Everything you need to know
Meet Schedule
​2024 Short Course Meet Schedule
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SE 9-12 Championships @ BMAC, Feb 16th – 18th '24
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SE 13 & O Championships @ CSAC (Richmond) All Groups
Feb 23rd – 25th '24 -
2024 Age Group Champs, Mar 7th – 10th '24
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Tri-Meet @ ECAT, Suffolk, VA, March 23-24 '24
2024 Long Course Meet Schedule
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SRVA @ CSAC, Richmond, VA, Apr 21-23
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CGBD @ HVA, Hampton, VA, May 17-19
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Commonwealth Games @ Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, May 31-Jun 2
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Summer Awards @ CSAC, Richmond, VA, Jul 11-14
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Senior Champs @ HVA, Hampton, VA, Jul 18-21
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Age Group Champs @ CAC, Blacksburg, VA, Jul 25-28, VA
Everything you wanted to know about swim meets, but were afraid to ask (or didn’t know).
Swim meets are a great experience for swimmer and family alike. They are a place where swimmers can spend time with teammates and friends, and families can spend time with other team families.
Swim Meets are vital to the overall swim experience. They provide swimmers with a chance to set goals and chase after them. They help swimmers learn and test race strategies, how to perform under pressure and cope with expectations and disappointment.
Swim meets should also be fun for the swimmers. They should allow swimmers to visit with his/her friends, play games and meet swimmers from other teams. Swim meets are a great opportunity to build self-confidence and leadership skills. It’s a great place to learn how to encourage and inspire others – while putting their best foot forward showcasing great sportsmanship.
Please make sure that your swimmer sits with his/her teammates and friends rather than sitting with parents. This helps foster a sense of self-sufficiency that will serve them well as they get older and begin attending travel meets. Swimming in meets gives them a chance to race and see how much they have improved as a result of the hard work they put in at practice.
The indoor pool area can be usually very warm and humid. Therefore, you need to make sure to dress accordingly. Nothing is worse than being hot at a swim meet. It makes the time drag so slowly! At some of the meets, parents are allowed to sit in the team area near the swimmers. Please remember to bring chairs for your comfort as well!
Listed below are some very in-depth guidelines geared toward helping you through your first couple of swim meets.
It may seem a little overwhelming – if you have questions, please contact your group family mentor or your group’s lead coach(es).
How much do swim meets cost?
If you’re coming from summer or high school swim, you probably aren’t used to paying to attend swim meets. This extra expense can provide a bit of sticker shock.
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Swimmer Surcharge: a flat fee (usually about $2.50-$10) applied just to enter the meet.
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Entry Fees: these are usually charged per event that a swimmer will compete in, including relays (usually about $10 per event/relay). Some meets (like ISCA) charge a flat rate for a maximum number of events. A good rule of thumb for a 2-day meet is $60-80; a 3-day meet: $90-$120; a prelim-final meet ($120+)
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Apparel: Team Suits, Caps – goggles, tech suits, team warm-ups.
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Travel: Whether the meet is local or an away meet, travel expenses can add up quickly.
The Night Before the Meet
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Prep your snacks (cut fruit, fruit cups, simple crackers, pretzels, granola bars, cereal, pasta salad, veggies, lean turkey cubes, hummus, guacamole, nut butter, water, etc.)
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Pack your bag team swim suit(s), caps (2), goggles (2), microfiber towel to wipe away water, towel/blanket/parka to stay warm, pool shoes, headphones, warm-ups (pajama pants, joggers, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc), sunscreen (if the meet is outside), bug repellant (if the meet is outside – beware some sunscreens and bug repellant can remove sharpie!)
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Games: travel games (connect 4, battleship, duplos/lego, waterproof cards) phones/tablets should be kept off the pool deck – we want swimmers cheering for their teammates and spending time together, not glued to their phones and tablets.
Before the Meet Starts
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If your swimmer wakes up sick, or for some reason you are unable to make the meet, please text/email your coach(es) to let them know.
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Arrive at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time. This time will be emailed to participating families the week of the meet, along with any additional information available (facility rules, parking, psych sheet, heat sheet, warm-ups)
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Find your spot. Depending on the venue, swimmers may be seated with coaches, and parents and siblings may have another area to hang out between events. This information will go out in the final meet email the week of the meet. If swimmers are located on the pool deck with the coaches, please make sure your swimmer has everything they need (caps, goggles, towels, blankets, chairs, sleeping bags/mats, snacks, water).
