How Are A Meet Lineups Determined on Your Team?

[Anonymous]

How does your team determine which swimmers are selected for A meets, and are those guidelines communicated to families?

This is our first year on a new summer swim team after a move, so we’re still learning how things work here. The meet program came out this morning, and I noticed that some swimmers, including my son, are not entered in certain events, while other swimmers with slower seed times are entered in those events.

I’m not looking to challenge coaching decisions. I know there are often factors beyond raw times that go into meet entries. I’m mostly trying to understand how the process works in this area and whether other teams provide published criteria or explanations for A-meet selections.

I tried explaining to my son that the coach may be trying to make the meet experience as inclusive as possible and give more swimmers opportunities to compete, but that didn’t land particularly well with my 13 year-old when he knows he has a faster time than some of the swimmers entered in those events, especially when he is only swimming 1 event and others are swimming 3 and the IM.

I’d appreciate hearing how your teams handle this. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It should all be based upon the ladder set during time trials. Sometimes coaches also make strategic decisions about where to place kids based upon times and swimmers from the other teams. Johnny might have a faster 50 BK than Mike but he might also be the only legal 50 Fly or most competitive against the other team’s best flyer. Mike might have a good enough BK time to still get the team points so coach makes a strategic decision about where to place kids. If he has faster times in the events than the kid swimming 3 events it might be worth gently inquiring with the coach. It’s possible since you’re new that the coach somehow doesn’t have all of his times (they likely can’t use USAS or last years summer swim times)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should all be based upon the ladder set during time trials. Sometimes coaches also make strategic decisions about where to place kids based upon times and swimmers from the other teams. Johnny might have a faster 50 BK than Mike but he might also be the only legal 50 Fly or most competitive against the other team’s best flyer. Mike might have a good enough BK time to still get the team points so coach makes a strategic decision about where to place kids. If he has faster times in the events than the kid swimming 3 events it might be worth gently inquiring with the coach. It’s possible since you’re new that the coach somehow doesn’t have all of his times (they likely can’t use USAS or last years summer swim times)

+1. There is strategy that goes into what events kids swim, especially if they are in the top 3 in the majority of events, but there should not be a situation like your son’s where he is not maxed out on events and there are kids with slower times than him entered in events that he could have swam. They generally will not use club times or last summer’s times from a different team though.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like a mistake so long as you're taking about his times from this year's time trials being faster. Before taking to a coach, make sure that you did everything right in whatever sign up system your team is using. Is it possible you forgot to say he was available and the one event was the accident?

[Anonymous]

Did you declare his availability for the A meet?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I did declare him as available and the times I’m talking about are from this summer, time trials and the first B meet.

[Anonymous]

Yes I would politely inquire

[Anonymous]

This does not make sense at all if he’s only swimming one event and faster than the others. I would definitely check with the coach. Please let us know what the coach says as I am curious to know what could be the coach’s strategy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does your team determine which swimmers are selected for A meets, and are those guidelines communicated to families?

This is our first year on a new summer swim team after a move, so we’re still learning how things work here. The meet program came out this morning, and I noticed that some swimmers, including my son, are not entered in certain events, while other swimmers with slower seed times are entered in those events.

I’m not looking to challenge coaching decisions. I know there are often factors beyond raw times that go into meet entries. I’m mostly trying to understand how the process works in this area and whether other teams provide published criteria or explanations for A-meet selections.

I tried explaining to my son that the coach may be trying to make the meet experience as inclusive as possible and give more swimmers opportunities to compete, but that didn’t land particularly well with my 13 year-old when he knows he has a faster time than some of the swimmers entered in those events, especially when he is only swimming 1 event and others are swimming 3 and the IM.

I’d appreciate hearing how your teams handle this. Thanks!

Does he even have an IM time yet for this team? I know our team doesn't do IM at time trials and he's new to the team so he wouldn't have one yet. I'd try to get an IM time at the first B meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I did declare him as available and the times I’m talking about are from this summer, time trials and the first B meet.

Did you join the group of parents that provides initial seeding recommendations to the coach? Based on my experience, if you want your kid in their favorite events, having a seat in the parent seeding meeting is key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does your team determine which swimmers are selected for A meets, and are those guidelines communicated to families?

This is our first year on a new summer swim team after a move, so we’re still learning how things work here. The meet program came out this morning, and I noticed that some swimmers, including my son, are not entered in certain events, while other swimmers with slower seed times are entered in those events.

I’m not looking to challenge coaching decisions. I know there are often factors beyond raw times that go into meet entries. I’m mostly trying to understand how the process works in this area and whether other teams provide published criteria or explanations for A-meet selections.

I tried explaining to my son that the coach may be trying to make the meet experience as inclusive as possible and give more swimmers opportunities to compete, but that didn’t land particularly well with my 13 year-old when he knows he has a faster time than some of the swimmers entered in those events, especially when he is only swimming 1 event and others are swimming 3 and the IM.

I’d appreciate hearing how your teams handle this. Thanks!

I am a team rep and sometimes when my coach seeds he will put kids in one event because he doesn't think that they have the stamina to swim multiple events and still get the same times. He often wants to "rest up" swimmers and limit their events. Coaches also try and be inclusive to get swimmers in, if a third lane is not going to get you points, you might put a kid in to have more kids on deck, which can help with scratches. Something else that is very much the reality - if your Ref or S&T are needed to work the meet - you have to make sure that they have a kid swimming in the meet. Generally key officials/volunteers have the faster kids but if a group is really competitive some creative seeding will happen to get a kid in the meet, particularly a third lane where you are not going to score points, to make sure you have the Official you need on deck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I did declare him as available and the times I’m talking about are from this summer, time trials and the first B meet.

Did you join the group of parents that provides initial seeding recommendations to the coach? Based on my experience, if you want your kid in their favorite events, having a seat in the parent seeding meeting is key.

What the heck is a parent seeding meeting? That sounds corrupt. Our coaches do all the seeding with no parent input. It's possible the coach may ask a swimmer which race they prefer if there is a choice but it's absolutely not up to parents.

[Anonymous]

He probably just wants to make sure your kid doesn’t reach his full potential and/or he doesn’t like you.

[Anonymous]

It’s supposed to be based on times and yes there is strategy about where to use kids. You could have a fast kid not swimming their own fastest event because they are needed in 2 other strokes to get points, for example.

The stuff about parent seeding meetings (what does that even mean?) and officials kids needing to swim in the meet sound like crap to me but not surprised or questioning that probably happens some places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I did declare him as available and the times I’m talking about are from this summer, time trials and the first B meet.

Did you join the group of parents that provides initial seeding recommendations to the coach? Based on my experience, if you want your kid in their favorite events, having a seat in the parent seeding meeting is key.

OP - this is sarcasm in case you don’t detect it (I didn’t write it)