D2 is NoVA. If I recall correctly, they change the order of events each year. Kids usually have a time to show up, a couple events before their event. There’s no sense is coming 3 hours before your event to warm up. It’s a long day, few stay the whole time, it typically goes into the afternoon. They have spaced out warm ups by group.

We host every year and parents are assigned a time slot too for volunteering. Parking is difficult, plan for it. There are vendors selling shirts and goggles. I would order ahead a divisional shirt unless your kid is really good and will make it every year. My DD wore hers proudly for years. There typically food for sale too.

Anonymous wrote:Oh also they rotate order of strokes every year. This year it will be free back breast fly I’m. (Last year started with I’m)

Not sure if this is for D2, but in D5 our order is: Free, Back, Breast​
BREAK
2nd Half: Butterfly, IM
So may depend on division

Anonymous wrote:Yes stay the entire meet.
No I don't think it's that long.
Yes to the usual order, but with some relays added in.

Tips:
Go to bed early the night before. Show up on time. There might be limited seats with a good view. It's a large meet with a lot of families there, be positive and show good sportsmanship.

Cheer for teammates. Stay engaged, don't get lost over at concessions, playground, etc.

Also hopefully by now your kid should know to congratulate the swimmers in the lanes to their left and right at the end of each race.

Have fun!

⬆️ Most of this is not accurate for NVSL. Seems this poster was describing another league’s divisionals, just FYI.

The meet order changes every year in the same rotation. You can find all details in the NVSL Handbook. This year is Free-Back-Breast-Fly-IM. Divisionals and All Stars will be the same order every year. Next year will be Back-Breast-Fly-IM-Free, and 2027 will be Breast-Fly-IM-Free-Back.

Oh also they rotate order of strokes every year. This year it will be free back breast fly I’m. (Last year started with I’m)

My experience in NVSL is that swimmers rarely stay for whole meet. There is a warmup before they began each stroke and you will get a timeline that gives a ‘not earlier than’ start for each stroke.

Anonymous wrote:This is the first year my kid will make it to divisionals. D2 if it makes a difference.

Is it like an “A meet” where kids must stay for the entire meet?

It looks like it lasts maybe 5-6 hours, is that right?

Does it follow the usual free > back > breast > fly order?

Anything else/tips to share?

D1 here. Do NOT stay the whole meet. Too hot. This is an individual swimmer meet, so they need to be at their best. Many of us try to pick events that are both the best events for our swimmer AND are close together so we limit the time between events. You will have a warm up time (it’s small), and then two heats for each age group/gender. Certainly cheer while you’re there for your teammates, but nobody expects kids to stay out in the heat for a long time before their events. My child will likely swim fly and IM, so we won’t arrive until 10:50 am (fly warm up is 11 am for our division). 12U girls will wear kneeskins and 13+ girls will wear tech suits if they think they have a chance at ASRs. Borrow one if you don’t have one (D2 definitely wears these suits, even 8Us).

OP here, yes NVSL I should have clarified!

PP here also- for our team (NVSL) it’s fine to leave after your event finishes if you want. See what info your rep sends out.

My children have gone several times and we never stay for the whole meet (they never swam in more than one event).

It’s split in half, so for example if your child is only doing an event for the second half we have arrived for the warm ups and for the second half of the meet. Our team sends out info on this and on our team it’s not expected to stay for the whole meet, just the half you are swimming in. Also, buy the tshirt when you first get there. GL!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes stay the entire meet.
No I don't think it's that long.
Yes to the usual order, but with some relays added in.

Tips:
Go to bed early the night before. Show up on time. There might be limited seats with a good view. It's a large meet with a lot of families there, be positive and show good sportsmanship.

Cheer for teammates. Stay engaged, don't get lost over at concessions, playground, etc.

Also hopefully by now your kid should know to congratulate the swimmers in the lanes to their left and right at the end of each race.

Have fun!

Is the op asking about NVSL? If so the information above is completely wrong

OP said D2 so it’s not MCSL or PMSL (they use letters).

Wondering the same! We are in NVSL if it matters. My DD is swimming breast and fly so we need to be there til about the end anyway but was also wondering about staying the whole time. She wants to!

Anonymous wrote:Yes stay the entire meet.
No I don't think it's that long.
Yes to the usual order, but with some relays added in.

Tips:
Go to bed early the night before. Show up on time. There might be limited seats with a good view. It's a large meet with a lot of families there, be positive and show good sportsmanship.

Cheer for teammates. Stay engaged, don't get lost over at concessions, playground, etc.

Also hopefully by now your kid should know to congratulate the swimmers in the lanes to their left and right at the end of each race.

Have fun!

Is the op asking about NVSL? If so the information above is completely wrong

Yes stay the entire meet.
No I don't think it's that long.
Yes to the usual order, but with some relays added in.

Tips:
Go to bed early the night before. Show up on time. There might be limited seats with a good view. It's a large meet with a lot of families there, be positive and show good sportsmanship.

Cheer for teammates. Stay engaged, don't get lost over at concessions, playground, etc.

Also hopefully by now your kid should know to congratulate the swimmers in the lanes to their left and right at the end of each race.

Have fun!

This is the first year my kid will make it to divisionals. D2 if it makes a difference.

Is it like an “A meet” where kids must stay for the entire meet?

It looks like it lasts maybe 5-6 hours, is that right?

Does it follow the usual free > back > breast > fly order?

Anything else/tips to share?