Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can leave as soon as he's done.

For a big meet, he may want a watch or phone to contact you, as you will not be allowed on deck or in the locker room.

Make sure he understands the start signal so he doesn't false start. Most of newbies false started my daughter's first year on team because the coach assumed everyone knew the start signal.

RMSC kids are expected to be able to go off racing blocks before they get in the club.

This is NOT true at all.

Of course not - this is obviously the bitter Rockville parent whose daughter didn't make the mini's cut and now holds a grudge and somehow thinks they can get Rockville and RMSC closed/defunded, lol.

Yes, this is not germane. Ignore it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can leave as soon as he's done.

For a big meet, he may want a watch or phone to contact you, as you will not be allowed on deck or in the locker room.

Make sure he understands the start signal so he doesn't false start. Most of newbies false started my daughter's first year on team because the coach assumed everyone knew the start signal.

RMSC kids are expected to be able to go off racing blocks before they get in the club.

Not sure which RMSC you're referring to, but this was definitely not the case with the KSAC site. I know of a few kids who started as belly floppers and became excellent at diving. They may not practice it every time, but they do devote a portion of some practices to it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can leave as soon as he's done.

For a big meet, he may want a watch or phone to contact you, as you will not be allowed on deck or in the locker room.

Make sure he understands the start signal so he doesn't false start. Most of newbies false started my daughter's first year on team because the coach assumed everyone knew the start signal.

RMSC kids are expected to be able to go off racing blocks before they get in the club.

This is NOT true at all.

Of course not - this is obviously the bitter Rockville parent whose daughter didn't make the mini's cut and now holds a grudge and somehow thinks they can get Rockville and RMSC closed/defunded, lol.

I found it helpful to think of the big meets like the PVS October Open (for example) more like time trials than competitive meets. Your kid is swimming to get their times and then in subsequent meets they are swimming to better those times. There are no points and you aren't competing against the other teams. Some meets do awards for the top 16 (?) but those go to the coaches and the kids get them later at practice - so definitely no need to stick around unless it's to support a friend. It's a very different vibe from summer dual meets or even summer B meets. (I grew up swimming in a winter YMCA league that was more like the summer leagues here where we swam in dual meets and I was very confused at our first PVS meet!)

It's typically 1000 degrees in the stands but freezing on the deck - so definitely send them with something warm to put on and an extra towel. I also put an extra towel in my bag so they for sure have a dry one at the end of the meet. Writing their events on them ensures that they can't lose the info, but I've also written it on an index card and put that in a ziplock bag. Assume anything that goes on the deck will get wet! Send all the snacks and a water bottle!

There is a learning curve but you've got this!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most important thing. Wear light clothes. Don’t bring a jacket or coat. I typically wear shorts all winter at the meets. It’s so hot in there.

And crocs in the winter. I know they’re a disgrace to fashion, but I can’t stand wearing sandals to and from the car in the middle of January

I saw a very stylish woman show up to a meet at the St. James last year - pants, ugg knee high sheepskins, sweater and cardigan sweater - she looked gorgeous. She did not last long in the 98 sub tropic zone of the meet.

Anonymous wrote:The most important thing. Wear light clothes. Don’t bring a jacket or coat. I typically wear shorts all winter at the meets. It’s so hot in there.

And crocs in the winter. I know they’re a disgrace to fashion, but I can’t stand wearing sandals to and from the car in the middle of January

Anonymous wrote:The most important thing. Wear light clothes. Don’t bring a jacket or coat. I typically wear shorts all winter at the meets. It’s so hot in there.

Word.

The most important thing. Wear light clothes. Don’t bring a jacket or coat. I typically wear shorts all winter at the meets. It’s so hot in there.

This is all great advice.

Meet Mobile will give you the heat and lane information for your kid. Before the meet pack LOTS of snacks in the bag, a book, cards, etc. I have had my swimmer run out of food and find me in the stands PANICKED and hungry. We bought out a vending machine - don't be me. Our club has a no electronics policy so the kids end up making up games and having a blast on deck.

Look at the timeline and tell your kid good times to run to the bathroom, snack, etc. Remind your kid that they have to pay attention to their events - coaches can not search for swimmers - so get them used to looking at their arm for their event number and heat.

When you do drop off designate the place to meet after their last event - out front, by the stairs, in the lobby, etc. and then wait for them there.

I tend to walk in between my kid's events and move around as much as possible. Four hours is a LONG time to sit around. For the televised meets you sometimes getting better viewing on the screen than you do in the venue.

Download MeetMobile to figure out when and what lanes your child will be in (all the meets we have ever been to but one used it)

I would remind your coach that this is your kids first meet and will need extra help. A lot of 10 year olds already know what they are doing and a coach may not think to help them out. After a couple of meets, your kid should figure it out.

I’m one of the PPs and I’m echoing the suggestion to look at the estimated timeline. It’s really helpful for getting oriented.

We also use it to time snacks (this is to stave off the inevitable hangry meltdown in the car). Once we figured out how to avoid the hangry, meets got a lot more pleasant.

Anonymous wrote:Have your kid write his event number, and heat number on his arm in sharpie
explain to him what that means

give it to him on a piece of paper too.

a lot of the meets have estimated timelines. We look at them together. I might say, after 50 free you have time for bathroom and a snack. Or watch out, 50 back is right after 50 breast.

Figure out in advance where you will meet at the conclusion of the meet

Echoing the last line about pre planning where to reunite! Great advice

All of these comments are so helpful! Thank you so much!

You can actually watch a few meets that are on YouTube if that would help:

https://youtu.be/D_yLSot4z24

https://www.youtube.com/live/UjJgw4gs5T0?si=nUFlH5BoUAvP0DZR

You might be able to find a meet in the pool where he will swim.