What To Expect at Your First USA Swim Meet:
A Guide for Parents & Swimmers
“There are four roles at any athletic contest. Player, coach, official and spectator. Choose one and do it to the best of your ability.”
What do I bring?
- Parents – Money (admissions, heat sheets, snacks), marker, sharpie or pen/ pencil, something to do for yourself, snacks for athlete on deck (NO GLASS – trail mix, fruit, etc), asthma/ allergy medication (Please be sure to talk to your athlete prior to the meet so they know when to take those)
- Swimmers – 2 pairs of goggle, 2 towels, 1 team suits/ 1 spare suit, 2 team caps, clothes to wear on deck, change of clothes (there deck clothes will get wet), shoes/ sandals, entertainment (books, coloring book , markers), a foldup chair (if ok’d by meet director/ fire marshal).
What not to bring –
- Coffee, donuts (For athletes. Parents, you'll need it!)
- Phones are allowed but athletes are discouraged from staring at them during the meet. This takes away from the team atmosphere. We want the athletes encouraging each other.
What do I say before the meet?
- “Have fun” or, sometimes saying nothing is better than anything. Keep in mind that our stress and anxiety will cross over to them.
What do I expect during the meet?
- Where do we go? There should be signs that lead to the spectator area (parents) and one that leads to the locker rooms (athletes). All, or most, locker rooms lead to the pool deck. Parent should find a seat near our team parents (Usually some veteran families will get to the pool early and start to reserve seats).
- Coaches will get athletes up to events (The marker/ sharpie comes into play so they can write their events on their hands). Getting them up too early will leave them time to get distracted. We prefer them getting up when we start to see other athletes, of the same sex, getting up for events.
Mini meets – we will have a coach at the “team” section and behind the blocks to ensure that they get up. Most of the time, the timers will call for the athletes name before the heat/ event
- What if my athlete misses their event? This will happen. The coach will let the meet director know and we will try to get them into an open event/ heat. Let the coaches do their job on deck.
- Can I talk with my kid during the meet? Absolutely! We ask the athletes let the coaches know if they are going up to the stands to talk with the parents. We encourage it! Support during the meet is not frowned upon.
Where do I find results?
- Search for the “Meet Mobile” app on your phone. Once in the app, you can search for your athlete or location to bring up the meet. The meet usually is only available once it has started or ended.
- The Teamunify OnDeck app will also give you information on our meets and your athlete’s events. You will use the same login email and password as the Teamunify site. It may ask for team alias or team code, that is; MAWA
