Arrive ON TIME for warm-ups, which is 15 minutes BEFORE the posted warm-up starting time. Athletes who are tardy for warm-ups are subject to removal from relays, or being scratched completely from the meet. 

At a meet there is a Team Area and a Spectator Area. It is helpful to the coach and the parents if the swimmers stay within the team area for the duration of the meet. The team area is run by parent volunteers also known as “pit bosses.” They assist the athletes in knowing when their events are and helping to ensure they check in at the Clerk of the Course on time. Athletes are responsible for their own belongings. Parents and family who are not volunteers must stay in the spectator area. 

The Clerk of the Course is an area where parent volunteers help get the swimmers lined up for their race. They also handle last minute changes to the race assignments. One person will be responsible for leading swimmers from staging area to behind the racing blocks prior to the race. 

After an athlete completes an event, they can request their time from a volunteer timer assigned to their lane. It is important to note that there are stroke judges at each meet that will watch to ensure that strokes are performed correctly. At times, it is possible for an athlete to be disqualified for performing a stroke incorrectly. 

An athlete should not leave the meet until they have confirmed they are not assigned to a relay. If a member of the relay leaves before the event, the other athletes will not be able to compete. It is also possible that athletes could be added or combined into relays at the last minute.

Final meet results will be posted on SwimTopia or the MeetManager App. Please take the time to check your swimmer’s posted time and placement. No final time, points, or placement are given to a swimmer should he/she be disqualified from an event.

Time Standards

Not every child is destined to be a national caliber swimmer no matter how hard the athlete, the parents, or coaches work; therefore, the Team stresses individual improvement and FUN. An athlete who is continually improving his/her time can feel a great deal of satisfaction and should be encouraged. Medals and ribbons are NOT a means of measuring individual success in swimming. Times are kept by the coach and are available to each swimmer.

Ribbons

Every athlete will receive a ribbon with their time or score listed on the back after every meet. These ribbons will be placed in the athlete’s folder and handed out or made available weekly. Please make sure to check this folder regularly.

The primary emphasis of the pre-competitive team is to introduce young swimmers to the sport of competitive swimming. This is a way to increase their skills and endurance. 

All pre-competitive swim meets will be held on Saturday mornings. Warm-ups begin at 8:00 a.m. and the meet starts at 8:30 a.m. These meets can last approximately 1 – 2 hours, depending on the number of swimmers and events that are scheduled. 

Swimmers will have an opportunity to swim all four strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly) in the meets at some point in the season. At the discretion of the coach, swimmers may be moved up to the competitive swim team as skills improve.

The competitive team provides an opportunity for those swimmers at a higher skill level and endurance to compete under the league rules and guidelines. Workouts are designed to build skills in strokes, racing strategies, speed and endurance. Swimmers will have the opportunity to swim and compete in both individual and/or relay events in their gender and age groups as assigned by the coach. 

Competitive meets are held on Thursday evenings, with warm-ups beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the meet starting at 6:00 p.m. 

Swim Meet Entries:

Through Swimtopia, parents are able to enter their children/athletes into each meet on their own. Meet entries must be completed 1-2 days prior to the upcoming swim meet. Parents, click onto "2025 Calendar Schedule" and select "Meet Entry" for the upcoming meet. From there, place your athlete into 2-3 individual events. The Coach will handle relays and anything else needed from there. Please talk to a coach if you need assistance.  

As a competitive swimmer, you have the opportunity to qualify for All-City Swim Championships. More information will be provided about this event once qualified. This event does last longer than a typical meet as the entire league participates.

Dive meets will be held on Tuesday evenings. Warm-ups begin at 5:30 p.m. and the meet starts at 6 p.m. 

The dive team is open to all levels and is categorized as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. All-City Dive is the final meet of the season in which divers are selected by coaches to participate. If selected, participants will be notified prior to the date and provided necessary information.

Because all teams within the league participate, this meet can last longer than others.

The following items are only suggestions. You may want to create your own list after a few meets. Remember to put your name on everything!

Swimmers
Meet suits, cover up (team t-shirt, sweats), swim cap, flip flops, extra suit and cap, goggles (2 pair), shampoo, two/three towels, games, cards, books, etc., additional liquids for hydration (water and sports drinks designed for electrolyte replacement are best), old sleeping bag or quilt (it will get wet)

Parents
Lawn chairs (collapsible camp chairs), money for refreshments, sense of humor, patience, healthy snacks (trail mix, raisins, granola bars, fruit, etc.), non-carbonated drinks in plastic containers

Non-swimming siblings
Swim meets can be very boring for non-swimming children. Bring plenty for them to do and plan on keeping an eye on them. The pool will most likely not be available to swim in during meets. The indoor pool is not open for open swim until noon. If desired, you must check in at the front desk or pay a day pass to stay and swim.