Your First Swim Meet

Swim meets are a great family experience! They are a place where the whole family can spend time together. Listed below are some guidelines geared to help you through your first swim meet.

Before the Meet Starts

Arrive at the pool before the scheduled warm-up time. The coach will communicate that time to the swimmers at the last practice held before the meet.

Upon arrival, look for the CCA banner and some familiar faces as the team usually sits together. Find a place to put your swimmer's blanket, swim bags and sleeping bags. The team usually sits together, so look for some familiar faces.

Your swimmer will need to "check in." This is usually done at the "Clerk of Course." Your swimmer will need to circle the number of each event they are swimming that day. Only those swimmers that check in will be allowed to swim.

Once "checked in," write each event-number on your swimmer's hand in ink. This helps them remember what events they are swimming and what event numbers to listen for.

Your swimmer now reports to the coach for warm-up instructions. It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up with the team.

After warm-up, your swimmer should return to the team area and wait until their event is "Posted" on the heat and lane assignment board. Ask where "Heat and Lane Assignments" will be posted. This is a good time to make sure they go to the bathroom, get a drink, or just are settled in.

The meet will usually start about 10-15 minutes after warm-ups are over.

Buy a program. A "heat sheet," or program is usually available for sale in the concession area of the pool. It lists all swimmers in each event in order of "seed time." When the entry is sent in, each swimmer and their previous best time in that event are listed. If the swimmer is swimming an event for the first time, they may be entered as a "no-time" or "NT."

Once the Meet Starts

It is important for the swimmer to know what event numbers they are swimming. (They should have the numbers on their hand). They may swim right away after warm-up or they may have to wait awhile.

As the time for a particular event nears, the "Heat and Lane Assignments" will be "Posted." It is important that swimmers learn their heat and lane assignments as soon as they are posted. The swimmer must report this information to their coach prior to their race. The coach will usually take this opportunity to provide keen insight into stroke techniques, race strategies or simply provide encouragement. The swimmer should then prepare for their event.

The swimmer is responsible for being at the correct end of the pool when their heat is called to start. The meet will not stop for a missing swimmer, nor will they be permitted to swim in a later heat. A seeded swimmer that fails to report for a race will not be permitted to compete in either that race or their next scheduled race.

After Each Swim

The swimmer should ask the timers (people behind the blocks at each lane) their time or check the electronic scoreboard.

They should go immediately to their coach. The coach will discuss the swim with each swimmer. Generally, the coach follows these guidelines when discussing swims:

• Positive comments or praise
• Suggestions for improvement
• Positive comments

Things a parent can do after each swim:

• Tell them how great they did! The coaching staff will be sure to discuss stroke technique with them. You need to tell them how proud you are and what a great job they did.
• Take them back to the team area to relax, check out the bathrooms, and get a drink or something light to eat.
• The swimmer now waits until their next event is posted and starts the procedure again.

When a swimmer has completed all of their events, they and their parents get to go home. Make sure, however, you check with the coach before leaving to make sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. (It is considered a significant breach of etiquette to "flake" on a relay.)

What to Take to the Meet

• Competition suit and CCA cap -- and goggles (if your swimmer uses them).

   

• Baby powder -- to "dust" the inside of the cap. This helps preserve the cap and makes it easier to put on.

   

• Towels -- pack at least two in warm weather or one for each event and one for warm up if it is cold.

   

• Something to sit on -- sleeping bag, old blanket, lawn chair, or anything that will be comfortable to sit on.

   

• Weather-appropriate clothes -- this will depend on the temperature: sweat suits, T-shirts, shorts, flip-flops, warm boots, swim parka, warm hat, etc. Everyone's team apparel looks the same. It is a good idea to put the swimmer's name on everything!!

   

• Games -- travel games, coloring books, cards, books, anything to pass the time.

   

• Food -- It is a good idea to bring your own snacks and drinks. They usually have snack bars at the meet, but sometimes the lines are long, they run out or the nutritional value is suspect.

   

• Sunscreen

After one or two meets, this will all become very routine. Please do not hesitate to ask any other CCA parent for help or information!

Have fun!

Special Parent's Note: The pool area is frequently very hot or cold or humid or windy or rainy or in some way uncomfortable. Therefore, you need to make sure you dress appropriately too. REALLY!

Travel Meet Guidelines

Trips to meets in other cities become an important aspect of a swimmer's career. There are two types of travel meets - chaperoned and non-chaperoned. When a meet is chaperoned, adults (parents of swimmers) will be selected to accompany the swimmers to the meet and CCA is responsible for arranging transportation and lodging. When a meet is non-chaperoned, parents are responsible for arranging their children's transportation and lodging. CCA has established the following policies for travel meets:

• A family's account must be paid current in order for the swimmer to attend travel meets (this includes the prepayment for the travel meet if applicable.)
• An adult must accompany CCA swimmers to travel meets that are not chaperoned.
• A swimmer attending a chaperoned travel meet must sign the CCA Code of Conduct and complete a medical release form.

The CCA coaching staff will inform swimmers and parents about the practice attendance, practice performance, qualifying time standards, and other requirements for competing at travel meets.

Chaperones

Chaperoning provides parents an opportunity to assist the team, get to know other swimmers on the team, and to better understand travel meet procedures. CCA provides chaperones with transportation and lodging for the travel meet. Chaperoning at travel meets is an important job that must be undertaken by CCA adult members. It is difficult for the coach to focus his or her energy on the swimmers competing at the meet and to also focus on the care and supervision of the swimmers during the meet. Chaperones play an important role in helping the coach maintain total attention on the meet by assisting with the care and supervision of the swimmers during the meet. This allows the coach to have time to relax and rejuvenate during the meet. The following are some of the chaperone's duties:

• Assisting with check-in at the airport and hotel.
• Transporting swimmers during the meet.
• Accompanying swimmers at all times when they are away from the meet.
• Enforcing curfews and making room checks at the hotel during the meet.
• Contacting parents of swimmers who become ill during the meet, receiving permission from the swimmer's parent for any treatment, and caring for ill swimmers.
• Reporting disciplinary problems to the coach.
• Making eating arrangements during the meet and taking swimmers to grocery store for snacks during the meet.
• Monitoring group activities at the hotel during the meet.
• Assisting the coach with swimmer's adherence to travel meet guidelines.

The coaching staff will select parents to chaperone at the travel meets. The number of chaperones selected is based on the number and ages of swimmers attending the travel meet. Parents who are interested in chaperoning at a travel meet should talk to the Head Coach. Also, the coaching staff will select male and female chaperones, preferably a couple, as chaperones for travel meets to insure proper supervision of male and female athletes.