All About Swim Meets

All About Swim Meets

Swim Seasons:
GATORS participate in two swim seasons, Long Course and Short Course.
Long Course season is generally May – August. These meets are in 50-meter pools, which are
generally outdoors. The STATE championships meet is usually held at the end of July.
Short Course season is generally September – March. These meets are held indoors in 25 yard
pools or 50 meter pools. The STATE championships meet is usually held near the end of March.
Meets:
There are several types of meets that we participate in:

• Intra-squad meets are meets where only GATOR swimmers participate. Swimmers can swim new events.

• Dual or Tri meets are meets where the GATORS participate with one or two other teams only. Swimmers can swim new events. Some of these meets are scored.

• Developmental meets are open to swimmers to swim new events. These are generally smaller meets held earlier in the season meant to help the swimmer get times and learn how to compete in meets.

• Scored meets are meet where a swimmer and the team they swim for is awarded points for where they place in an event. No points are awarded for DQs or NSs (disqualifications or no-shows). The more events a swimmer enters increases the number of points possible to earn. There are  awards for the top scoring teams as well as for individual swimmers based on age-groups. These meets do not allow swimmers to swim events they have never participated in. (NT’s-No Times are not accepted)

• Invitational meets are generally scored meets with qualifying time standards. A swimmer needs to have a minimum time in order to compete  in a specific event.

• B/C Championship meets are held once in each season. They are scored meets. The restrictions to participate in the B/C are that a swimmer may swim any event in which they have a time but not a STATE qualifying time. If a swimmer has more than 3 STATE times they are generally not allowed to swim at the B/C.

• STATE Championship meets are held once in each season. They are scored meets. A swimmer must have a STATE qualifying time in order to compete in an event. A swimmer can take a LC (long course) time to the short course STATE meet and vice a versa.

• ZONES and SECTIONALS are championship meets that require minimum time standards in order to participate that are beyond STATE  times.

Time for the Meet:
You have turned in your meet entries by the designated deadline and are now getting
ready to leave for the meet. We will take you step by step through meet day.

Items to take to the meet:

• Swim suit, cap, and goggles
• Towel, and showering supplies
• Change of clothes
• Snacks and drinks (Keep the food light. You do not want your swimmer
• too full.)
• Camera (Gotta get those all important shots!) and camp chair

Arrive at Meet Location:
     Be sure to arrive at the meet a little early. You want to have time to find the pool and a
parking place. You want to arrive at warm-up time. 

Upon arrival:
     Check in with your coach! They need to know that you are there. Coaches have to
make any changes to the meet such as scratches during that warm-up time. If you
go to a meet with no coach you will need to check in with the meet referee and a
coach will be assigned to you.
     Have the swimmer go get dressed. We try to sit together as a team and the
swimmers keep their gear there with them rather than leaving it in the locker
rooms.
     The swimmer then goes to the coach to warm-up. While the swimmer is warming
up, as a parent, you can get the information you will need to help your swimmer.
     Get heat and lane information. Most meets sell heat sheets ($1.00
to $6.00 depending on meet size). They also post heat sheets in
several locations of the pool. You need to know your swimmer’s
event, heat and lane numbers for each event they are swimming.
     When your swimmer is done with warm-up make sure you show them where the
lane assignment info is posted and make them aware of their event, heat, and lane
numbers. You can write the info on their hands, highlight it on the heat sheet, or
any way you can help them know their information.
     Keep up to date on what events are in the pool so that your swimmer does not
miss an event. Your swimmer should check in with the coach 3-5 (depending on
the length of the heats) heats before they swim for last minute instruction. They
should be behind their blocks or at the line-up to the blocks 2-3 heats before
theirs. It is sad when a swimmer misses their events cause they have wandered
off. Help your swimmer learn to listen and watch so that they are prepared.
     Cheer on your swimmer when they swim!!
     Have your swimmer check in with their coach immediately following their event.
After talking to their coach take a look at the numbers of their next event and then
encourage them to relax to prepare.
     Some meets hand out their awards at the end of the meet and others send them
home with the teams. Always check in with your coach BEFORE leaving the
meet.
     Their awards and official times will be at practice after the meet.  Their personal
best times are listed in the monthly Gator Gab.

GATOR hosted meets:
     We host quarterly intra-squad meets as well as a fall and spring developmental
meets and an invitational meet at the end of January. We rely on help from the parents on the
team to work at these meets. We need 3 people at the computer table, 1-2 runners, 1-3 hospitality
helpers, 1-2 award labelers, 1 heat sheet distributor, officials, 1 head timer, and lane timers.
Some of these positions require more extensive training but most can do these with just 5
minutes of instruction. Please email logangators@gmail.com to let us know how you can help or
contact the Meet Director on the meet info for the meets hosted by the GATORS. We also want
our swimmers to compete at all GATOR hosted meets!

Meet participation:
     Meets are fun. The swimmers receive official times. They can see their times getting
faster. They can get feedback for ways to improve. It is also a great time to be with their fellow
teammates. We hope to see you all there!