First swim meet question

[Anonymous]

OP, make sure to pack water, snacks, and entertainment for DC (even a book to read), and a hoodie and an extra towel to relax on if they decide to make a little camp to play cards or anything like that. Concessions have been nonexistent at every winter meet we've ever been at (YMMV), so don't count on being able to buy anything.

Make sure DC knows that it will probably not be super-feasible to come and find you, so they will need to plan to stay with the team and (like PPs said) have an exact spot to connect with you when their events are over (tell them to come right out after their events and not try to hang longer with friends). They will also need to try to help keep track of the events as they go by, and not go to the bathroom when their event is coming up.

Heat sheets can actually be hard to come by sometimes, and for the big meets (like PVS October Open) they are extremely long and probably not feasible to print out and expect DC to follow. +100 to writing down their events, heats, and lanes for them, and emphasizing checking in with the coaches. Make sure that they find their team and coaches when they first arrive and that they know who is in charge, because the coaches supervising the meet may or may not be the ones DC actually recognizes from practice, especially on the larger teams.

If you are attending PVS October Open at Fairland, the team areas are pretty much designated with banners hung on the walls around the pool area. You can go into the stands with DC to get a high-altitude view and spot their team area (if it's not directly under you!) before you send them down.

Meet Mobile does not actually track the meets in real time (more like serious lag time), so do _not_ depend on it to let you guess when to dip into the viewing area for DC's events - and don't rely 100% on the projected meet timeline, either. Stay close enough in range to check the scoreboard every now and then to know what event is up if you don't want to miss DC's swims.

If DC has never used touchpads on the finish, reassure them that their time may show up on the scoreboard as a blank line if the touchpad does not engage, and their time will be pulled from the timers' watches and entered later. A non-touchpad finish does not automatically mean a DQ as long as the finish itself is legal in the usual way.

Finally, let DC know how different this is from summer swim. No name announcements, no cheering, no silly costumes, and not much team-based energy at all (YMMV). The hope is to have a fun and relaxed hangout day (as possible) while swimming the best time DC can post in their races. The goal is for them to do their best.

And total agreement with PPs as well who said spectators should dress for the summertime! Leave your coat and outerwear in the car, put your keys and wallet in your pocket, and try to carry as little as possible into those crowded bleachers.

Best wishes to DC!

[Anonymous]

^^ Different PP, chiming in about the touchpads. Even the kids who have been to a bunch of meets don't always hit the touchpads correctly. And the touchpads malfunction.

That's why there are stopwatches and plungers. Please tell your kid not to worry if they look up and don't see a time; it does NOT indicate a DQ, just that the pad didn't register. (DQs are completely separate from any timers or timing devices.)

I know this seems silly, but I've seen a lot of kids crying over a blank time, erroneously thinking it's a DQ.

[Anonymous]

Depending on the team, 10 year olds need to get themselves in the correct event, heat and lane on their own. This can be stressful for the kids. Make sure he knows to listen to the coaches if they are calling out events, ask the coaches where he needs to be and overall pays attention. Sending them with an ipad may seem like a good idea, but kids def just zone out and miss events.

Also depending on how fast the meet is running, kids can swim a 50 and then need to get ready to swim the next event. Just make sure he knows that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, make sure to pack water, snacks, and entertainment for DC (even a book to read), and a hoodie and an extra towel to relax on if they decide to make a little camp to play cards or anything like that. Concessions have been nonexistent at every winter meet we've ever been at (YMMV), so don't count on being able to buy anything.

Make sure DC knows that it will probably not be super-feasible to come and find you, so they will need to plan to stay with the team and (like PPs said) have an exact spot to connect with you when their events are over (tell them to come right out after their events and not try to hang longer with friends). They will also need to try to help keep track of the events as they go by, and not go to the bathroom when their event is coming up.

Heat sheets can actually be hard to come by sometimes, and for the big meets (like PVS October Open) they are extremely long and probably not feasible to print out and expect DC to follow. +100 to writing down their events, heats, and lanes for them, and emphasizing checking in with the coaches. Make sure that they find their team and coaches when they first arrive and that they know who is in charge, because the coaches supervising the meet may or may not be the ones DC actually recognizes from practice, especially on the larger teams.

