How to Enter USA Swim Meets

This step by step tutorial will let you know exactly how to enter swim meets. Please follow these instructions carefully:
 

1) Print out and become familiar with the team meet schedule. This schedule includes tentative deadline dates for entries. These dates may be moved forward or backward depending on the necessity of getting our entries into the meet director and avoid getting shut out of the meet.

1a) Meet hosts are required to adhere to a 4 hour per session time limit. They can produce estimated timelines based on the entries they have received. Once  this limit is reached in the estimated timeline the meet host will close the meet to further entries. This can happen well in advance of the posted entry due date and there is no recourse for getting entries into the meet once it is closed. 

2) As the entry deadline approaches, print out the meet information via the link on the www.sjmariners.org website. Meet information is always available in pdf format on the main page for that particular meet as well as at www.maswim.org.  Read and become familiar with this information as it contains directions, information on hotel accommodations, meet and warm-up start times and the list of events for each day of the meet. The meet information will also let you know what the fee per event is and also if there is any surcharge.

 2a) Most meets we attend do not have a surcharge that applies to all swimmers. However there is a surcharge listed for “swimmers from teams who enter more than 5 athletes in the meet and do not submit their entries via Hy-Tek disc.” This fee NEVER applies to meets we enter and attend as a team so you do not have to pay this fee.  The fee would only have to be paid if a swimmer is attending a meet without the team.

3) Have your swimmer(s) speak to their coaches about which events they should swim at the particular meet. They should ask to speak to their coaches either before or after practice. THIS SHOULD BE DONE BY THE SWIMMER, NOT THE PARENT/GUARDIAN. The coaches will always tell the swimmers what to swim based on the meet we are attending.  Sometime they will be specific about one or more events, sometime they will say things like "Swim your best events at this meet" or "Swim some events you do not normally swim at meets at this one".   The coaches will always monitor what events the swimmers are entering and have final say in what events each swimmer enters at any meet.  The coaches reserve the right to make changes, subtractions, and additions to any swimmer’s meet entries after they have been submitted online.
 
4) Entries for meets are done online through the www.sjmariners.org website.  Click on events at the top of the main page.  From there you will see all of the meets that are available currently for entry, as well as meets that have been attended in the past.  Click on the name of the meet to go to that meet’s page.  Here you will find the meet information (always in pdf format) as well as any other documents or information regarding that meet.  Click on "Attend This Event".  From here you will be able to enter your swimmer(s) in the events the coaches have indicated they should swim at the meet.

5) All fees for meets we enter as a team are billed directly to your account.  Meet entry fees will show as an individual amount billed for each USA Meet.  You do not have to pay individually for each meet with a separate check any longer...its all billed to one account now.  (see invoices & payments)

6) Entry fees are $4 per individual event for most short course meets held within the Middle Atlantic LSC.  Fees are $5 per event for most long course meets held within Middle Atlantic.  We will attend meets outside of Middle Atlantic that have odd entry fees and your account will reflect the proper charges.

7) If we happen to enter a meet that has relays the coaching staff will make a decision on entering those events. If relays are entered they are paid for by the team and the decision on which swimmers to place in those relays will be made solely by the coaching staff.

8) Be sure to write down and save the events for which you register at each meet.  If at any time you want to see what events you have signed up for just click on "Events" on the main menu just as if you were to register for a meet.  Find the meet in question and click on "Attend This Event".  This should give you the entries for that meet for all swimmers under your account.