Swim Meet 101
Meet Entries
Meet sessions are typically split by age group and by gender, (Boys against boys and girls against girls). Each swimmer may swim 2- 3 individual events and 2 relays. Coaches will determine relay teams and review at practice. Meet information and details will always be sent out via email at least a few days prior to the meet date.
Day of the Meet
What does my child need for meets?
• Team swimsuit
• Team swim cap
• At least one pair of goggles
• At least 1 towel
• Snacks for between events
• Water bottle
• Chair for use while waiting in the tent
Parent packing list:
• Sharpie
• Snacks, water bottle
• Chair for watching on deck
• Good Cheering voice. Swimmers can hear in the water! The louder the crowd, the more exciting their swim!
What time do I need to be there?
All meets start at 5:45pm. Before each swim meet you will receive an email with information about arrival time as this changes whether we are home or away. This gives the swimmers time to get acclimated to the pool environment. It also gives the coaches time to make sure that all assigned swimmers are there and make any changes if needed. Warm-ups start between4:45-5:15, depending on whether we are home or away.
How Long Do These Meet Run?
The time it takes to complete a swim meet is a long running joke within the swim team families. Times vary depending on several factors; the number of swimmers, weather, and how organized the teams can be to keep the swimmers up to date with the line up of their events. Organization is the key. Most meets can be completed in about 3 hours (sometimes a little longer). This is why it is important for swimmers to know their events and tent parents to help ensure that their kids are ready at that event time. The meets should end approximately at 9:15pm.
What happens at a meet?
Swimmers will compete in stroke events against the visiting team and the clock! Each Meet will have designated age groups per event. Each swimmer may compete in 2-3 individual events, and 2 relay events. This is their opportunity to have friendly competition with teammates and show off their hard work from practice. We do require that the swimmers sit together with their age group at our designated tents.We encourage teammates cheer for each other while they are waiting on deck to swim.
To Eat or not to Eat?
EAT! Swimmers burn up a ton of calories at practice and at meets. They should not be eating a full course meal immediately before a swim meet; however, any type of carbs, protein, and fruits are great to eat about an hour or so before a meet. Your swimmer should also have snacks to munch on after every event, such as: pretzels, goldfish crackers, watermelon, granola bars, etc.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Water is best. But Gatorade, Powerade and other sports drinks are ok in moderation. Some have lots of sugar and sodium, so read those labels. Soda is not the best but can be a quick sugar fix if your swimmer needs it. Swimmers can and often do dehydrate, please encourage hydration. Swimmers sweat, you just can’t see it!
Heat Sheets
Heat Sheets list the stroke, distance, and heats for each event. This will provide you with information on which event, heat, and pool lane your swimmer will swim in during the meet.
Why do I need a Heat Sheet?
A heat sheet is like a schedule or program for the swim meet. It tells you:
• Which events are happening
• Which swimmers are competing in each event
• What heat and lane each swimmer is in
Swim meet usually have too many swimmers to race all at once, so they are divided into heats-smaller groups that swim one after another. The heat sheet helps everyone know when they swim and where.
Think of it like a playlist, but for swimmers instead of songs-it keeps everything organized!
What is arm marking?
You must mark your swimmer to reflect which event, heat and lane they are racing. This is used to help remind the swimmer of their events and to help the age group tent parent volunteers. Use the heat sheet to find and highlight your child's events. Mark the arm as illustrated below in the picture in the order of Event/Heat/Lane.
Write on clean dry skin with no sunscreen. It is best to do this before warm up so your swimmers skin is dry.
Heat Sheets will be posted on our website (SwimTopia) and a link will also be sent via email.
Example of Arm Marking
Write Clearly and Legibly on your child's arm as illustrated in the picture.
Stroke: If you'd like to note the stroke do so after the lane designation.- FR = Freestyle- BA = Back Stroke- BR = Breast Stroke- FLY = Butterfly- IM = Individual Medley- FRR = Free Relay (All swimmers swim freestyle)- MR = Medley Relay (Each swimmer swims a different stroke: 1st = back, 2nd=breast, 3rd=fly, 4th=free)
If your child is swimming in a relay:
Relay Marking:
This will designate the relay leg the child is swimming.- 1/1 = Lane 1, first relay leg- 4/2 = Lane 4, 2nd relay leg **If the Medley Relay this will be Breast Stroke.
Please remember:
- Team shirts, suits & caps (name on cap)
- Goggles (doesn’t hurt to have an extra pair)
- Arm write up (see video)
- 2 Towels
- Snacks
- Water/hydrating liquid
- Chair for your swimmer (chair for yourself)
- Card games/book/coloring to keep them busy between their events (no electronics)
Let’s do this!
Soar Eagles!
