Carnival relay A meet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Generally each age/gender grouping sends 4 kids. You need 4 for your medley team. Usually contained in those 4 is your 2 fastest freestylers and they swim more events so typically your 3 and 4 only swim one event.

Thank you. It sounds like if my kid is not the top two of freestyle, he is just swimming one event for the Carnival Relay A. What if he is the top two of the freestyle for 8 and under? Would he swim two events? Trying to decide if it's worth modifying our vacation plans. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally each age/gender grouping sends 4 kids. You need 4 for your medley team. Usually contained in those 4 is your 2 fastest freestylers and they swim more events so typically your 3 and 4 only swim one event.

Thank you. It sounds like if my kid is not the top two of freestyle, he is just swimming one event for the Carnival Relay A. What if he is the top two of the freestyle for 8 and under? Would he swim two events? Trying to decide if it's worth modifying our vacation plans. Thanks!

I’m a longtime summer and club swim parent and I’m going to be honest with you, 8 and under A relay carnival is not worth modifying vacation plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally each age/gender grouping sends 4 kids. You need 4 for your medley team. Usually contained in those 4 is your 2 fastest freestylers and they swim more events so typically your 3 and 4 only swim one event.

Thank you. It sounds like if my kid is not the top two of freestyle, he is just swimming one event for the Carnival Relay A. What if he is the top two of the freestyle for 8 and under? Would he swim two events? Trying to decide if it's worth modifying our vacation plans. Thanks!

I’m a longtime summer and club swim parent and I’m going to be honest with you, 8 and under A relay carnival is not worth modifying vacation plans.

100% go on vacation. As a summer, club (year 'round) and collegiate swim parent go on vacation... As your child ages, if they become passionate about swimming and ask you to make sure they can be around for meets then do it. I do not regret my kids going to camp or family reunions instead of summer swim - A meets or relay carnival, we do try not to leave town for Divisionals. We have become an August vacation family as a result of my kids' desires... At your child's age, go on vacation.

[Anonymous]

Is it worth going to the carnival relay A for just one event? This is for one of the upper division teams (think top 3). Our swimmer is number 3 for FS and will only be doing the medley. Should we bother going? This is our first year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth going to the carnival relay A for just one event? This is for one of the upper division teams (think top 3). Our swimmer is number 3 for FS and will only be doing the medley. Should we bother going? This is our first year.

If you’re going to be in town and don’t have other plans, why not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth going to the carnival relay A for just one event? This is for one of the upper division teams (think top 3). Our swimmer is number 3 for FS and will only be doing the medley. Should we bother going? This is our first year.

If you’re going to be in town and don’t have other plans, why not.

Yes, if you are around. My kid is the #4 FS and last year their IM relay made all stars and they won at all stars. My kid will likely never go to divisionals or individual all stars - so this was a pretty cool thing for them.

[Anonymous]

Also lots of fun to cheer on your team at carnival. Every event is a relay!

[Anonymous]

How long is the relay meet generally? First timer & DC is an alt, so won’t be swimming. Do alts really need to stay for the entire meet?

[Anonymous]

If it is MCSL you can check the order of events here https://mcsl.org/dynamic/order-of-events-relays and you’ll see what events your swimmer has a possibility of swimming in. It’s typically over in the same amount of time as a Saturday A meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it is MCSL you can check the order of events here https://mcsl.org/dynamic/order-of-events-relays and you’ll see what events your swimmer has a possibility of swimming in. It’s typically over in the same amount of time as a Saturday A meet.

Thanks for posting this. If you kid is not the top two in freestyle, you kid will only swim one event, correct?

[Anonymous]

Generally yes. The only exception would be if they are a truly outstanding non-freestyle swimmer and they get picked to be in the 14U graduated medley which requires 4 strokes and 4 ages. For example they need a person from the 9-10 to do one of the strokes. So if you’re a 9-10 that is great at breast you might do that and then an 11-12 might do back etc. It all depends how the slots fall and what other people on your team are great at. If you have an awesome 9-10 fly person then if you’re a great 9-10 breaststroker you wouldn’t get picked UNLESS you have an even better 11-12 fly person and no 11-12 breaststroker. It is a bit of a puzzle sometimes trying to seed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Generally yes. The only exception would be if they are a truly outstanding non-freestyle swimmer and they get picked to be in the 14U graduated medley which requires 4 strokes and 4 ages. For example they need a person from the 9-10 to do one of the strokes. So if you’re a 9-10 that is great at breast you might do that and then an 11-12 might do back etc. It all depends how the slots fall and what other people on your team are great at. If you have an awesome 9-10 fly person then if you’re a great 9-10 breaststroker you wouldn’t get picked UNLESS you have an even better 11-12 fly person and no 11-12 breaststroker. It is a bit of a puzzle sometimes trying to seed it.

Ahh thank you! This is helpful. I didn’t realize there is no specific stroke for a specific age group. I always thought the 8U would swim free in that 14U medley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally yes. The only exception would be if they are a truly outstanding non-freestyle swimmer and they get picked to be in the 14U graduated medley which requires 4 strokes and 4 ages. For example they need a person from the 9-10 to do one of the strokes. So if you’re a 9-10 that is great at breast you might do that and then an 11-12 might do back etc. It all depends how the slots fall and what other people on your team are great at. If you have an awesome 9-10 fly person then if you’re a great 9-10 breaststroker you wouldn’t get picked UNLESS you have an even better 11-12 fly person and no 11-12 breaststroker. It is a bit of a puzzle sometimes trying to seed it.

Ahh thank you! This is helpful. I didn’t realize there is no specific stroke for a specific age group. I always thought the 8U would swim free in that 14U medley.

Free is definitely the most common for 8U but by no means universal. The results are listed in swimmer order BK BR FL FR on swimstandards.com so you look and see what age bracket does which stroke