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Use the heat sheet or meet mobile to mark your child(ren)’s arms preferably prior to warm-up. Generally, sharpie is best (it can be removed after the meet with oil). Events should be listed Event # - Heat – Lane (event name)
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Event: Number and Name of the race
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Heat: Separates swimmers in an event and is composed of 6-10 swimmers (depending on the number of lanes available)
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Lane: Where a swimmer will compete in their event and heat. A lane can change throughout the meet.
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Time Standards: Minimum qualifying (or maximum time) that’s needed to enter a meet.
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Heat Sheet: A packet that tells swimmers, coaches, and parents what event, heat, and lane a swimmer is in. Can also be found online at MeetMobile.
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Report to warm up on-time (at least 5 minute before the scheduled time for feet to hit the water). It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up with the team. Missing warm-up can result in not being checked in for a meet or relay.
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After warm-up, your swimmer should go back to the team area and prepare for their first event. This is a good time to go to the bathroom, change into their racing suit, drink and eat as time allows.
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The meet will begin about 10-15 minutes after the last warm-ups are over.
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According to USA Swimming rules, parents are not allowed on deck unless they are serving in an official capacity or as a volunteer timer, marshal or other recognized volunteer role.
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Any questions about an officiating call, or conduct of the meet, should be referred through the coaching staff.
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Heat Sheets may be available for purchase, but are often available online through meet mobile. Heat sheets contain all swimmers in each event in order (either slowest to fastest, fastest to slowest or circle seeded). When team entries are sent in, a swimmer’s best time (or best time within a required time frame) is included. If you see a swimmer entered with a “NT” (no time), that means there is no time on file for that swimmer in that particular event.
The Meet
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It is important for swimmers to know what event numbers they are swimming, how much time they have before their event(s), and learn how to calculate the time to begin proper dry-deck and in-pool warm-up procedures. Swimmers should seek to learn how to properly warm-up on their own before each race.
Swimmers should check with their coach prior to lining up behind the blocks. Swimmers should give themselves a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes to wait for their next event behind the blocks. Swimmers should line up in order of heat behind the assigned blocks, and check in with timers prior to their event.
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The race is swum. Swimmers should wait in the pool until (a) the last swimmer has finished, attempting to shake hands with race competitors; or (b) until the next heat enters the water (called fly-over or over-the-top starts); or (c) in the case of relays, everyone except the last swimmer exits the pool as soon as their leg is swum. The final swimmer waits in the water until the last swimmer from each team finishes.
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Preparing to Race. Several short whistle blasts call swimmers in the next heat to the blocks. One long whistle blast calls swimmers to step into the water, or step onto the blocks. Swimmers should get into “ready position.” Once the “take your marks” the swimmers should take their race start position and remain statue still – any movement from this point until the starting buzzer can lead to a disqualification as a “false start.” At the starting buzzer, the swimmers should begin their race.
After each swim, swimmers should get their time (from the timer or the results board), then go immediately to speak to their coach to receive important feedback.
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After checking in with the coach, swimmers should go complete their appropriate warm-down (in pool or dry-deck).
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Swim Meet Etiquette
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Respect the belongings of others, be aware of your surroundings.
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Be mindful of other swimmers in the pool and around the pool deck.
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Practice good sportsmanship (meet, interact with, and congratulate swimmers from other teams). Win with grace, lose with dignity.
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Get caught doing good things (when cheering for teammates, trying to stay out of the way of officials, coaches, and parents who may be videoing/photographing; cheer on swimmers racing for the first time, who struggle to just finish, or any reason at all).
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Thank officials, timers, volunteers, meet hosts, and coaches
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Clean up after yourself!
What to say
To your swimmer after a race or the meet:
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Ask the swimmer for something they believe they did well – congratulate them on the achievement
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Tell them how excited you were to see them race (regardless of if you think they did well or not – tell them how much you enjoyed watching them swim. Your child does not want to disappoint you, any hint of disappointment when a swimmer has truly done their best can be demotivating)
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If your swimmer is upset with their performance, ask them why. Ask them if they talked to their coach about it. If something happened outside of their control, try to re-direct their attention to the things they did well that were within their control. Ask them if there is something they can do in practice so they can perform that race better in the future. Always try to get them to focus on positive things – and the next race. We can’t change the past, but we can try to do better in our next race.
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Please do not offer monetary incentives or “bribes” for swimmer performance. We must focus on best effort – not best time. If your swimmer did the best they could in that race on that day, that is all we can ask for. Pushing for results tends to create performance anxiety and can lead to the exact opposite result.
Remember, we can learn from failure – we need swimmers to embrace the opportunities to learn from mistakes to become stronger swimmers. Swimmers who feel punished for underperforming will avoid situations where failure is possible. Swimmers deserve to have meets be a positive experience and be rewarded for their dedication and commitment.