SWIM MEET 101

 

How do I enter my swimmer in a meet?

  • Sign In.  Go to Upcoming Events >  and find the Meet you wish to declare for.  (Near the top of the Meets & Events page is a drop down list for Event Category.  Choosing “Swim Meet” will narrow the list of events to only swim meets.) 
  • Click the “Attend this Event” button found under the meet title.
  • Notice the Registration Deadline near the top of the page.  Your declaration can only be edited until this date.
  • Click on your swimmer’s name to declare for the meet.
  • Choose “Yes…” or “No…”
  • Check the box for each Day/Session your swimmer will attend.
  • In the bottom right, click “Save Changes.”
  • To the right of your swimmer’s name, it will now show a red check mark next to “Committed.” 
  • Now, when you’re viewing the Meets & Events page, rather than an “Attend this Event” button showing, a pink “Edit Commitment” button will display, allowing you to change your declaration until the Registration Deadline.

How do I know what events my child is swimming in the meet?

  • Sign In.  Go to Upcoming Events>  and find the Meet you wish to find entries for. 
  • Click the “Edit Commitment” button. 
  • Once your coach has approved your swimmer’s events, they will display to the right of their name under the column called “Coach Approved.”
  • Check back at this location to find your events for your chosen meets.
  • You will want to have the event numbers/names along with you at the meet.  Either write them down, print the screen or select them, copy and paste into a document and print it.
  •  

How do I know where the meet is and what time warm-ups are?

  • Sign In.  Go to Upcoming Events> Meets & Events.
  • Click on the name of the meet you are interested in.
  • An event page will open which contains the event dates, registration date, job signup deadline and the squads invited.  At the bottom of the page there is a section for “Forms/Documents.”  There you will find a link to the meet information pages which contain warm-up times, specific location info, order of events, etc…
  • You can determine which day(s) your swimmer is entered from the meet information by scrolling through the document to the order of events and matching the event numbers that your child is entered in (the list that you wrote down – above in step 2) with the events listed in the meet information. Meet warm-up times are listed in the meet information document; it’s a rule of thumb to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of warm-ups to allow your swimmer to get settled and ready to get in the pool at the start of warm-ups. Coaches prefer that swimmers sit together on the deck as a team.

 

What should we pack to bring to a meet?

  • A swimsuit.  We are proud to be an Arena-sponsored team. If you already have a suit that is not Arena, that is OK. The next time you buy a suit though, it should be Arena.There will be opportunities through the team for ordering suits.
  • A towel (or two).
  • Goggles.  If it is an outdoor meet in the summer, you might want to consider goggles that have tinted or reflective lenses to protect against sun glare.
  • Water.  Indoor meets are hot and humid and the kids can lose a lot of body fluid just by being in the environment. Replacement fluids are important! A water bottle they can refill at the drinking fountain is fine. Sports drinks are fine, as are juices. Try to stay away from soda pop.
  • Snacks.  At most meets, there are concession stands that have drinks, bagels, and other snacks. Be aware that sometimes there is a line for these food items, and your swimmer doesn’t want to miss their next event by waiting in the concessions line. Some ideas for packing your own snacks are:  granola, a sandwich, fruit, nuts, or dried cereal work well. Your swimmer will get hungry!
  • Cap.  Many caps are latex. If your swimmer has any problems with latex, you should get silicone caps. Many swimmers choose silicone caps because they are a little easier to get on and tend to be more durable. Silicone is more expensive. Have your swimmer ask his/her coach to demonstrate the correct way to put on a cap! If you do not have a Missoula Aquatic Club cap please check in with your Squad Coach to get one. 
  • Other.  Some swimmers like to bring a collapsible deck chair to sit on in between events, or a pad or sleeping bag to lie on the deck. Some facilities have bleachers for the swimmers to sit on. Some swimmers bring a book or cards to play to pass the time, but the best activity is to watch and cheer for your teammates.
  • Extras.  As you accumulate them, an extra suit or goggles are always a good idea, just in case of loss or surprise rips or tears. Remind your swimmers to sit on a towel or other surface on the deck, and not just the concrete… it can snag and rip their suits. Some kids bring shorts to put on in between events for that reason. If your swimmer gets cold, throw in a sweatshirt or parka for when they get out of the water.
  • Sharpie Pen and Highlighter.  Sharpies are useful for writing Event, Heat and Lane info on the back of your swimmer's hand/arm.  Highlighters are nice for marking your swimmer's events in your heat sheet.

