Swim Meet Relay Policy? What is your summer teams relay policy?

[Anonymous]

Do most teams require the coach to use ranked times for individual events too? That had always been our team policy but we have a new coach and he skipped a swimmer in one event (but not another event) for today’s meet. And not even back to back events - he skipped her in free and is swimming her in breast. Seems like it would be terrible for morale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, I don’t know what the official policy is because what coach says goes!

Relay cards are completed at the meet not at roster exchange for us (MCSL).

The end of meet relay is determined during the meet (by whatever the deadline is) and sometimes involves strategy of “splitting the relay” so that more points can be won by getting 1st/2nd over 1st/3rd.

I am also a long time swim parent and have never heard the term ladder?

Meaning that yes, today’s free results affect who swims on the free relay.

I’ve had my kid not put on at divisionals, even though they had the fastest best time. The other kid was just swimming better that day, that’s what coach thought was the best strategy. My kid (11 at the time) understood and cheered loudly.

Same here. It's fun to do the relay sometimes but I think most kids understand when they are not picked!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do most teams require the coach to use ranked times for individual events too? That had always been our team policy but we have a new coach and he skipped a swimmer in one event (but not another event) for today’s meet. And not even back to back events - he skipped her in free and is swimming her in breast. Seems like it would be terrible for morale.

Most teams leave it up to the coach's discretion. They may want to give a child an opportunity one meet so they may skip over someone. Swimmers can only swim three individual events so sometimes the fastest kid doesn't get to swim all his or her preferred strokes. It's really based on balancing need for the team. If it's a close meet and they think that they already have fast swimmers who can win in backstroke according to seed times they may put your child in breast stroke for the third stroke even though they are the top in backstroke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do most teams require the coach to use ranked times for individual events too? That had always been our team policy but we have a new coach and he skipped a swimmer in one event (but not another event) for today’s meet. And not even back to back events - he skipped her in free and is swimming her in breast. Seems like it would be terrible for morale.

Most teams leave it up to the coach's discretion. They may want to give a child an opportunity one meet so they may skip over someone. Swimmers can only swim three individual events so sometimes the fastest kid doesn't get to swim all his or her preferred strokes. It's really based on balancing need for the team. If it's a close meet and they think that they already have fast swimmers who can win in backstroke according to seed times they may put your child in breast stroke for the third stroke even though they are the top in backstroke.

Which league allows three individual events? We are NVSL which allows two.

[Anonymous]

Mcal during the meet.

Generally the fastest free times but occasionally the fastest swimmer is not entered in free. So the coaches decide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do most teams require the coach to use ranked times for individual events too? That had always been our team policy but we have a new coach and he skipped a swimmer in one event (but not another event) for today’s meet. And not even back to back events - he skipped her in free and is swimming her in breast. Seems like it would be terrible for morale.

Most teams leave it up to the coach's discretion. They may want to give a child an opportunity one meet so they may skip over someone. Swimmers can only swim three individual events so sometimes the fastest kid doesn't get to swim all his or her preferred strokes. It's really based on balancing need for the team. If it's a close meet and they think that they already have fast swimmers who can win in backstroke according to seed times they may put your child in breast stroke for the third stroke even though they are the top in backstroke.

Which league allows three individual events? We are NVSL which allows two.[/quote

Mcsl has 4 plus a relay or 3 plus 2 relays]

[Anonymous]

MCSL - I thought it was 4 events if one is an IM. You can only do 3/4 for free, back, breast, fly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCSL - I thought it was 4 events if one is an IM. You can only do 3/4 for free, back, breast, fly.

This is correct. IM plus 3 and a relay is allowed. No one is allowed to swim all 4 individual strokes in an A meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCSL - I thought it was 4 events if one is an IM. You can only do 3/4 for free, back, breast, fly.

This is correct. IM plus 3 and a relay is allowed. No one is allowed to swim all 4 individual strokes in an A meet.

Another way to put the MCSL rule is that a swimmer can have up to 5 swims, but only 3 of them can come from free/back/breast/fly. The option for 2 relays is also correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do most teams require the coach to use ranked times for individual events too? That had always been our team policy but we have a new coach and he skipped a swimmer in one event (but not another event) for today’s meet. And not even back to back events - he skipped her in free and is swimming her in breast. Seems like it would be terrible for morale.

Most teams leave it up to the coach's discretion. They may want to give a child an opportunity one meet so they may skip over someone. Swimmers can only swim three individual events so sometimes the fastest kid doesn't get to swim all his or her preferred strokes. It's really based on balancing need for the team. If it's a close meet and they think that they already have fast swimmers who can win in backstroke according to seed times they may put your child in breast stroke for the third stroke even though they are the top in backstroke.

Agree that the coach chooses the event IF the swimmer has the top times for more than 2 events but otherwise, every team I know goes off the ladder. Stick to the data.

[Anonymous]

We’re NVSL and relays are decided based on time swim prior to the Saturday meet. Relay swimmers are not changed the day if the meet unless a kid can’t swim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCSL - I thought it was 4 events if one is an IM. You can only do 3/4 for free, back, breast, fly.

This is correct. IM plus 3 and a relay is allowed. No one is allowed to swim all 4 individual strokes in an A meet.

Thanks.
We don’t do IM in NVSL A meets.

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain the ladder? Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain the ladder? Thanks

At our pool (NVSL) - it’s fastest times this season. It starts at time trials & then there will be Saturday A meets and Monday B meets each week, and after the B meet on Monday - the ladder gets updated with any PRs swam on Sat or Mon that week. The ladder is how they choose who goes to A meets.

I approve of using the ladder & I think it’s fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain the ladder? Thanks

At our pool (NVSL) - it’s fastest times this season. It starts at time trials & then there will be Saturday A meets and Monday B meets each week, and after the B meet on Monday - the ladder gets updated with any PRs swam on Sat or Mon that week. The ladder is how they choose who goes to A meets.

I approve of using the ladder & I think it’s fair.

+1 my kids love that it doesn’t matter if you are the coach’s favorite or if your parents volunteer to most. If you are top 3 in a stroke on the ladder you swim, if you aren’t, you don’t unless someone ahead of you passes on that stroke