Swim Meet 101
Swim Meet Checklist:
-Two towels
-Goggles
-Swim cap
-Team T-shirt
-Sharpie
-Cash for Concessions
-Chairs and Blankets to sit on
-Water for your swimmer to stay hydrated
Please put your child’s name on all equipment, clothing and towels. Bring a bag to store them during the meet. The team will not be responsible for lost or stolen items. Your child will have some waiting time in between events, so please send card games, books, magazines, etc. to help with boredom.
Concessions:
There will be concessions at all meets. We will have sponsors providing food at the meets so your purchases help the team as well as a local business. Concessions at home meets are a primary source of fundraising for the team. However, you are also allowed to bring your own food.
Meets:
Each swimmer that has signed up to swim in the meet on Swimtopia may swim in a maximum 3 individual events and 2 relay events during a meet. Remember! If your child becomes ill, please be sure to let us know as soon as possible. A copy of your child's events will be given to you when you check in at the meet. Please take note of their events and write them on your swimmer's arm or leg with a sharpie marker - more information on that at the bottom of this page. If you are new to the team, the coaches are there to help.
Each meet will consist of 86 events and heats. The warm up for meets start at 5:00 PM for a home meet and 5:30 PM for an away meet. Meets typically end around 10:00 PM
All 11 & up swimmers are required to report to their bullpen coordinator 3 to 4 events prior to their individual race. All 10 & under swimmers can stay in the Bullpen during the entire meet (except 6 & under may leave after event 46) or are required to report to the bullpen 5 to 6 events prior to their race. The swimmers must be in the bullpen to be escorted to their lane. If they are not there, we cannot be responsible if they miss their event. We will have volunteers working in the bullpen to make sure each child is on the block for their events. Make sure your swimmer asks their coordinator to exit the Bullpen. Parents, you need to make sure your swimmer uses the restroom at appropriate times. We don’t want anyone to miss their race because they had an emergency. Please do not leave the meet early without notifying the coach. There is a chance your child may be needed to swim on a relay team for another swimmer.
Events:
Individual Medley (IM): The IM consist of all four swimming styles in the following order - (1)Butterfly, (2)Backstroke, (3)Breaststroke, (4)Freestyle
Medley Relay: The Medley Relay is an event in which each member of the 4 person relay team swims a different stroke in the following order - (1) Backstroke, (2) Breaststroke, (3) Butterfly, (4) Freestyle
6 & Under events: 25 freestyle, 25 backstroke, 100 freestyle relay
7-10 events: 100 Medley Relay, 100 Freestyle Relay, 100 IM, 25 Freestyle, 50 Freestyle, 25 Backstroke, 25 Breaststroke, 25 Butterfly
11-18 events: 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 100 IM, 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 50 Backstroke, 50 Breaststroke, 50 Butterfly
Marking Your Swimmer
We ask that you write your swimmers first name and age on their back right shoulder so coaches and volunteers can quickly identify them. Feel free to write any other encouraging words, draw sharks, etc. The kids love this part!
Check out the following image for helpful tips on how to mark your swimmer for events, heats, lanes, etc. We ask that all swimmers have their events listed on their arm, or leg, so they can easily keep track of what they swim and when.
