Swim Meet 101
What To Expect At A Meet
There are six meets during the summer season. The first meet is our mock meet and it is our practice meet, in which we have a short version of a real meet. It is always scheduled prior to the first dual meet. Having a practice (mock) meet is invaluable in many ways. It especially allows our first-time swim team kids/parents to understand what an actual meet may entail.
The other dual meets are scheduled to start at 5:30 pm. Generally, they tend to last between 3-4 hours. The dual meets are usually on Tuesday evenings. We may have one Thursday meet each season.
Inclement Weather
If weather is too severe to swim, the meets may be postponed or canceled by agreement of the Team’s League Representatives. Meets are held rain or shine and only delayed or cancelled during thunderstorms. You will be contacted via email, the SwimTopia app, and updates will be posted on the Web site if a meet is cancelled.
Before the Meet Starts
1. What to bring to a swim meet
**LABEL ALL PERSONAL ITEMS - INCLUDING TEAM SHIRTS!**
1. Goggles (we recommend goggles with 1-2 straps. No goggles that cover the nose should be worn)
2. Swimsuit (Team suits are recommended. If a swimmer does not wear a team suit, girls are to wear a 1 piece suit. Boys should wear a jammer suit. Baggy swim trunks do not stay on as well during a diving start as a jammer suit)
3. Sunscreen
4. Water/sports drinks and snacks
5. Money for concessions at home and away meets
6. Deck chairs
7. Towels
8. Games or toys during the meet (Please note- the use of phones, tablets or electronics is highly DISCOURAGED at swim meets. These items are highly likely to be damaged or ruined on a pool deck.)
9. Permanent marker- for body marking
2. Prep your swimmer
All swimmers need to have their first and last name, as well as their swim team age group written on their back with a permanent marker. Be sure to do this after sunscreen has been applied and dried.
FIRST NAME LAST NAME (AGE)
Swimmers also need to have each event number, heat, and lane written on their arm with a permanent marker (do this after sunscreen has been applied and dried). This helps your swimmer remember what events they are swimming in, what event number to listen for, and what lane to get lined up behind. (There will also be Gator helpers and a Clerk of Course to help swimmers lineup prior to each event.) It is also a good idea for you to write down their event numbers so you can make sure to watch your swimmers.
Above is an example of how it will look on your child’s arm:
- “E” is the Event Number (Event numbers in this instance are 6, 12, and 16)
- “H” is the Heat Number (Heat numbers in this instance are 4, 3, and 4)
- “L” is the Lane Number (Lane numbers in this instance are 4, 5, and 8)
- “FR” is a Freestyle Event
- “BA” is a Backstroke Event
- “BR” is a Breaststroke Event
- “FLY” is a Butterfly Event
- "IM" is the Individual Medley
- "MR" is the Medley Relay
- "FRR" is the Freestyle Relay
3. Meet Arrival
Arrive at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time begins.
Parking is always a challenge so it is best to arrive early. Away meet warm-ups are from 5:15-5:30pm (arrive by 5pm). Home meet warm-ups are from 5-5:15pm (arrive by 4:45pm). Swimmers need the warm-up time to familiarize themselves with the pool’s walls, gutters, placement of backstroke flags, and lane ropes because all pools are different.
Swimmers should report to the coach before warm-ups.
This will allow coaches to be sure all swimmers are at the meet and accounted for.
Find your child’s Bullpen area.
For home meets, we utilize blankets on the grassy hill as bullpen areas. Find the appropriate age group, find a spot for your swimmer’s towel, and make sure you let the Gator helper volunteer know you have arrived.
4. During the Meet
How do I read a Heat Sheet?
The Heat Sheet is a program, which is several pages long, that shows all the participating swimmers and the events they will participate in as well as their assigned heat number and lane number.
The heat sheet will be emailed to all parents on the day of the meet. Please print these at home, as we will not have many extras. The starter, referee, coaches, Gator helpers, timers, judges, and the Clerk of Course will have copies at the meet.
The starter will say the event and heat number so that swimmers know when to step up to their lanes. We will also "combine" races to speed up the meet. For example, if we have two girls swimming butterfly in the 15-18 age group and two boys -- we will combine them into one heat to save time. The announcer will announce if heats are combined. Please pay attention when it gets close to the time of your swimmer's event.
Event Number:
There are 84 events in each dual meet. We swim the Medley Relay, Individual Medley, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle, ascending by age group. Odd-numbered events are Girls, even-numbered events are Boys.
At Glenridge, all events start at the 6ft end of the pool. The timers will always be at the opposite end of the pool for 25 yard events and will be at the starting side of the pool for 50 yard events and above. If your child is 10 and under and is swimming in the medley relay, then the first and third swimmers (backstroke and butterfly) will be at the shallow end of the pool and the second and fourth swimmers (breaststroke and freestyle) will be at the deep end of the pool.
Heat Number:
In each of the 84 events, there are HEATS. Each heat has one to six swimmers, depending on the size of the pool. Our pool has six lanes available for heats.
Lane Number:
The lane your swimmer is scheduled to swim in.
Know what events your swimmer is competing in.
It is also important for the swimmer to know what event numbers they are swimming. Gator helpers will help the younger swimmers get lined up for their events in a timely manner. This is why it is very important for our younger swimmers to stay in their bullpen area.
Report to the Clerk of Course.
The Clerk of Course will check to make sure that swimmers are lined up in the right order. However, it is always a good idea to have your swimmer check in with the coaches or lane timers to make sure they are in the right lane and heat.
Swim and Shake!
The swimmer’s goal should be to do their best and improve their times for that event. Swimmers should stay in the water until the last person finishes so they can shake hands and say “Nice Race” with the swimmers in the lanes next to them. We highly encourage and value good sportsmanship. Parents, during the race, feel free to cheer on your swimmers and the rest of the team.
After the race
Swimmers should return to their bullpens after each race. Repeat this process until all events have been completed. When a swimmer has completed all of their events for the day, they are able to go home. However, make sure they check with the Gator Helpers before they leave to make sure they have not been added to a relay.