If you are attending PVS October Open at Fairland, the team areas are pretty much designated with banners hung on the walls around the pool area. You can go into the stands with DC to get a high-altitude view and spot their team area (if it's not directly under you!) before you send them down.

Meet Mobile does not actually track the meets in real time (more like serious lag time), so do _not_ depend on it to let you guess when to dip into the viewing area for DC's events - and don't rely 100% on the projected meet timeline, either. Stay close enough in range to check the scoreboard every now and then to know what event is up if you don't want to miss DC's swims.

If DC has never used touchpads on the finish, reassure them that their time may show up on the scoreboard as a blank line if the touchpad does not engage, and their time will be pulled from the timers' watches and entered later. A non-touchpad finish does not automatically mean a DQ as long as the finish itself is legal in the usual way.

Finally, let DC know how different this is from summer swim. No name announcements, no cheering, no silly costumes, and not much team-based energy at all (YMMV). The hope is to have a fun and relaxed hangout day (as possible) while swimming the best time DC can post in their races. The goal is for them to do their best.

And total agreement with PPs as well who said spectators should dress for the summertime! Leave your coat and outerwear in the car, put your keys and wallet in your pocket, and try to carry as little as possible into those crowded bleachers.

Best wishes to DC!

DP - just chiming in regarding the bolded, which really does vary by team. Ours (Machine) has lots of kids cheering each other on, a coach watches Machine swimmers during every heat - yes, even at the Open meets, and generally does a great job of making things fun and team-based. I know that's not the case for all club programs, but wanted to offer a different take than what is so often described on this page, i.e., club swim is an individual sport, with no team focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, make sure to pack water, snacks, and entertainment for DC (even a book to read), and a hoodie and an extra towel to relax on if they decide to make a little camp to play cards or anything like that. Concessions have been nonexistent at every winter meet we've ever been at (YMMV), so don't count on being able to buy anything.

Make sure DC knows that it will probably not be super-feasible to come and find you, so they will need to plan to stay with the team and (like PPs said) have an exact spot to connect with you when their events are over (tell them to come right out after their events and not try to hang longer with friends). They will also need to try to help keep track of the events as they go by, and not go to the bathroom when their event is coming up.

Heat sheets can actually be hard to come by sometimes, and for the big meets (like PVS October Open) they are extremely long and probably not feasible to print out and expect DC to follow. +100 to writing down their events, heats, and lanes for them, and emphasizing checking in with the coaches. Make sure that they find their team and coaches when they first arrive and that they know who is in charge, because the coaches supervising the meet may or may not be the ones DC actually recognizes from practice, especially on the larger teams.

If you are attending PVS October Open at Fairland, the team areas are pretty much designated with banners hung on the walls around the pool area. You can go into the stands with DC to get a high-altitude view and spot their team area (if it's not directly under you!) before you send them down.

Meet Mobile does not actually track the meets in real time (more like serious lag time), so do _not_ depend on it to let you guess when to dip into the viewing area for DC's events - and don't rely 100% on the projected meet timeline, either. Stay close enough in range to check the scoreboard every now and then to know what event is up if you don't want to miss DC's swims.

If DC has never used touchpads on the finish, reassure them that their time may show up on the scoreboard as a blank line if the touchpad does not engage, and their time will be pulled from the timers' watches and entered later. A non-touchpad finish does not automatically mean a DQ as long as the finish itself is legal in the usual way.

Finally, let DC know how different this is from summer swim. No name announcements, no cheering, no silly costumes, and not much team-based energy at all (YMMV). The hope is to have a fun and relaxed hangout day (as possible) while swimming the best time DC can post in their races. The goal is for them to do their best.

And total agreement with PPs as well who said spectators should dress for the summertime! Leave your coat and outerwear in the car, put your keys and wallet in your pocket, and try to carry as little as possible into those crowded bleachers.

Best wishes to DC!

