Swim Meet Basics

Swim meets are a great experience. They are a place where you can watch your child gain confidence and self-reliance. Listed below are some guidelines to help you through your first couple of swim meets. It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but after a few meets you will feel like a veteran. If you have any questions, please ask your coach.

What to Bring:

For you

A sharpie to write your child's event on his/her arm
A sun shade or EZ UP canopy – Consider arranging to share with another family. Set-up space can be limited.
A tarp to cover any muddy areas.
Mosquito spray
A small cooler with water. Late season meets get hot.
Camp chairs

For your swimmer

Swimmers should wear their team suit
Camp chair
Towels
An extra set of goggles.
A book, games or other device to keep your swimmer occupied between races.
IMPORTANT - label everything that your swimmer brings to meets because things are easily lost!

On Meet Day

Arrive at the pool at check-in time. This time will be listed in the swim meet section on the website.
Make sure your swimmer checks in with his or her coach as soon as they arrive. This helps coaches know who is actually at the meet in case any last minute changes need to occur.
- Coaches will write the events being swum on the swimmer’s arm (race number and the stroke).
- It is important for each swimmer to know what event numbers he/she is swimming. He/she may swim right away after warm-up or they may have to wait awhile.
For home meets, families set up must be OUTSIDE the fence of the pool No set up is allowed inside the fence. At away meets, there will be a designated area for our families to sit together as well.
Swimmers will be called by team and age for warm-ups. It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up with the team and it is expected that ALL swimmers will participate in warm-ups.
After warm-up, your swimmer will go back to the swimmer tents and wait for the meet to begin.
Coaches and volunteers will be announcing events and will direct your swimmer to the designated area to line up for their race. It's important to pay attention so that your swimmer does not miss their race.

Meet Protocols and Conduct

According to NWAL rules, insurance policy requirements and to keep all children safe, parents are not allowed on deck unless they are serving in an official capacity. Please ensure that you stay behind all ropes indicating the deck area.
All questions concerning meet results, an officiating call, or the conduct of a meet, should be referred to a coach. The coach in turn, will pursue the matter through the proper channels. Meet officials are instructed to discuss those issues only with coaches.
Never use flash photography while the swimmers are on the blocks.
An announcer will often be used to communicate meet progress.
The ready bench volunteers will place swimmers in their proper heat and lane.
Usually events are swum from slowest to fastest with the fastest seed times in the final heat.

The Actual Event

The Starter will use a loud speaker to instruct the swimmer to step-up on to the starting block or into the water for backstroke. In most cases the starter will call the event number or heat number, distance and stroke. Girls events are odd-numbered and boys events are even-numbered. Example: "Event #26, 10-Under Boys, 50 freestyle.
The Referee will signal the starter, usually with a whistle, that the Starter is authorized to start the heat.
The Starter will invite the swimmers to “take your mark”.
When the swimmers are all ready, the Starter will sound the start horn.
If the start horn is followed by a rapid series of beeps, that indicates that the Starter wants the swimmers to stop swimming and return to the starting blocks.

After the swim

The swimmer should ask the timer for his or her time.
The swimmer should then go talk to the coach. Generally the coach will provide praise and suggestions for improvement.
After seeing the coach, the swimmer may come over to see his or her parents. Don’t forget to tell them how great they did and avoid giving coaching advice.
The swimmer now waits until his next event is called and starts the procedure again.
When a swimmer has completed all of their events they may go home. Make sure, however, you, as a parent, check with the coach before leaving to make sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. A relay relies on four swimmers and if one swimmer leaves early, the entire relay might have to be scratched and no swimmers will be able to participate.
Pack up all your belongings, pick up any trash that you have and throw in the appropriate bins.
Results are usually posted somewhere in the facility and complete results will be posted on the Stingrays website the weekend of a meet.