Tips & Tricks for a Successful Meet

  • Arrive early – get an established campsite, and encourage your swimmer to get into the team tent and get a full warm-up swim
     
  • Eat a healthy breakfast – balanced with protein, and get a few glasses of water into your swimmer
     
  • Avoid running around during the meet – the swimmers are kids, of course, and they get wiggly.  Try to keep them out of the sun, relaxed, and cool.
     
  • Hydrate – with water!  Sports drinks contain a lot of sugar which spikes the kids energy – usually at the wrong time!
     
  • Bring a Sharpie marker – write your swimmers’ events on their forearm (typically “event – heat – lane”, example 31-2-4 means event 31 (25 yard butterfly), heat 2, lane 4).
     
  • Pay attention to event calls to report to the heating tent/area – typically the swimmers spend 10-15 minutes in the heating area queue prior to going to the pool to swim their events
     
  • Have a positive attitude – try every event/stroke during the season
     
  • Prepare for all kinds of weather – Meets are held rain or shine, hot or cold.  You will be outside for most of the meet.
     

Swimmers

  • Swim bag (with toys, games, etc. to pass the time – be careful with electronics, cell phones, etc.)
  • Competition Suit
  • Goggles (2 pairs recommended)
  • Sunscreen
  • Towels (recommend writing name on towels with Sharpie!)
  • Flip flops or other pool shoes
  • Cover up clothing – appropriate for the weather (layers recommended – shorts AND sweatpants, t-shirts AND hoodies)
  • Token gift or cheering sign for Big Swimmer / Little Swimmer
  • [Sleeping bag – optional, but for cold meet mornings many kids bring them]

Families

  • Folding / Camp chairs
  • Coolers with healthy snacks and lots of water for your swimmer (NOTE:  most meets have stocked concession stands, which are also fundraisers for the teams, so please utilize them!)
  • Sunscreen / sun hat
  • Sharpie pen (to write your swimmer’s events on their forearm)
  • Pocket cash for the concession stand
  • MESA has a team tent, but some families bring their own tent/shade and tarp for a “floor” for your tent
  • Sturdy shoes and a positive attitude for working meet jobs
  • A friendly smile – you’ll be meeting a lot of new people!

NOTE:  To build team spirit and friendships, we encourage having your swimmer spend the meet inside the team tent.