 

 

What do we do when we first arrive at the meet?

 

The first thing to do is have your swimmer go onto the pool deck and check in with the Coach and find where the team is sitting. Your coach will tell you if there will be stretching on deck before warming up in the pool and where to go. During this time, parents can access the Meet Mobile app and buy a heat sheet.

 

 

What is a heat sheet?

 

The heat sheet is made and sold on Meet Mobile by the hosting team (usually $10-15 per weekend). It's an event program that contains the order of events and a timeline, as well as dividing the swimmers into different “heats” or groups that swim at the same time with similar times in a given event.

 

The major divisions of a heat sheet are:

EVENT / HEAT / LANE for both boys’ and girls’ events.

 

The EVENT will have a number, a stroke title, and an age demarcation.

For example:

“EVENT 3 - Girls 8 and under  - 25Y Freestyle.”

 

The HEAT will be which group of swimmers go first, second, third, etc. These groups or heats can either be grouped from slowest times (heat 1) to fastest times (last heat) or in championship meets there can be “circle seeding” where the swimmers are evenly distributed throughout the heats with regards to time.

 

The LANE will be assigned to each swimmer, so that they know which set of blocks to get up on and where to swim. The timers in each lane have a pre-printed sheet with each swimmer’s event, heat, and lane so they can double-check to see that the swimmers are at the correct blocks at the correct time. Many parents find and mark their swimmer’s names on their heat sheet for all their events so that they know which event, heat, and lane their child is in. You can also just write this information down on a piece of paper, copied from the wall where the hosting team has posted the sheet. Often for younger or new swimmers, we write on their hands to remind them when they are swimming. (It doesn’t have to be a “sharpie” or waterproof ink; just a regular pen will work.)

You can write something like this on the back of their hand:

E         H         L

3          3          7

7          4         4

11        2         8

Meaning, their first event is event 3, in heat 3, in lane 7. (Reading across, left to right)

Their second event is event 7, in heat 4, and in lane 4.

The final event is event 11, heat 2, and lane 8.

 

How do we know which event we are on?

The announcer will announce each event and also when there is a “first call” and “last call” for swimmers in any given event. Most pools also have a scoreboard to watch with the event number listed. Teach your swimmers from the beginning to know what events they are swimming in, to watch the board, and check the heat sheets to know where they are in the meet. It seems overwhelming at first, but one of the great things that kids in swimming learn is how to be responsible for where they need to go, and how to monitor the meet progress. Until that time though, there will be plenty of help from coaches to help your swimmers.

 

Can my child sit with me in the stands?

 

Your swimmer can be with you in the stands if that is where they feel most comfortable at first. However, you will want to encourage your swimmer to sit with the team, cheer for their teammates, learn more about the sport and the meet process, and spend time with their coach. Sometimes it is helpful to encourage your swimmer to “check-in” with you in the stands and then return to sitting with the team.

 

What to do at the meet

  • It is important for all swimmers to know what event numbers he/she is swimming. They may swim right away after warm-up or they may have to wait a while. Paying attention to their surroundings will be important. They will have to learn how to read the heat sheet to help them figure out when to get ready to race. Part of being on the swim team is learning how to do this. Even 6-year-olds can do this! Sure, swimmers will miss a race or two over their lives, but teaching the swimmers to be responsible for themselves is a skill that we wish to help them learn. 
  • Swimmers should check with their coach for specific instructions before their race. Sometimes the coaches may remind them of something, sometimes it’s just a “have fun!”. It depends on the situation. 
  • After each swim:  Swimmers should ask the timers his/her time.  The swimmer should then go immediately to his or her coach. The coach will discuss the swim with each swimmer. 
  • The swimmer may be asked to do some recovery swimming if a "warm-down" pool or lanes are available.

