Swim Meets:

1. Where do we find information on upcoming swim meets/events for our swimmers?
   1. The Meets/Events tab at the top menu will list all dates for upcoming swim meets and team events. To find more information about a specific meet, click on the meet and information such as the meet invite, timelines, session information, warm-up assignments, etc. will be posted under the meet name as soon as it is available to the coaches.

1. How do I register my swimmer for a swim meet?
   1. Log on to the website. Click on the “Meets/Events” tab on the top of our website. Scroll down to the meet you wish your child to attend, and click on the “Attend this Event” button. Choose the name of the child you wish to register, and click on it. You will see a tab that asks for YES or NO; choose YES. You can then choose which session your child is able to attend and leave a note in the comments box for the coaches to see.

1. How do meet entries work?
   1. At the beginning of every season, the coaching staff will post the meet schedule to the website under the “Meets/Events” tab at the top of the website. Scan the list and commit your swimmers to the meets in which you will be able to attend. After you are committed the coach will select the events for the swimmers and send entries in the host team. However please know that if your schedule changes during the season and you cannot attend a meet that you had originally planned on attending, notify the coaching staff prior to meet entries being sent to the host team otherwise you will be responsible for the meet fees billed to your account.

1. Who enters my swimmer in events?
   1. The coaches enter all swimmers in events at each meet. The coaching staff has the final decision on all events the swimmer competes in. The coaches make the decisions as part of their overall development of the swimmer and plans entries on a season long basis rather than just meet to meet.  

1. What are time standards and where do I find them?
   1. Time standards are a set of times set by South Dakota Swimming or USA Swimming meant to encourage swimmers to step their swimming up to the next level and to also allow swimmers to compete against swimmers of similar ability. The Time Standards are posted on the website under the “Meets/Events” tab. Also when you click on a meet that requires time standards, they will be listed there as well. However please note that not all meets have time standards.

1. What is a disqualification, and what are some general examples of how it could happen?
   1. The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules designed to ensure that no swimmers get an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer.
   2. Trained officials observe the swimmers during each event to ensure compliance with these technical rules. If a swimmer commits an infraction of the rules that is observed by an official, a disqualification (DQ) will result. This means that the swimmer will not receive an official time and will not be eligible for an award in that event. A disqualification may result from actions such as not getting to the starting blocks on time, false starting, performing strokes in an illegal manner, or unsportsmanlike conduct.
   3. Disqualifications are an important part of the learning process for each swimmer. When talking to the swimmer after a disqualification, simply ask them what they have learned from that event and reinforce that this is normal and not to be upset about it.
   4. Disqualifications are a result of technical rule violations but are NOT limited to:
      1. Freestyle: walking on the bottom, pulling on lane rope, not completing race
      2. Backstroke: rolling to your stomach, not finishing on your back
      3. Breaststroke: illegal kick, touching the wall with only one hand, alternating arms
      4. Butterfly: alternating arms or legs, touching the wall with only one hand, arms not recovering over the surface of the water (underwater recovery)

1. What does my swimmer need to bring to a swim meet?
   1. Swimmers need to bring the following things to all swim meets:
      1. At least 2 towels
      2. 2 caps
      3. 2 pairs of goggles
      4. 2 swim suits (including your team suit)
      5. Team t-shirt
      6. Shoes
      7. Warm clothes
      8. Healthy snacks
      9. Water bottle
      10. Entertainment:
          1. iPod, book to read, playing cards, homework, etc.
      11. Outdoor Meets:
          1. Sunscreen
          2. Bug Spray
          3. Sunglasses
          4. Tinted goggles
          5. Water
   2. Also parents should bring the following to swim meets as well:
      1. Money for snacks and heat sheets
      2. Pen, Highlighter, and Sharpie
      3. Portable folding chairs
      4. Healthy snacks
         1. Water / Gatorade
         2. Protein Bars
         3. Cut up fruit and vegetables
         4. Slices of lean ham or tuna
         5. Bagels
         6. Peanut butter sandwiches

1. What are the age groups in competition?
   1. Generally competitions are divided into the following age groups: 8 & Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15 & Over. You will also see some competitions where events are labeled 10 & Under (open to any swimmers younger than 11) and also have “Open” events which are open to all ages, but generally refer to senior swimmers 13 & Over.

1. How often should my swimmer attend meets?
   1. Competition is an important part of our team and what we do. We believe that swimmers need to have enough time between competitions for training so each meet will be a good opportunity to show improvement. Ideally, we recommend that swimmers attend either one or two meets a month but preferably not on back-to-back weekends. Sometimes our meet schedule offers more than two meets in a month. This allows families to have flexibility but please be aware that some meets will require qualifying times in order to attend.

1. When should we get to the meet?
   1. Each swim meet is broken down into sessions. Depending on what session your swimmer is in will determine the appropriate time to arrive at the meet. We recommend that all swimmers arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of warm-ups so the coaches know they are there and ready to swim.

1. Will my swimmer be on a relay?
   1. When a meet offers relays, coaches will enter swimmers in relays when there are enough swimmers in each age group. All decisions about relay swimmers are made by the coaches the day of the meet. Any swimmer signed up to swim in a session that includes relays is expected to be available to swim on relays if asked to do so by the coaches.

1. Where do I find information about times/events/sessions?
   1. Meet information for every meet in which we compete is posted on our website on the homepage for that meet. To view the meet information for any meet click on “Meets/Events” at the top of the homepage. Find the meet you are interested in and click on the meet name. On the page that loads, you will a links for multiple documents related to the swim meet including: meet information, session timelines, event lists, warm-up assignments, etc.

1. What is an “IM”?
   1. The “IM” refers to Individual Medley. This is a race that includes all four competitive strokes swum in the following order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle. Different age groups compete at different distances ranging from 100 to 400 yards or meters.

1. How much do swim meets cost?
   1. Each swim meet has its own cost. The team hosting the meets set up their own entry fees. Some teams offer a per event charge while others offer a flat rate fee for the entire weekend. A typical three day meet will cost an individual swimmer around $30.00 to $50.00 consisting of a Head Tax Fee ($3.00), a facility fee ($10.00), event fee ($3.00 to $4.00 per individual event), relay fees ($5.00 per relay), and a team travel charge ($10.00 per athlete for every non-hosted swim meet).