All of the meets that CSA attends are "away" meets, hosted by USA teams in B'ham, Madison, Hunstville, and others. Typically fees include a surcharge and a fee per event, plus CSA charges a bit to help offset the coaching costs. Meet fees charged by the host team are non-refundable after entries are sent, which is usually about 2 weeks before the meet.
Meets are divided into sessions, usually with younger kids in the morning , and 11 and up or 13 and up in the afternoon, but each meet varies. Warm-up times are announced a few days before the meet, and CSA swimmers will warm up together with one of the coaches. Info will be posted on our website and sometimes emailed. It is the responsibility of each family to check the website for information and stay up to date on events in which they wish to participate.
Meet sessions are 2-4 hours not counting warm-ups, but you are generally clear to leave after your last event. If for some reason your swimmer is unable to make the meet or has to leave early, kindly let the coach know. If we are participating in relays, please double check before you leave.
Bronze group and above should plan to participate in at least 2 meets during the season. Silver I - Gold should plan to go to at least 3 meets. Competition is the payoff for hard work and shows your swimmer how far they've come. Between races is a great time to get to know other swimmers and families within the team, and even make new friends beyond CSA.
Some facilities (Crossplex, Huntsville Aquatic Center) do not allow chairs, while others (Madison) have a gym available for your chairs, blankets, etc. Always check the meet invitation which should address this.
You will need:
- 2-3 towels
- Competition suit, cap, and goggles (CSA cap preferred to help coaches spot our swimmers)
- Extra suit and goggles just in case (meets have a gear vendor for your convenience as well)
- change of clothes for after the meet
- light snacks if needed
- sharpie for E/H/L on your swimmer's arm
- blanket/chairs/stadium seat as appropriate
- Positive attitude and encouraging words for your swimmer
Since 2020, we have been trying to keep the swimmers on deck together and managed by the coaches at the bigger facilities. It is easier for the coaches and swimmers to find each other and prepae for their next event. For the younger swimmers, many hosts will have a "bullpen" or "clerk of course." This is where they organize the swimmers in order they will swim. You will need to listen for your swimmer's events as they are announced over the PA system. We also use the GroupMe app to communicate about meet events, warm-ups, lost items, shared pics, etc.
How do you know their events? The heat sheet is usually available online or on the Meet Mobile app. Our website will have a list of entries you can refer to, then check the heat sheet for the event number, heat number, and lane (E/H/L). You can write these down, and also use your sharpie to write it on your swimmer's arm to help them remember where to be when. You can always ask others with more experience how this works! You can also print the heat sheet which will give you a picture of the entire meet (or each session if that's all you want). That will also help to know how many heats and sometimes an estimate of the timing for the events
Meet Mobile is an app you can use on your phone (yearly subscription <$10) to see heat sheets and results from the meets. This app is used by all swim meet hosts, so you should be able to find results easily.
Not allowed at meets:
- Flash photography in the pool area
- Any type of recording/photos in restrooms, locker rooms, dressing areas
- Spectators right next to the pool
- Discussing any disqualification with officials (ask your coach instead)
- Any unsportsmanlike behavior
