The Night Before a Swim Meet

Your First Swim Meet

Have your child pack their swim bag

Suggested: Have your child lay out their suit and what they plan on wearing for “Warm-Up” clothes. Wear the suit and warm-up clothes to the meet.

If you do this, have them pack clothes for AFTER the Meet.

Must Haves

Suit, Team cap, goggles, 2 towels, healthy snacks, water

Suggested Brings

Sports drink (Gatorade is good, but you MUST also bring water. They NEED to drink BOTH), games, book, iPod (Music), jacket or blanket (For weather), playing cards, game(s), other forms of entertainment that ENCOURAGE them to be with Teammates (Stay away from video games)

*** After your child packs their bag and have gone to bed, CHECK THEIR BAG ***

*** to see what, if anything, they have forgotten ***

Items YOU Want

Sharpie, camp chair, SwimTopia Mobile App installed/logged into on your phone

Morning of the Meet

Eat a nice light but healthy breakfast. Toast with jam, water, juice, lean meats like ham, eggs. STAY AWAY FROM MILK due to their nervousness.

What to Expect

Chaos, “Bad nervousness” (“Mom…I can’t do this”, “I’m afraid”, etc), possible tears

When you Arrive

Get there 15 minutes Early (You may want to plan for 25 minutes…something ALWAYS goes wrong on Meet Morning)

Approach Check-in table

Have your swimmer stand inline

Check-in with the Coaches table

Jot down Event/Heat/Lane for each event using Sharpie

Check-in for your Volunteer role

Using a sharpie jot down your child’s Event/Heat/Lane in the back of their hand (illustrated in Parent Handbook)

Send your child to the pool deck to find their coaches and be ready for Meet warm-ups

Meet Warm-Ups

The Coaches always have a plan. Warm-ups are structured to provide time for your children to be best prepared for the Meet. Items that are taken into consideration when running a warm-up are skills needed to race and proper work for their bodies to be ready to perform. Please DO NOT arrive late in order to avoid swimming in warm-ups. This will only hinder what coaches’ are trying to accomplish.

After Warm-Ups

Locate the race flip board and make note of your child’s first race

Once the Meet Starts

Your child should stay general pool area, or watch swimmers from the pool deck. Your child will be spoken with by a Coach BEFORE and AFTER ALL their races

For your child, seeing a Coach before and after their race is MOST IMPORTANT

If your child sees you before a Coach, PLEASE send them to a coach IMMEDIATELY and don’t even start a conversation with them. A Coach’s job is to help the athletes, that’s who is most important. Forcing your child to speak to a Coach first and foremost encourages them to realize that they are there for themselves and to prioritize.

Be your child’s biggest cheerleader. Let them know you’re proud of their effort.

After the Meet

Don’t try to give advice to your child. If you want to be a part of their swimming, ask strategic questions. “What did you think of your Meet?”, “What did your Coach have to say about your races?” You will find that as the Meets roll by, asking questions and listening to your young athlete will help you create a wonderful relationship with your child and you will be able to share this sport with them much better. A parent who gives advice usually gets seen as “Pushy” in child’s eyes and they will tend to “Shut-down” and not talk, or speak little about, their swimming and the Meet.

Enjoy Your Experience

You only get one “First Swim Meet”. You will never get this chance again! Honestly, embrace the moment. Take a few photos to remember the day or film their races. Don’t stress about it. As your child goes through the years of swimming you may not remember where they make their first 100 Butterfly, where they qualify for their first “Big Meet”, but you WILL remember this day. You’ll probably even get a nice story or two to share with your athlete as they get older. Embarrassing stories are always fun and remembering where your child started this journey when they’re 18 years old and heading off to swim in college may just bring a smile to your face, some great laughter, and possibly even a tear or two.

Stay cool & calm

Be your BEST cheerleader Give hugs & high 5’s when needed

Remember, “Failure” leads to “Success”