Blue Marlins
Swim Meet 101
-Communication will be sent out asking you to declare for the swim meet. This means going into the Swimtopia platform and saying your swimmer will be attending the meet.
- The coaches enter swimmers in races and complete meet entries.
- There are league rules/deadlines related to meet entries, so please “declare” by the deadline. Your swimmer can be added late, however will not be able to score points for the team
- When your swimmers arrive, send them to find their coaches while you set up your space. The coaches will write a bunch of numbers on their arm which correspond with the event number, heat number and lane number.
(insert picture example)
-There is a Ready Area: the announcer and Remind app will indicate which event is in the water and what events are in the ready area. The Ready Area arranges swimmers into their heats. This is a busy place, parents please escort your swimmer to the Ready Area and let the Ready Area volunteers take it from there.
-Swimmers ages 0-14 yrs can swim max of 3 individual events and 2 relays
-Swimmers ages 15-18 yrs can swim max of 4 individual events and maximum of 5 total events. So can swim 4 individual and 1 relay or 3 individual and 2 relays
-For specific meet rules see the Clear Creek Swim League Handbook online.
-We know by the end of the meet everyone is tired but the older swimmer relays are really exciting and inspiring to watch. Encourage your younger swimmers to stay and cheer on their older teammates and coaches!
If You Anticipate Needing to Leave the Meet Early
It is important for meet entries and relays to know if your swimmer(s) might need to leave the meet early. If you know your swimmer(s) are going to leave early and miss an event, please let the Head Coach know prior to the beginning of the meet (and earlier in the week if you already know). If you unexpectedly have to leave early after the meet has started, tell the Head Coach and one of the Volunteer Coordinators. Early departures impact whether relays will be complete or need to be changed, and also whether volunteer posts are left empty and need to be filled. With proper notification, adjustments and plans can be put in place more smoothly. Thank you for your cooperation
What to expect at at swim meet:
-Have fun! Hanging with teammates watching and waiting for races is fun!
-Swimming is an individual and team sport.
-Individual: you are trying to improve your personal best time
-Team: achieving your best contributes to the team
-Teams are assigned to lanes: odds or evens
-For each event there may be several heats.
-For example: Girls 8/under 25 yard freestyle
-Heat 1: Marlins in odd lanes (1,3,5) Seabrook in even lanes (2,4,6). The first heat is the scoring heat. Meaning this is typically the fastest swimmers in the age group and their place in the heat contributes to the score of the meet.
Additional heats: are not scored toward the meet but place values are assigned to swimmers. So if you finish first in heat 2, you will receive a blue first place ribbon.
The goal for your swimmer is to have fun and show improvement. Some swimmers don’t know or may not understand what the heat order means, they just see lots of swimmers and know they all are going to swim. The older swimmers tend to understand but the focus should not be about what heat you are in. It should be about trying your best, improving and having fun.
Meet Ribbons:
Are not given out at the meet. They are available at practice the following week.
What to pack for a swim meet:
Wear your swimsuit, goggles, sunscreen, clothes, water, snacks, blanket, chairs, tent, toys, books, things to do, cash/Venmo or PayPal for concessions.
Details pertaining to each meet will be sent out the week of the meet: arrival time, location, where to park, concessions, where Marlins set up, etc.
DQ: Disqualifications
During practice, coaches will teach swimmers the proper technique of strokes, starts and turns. During a swim meet there are stroke and turn judges who watch the swimmers to ensure they are swimming with proper technique. If they see something that is not correct, your swimmer receives a DQ. Please recognize this is a learning moment and focus on DQ meaning “don’t quit” if your swimmer had questions please talk to a coach
Please see resource which gives simple explanation, credit source: Cheshire Forest Flying Fish Swim Team Chesapeake VA
Typical meet timeline
Meet Timeline:
All swimmers check in with their team’s coaches prior to warm-up
- 7:00 am Brooks Warmup
- 7:20 am Visiting Team Warmup
- 7:30 am All scratches due to clerk of course (Under pavilion)
- 7:30 am Officials Meeting
- 7:40 am Timers Meeting
- 7:50 am Events 1-10 to the ready area
- 7:55 am National Anthem
- 8:00 am Meet Start
- 1 pm Typical Meet Complete
First Meet Tips
- Swimmers wear their team suit
- Marlins families wear team merchandise/team colors and dress to stay as cool as possible!
- Bring lawn chairs and a tent or coordinate to share tent space with a Marlin friend to stay in the shade.
- Remember sunscreen!
- Mosquito repellent is suggested given the outdoor setup.
- Pack extra water, Gatorade, and snacks to keep your family hydrated and fueled.
- Pack patience for the first meet- this all comes together from volunteers sharing their time and all will be doing their best to make things run as smoothly as possible.
- Remember, the idea is to have fun!
Let’s go Marlins!