Swim Meet Cheat Sheet

Swim meets can be a great family experience! Knowing what to expect and being prepared will help you ease into what might seem like organized chaos. Listed below are some guidelines to help steer you through those first couple of meets and beyond. Remember, your child will be confident and content if you show them that you are confident and content.

• Arrive to the pool at least 10-15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time begins. If your swimmer is changing into his/her suit at the pool, allow time for this as well. Warm-up times will be listed in the Meet Announcement and emailed to you by the coach. Your swimmer should be suited up and ready to get in the water at the designated warm-up time.

• Upon arrival, your swimmer should set up their stuff (bag, towel, etc.) in our team area. Many of our meets require swimmers to “Circle In”. There will be a Boys List and a Girls List. Your swimmer needs to find their name and circle it. This is their official way of checking in. There should be a coach nearby to assist if your swimmer has questions.

• Your swimmer now gets his/her cap and goggles and reports to coach for warm-up instructions. It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up with the team. Swimmer's bodies are just like cars on a cold day-he/she needs to get the engine going and warmed-up before he/she can go all out.

• After warm-up, your swimmer will go back to the team area where his/her towels are and sit there, with their team, until it is time for their event. Please remind your swimmer to keep all of their belongings inside their swim bag.

• It is important for any swimmer to know what events and event numbers they are swimming. Event numbers will be listed on the “Circle In” paper. Make sure you tell your swimmer or give them a list. Often younger swimmers write events on their hand/arm. Sharpies are the most common method for this. If you are writing your swimmer’s events for them, please do so before they arrive/before warm-ups. Heat and lane assignments can be done on the pool deck. The most important thing is for them to know their events. As an example: If you swimmer was in swimming 25yd Backstroke in Event 13 heat 2 and in lane 4 you would write: 13 Back H2/L4 to ensure that the event, stroke, heats, and lanes are all identified.

• After your swimmer swims an event, they should go to the coach to discuss the race. They should do this before warming down, eating a snack, talking to their friends, or using the restroom. A quick recap of their race is important to both the swimmer and the coach for feedback and improvement.

• Relays are an exciting part of swim meets. If your swimmer is assigned to a relay, they should represent their team with pride. Many of our relay teams are chosen the day of the meet, so please have your swimmer check with the coaches to find out if they are on a relay. Relays are usually swum at the end of the meet.

• Please remind your swimmer to check out with a coach before leaving a meet. Safety is our top priority, and keeping track of dozens of swimmers is challenging. They also need to make sure that they are not on a relay before leaving for the day.

• Scoring lanes are only lanes 1 - 6 in heat 1. Everything else is considered exhibition. Times will count for future meets.

• Meet Mobile is a phone app for purchase ($5.99/year) that will post real time heat/lane assignments and meet results. Not every meet will be on meet mobile, but the majority are.

What should I bring to the meet for my family: If you are like us, then a huge cup of coffee! Also, please double check that your swimmer has all of their equipment (team suit, goggles, AESC cap, towel, water bottle) and preferably a back-up just in case. We would also recommend sunscreen, a sharpie, plenty of healthy snacks, chairs or blankets, and extra towels. Please note electronics and water don’t mix well so we would suggest that they stay at home as much as possible. Coolers are not permitted at Avon Aquatic Facility, but they can be left in your vehicle and accessed as needed if you are attending a particularly long meet.