Swim Team F.A.Q.’s

How many events are there in a meet?
There are 72 scoring events in a SSSL (Seattle Summer Swim League) dual meet. Each team also is allotted exhibition (non-scoring) events to allow kids to swim at least twice per meet. Most dual meets are over by 9:45pm.

How do relays work?
There are four swimmers on each relay. Medley relays are back, breast, fly, & free. Freestyle relays can be any stroke, but most swimmers choose the crawl. 8U relays plus the 10U medley relays are 100 yards (4 lengths, one per swimmer). 10U free & all 12, 14, and senior relays are 200 yards (8 lengths, two per swimmer) each.

How do I know what my swimmer is swimming?

Line ups will be posted on the wall the day of the meet. Please know that these could change at any time. If we are able to, we will send out the line-ups the day before but a lot of the time that is not possible. Results are posted to the Go Motion Aqua Club site. 

How does my kid know when to get to their races?
Make sure your kids stay near the pool in the correct area. The younger age groups (8,10) have assigned parent helpers (usually seasoned veterans) to get the kids and their entry cards to the blocks. If you are able, please see if the age group parents need
your assistance. The coaches also can help, but do not have time to search the facility for missing swimmers. In the end parents/guardians are responsible for getting kids up to the blocks.

Can we leave the meet early if we are tired or sick?
Always check with the coaches if you have to leave early. If your child is on a late relay, we need plenty of time to look for substitutes. Be considerate of relay teammates when making the decision to go home early.

How are meets scored?
The top 3 places score points. Individual events – 5,3,1 Relays – 8,4,2. There are 748 possible points in a SSSL dual meet. It takes 375 to win. And yes...meets can be close. Sometimes meets go down to the very last event. 

What is a DQ?
Sometimes swimmers get disqualified. Swimming, like any sport, has many rules to learn and follow. We do our best to teach them all, but younger or new swimmers, especially early in the season, don’t know all of the strokes perfectly. If they are entered in an exhibition race, the stroke and turn judges are very forgiving. Scoring races, or the “main” heat, can be a different story. If a child is disqualified, the coaches will give extra effort to help the swimmer fix any stroke problems. Most DQ’s occur with false starts on relays.

Does my child have to dive off of the blocks and do flip turns?
No – there is no rule requiring participants to use the blocks or do flip-turns, although our goal is to have every swimmer diving off of the racing blocks and executing correct turns by the end of their first year.

What are the flags above the pool for?
The flags tell backstokers that the wall is coming. All racing pools have the flags the same distance from the end of the pool. Swimmers should know their stroke count (number of strokes from the flags to the wall) to avoid bonking their head.