WHAT TO EXPECT AT A MEET -
A Guide for Parents and Swimmers
Get to the swim meet approximately 15-20 minutes before the beginning of the assigned warm-up time. The Ags’ warm-up times will be listed on our website three days prior to the meet. Be ready to get in the pool promptly—warm up is short and usually crowded.
Find the CLERK of COURSE and CIRCLE IN all of your swimmer’s events. Bring a pen or pencil to the meet. (If your swimmer is not circled in for an event, he/she will be scratched and will be unable to swim that event).
Swimmers from the team sit together in a team area near the pool. (Depending upon the meet location, sometimes swimmers and parents can sit together). Parents sit together in the stands. (No parents are usually allowed on the pool deck). It is advisable to bring a couple of lawn chairs or an old blanket to sit on. Some pools have easy access to outdoor areas and may also have bleachers.
Parents should purchase a heat sheet ($5-$10) in order to follow what event is being swum. The heat sheets usually have a calculated time for all the swimming events.
Warm up times and lanes are assigned prior to the meet and are listed in the heat sheet. The swimmers should warm-up with their swim coach. If the coach is not available, a swimmer may (with permission) warm-up with another team and its coaches.
Approximately thirty minutes prior to an event being swum, lane and heat assignments are posted. Swimmers MUST go look at this information!!
Swimmers are responsible for getting themselves up to the event and heat. New swimmers may sometimes be assisted to the area behind their swim block by their swim coach. There is NO READY BENCH in USA Swimming!!
Current events and heat numbers may not be announced over the loud speaker…...parents and swimmers must pay attention! If a swimmer circles-in for his/her event but does not report to swim the event or misses the event there is a $5.00 fine imposed by Gulf Swimming at the end of each season (May and July) for each no-show event.
After the swimmer finishes his/her event, he/she should always go talk with his/her coach. Results are posted after each event that has been swum.
SWIM FAST AND HAVE FUN!!
