MEET INFORMATION

What to expect at a Swim Meet

Swim Meets generally take place on Tuesday evening. If it is a home meet, our pool will close about 2 hours prior to the actual start of the meet. This is done so that the pool area can be cleaned up and prepared for the meet.

Preparing for the meet! This takes several strong bodies as ropes and flags need to be put up to set the stage. Chairs are set up for the swimmers to line up in for the events, tables set up for coaches, scoring and ribbon tables. The reclining chairs are set up in the areas in which the teams will gather. There is always a shortage of chairs. If you have to have one, you may consider bringing one from home.

Warm Ups! The swimmer are to be at the pool 15 minutes prior to warm up time. This is to give them time to find a spot (in the team area) to place their things, check in with coaches and get their arms marked. Each swimmer is to have their name or a number written on their upper arm. This is done at the pool side and assist the timers and other volunteers in identifying your child. Warm ups start 1 hour prior to the meet for home meets and 1/2 hour prior to the meet for away meets. Each team is allotted 1/2hour warm-up time.

The Meet! We start as close to on time as possible. All Volunteers should check-in 10-15 minutes before the meet. Their are usually some kind of vest or sash to mark your job and identify you as a volunteer. There is also a meeting of the volunteers prior to the start of the meet. Many volunteers are needed to make the meets go smoothly. If you find extra time to help, please let us know, there is always someone who could use a break. Please check the volunteer list before the meet, so that you know what you signed up for.

The Swimmers are asked to stay within the designated area during the meet so that they may be easily found for their event. If the swimmer needs to get something to eat or drink during the meet the best time to do this is right after they have swam an event as this gives them the most time prior to the next event. Please remind them to pick up their wrappers and keep the pool area clean, we need to clean up the pool deck after the meet and there are plenty of trash cans around.

When the meet starts! Event line up is this: Medley Relay, Free Style, Back Stroke, Breast Stroke, ButterFly Stroke, and Free Relay. Boys events first then girls, starting by age group. (I.E.: 7-8 Boys Medley Relay, 7-8 Girls Medley Relay, 9-10 Boys Medley Relay, etc.) On individual events all swimmers are timed and the timers record the times for the coaches. If at all possible these time will be made available a few days after the meet.

6 and under swimmers only swim Free Style, Back Stroke, and Breast Stroke. They only swim 15 yards (a little more than half of the length of the pool) and there is and older swimmer in the water watching to make sure they don't have trouble. The older swimmer is not allowed to help the swimmer get ahead, only to aid in the case the swimmer is struggling or to tired to finish (this sometime happens on a first meet when the little ones don't know what to expect). The older swimmer then will help the younger ones to the end of the pool to exit if they want help. Please make sure that your swimmer gets to the end of the pool to get their ribbon for participating in a heat (sometimes swimmers will exit from the side of the pool and not get to the volunteers with the participation ribbons).

7-10 year old swimmers must swim one length of the pool and participate in all events.

11 and older swimmers must swim two laps of the pool and participate in all events.

All Swimmers! Please check with the coaches prior to leaving the meet. Sometimes to make a relay team at the end of a meet a swimmer may be asked to swim up an age group. 6 year old who can swim the length of the pool may be asked to swim a relay with the 7-8 year olds, etc.

Main events are the first race of each group (7-8 boys Free Style, 7-8 girls Free Style, 9-10 boys Free Style, etc.), these events are what the officials place and score. Swimmer DO NOT get their ribbons for these events on the night of the meet as these are special ribbons that are marked for each participant. Swimmer in these event may be disqualified by the Stroke and Turn Judges and if disqualified will not recieve a ribbon.

Heats are every race after the first one of the event. Swimmer of all heats will recieve a participation ribbon for swimming the events.

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