 

Things you, as a parent, can do after each swim or after the meet is over:  

  • Relax! 
  • Tell them how great they did! The coaching staff will be sure to discuss stroke technique, speed, and racing skills with them if appropriate. You need to tell him how proud you are and what a great job they did. This shows your support and also helps build their confidence that you are proud of them regardless of technique or speed. A good rule of thumb is not to say too much or to ask questions instead. Great questions are: “How was it?”, “What do your coaches say?”, or “What was your favorite part?”. These questions should help get the conversation started and let the swimmer “take charge” of the conversation. After all, it is THEIR sport and THEIR experience.  This is another good time to check out the bathrooms, get a drink or something to eat.  The swimmer now waits until his next event is called and starts the procedure again.  
  • When a swimmer has completed all of their events they get to go home. Swimmers should check with their coach before leaving to make sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. It is not fair to other swimmers who may have stayed to swim on a relay where your swimmer is expected to be a member and she is not there. 
  • Parents should double-check with the swimmers and make sure they have said goodbye to their coach and made sure they are all finished for the day.  
  • Results are usually posted in the hallway outside of Grizzly Pool and at the south end of the Lake at Splash Montana, as well as online. 
  • Awards are often gathered for a team and given to the coach at the end of the meet. The coach will give the awards to the swimmers at a later time.

What Happens If Your Child has a Disappointing Swim?

If your child has a poor race and comes out of it feeling bad, talk about the good things. The first thing you say is, "Hey, that is not like you. I know you are disappointed, but it's not the end of the world!" Then you can go on and talk about the good things the child did. Don't talk about the negative things and don't keep talking about race. Drop it and get your child to focus on the next race or something enjoyable coming up after the meet! Limit the "post mortems!" 

If your child comes up to you and says, "That was a bad race, don't tell me it wasn't," there is nothing wrong with a swimmer negatively evaluating a race. The important thing is for the child not to dwell on it. You should move the swimmer on to something good. "All right, you have had a bad race. How do you think you can do better next time?" Immediately start talking about the positive things

 

What is a DQ?

 

It is a disqualification from an official, indicating that there was some element of the swim that did not meet the USA swimming rules for that given stroke. It means that the time your swimmer got in that event will not count, as the swim is invalidated. Coaches receive a copy of the DQ slip at the meet so they are aware of what the swimmer needs to work on.  DQs are a learning tool and designed to help all swimmers become proficient in their sport. There is not a swimmer anywhere that has not had many DQs! It helps swimmers know what they need to work on and should be viewed in an entirely positive light. You can still focus on the good things your swimmer did even if they got DQed. Help your swimmer to be proud of their new accomplishments! Starts off the blocks, turns, mastering new strokes like butterfly and breaststroke, maintaining consistent kicking and breathing, cheering for a team member, getting to the blocks on time - there are many things to be proud of and to support your child in.

 

How do I find the official results for my swimmer?

 

At most meets, official results will be posted at a set location at the facility as soon as they are available.  Before you leave the meet, you can check for those results.  Girls' and boys' results are generally posted separately, usually in the order of events.  All the swimmers will be listed in finishing order along with their official times.  If results are not available before leaving a meet, they will always be available online.  Sometimes it takes a few days for them to show up, but following these steps will reveal your meet results:

  • Sign In.  Go to My Account> My Meet Results.
  • The most recent meet's results should be on the top of the list.  (See the meet name in the far right column.)
  • Use the search criteria to display what you’d like to see.

Most meets also make use of a mobile application called Meet Mobile, allowing parents to see results on their mobile device shortly after an event. Results on Meet Mobile are not official. If the result on Meet Mobile looks incorrect please wait to check official results posted around the facility. 

How much does it cost to attend a meet?

  • Meet Fees:  (included on monthly invoice)
  • Meet Surcharge: $25-$50 per swimmer (paid to the host team)
  • Event Fees:  $2-$3 per race entered (paid to host team, generally 3-4 races per day)
  • Coach Surcharge:  Varies (charged for each meet, helps cover coaches' travel costs)
  • Heat Sheet:  $10-$15 (event program published by hosting team and purchased on Meet Mobile)
  • Food:  concessions or meals you wish to purchase while at the meet
  • Hotel:  For away meets your family chooses to travel to.  (A team hotel block of rooms with a discount is available as an option.) Out of State Meets and Championship meets may have an additional surcharge.

 

As questions arise, don’t hesitate to ask other parents, check in with your squad parent, or email your swimmer's coach.