Swim Meet Checklist + Basic Procedures

Hello Swim Families!

Our first swim meet of the season is this weekend! For those new to the team, I’d like to share with you a checklist of items to bring to the pool.

Basic Equipment

• Swimsuit
• Swim cap (and extras!)
• Goggles (and extras!)
• Towels… multiple towels
• Warm clothing… robe, sweatshirt, sweatpants, hoodie, pajamas, Snuggie, parka, socks, tennis shoes (Crocs can work too, I guess)
• A blanket or two
• A change of clothes
• Swim bag

Nutritional Items

• Water and/or Gatorade/Powerade/Pedialite
• Dried fruit
• Fresh fruit
• String cheese
• Jerky
• Bagels
• Mixed nuts
• Granola bars

Other Items

• iPad or music player
• A book
• A seatback or cushion
• A Sharpie and a highlighter

When you get to the meet, buy a heat sheet! It will also benefit you to download the Meet Mobile app for your phone. It costs about $12 per year—it’s worth it!

Your swimmer needs to come see Coach Reid before and after every race!

We have a lot of swimmers at the meet, and I will be watching every race. That said, swimmers and parents need to be cognizant of when they are supposed to swim—that is why it is important to buy a heat sheet!

If you are in the 500 freestyle, you will need to have both a counter and a timer ready to help. Most of the swimmers can find other swimmers to count for one another, though timing is usually a responsibility for the parents (sometimes the host team provides timers, but not often). Coach Reid will be on the side of the pool taking splits and keeping track of swimmers’ paces.

Unless a parent is timing for their child during a distance event (or working volunteering as an official), parents are not allowed on the pool deck! This is a USA Swimming rule and Missouri Valley officials will enforce it

Coach Reid will be stationed at a table on the side of the pool below and in front of the bleachers.

If a swimmer breaks, forgets, or loses their goggles, I do not have backups for them to use. Same goes for towels and, of course, swimsuits. I will have extra caps, but they will cost $5 each if a swimmer needs one.

Getting Ready to Race

Events are typically announced on a PA system, and there are scoreboards at most pools that show which event is taking place.

Before a race, an official will blow their whistle three times quickly indicating that swimmers need to be ready. Those three blasts will be followed by one long, loud blast that indicates swimmers need to step up onto the blocks or hop into the water for backstroke. If a swimmer is not comfortable diving off the blocks they are permitted to dive from the side or even start in the water from a push.

A race officially begins when the horn blows. When this happens there will also be a flash of light.

No flash photography is allowed at the start of a race!

Most of the time, swimmers will stay in the water after their race until the beginning of the next heat, meaning the swimmers in the following heat will step up onto the blocks and dive in to begin their race before the swimmers in the heat before have gotten out of the pool. This is called a "fly over." Of course, this is not applicable in backstroke.

Swimmers must remain in the water until every swimmer in their heat has finished the race!

Sometimes, swimmers receive small prizes for winning their heats--usually rubber ducks or tickets to go get something from a table of little prizes.

Well that about covers it. I hope you’re all excited for this weekend, it’s going to be a great meet!

See you at the pool!

-Coach Reid