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Please check with your coach
before entering your first meet!
Swim Meet Helpful
Tips
printable version
Parents – welcome to the world of
competitive swimming. This is a list of helpful tips and hints
we parents have encountered during our swim meet
experiences. We hope it will make things a bit easier for you
and your swimmer.
What to wear/bring:
CAP: Swimmers need to wear a Socal Cap
(provided)
Suit: Should be a Socal Team suit or all
black suit. If they decide to continue competing in swim meets, we
can get them outfitted in the proper team suit.
Extra goggles/extra cap/extra
suit: You never know when things will
break.
Warm ups: For winter or colder months-
bring lots of war clothing (sweats, jackets, snow boots, knit caps,
etc.) to keep the shivers away in between events.
Towels: Bring at least 2-3 towels. (Some
bring one towel per event.) Especially when it’s cold.
Food: Make sure they have a good
breakfast before coming to the meet. Bring healthy, carbohydrate
snacks to munch on between events. Dry cereal, peanut butter
crackers, granola bars, juice boxes and plenty of water. There
is usually a snack bar that provides these items as well. NO
candy or soda.
Activities: Bring some games, cards,
etc. The kids have lots of fun playing games with each other
in between events.
Chairs: For you and your swimmer.
The team will provide easy-up tarps to sit under for the
swimmers. (These are brought by a parent volunteer.)
Swim Meet Basics:
Arrive: Get to the meet at the time the
coaches request. Go to “check-in” with your swimmer to
let the officials know your swimmer is there. Get ready for warm
up. The kids will warm up for about 30 minutes.
Before Event: Each event is posted in the
posting area. As the meet progresses you will see your
swimmer’s event posted with the heat and lane
assignments. Look for their heat and lane. This will tell
you where they should be when the event number is
announced. (For first time swimmers, they will usually be in
the first heats of each event.) Check in with the coach-tell
them your event heat and lane assignment.
*For 25 yard events: Kids 8
and under will be in events that are 25 yards. These events
are swum from the opposite side of the pool. They swim towards the
timers. They have a staging area to place your swimmer in the
heat and lane they will be in. Take your swimmer to the staging
area and leave the area. (It gets very congested with
parents.) Meet your swimmer after the event at the other end
of the pool. Instruct your swimmer to leave any clothing in
the staging area. You can retrieve it after the event.
Event: Have them check with the timers to
be sure their name appears on the lane paper.
During Event: Cheer and yell like
crazy.
After Event: Praise your swimmer for the
great job they did—regardless of their performance. Get
your swimmer’s time from the timers. Check back in with
the coach and tell them your time. Then go warm down in the
warm down area.
After your last event: check
with the coaches before you leave. Sometimes we do relay
events and the coaches may have included your swimmer in a
relay. This is the highlight of the day – the kids
really love this part of the meet.
** If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate
to ask another parent!! We are here to help.
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