Conference Guide
Conference Meet Guide
Saturday, July 27 - Sunday, July 28, 8:30am-4pm ish
Clark Memorial Swim Center at Heather Farm Park, 301 N San Carlos.
This meet is the most important meet of the year.
Just like City Meet, this is a 2-day meet where swimmers will swim in 3 individual races, with the potential to swim in relays. Races start at 8:30am each day and end roughly at 4pm. You will generally NOT be at the pool all day both days. See the Meet Schedule below for which strokes are on each day.
PepRally
Friday, July 26
9am-12pm
@ WHO Pool
Pancakes will be served from 9am–12pm. We will have fun activities including tattoos, hair flair, and crafts. Don’t forget to decorate your car!
Modified Practice Schedule during Pep Rally
15/18: 8:00-8:45
13/14: 8:45-9:30
11/12: 9:30-10:15
9/10: 10:15-11:00
7/8: 11:00-11:30
6 and Under: 11:30-12:00
Conference Meet Ins and Outs
Swim Clips - New this Year!
Purchase professional videos of your swimmer’s races and see them like you would in the Olympics. Purchase now for $34.95 per swimmer for all races at the Conference Meet. Once the meet starts it’s $19.95 per video. See attached for all details and how to purchase.
Tent Set Up
Friday, July 26
5:30-6:30pm
@ Heather Farm Pool
Families are invited to set up shade tents between 5:30-6:30pm on Friday, July 26. Arrive early as this is an informal mad dash social event to get your tent spot. Each team has a designated area to set up camp for the weekend. See the map below for the designated WHO team area.
Just like a regular dual meet there isn’t enough space for every family to have their own tent. Find some buddies and share the shade!
The swim complex will be locked both Friday and Saturday night. You may leave your shade tents in place overnight. The City of Walnut Creek is not responsible for theft of or damage to your belongings.
Parking
7 VIP parking passes for the parking lot in front of the pool will be auctioned off at the Red and Black Meet. If you don’t win a parking pass there is plenty of parking in the lots around the Heather Farm pool, as well as street parking.
Meet Sheets
Meet Sheets will be emailed on Friday, July 26.
Want to know which strokes your swimmer will swim before the Meet Sheets are emailed? Go to the Meet/Team Events tab on the website and click the “Edit Commitment” button for Conference Meet. You should be able to see the events your child is scheduled to swim at the meet. Even if a relay is not listed your swimmer may still be in a relay. A separate email will be sent regarding relays for the Conference Meet.
Warm-Ups
Saturday
7:35-7:55am in lanes 5-7
Sunday
7:15-7:35am in lanes 6-8
-
Warm-up is VERY important for swimmers as it provides them an opportunity to become comfortable with a new pool, new blocks, and new flags. Knowing your backstroke count at this pool with these flags is very important. It is also necessary to warm-up the body before racing.
-
9 and over swimmers, please warm-up and warm-down in the warm-up pool 20 minutes before and immediately after your race.
-
In general, you want to warm-up and warm-down four times the amount of laps you swim in your race. For example: 9/10s swims 50m (two laps), should swim at least eight laps, 20 minutes before the race and eight laps right after the race.
-
Clerk of the Course/Race Markings - 10 and Under
Conference can be loud, congested and confusing for our youngest swimmers.
***There are NO shepherds, BUT there is a Clerk of the Course.***
-
The Clerk of the Course is a large covered staging area (very similar concept to the WHO shephard area at dual meets) with chairs for ALL swimmers to wait to be called for their race. It is on the right side of the pool near the snack shack.
-
Parents will need to listen to the announcements and look on Twitter to know when each event is lining up. Parents are responsible for getting their swimmers to the Clerk of the Course ON TIME.
-
No parents are allowed inside the Clerk of the Course. You will drop your swimmer off and then go wait to see them swim. 8 and Under swimmers will have a coach waiting with them inside the Clerk of the Course.
-
All swimmers of all age groups must check in at the Clerk of the Course before each of their races.