DP - just chiming in regarding the bolded, which really does vary by team. Ours (Machine) has lots of kids cheering each other on, a coach watches Machine swimmers during every heat - yes, even at the Open meets, and generally does a great job of making things fun and team-based. I know that's not the case for all club programs, but wanted to offer a different take than what is so often described on this page, i.e., club swim is an individual sport, with no team focus.

Is anyone familiar with Marlins at meets? Are the coaches hands-off or involved at all? Anything a brand new swimmer should know about how they run things?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, make sure to pack water, snacks, and entertainment for DC (even a book to read), and a hoodie and an extra towel to relax on if they decide to make a little camp to play cards or anything like that. Concessions have been nonexistent at every winter meet we've ever been at (YMMV), so don't count on being able to buy anything.

Make sure DC knows that it will probably not be super-feasible to come and find you, so they will need to plan to stay with the team and (like PPs said) have an exact spot to connect with you when their events are over (tell them to come right out after their events and not try to hang longer with friends). They will also need to try to help keep track of the events as they go by, and not go to the bathroom when their event is coming up.

Heat sheets can actually be hard to come by sometimes, and for the big meets (like PVS October Open) they are extremely long and probably not feasible to print out and expect DC to follow. +100 to writing down their events, heats, and lanes for them, and emphasizing checking in with the coaches. Make sure that they find their team and coaches when they first arrive and that they know who is in charge, because the coaches supervising the meet may or may not be the ones DC actually recognizes from practice, especially on the larger teams.

If you are attending PVS October Open at Fairland, the team areas are pretty much designated with banners hung on the walls around the pool area. You can go into the stands with DC to get a high-altitude view and spot their team area (if it's not directly under you!) before you send them down.

Meet Mobile does not actually track the meets in real time (more like serious lag time), so do _not_ depend on it to let you guess when to dip into the viewing area for DC's events - and don't rely 100% on the projected meet timeline, either. Stay close enough in range to check the scoreboard every now and then to know what event is up if you don't want to miss DC's swims.

If DC has never used touchpads on the finish, reassure them that their time may show up on the scoreboard as a blank line if the touchpad does not engage, and their time will be pulled from the timers' watches and entered later. A non-touchpad finish does not automatically mean a DQ as long as the finish itself is legal in the usual way.

Finally, let DC know how different this is from summer swim. No name announcements, no cheering, no silly costumes, and not much team-based energy at all (YMMV). The hope is to have a fun and relaxed hangout day (as possible) while swimming the best time DC can post in their races. The goal is for them to do their best.

And total agreement with PPs as well who said spectators should dress for the summertime! Leave your coat and outerwear in the car, put your keys and wallet in your pocket, and try to carry as little as possible into those crowded bleachers.

Best wishes to DC!

DP - just chiming in regarding the bolded, which really does vary by team. Ours (Machine) has lots of kids cheering each other on, a coach watches Machine swimmers during every heat - yes, even at the Open meets, and generally does a great job of making things fun and team-based. I know that's not the case for all club programs, but wanted to offer a different take than what is so often described on this page, i.e., club swim is an individual sport, with no team focus.

Is anyone familiar with Marlins at meets? Are the coaches hands-off or involved at all? Anything a brand new swimmer should know about how they run things?

We're not with Marlins, but meets are often mass chaos with coaches and Marshalls trying to get kids lined up in heats. I wouldn't judge a coach that wasn't able to be there cheering, as they may be finding a backup pair of goggles to replace a set that broke, dealing with a kid who thinks they're about to puke, coaching a kid through anxiety, or any of a million things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he has a large and organized club, he will sit with them and they will get him to his races. It will be boring for you- bring a book

Or "watch" on meet mobile from the venue of your choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, make sure to pack water, snacks, and entertainment for DC (even a book to read), and a hoodie and an extra towel to relax on if they decide to make a little camp to play cards or anything like that. Concessions have been nonexistent at every winter meet we've ever been at (YMMV), so don't count on being able to buy anything.

