Swim Meets

 Other sports have games in which the athletes are expected to participate and they are the payoff for all the hard work they do and so does swimming. These competitions are swimming meets. There are Intra-Squad / Inter-Squad meets that are mini meets.  There are also USA Swimming meets that involve more teams and swimmers.  RWSC does host a number of IntraSquad (just us) and InterSquad meets (a few other invited clubs) during the season. They are practice events to help the new swimmers and parents to learn how a regular swim meet operates and gives the coaches a chance to evaluate progress.  Once a swimmer reaches an appropriate skill level then they are ready for the USA Swimming meets.  In most meets, swimmers of similar skill and time level will race together in the same heat.  Awards in USA Swimming meets are given for overall finish place, usually 1st - 8th place.  In Intra/Inter-Squad meets that RWSC hosts, awards are given by finish place in each heat.

How to register for a meet:
Log in to Team Unify (RWSC Website)
Under the Meets and Events tab you will be able to select a meet to commit to attend. 

What to events to sign up for?
Swimmers usually may enter 3-4 individual events per day at each meet and if there are enough swimmers (4) in an age group then they may swim in a relay. Meets will be 1, 2 or 3 days in length depending on the decision of the host club. 

Don't know what events to choose? Leave it blank and the coaches will choose appropriate events for your swimmer.  The final entry of events will be the decision of the coaches. 

If you can only attend one day of the meet, put that information in the "Notes" section. For example, "Enter Saturday Only"

Need help registering for a meet? Please email the coaches.

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR A SWIM MEET

Look at the Swim Meet information and know when warm up times are for your child. 

Most meets have a morning session and an afternoon session. Younger swimmers (10 & Unders) compete in the mornings and Older (13 & Over) swimmers compete in the afternoon.  The 11 & 12 age group can fluctuate so check the meet information.  A few days before the meet, the host club usually sends out a timeline with start time information for the afternoon session.  That information is emailed out by the coaches as soon as it is available.

Warm-Ups
Please plan to arrive so that your swimmer is on deck at least 15 minutes before warm-ups are scheduled.

When your swimmers arrive please have them check in with the coaches. 

This will give your swimmer time to change and find where the swim team is on the pool deck. 

The RWSC will have a spot on the deck that swimmers can keep their bags and personal items. 

During warm-ups the swimmers will swim and get their bodies all ready to race. They will also practice dive starts so they get acclimated to the different pool.

After warm-ups the team will have a little meeting so all swimmers know what is expected of them and to get EXCITED!

During the Swim Meet

There are meet programs that are available so parents know when their swimmers are scheduled to compete. The meet programs may be available through the MeetMobile app for free, or a nominal fee; or paper copies may be sold by the host club.

Swimmers are expected to remain on deck for a majority of the meet. After the swimmer competes, talks to the coaches then they can find their parents to chat for a few minutes.

During the swim meet your swimmers will be busy cheering on their teammates, getting ready for their race behind the blocks or resting in the group area. 

After your swimmer has completed all of their scheduled events then they can either stay and cheer on their teammates or head home. 

Swim Meets are a GREAT way to have fun: racing, cheering on their teammates loudly and spending time with friends. 

THINGS TO BRING TO A SWIM MEET
    • Swim suit (preferably the team colors- purple)
    • Goggles
    • Team Swim Cap (provided for new swimmers)
    • Water Bottle
    • At least 2 Towels
    • Layers of clothes to stay warm (they will get cold)
    • Healthy Snacks
        �� Fruits and Veggies
        �� Sandwich
        �� Granola Bars
    • Nothing in a Glass Container

If meets are long Swimmers can bring
    • Cards
    • A book
**We usually want all swimmers up and cheering but there are some swim meets were there will be 30-60 minutes of downtime.  

THINGS NOT TO BRING TO A SWIM MEET
    • Electronic games (they could be damaged, lost or stolen)
    • Junk Food, Candy
    • Anything that will get ruined if it got wet or trampled on

Billing for a Meet

There are meet charges associated with entering a meet.  These charges are not included in the swimmer’s Registration fee.  Typically there is an entry fee per swimmer as well as a “splash fee”, a charge per event.

For example, let’s assume a swimmer enters 4 events.  Every meet has a different pricing structure but this meet charges a $10 entry fee plus a $3 splash fee.  RWSC will be charged $22 for this swimmer ($3 x 4 events + $10 entry fee).  In order to defray the coaching costs associated with the meet RWSC charges the swimmer’s account an additional $2 per entry.  In this case the swimmer’s account would be charged $30 ($5 x 4 events + $10 entry fee).  Please see the Club Treasurer for specific questions about meet billing.