10 Facts about Swim Meets
1. Every Meet is Similar
For every meet you need to get your swimmer inside the facility 15 minutes before first warm up to check in with the coach, so plan for
finding parking, traffic issues and some time to find where our team is camped
out at the meet. Your swimmer also
needs to be prepared; at our house we taught our kids to have towels, extra
goggles, water, spending money, and proper clothing packed the night
before. It is also expected that you
declare your swimmer for each meet and complete the job sign up as soon as
possible. Remember that even for a
short meet there will be a lot of waiting so be prepared. Our family’s routine is keep a couple of folding
chairs in trunk so we always know that can have a place to sit. Once at the meet, I always search out other
parents to say hi and inquire about their swimmers and to engage in some
conversations. The waiting time between
your child’s events need not be a burden, sometimes it is a gift.
2. Every Meet is Different
A dual meet is different from an invitational; an
invitational is different from a championship.
Even meets of the same type can vary widely depending on the location,
host club, and ages involved. Some
facilities such as Raritan Bay YMCA or the Westfield YMCA have limited
parking. Others like Rutgers may
require you to register your car for parking beforehand. Some meets charge admission, while most will
have a meet surcharge in lieu of admission.
Even before COVID some facilities could limit spectators due to
capacity. Of course, travel time can
always vary. Some meets are posted on
the Meet Mobile app for free, some require an extra fee, and perhaps there are
still a few that require one to purchase a printed heat sheet. This is why it
is important to read through the pdf’s of the meet documents on the event page
of the website for each meet you plan to attend and reach out to the coaches or
other swim parents beforehand.
3. Every Volunteer is Critical
Our swimmers cannot even attend a swim meet without parental
volunteers. All meets whether home or
away require active parental support.
Away meets will require fewer people to volunteer, usually only timers
and officials. However, remember the
meet hosts require that our team have timers and if we fail to do so, we may
not get asked back to the meet. Home
meets like our first meet require the most support. When volunteering make sure to include the
cell number and name of the volunteer for each slot signed up for. It is also important that you check the time
block that you are scheduled for and be at the facility early enough to be on
the deck when required. It is always a
good practice to reach out to the person who you are relieving or is relieving
you. This way the transitions are smooth and we can
provide the best atmosphere for our athletes to compete.
4. Unofficial Support is Critical 
Whether it’s carpooling, watching our stuff, giving
directions, or answering questions, our family has received some type of
informal support in virtually every meet we have attended since joining
SAY. We have tried to be there for other
parents the way they have been there for us, because we realize that we never
could make it very far in the sport without the support of our fellow swim team
families.
5. There Are Rules for Cameras and Cell Phones
USA Swimming prohibits all cell phone use by all adults on
the pool deck for the duration of the meet.
Flash photography is always prohibited during a meet as it can lead to
false starts by the competitors.
Violations of phone and camera policies can result ejection from the
meet and even disqualification of an athlete.
Usually photos without flash and videoing from the stands is permitted,
however check the meet document just be sure.
Please also inform all who attend to support your swimmer of these rules
so that we demonstrate good sportsmanship as a team.
6. Some Spending Money is Helpful for Invitational and Championship Meets
Most invitational meets will sell snacks and drinks, and
many will sell t-shirts. These will
support our team for home meets and our sister teams at their hosted
meets. A snack, drink or a t-shirt will
make the meet more fun and memorable for younger athletes especially. It is a nice way for us to recognize all the
hard work our athletes do to get ready for their meets. A small amount, say $10, is usually
appropriate to send with your swimmer. T-shirts are usually $20 or more. There
are generally no concessions at dual meets.
7. Disqualifications Happen
Your swimmer will be disqualified at some point. It will happen, so it’s good to prepare your
athlete for this possibility. It is best
that a disqualification happens at dual meets or local invites. Please know that the disqualification of a swimmer
serves to reinforce proper swimming technique as well as ensure fair competition. The officials are responsible to inform the
coach of every violation that results in disqualification and the reason why it
was called. The athlete should speak
with the coach and the coach will deal with any discrepancy. It is the coach’s responsibility to advocate
for the athlete with the meet referee, not the parents. It is important that the parent be
supportive of the athlete by treating the disqualification as a learning
experience. It is also helpful if the
parent teaches the athlete to demonstrate good sportsmanship by treating
officials and coaches with respect even when frustrated. As a long time official I am always happy to
help explain things that relate to the process.
8. Swimmers Don't Always Cut Time
One upside of swimming is its objectivity. The competitive swimmer is not subject to
the whims of officials and judges as in other sports. The stroke, distance swam, and the time the
athlete swam it are that matters. So the
athlete always knows where he or she stands.
As they grow they will get faster over time, however not always meet to
meet. Athletes like us all, can get
into a rut, have a bad day, are overworked, or have something go wrong. Also, you will learn over time that
sometimes your athlete will swim faster at certain pools or get up for certain meets. This is why it is important to teach your
athlete to communicate with the coaches directly and often, so they are getting
the best possible feedback.
9. Our Coaches Work Hard for Our Kids
Being a swim coach is hard work. Keep in mind that they are spending a
massive amount of time preparing, running practices, and supervising our
athletes at the meet. Keeping the team focused
in larger venues can be especially challenging.
At travel meets the coaches often have to deal with problems not of
their own making and beyond their control.
Showing appreciation and giving support to our coaches will go a long
way in making SAY live up to its potential as a swim team.
10. Club Swimming is a High Commitment Sport
Thank you for being a part of our team and hope you finding
your time with us both satisfying and rewarding. We look forward to seeing you on deck.
Dave Knecht
SSPO President
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