Frequently Asked Questions About Swim Meets

HOW DO YOU SIGN UP FOR SWIM MEETS?

At the beginning of the season, swimmers sign up for the meets they will attend. The week of a meet, lists of swimmers with their events and heats will be posted at the pool. You must note on these sheets if a swimmer WILL NOT be swimming at the upcoming meet. Please do not tell the coaches-they can’t be responsible for remembering that info!

HOW LONG ARE SWIM MEETS?

Meets usually start at 8:30 am and last about 4 hours. For a home meet, the swimmers need to arrive between 7-7:15 for warm-ups. Warm-up times for away meets will be posted.

WHERE DO THE SWIMMERS AND PARENTS SIT DURING SWIM MEETS?

Swimmers usually stay in the racquetball courts during the meet. It is important for them to bring a blanket or towel to sit on. There is a lot of time in between events, so have them bring cards, headphones to listen to, books etc. Please make sure they have extra towels and warm clothes. An extra pair of goggles is helpful in case one breaks! It is a good idea to put your name on all of your belongings.

Parents of swimmers, if you arrive early enough, you can claim a chair upstairs by a window to view the meet. Otherwise, you can stand in front of a window to watch your swimmer. A GREAT WAY to see your child swim is to volunteer to help with the ribbons, computer or timing- all of these jobs are done on the deck of the pool!

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT EVENTS OUR KIDS ARE SWIMMING?

Jim decides what events your swimmer will be in. It will be posted on the pool wall the morning of the meet. It is helpful to mark the younger kids’ hands with the event number and stroke so they remember what they are swimming. Swimmers 10 and under will be called to line up before their events by line-up volunteers, so it is important for those swimmers to stay in the racquetball area.

DO THE SWIMMERS NEED SNACKS FOR THE MEET?

We do have a snack bar that everyone contributes to. It is important for your swimmers to stay away from caffeine and sugary snacks, and to stay well hydrated with water, fresh fruit etc.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A MEET IS CANCELED BECAUSE OF BAD WEATHER?

It will be announced on WLBR. In addition, the cancelation notice will be sent out on e-mail and will be placed on our Otter website at www.swimotters.org. If you do not have access to a computer, please make arrangements with someone who does who can call you.

WHERE CAN I FIND RESULTS OF SWIM MEETS?

Our league website is www.swimcpal.org. This contains a wealth of information including the results of swim meets, directions to pools, and the top 10 swimmers in the league.

WHAT ARE DIVISIONALS AND ALL-STARS?

At Divisionals, all of the teams in our Division compete with each other for times. You must swim in 3 regular swim meets to be eligible to swim in Divisionals. Each Division has its own Divisionals meet that same day. The top 12 swimmers in each age group, in each stroke, out of ALL the Divisions move on to All-Stars the next day,which is the final Championship meet of the season. The times used to determine who moves on to All-Stars the next day are the Divisionals times.

WHAT ARE LIVE VS EXHIBITION EVENTS?

3 swimmers from each team swim “live” for each event. These are usually the faster swimmers, and they are swimming for place and points for the team. The rest of the swimmers swim “exhibition” for times that can be used for future meets and Divisionals.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask one of the board members or one of the veteran swim parents.