoors or out. Please encourage your swimmer to drink water before, after and throughout the meet.

                   Do not give your swimmer:

                   **Sodas or dairy products high in fat

                   **A huge meal before competing

                   **Fatty, spicy or high fiber foods

                   **Candies or items with a lot of sugar

Make sure that the swimmers eat a good meal the night before so they have plenty of energy the next day