Make sure DC knows that it will probably not be super-feasible to come and find you, so they will need to plan to stay with the team and (like PPs said) have an exact spot to connect with you when their events are over (tell them to come right out after their events and not try to hang longer with friends). They will also need to try to help keep track of the events as they go by, and not go to the bathroom when their event is coming up.

Heat sheets can actually be hard to come by sometimes, and for the big meets (like PVS October Open) they are extremely long and probably not feasible to print out and expect DC to follow. +100 to writing down their events, heats, and lanes for them, and emphasizing checking in with the coaches. Make sure that they find their team and coaches when they first arrive and that they know who is in charge, because the coaches supervising the meet may or may not be the ones DC actually recognizes from practice, especially on the larger teams.

If you are attending PVS October Open at Fairland, the team areas are pretty much designated with banners hung on the walls around the pool area. You can go into the stands with DC to get a high-altitude view and spot their team area (if it's not directly under you!) before you send them down.

Meet Mobile does not actually track the meets in real time (more like serious lag time), so do _not_ depend on it to let you guess when to dip into the viewing area for DC's events - and don't rely 100% on the projected meet timeline, either. Stay close enough in range to check the scoreboard every now and then to know what event is up if you don't want to miss DC's swims.

If DC has never used touchpads on the finish, reassure them that their time may show up on the scoreboard as a blank line if the touchpad does not engage, and their time will be pulled from the timers' watches and entered later. A non-touchpad finish does not automatically mean a DQ as long as the finish itself is legal in the usual way.

Finally, let DC know how different this is from summer swim. No name announcements, no cheering, no silly costumes, and not much team-based energy at all (YMMV). The hope is to have a fun and relaxed hangout day (as possible) while swimming the best time DC can post in their races. The goal is for them to do their best.

And total agreement with PPs as well who said spectators should dress for the summertime! Leave your coat and outerwear in the car, put your keys and wallet in your pocket, and try to carry as little as possible into those crowded bleachers.

Best wishes to DC!

DP - just chiming in regarding the bolded, which really does vary by team. Ours (Machine) has lots of kids cheering each other on, a coach watches Machine swimmers during every heat - yes, even at the Open meets, and generally does a great job of making things fun and team-based. I know that's not the case for all club programs, but wanted to offer a different take than what is so often described on this page, i.e., club swim is an individual sport, with no team focus.

Is anyone familiar with Marlins at meets? Are the coaches hands-off or involved at all? Anything a brand new swimmer should know about how they run things?

Marlins coaches will loudly announce events and tell swimmers as a group it's time for 11-12 girls freestyle to go over. They're not going to find an individual kid and walk them over-- not unless it's a mini meet. At mini meets they try to have teenaged volunteers to herd the little ones.

[Anonymous]

The Makos meet venue has little to no spectator area. Volunteer if you want to watch.

[Anonymous]

Speaking as timer starting my 3rd year now, for your swimmer the most important is the event and lane. The lane timers can redirect them (and it is much appreciated when they arrive early!!) to the proper heat, but if they just know the event and heat it will be hard to get them in the right lane.

For you keeping track from the stands so you know when to cheer on your swimmer if you have heat sheets via meet mobile or PDF, you can usually suss it out via the distance and stroke and then try to watch the caps and observe which lanes they are in. RMSC are white, DCWave are yellow or pink etc. So for example if you see RMSC caps in lanes 3,4, and 6 only then you can usually triangulate to figure out where you are in the meet.

Which actual venue is it going to be at?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking as timer starting my 3rd year now, for your swimmer the most important is the event and lane. The lane timers can redirect them (and it is much appreciated when they arrive early!!) to the proper heat, but if they just know the event and heat it will be hard to get them in the right lane.

For you keeping track from the stands so you know when to cheer on your swimmer if you have heat sheets via meet mobile or PDF, you can usually suss it out via the distance and stroke and then try to watch the caps and observe which lanes they are in. RMSC are white, DCWave are yellow or pink etc. So for example if you see RMSC caps in lanes 3,4, and 6 only then you can usually triangulate to figure out where you are in the meet.

Which actual venue is it going to be at?

Thank you! Franconia Rec - it's the PVS October Open.