NVSL team that doesn't seed B meets here. Occasionally do both swimming an age group up or mixed genders (but separate results), usually because a kid is late to clerk of course.

Anonymous wrote:DD swims for an NVSL team that doesn't seed B meets. Kids go to CoC with their cards, which are collected and arranged into heats by event number. We will mix genders for the final heat of boys/first heat of girls if the numbers make sense to cut down on empty lanes. The older kids tend to be a bit less structured since CoC will often let them choose their own lanes and/or ask to swim in a heat with a friend regardless of seed times.

I'm glad they don't pre-seed. There are always kids who sign up for B meets and don't show, so there'd be a lot of empty lanes if they did. This way CoC is able to send out full heats most of the time and the meet runs more efficiently.

Wow - we don't really get many no-shows at our B meets except for illness. I can understand how last-minute drop-outs would be a significant logistical problem.

But I also think that requesting lanes isn't a great way to acclimate kids to how swimming works if they're planning to continue with the sport. Yes, summer swim is rec league and fun (believe me, I'm very much into that), but preseeding heats by times shows swimmers that B meets are being taken seriously and so are their times and their hard work. I'm therefore pro-seeding but still have a lot of respect for people who can build heats from cards in the moment.

DD swims for an NVSL team that doesn't seed B meets. Kids go to CoC with their cards, which are collected and arranged into heats by event number. We will mix genders for the final heat of boys/first heat of girls if the numbers make sense to cut down on empty lanes. The older kids tend to be a bit less structured since CoC will often let them choose their own lanes and/or ask to swim in a heat with a friend regardless of seed times.

I'm glad they don't pre-seed. There are always kids who sign up for B meets and don't show, so there'd be a lot of empty lanes if they did. This way CoC is able to send out full heats most of the time and the meet runs more efficiently.

Wow I’m glad my kids swim for MCSL. The problems you are citing, op, would be frustrating for me, too. What a strange set-up.

MCSL, regular age groups seeded. B meets are treated like A meets, as they should be. I don’t even realize there were variations (it sounds like all of MCSL does it the this way).

As others have said sometimes mixed gender heats to fill lanes and move faster (usually at older ages).

MCSL. Regular age groups, sometimes mixed gender heats to go through faster.

NVSL: our B meet league seeds official events by age group/time, mixed gender (ie, there is a 9/10 mixed 50 free, 11/12 mixed 50 free, etc.). Exhibition events are mixed gender and 9 and over (ie, there is a 9 and over mixed exhibition free, seeded by times, a 9 and over mixed 50 back, seeded by times, etc.), Obviously this doesn’t apply to most 25s, where you can’t consolidate age groups for exhibition.

NVSL team that doesn’t seed B meets.

Anonymous wrote:We're MCSL. We seed by regular age groups. The most we'll ever do is mixed gender to race, then separate the results, and even that's rare.

We are MCSL and use the regular age groups too. Each of our B meets is mixed gender heats with separate results.

NVSL we swim regular age groups combined gender and split results later. 12 and under them 13 and over for IM.

We're MCSL. We seed by regular age groups. The most we'll ever do is mixed gender to race, then separate the results, and even that's rare.

The middle ground in this is seed events and 12 and under and 13 and over. Problem solved.

“ Our CSL team is now seeding the B meets with kids aged 9 through 18 in the sameevent. For instance, 9-18 girls 50BR. So young swimmers ages 9-10 are in the same heats as swimmers 17-18.”


Sounds terrible for summer swim

And is the heat sheet shared before the meet?

How does your team seed the meet? Are you in NVSL or CSL or another league? Our CSL team is now seeding the B meets with kids aged 9 through 18 in the sameevent. For instance, 9-18 girls 50BR. So young swimmers ages 9-10 are in the same heats as swimmers 17-18. My swimmers (and I) hate this. It’s not as fun when the kids are not in clerk of course with their friends who are the same age. And it’s demoralizing if potentially a 9 or a 10 year old races and beats a 17 or 18 year old. Plus there are social issues with teens perhaps discussing certain topics or using certain language around younger children.

What does your team too? What do you think? I wish the CSL would ban this. The priority should be fun and social in addition to being efficient.