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Attendance at swim meets is not a
requirement but participation is beneficial to the swimmer. It is
way to measure improvement in time and technique.
In most cases when coaches receive
information about an event it will be posted on the club website along
with a sign up deadline. Swimmers can sign up on
line or in person at practice if they would like to attend.
What to expect at a
swim meet...
Give yourself plenty of time to
get to a meet so that you always arrive at the meet early. You
should plan on being there at least 15 -20 minutes before the scheduled
warm-up time begins. Your coach will tell you the exact time to be
there. Upon arrival find
your team area and set up your gear there.
Locate the check-in spot and find
your coach. Parents are not allowed on deck so check-in may be the
responsibility of the swimmer or the swimmer's coach. Check for
posted instructions in the check-in area. Usually check-in means
placing a circle around the swimmer's name or putting a "#" before the
swimmer's name in each event he/she will participate in that day.
This check-in process lets the people running the meet know who actually
is at the meet. Failing to check-in will result in the swimmer not
being allowed to participate in that event. Once check-in is
complete the meet administrators "seed" the swimmers into heats.
They will then post the heat/lane assignments so the swimmer needs to
know where to find this information.
A psyche sheet can usually be
purchased at the concession stand. This lists all swimmers by seed
time (previous best time to date) in order of events. If it is a
first time event for a swimmer the time will be entered as NT (no time).
NT swimmer will most likely swim in one of the first heats of the event.
At most meets a heat sheet is sold close to the start of the meet that
will list the actual heat (group) and lane a swimmer will compete in for
his/her events. It is very important to check this
and bring any errors to the attention of the coach.
The swimmers find it helpful to
write each event/event number/heat/lane on his/her hand, arm or leg in
ink or sharpie. This is an aid to help swimmers remember what
event/event number to listen or watch for.
Now that the preliminaries are
finished you swimmer needs to get his/her cap and goggles on and report
for warm-up instructions from their coach. The team will participate in
a warm-up together in preparation for the meet. The coach will direct
this activity. At some meets there may be an early and late warm-up
session. In either case, if your child is at the pool at the time
the coach has indicated, he/she will be ready for either situation.
Once warm-up is complete the
swimmer will go back to the area where they placed their gear and wait
for his/her event to be called. The meet usually starts about 15
minutes after warm-ups are complete. Take care of any necessities
at this time. It is important to drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.
eat healthy snacks and conserve your energy.
Once the meet begins, an event
will be called and the swimmer will either report to the "Clerk of Course"
( if there is one) or directly behind the starting blocks, ready to swim. The Clerk of
Course is a staging area where the swimmers are organized prior to being
escorted to the blocks.
Once the race is over, the swimmer should
politely ask the timer his/her time, and then report to the coach. After
the coach is finished reviewing the race with the swimmer and providing
insight for the next race he/she can go back to the team area to rest
until the next event.
Results will be posted and awards are often
gathered for the team and given to the coach at the end of the meet to
be distributed at another time.
So once a swimmer has completed all his/her
events he/she is free to leave. However, check with the coach before
leaving to make sure your child is not included to participate in a
relay. |
