How to... Draw the Event "Arm Grid" for Swim Meets

At swim meets, you may have noticed that swimmers seem to have encoded messages written on their arms.  What do they mean?  And, how do you master it?

Arm Grid

These hand-drawn tables help keep swimmers of all ages organized during swim meets. Recording Event, Heat, and Lane information on an athlete's arm is highly recommended for all swimmers, but critical for those 10 & under and any athletes who are new to the competitive swimming environment.  Parents and/or athletes should do the following PRIOR to arriving at the pool:

  • Draw a grid on your athlete's arm with 4 columns.
  • In the top row, write "E" for Event, "H" for Heat, "L" for Lane, and "S" for Stroke (one in each column).
  • Use Team Unify to find your athlete's event numbers and the event's stroke.  (Navigate to the swim meet in the "Events" calendar, choose "Edit Commitment".)

  • In the first column, write the event numbers (one per row) for each event in which your athlete is competing.
  • In the fourth (and last) column, write a short description of the event, including distance (25, 50, 100, etc.) and stroke (Fr, Bk, Br, Fly, IM, R).

Hints:

  • Use a SHARPIE or other permanent marker on clean, dry skin.  Regular pen will wash off when swimmers get wet.
  • The heat & lane numbers will be assigned at the pool.  "H" & "L" columns should be left blank until the final heat-sheet is posted.  The parent volunteering at the team's tent or a coach will help your athlete fill in this remaining information.