Everything you ever wanted to know about swim meets….. but, were afraid to ask. (Or didn’t know what to ask.)

Swim meets are a great family experience! They’re a place where the whole family can spend time together. Listed below are some very in-depth guidelines geared to help you through your first couple of swim meets.

Before the meet starts

1. Arrive at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm up time.
2. While the actual meet takes place at the pool, swimmers spend time waiting in for their events in a public area like a gym or cafeteria.
3. Upon arrival find a place to put your swimmers blankets, swim bags, sleeping bags or whatever else they need to be comfortable. The team usually tries to sit together so look for familiar faces.
4. Find and purchase a heat sheet as this lists all events for that meet and the order the swimmers swim. If there is a “check in area” check you swimmer in.
5. Locate your swimmer’s events and write each event-number on their hand with permanent ink. (Regular ink wears off easily in the pool.) You may also want to write the stroke next the event # FREE…FLY…BACK….BR for breast and RE for relay. Having the event written on their hand helps them know what number to listen for.
6. Your swimmer should now get their caps and goggles on and report to the coaches for warm up. Warm up time is important and it helps the swimmers bodies get going.
7. After warm up your swimmer will go back to the public area to wait on their blanket or towel for their event # to be called. This is a good time to make sure they’ve used the restroom, get settled in and eat or drink if needed.
8. As the meet begins event numbers will usually be called over a loud speaker. Your swimmer will need to report to person “seeding” the event. Make sure they have on their caps and goggles.
9. The swimmer swims their race and returns to the waiting area to relax before their next event.
10. When the swimmer has completed all of their events they are free to go home. Please make sure you check with the coach before you leave to make sure your swimmer is not included to swim in a relay. Each relay team needs 4 swimmers if there are only 3 swimmers present the relay team can not swim.

What to take to the meet

1. Swim suit, cap and goggles.
2. A sharpie or permanent marker
3. Towels- at least 2 or 3.
4. Something to sit on- old blanket or sleeping bag.
5. Sweat suits- 1 or 2 to help them warm up between events. They get wet.
6. T-shirts- 1 or 2 to help them warm up between events. They get wet.
7. Games- travel games, books, handheld video games, anything to pass the time between events.
8. Food- A small cooler with food and drink. Or you could just purchase food at the concession stand.
9. Parents may want to bring folding chairs for themselves to sit on in the wait area.
10. Parents will want to remember to dress in layers. The pool area is usually very warm while the wait area may be cold.