Swim meet times?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is new to swim team, and I’m trying to figure out how scheduling works. I see for example that her first meet starts at 10. How long will it last? Is there a way to sign up for events only up until a certain time? And how about for two day events — is it possible to sign up for only Sunday events?

Or if you have to sign up without knowing the times, can you skip an event after signing up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is new to swim team, and I’m trying to figure out how scheduling works. I see for example that her first meet starts at 10. How long will it last? Is there a way to sign up for events only up until a certain time? And how about for two day events — is it possible to sign up for only Sunday events?

Or if you have to sign up without knowing the times, can you skip an event after signing up?

Assuming she’s 12&u, rules established by USA swimming limit the session to 4 hours or less.

If you have to leave early, sign up for early events rather than events at the end of the session.

Yes, you can sign up for Sunday only events. Your team may want your DD to participate both days though. If so, just explain the absence to her coaches.

Sometimes session times change after you sign up. Even if they don’t, you always have the option of scratching one or more events after signing up. Again, your team may frown on this. And if you scratch late you may end up paying entry fees for events your DD doesn’t swim. Work with your team admin to figure out their processes related to entries and scratches.

This link might help you too: https://www.teamunify.com/vadcst/__eventform__/1188023_What%20to%20Expect%20at%20a%20USA%20Swimming%20Swim%20Meet%20(1).pdf

[Anonymous]

If you’re in the DC area, find the meet here: http://www.pvswim.org/schedule.html

and see if a timeline is posted, but 12 and under meets can’t be more than four hours a session.

[Anonymous]

She can skip events you've signed up for-- but know that your team still will charge you the fee, which is usually 5-6 dollars per event and can be more.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you don’t need to participate in both days. You can definitely skip the event you are signed up for. Happens all the time.

[Anonymous]

I’m curious why kids don’t go to meets. Meets tell you if you are dropping time and improving. Why go to practices weekly and not go to meets?

It’s like going to basketball or baseball practice and never playing in a game. How do you know how you will do in a game with teammates and the competitive environment?

You do not have to do both days. Most places let you choose your events.

[Anonymous]

When my kids were little / getting started we’d usually look at the event schedule then pick one day of the meet to do and pick events based on that and what they wanted to swim. Honestly, swim meets are long and pretty awful (hot and boring). If she sticks with it you’ll have plenty of all weekend swim meets in your future and you might reach a point where you have to go to all of them and coaches are picking events for them.

While trying different events is great, it’s also nice to pick one or two favorite events to repeat at most meets so they can see their time drop.

Don’t sign up for events with the intent to skip as another PP suggested. It’s fine if something actually comes up but it sucks for the other kids to be swimming next to empty lanes when they are there to feel like they’re racing someone!

[Anonymous]

Typically the event timeline (which shows approximate times each event will start) doesn’t come out until after the deadline because they don’t know how many people will sign up for a particular event and thus not know how many heats it will take.

You can definitely read the meet announcements and see the order of events but it’s not feasible to come into that with the idea “I only want events that will let me leave by 10”

[Anonymous]

So if our events start at 11:00 and end at 3:30, do we only have to be there for our events? Or are we expected to come at the beginning of the meet early to cheer everyone on? Is it an everyone shows up at the same time things? Or do we all show up at different times?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if our events start at 11:00 and end at 3:30, do we only have to be there for our events? Or are we expected to come at the beginning of the meet early to cheer everyone on? Is it an everyone shows up at the same time things? Or do we all show up at different times?

12U sessions are required to fit into a 4 hour competition window which doesn’t include the warm-up period. So for Saturday of October Open, my 12 year old has warm-ups that start at 12 pm, meaning they have to arrive at 11:45. The actual events start at 1, and they aren’t swimming the last 2 events of the session. We can leave after she cools down, we don’t have to wait for the session to end, so theoretically we would be able to leave probably 30-40 minutes before the session is over. Most times she wants to stay and cheer on her friends though, so we will likely by there to the end. Generally at open meets like this you show up at the beginning for warm up, we only stagger arrivals at open meets for the distance session since those take so long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if our events start at 11:00 and end at 3:30, do we only have to be there for our events? Or are we expected to come at the beginning of the meet early to cheer everyone on? Is it an everyone shows up at the same time things? Or do we all show up at different times?

12U sessions are required to fit into a 4 hour competition window which doesn’t include the warm-up period. So for Saturday of October Open, my 12 year old has warm-ups that start at 12 pm, meaning they have to arrive at 11:45. The actual events start at 1, and they aren’t swimming the last 2 events of the session. We can leave after she cools down, we don’t have to wait for the session to end, so theoretically we would be able to leave probably 30-40 minutes before the session is over. Most times she wants to stay and cheer on her friends though, so we will likely by there to the end. Generally at open meets like this you show up at the beginning for warm up, we only stagger arrivals at open meets for the distance session since those take so long.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I see now on the PVS site where the meets are described. I clicked on official sign-up for PVS Open and found all the info on scheduling. Not that I'm an official...not ready for that yet.

I didn't even know there were three locations for PVS October Open. I have alot to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if our events start at 11:00 and end at 3:30, do we only have to be there for our events? Or are we expected to come at the beginning of the meet early to cheer everyone on? Is it an everyone shows up at the same time things? Or do we all show up at different times?

you have to be there 15 min before warm ups, then can leave when your kid is done. Everyone does a warm up at the designated time, that starts exactly when it says.