Parent Survival Guide
PLAN TO ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 4:30pm for home meets and 5:00pm for away meets. Home team warms up at 5:00 pm and visitors at 5:30 pm. There will be an officials meeting (for anyone judging, timing, scoring, starting) and the meet will officially begin at 6:00 pm. Swimmers should wear their team shirt to the meet (if they purchased one) and a team suit, have their goggles properly fitted and wear a team cap. When you arrive, take your children to swimmer check-in to get their swimmer number written and also so the coaches will know they are at the meet.
PLEASE DO NOT PUT SUNSCREEN ON SWIMMERS BEFORE THEY HAVE THEIR SWIMMER NUMBER. The marker won't write on top of sunscreen or it will quickly wash off.
1. 6 AND UNDERS compete in freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke. These swimmers will be taken to the clerk of course by a parent kid-pusher, one for the boys and one for the girls. Identify who this parent is as soon as you can.The Coaches will determine the events and heat in which the swimmers will participate. 6 and under swimmers can only compete in two individual main events per meet.
2. 7/8's AND 9/10's, 11/12's 13/14's and 15-18's will compete in medley relay, freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle relay. These swimmers may only swim in three individual main events per meet. The Coaches will determine the events and heat in which the swimmers will participate. 7/8's and 9/10's have kid pushers, one for the boys and one for the girls.
3. SWIMMERS AGED 4-10 RECEIVE A RIBBON FOR EVERY EVENT THEY SWIM. All swimmers not in the first heat of an event receive a Participation Ribbon even if they are disqualified. Swimmers that place in the top 6 of any event main heat will receive a place ribbon. Place ribbons will be distributed at the next day's practice.
4. A SWIMMER MAY BE DQ'D BY A STROKE JUDGE FOR IMPROPERLY PERFORMING A STROKE. This happens to even the best swimmers at times. Use of lane ropes, pool sides, or bottom of pool and improper technique can result in a DQ. The stroke and turn judge is NOT to be approached by a parent, visitor or coach at the meet under any circumstance. Please let the coaches address technique with your swimmer.
5. THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE MEET IS at the beginning of BREASTSTROKE.
6. SWIMMERS SHOULD STAY WITH THE TEAM. The kid pushers should not have to play hide and seek to find their swimmers. Parents please know where the swimmers are at all times. They must be available for their events.
7. MOST MEETS WILL LAST UNTIL AT LEAST 9:00. At Home meets, we have the concession stand to provide food and drinks at a reasonable cost. Most other teams also have some sort of concession stand. It's a good idea to pack water and healthy snacks/sandwiches, though, to get you and your gang through the meet.
8. BRING THINGS TO ENTERTAIN YOUR CHILD DURING THE MEET. Books, coloring books, cards, are all good ideas. Don't bring anything valuable, anything you don't want to lose, or anything you don't want to get wet. LABEL EVERYTHING.
9. GATHER YOUR THINGS BEFORE IT GETS DARK. Once the sun goes down it is hard to find things in the dark. Once the meet ends, things tend to get hectic at the end of the meet. Please, please, please help pick up trash and keep the area clean.
10. BRING LAWN CHAIRS TO SIT IN. Very few, if any, pools have enough seating for all swimmers and spectators at the meet.
11. SWIMMERS MUST COMPLY WITH RESTRICTIONS OR REGULATIONS SPECIFIED BY THE HOME TEAM POOL.
12. If it is necessary to clear the deck due to inclement weather, DO NOT LEAVE, but please clear the deck swiftly and safely. The best thing to do is usually to go sit in the safety of your car unless the pool facility has enough indoor space to accommodate the team.
13. Remember that this is all for fun so ... HAVE A GOOD TIME!