ALL 10 and Under Swimmers must be marked on their right hand with a permanent marker as shown below. Last Name and First Initial
Event Schedule
Conference is a different format than our usual dual meets and even City.
Saturday Events - first race is at 8:30am
LUNCH BREAK
|
Sunday Events - first race is at 8:30am
LUNCH BREAK
|
Swimmers for Freestyle Prelims (both days) should report to the Clerk of the Course at 8am.
PLEASE NOTE: Start times listed in the meet sheets are approximate. The actual events may start sooner or later. Please pay close attention to the progress of the meet to be certain the swimmers are seated in Clerk of the Course on time to make their events.
Relays
A and B Medley and Free Relay teams will be announced this week before Conference Meet. Relays will be subject to change based on times swam during the individual Freestye and Butterfly races on Saturday morning. ALL swimmers should be prepared to swim in a relay. Relay changes will be posted outside of the coaches tent during the lunch break.
Finals
All morning heats are preliminary heats. The top twenty (20) swimmers in each event will then participate in afternoon final Championship and Consolation Heats to determine the top 20 places. Individual Medley and Relays are timed finals.
If your swimmer places in the top 20 during the morning prelim heats they will swim in the finals after the lunch break. Swimmers placing 21 and 22 in prelims are alternates and will swim in the finals if a swimmer doesn’t check in at Clerk of the Course. ALL finalists and alternates must check in at the Clerk of the Course when called.
The Championship Heat will consist of swimmers who placed 1st – 10th and the Consolation Heat will be swimmers who placed 11th – 20th in the Preliminary Heats.
If a swimmer is missing from the Championship Heat and the heats are ready to be released, the top swimmer in the Consolation Heat will be reseeded into the Championship Heat and the first alternate will be placed in the Consolation Heat. Basically, if your swimmer qualifies for the finals ARRIVE ON TIME to the Clerk of the Course!
Consolation swimmers’ names will be announced when they are in the water. Championship swimmers’ names will be announced while swimmers are on the blocks.
Awards
Individual Awards
-
Rosette Ribbons: 1st - 10th places
-
Ribbons: 11th - 20th places
-
Ribbons: Heat Winners during Prelims
Relay Awards
-
“A” Heat: Medals 1st - 8th places
-
“B” Heat: Ribbons 9th - 16th places
Individual High Point Trophy
-
Awarded to the boy and girl in each age group earning the most individual points.
Team Trophies
-
Awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers based on total points.
Updates During the Meet
During the meet, you will want to listen carefully to the announcements about any time/race changes. We highly suggest the following:
-
Follow the meet on Twitter @wcswimconf for live meet updates
-
Meet Mobile (app you can download on your phone) to see updates on results. Search for ‘2024 WCSC Championship Meet’
-
Check the official results that are printed and posted on the fence behind the timers.
-
Join our WHO Parents WhatsApp Chat. Informal, but a great resource during City Meet. Join us on WhatsApp
Additional Info
-
ABSOLUTELY NO PHOTOS are to be taken behind the blocks!
-
Swim-suits: The tighter the swim suit the better! Avoid swimsuits that are loose and baggy as they create a lot of drag in the water. Speedos for boys are a lot faster than jammers.
-
Caps: All swimmers should wear caps to cut down drag from hair. Pack an extra cap!
-
Food and nutrition:
-
BRING CASH! The snack shack is cash only and is only simple drinks, snacks and candy.
-
Food trucks will be available for breakfast and lunch items.
-
Please bring snacks and plenty of water/ beverages for your family
-
Heavy carbohydrates are good to eat the night before Conference Meet. Healthy foods like fruit and vegetables are also good to eat during the meet. Avoid fatty and sugary food if possible and save them for Sunday night once the meet is over.
-
Post Conference Pizza Party
Don't cook after Confernce! Stop by the pool after the awards (around 6:30pm) and enjoy some pizza and a dip in the pool. Please RSVP by this Friday, 7/26 at noon so we know how much pizza to buy. $5 per person. Venmo to @Ollie-Ottler or exact cash at the event, please.
