Swim Meet Information

1. Due by Midnight TUESDAY the week of each meet, fill out the online Sign Up page with your attendance: "Yes" or "No". Otherwise, you will not be entered in the swim meet! ***THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! Late sign-ups will not be accepted. Sign Up sheet links will sent out via e-mail and posted on the website. Use the link to fill out the form. EACH swimmer must fill out a form for each swim meet. If you are not attending, please complete the form with a “NO” response so the attendance is accurate. If you do not respond, you will be counted as a NO... but Please help our process and complete the form for every meet.

2. You will be asked on the form what events you prefer to swim (provide the 3 events each swimmer would like to swim). At the coach’s discretion you may be entered in a different event than you requested. Keep a positive attitude and swim your best. It is important to develop all your strokes and compete in your weak strokes as well as your strong strokes. Events per swimmer is 3 individual events and 1 relay.

3. Eat carbs for dinner the night before a meet; pasta, pizza, potatoes etc. (Note: avoid greasy fast food!)

4. Pack for the meet the night before. In your bag you need to pack your:

• Team Suit (so you can put it on in the morning before the meet)
• Cap (and a spare)
• Goggles (and a spare)
• 2-3 towels (they can get very wet after a couple events)
• Tents, sleeping bag, and/or extra towels to sit on during the meet (the grass is often wet in the morning!)
• A quiet activity to occupy your waiting time between events (playing cards,drawing stuff, etc)
• A bottle of water (stay hydrated!)
• A sharpie pen - for noting your events.
• Money for the snack bar (optional of course)

5. Get a good night sleep the night before a meet! Young swimmers should be in bed by 8 PM sleeping no later than 9PM!  Swimmers need to feel rested and energetic in the morning!

6. Dress WARMLY! It can be chilly in the morning, so wear a sweatshirt!

7. Arrive at the meet at 8 AM, and "CHECK IN" that you have arrived. There will be "Check In" sheets posted. At FPCC & Fairbrae pools, the check in sheets will be posted on tables. At away SUNN, check with a coach or a teammate to find out where they are posted.

8. Check the event sheet to see what you are swimming. It's a good idea for younger swimmers to write these events on their hand, for easy reference (hence the sharpie)! There will be pens located near the Sign In Sheets however, if you bring your own pen, you won't have to wait for one to become available!

9. Find a shady spot, where you can hear the events being called, with your team mates, and plan on spending your non-swimming time at the meet there. It is very important that swimmers not wander around meets; it makes it very hard to locate swimmers and it slows down the meet. Look for your team mates, they'll know the good spots.

10. Do your stretching warm ups, and ask the coach what warm ups are in the pool.

11. At the end of warm ups, be sure to do some dives from the blocks if it's an "away" meet so that you can get used to their blocks... they are probably different than ours.

12. Get dry, and warm. Apply Tsunami tattoo's we'll have a short team meeting and do a team cheer to get ready to swim FAST!

13. Eating at the meets: please stay away from sugary, unhealthy, heavy foods during the meet they only slow you down. Bagels, fruit salad, OJ, baked potatoes are fine; but not right before a swim. It is much better to have a less-full stomach on which to swim. Stay away from candy & soda etc., they will make you swim slower! You are an athlete, take care of your body!

14. Listen for the Clerk of Course to call your event. When you hear your event called, report to the Clerk of Course and wait for instructions.

15. The Clerk will call out your name and give you a heat/lane assignment, and tell you where to sit, to wait your turn to swim. When it is time, the Clerk will escort your heat to the blocks.

16. The Starter, will be standing to the side of the pool, with a microphone, and he will give your heat instructions.

• "Swimmers step to the blocks." All the swimmers in your heat will get on the starting blocks.
• Then he'll announce your event again (so you swim the right stroke!) and say "Swimmers take your mark." Get into your starting position.
• Wait to hear the "BEEEEEP!" That means GO! Fast dive, streamline and swim hard to the other wall!

178. After you swim, stay in the water until ALL swimmers in your heat have touched the wall, this is good sportsmanship! Be sure to ask the timers what your time was when you get out of the water!

18. Check in with a coach to give them your time and get some feedback on your race.

19. Get your towel, get warm, and sit down and do your quiet activity until your next event!
That's all there is to it!

It's okay to be nervous! It makes you swim faster! Remember we're here to have FUN, to use what we know, to try our best, and to swim better each week!
But, remember most of all: you are on the very BEST swim team around!