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Swim Meet 101

Meet Policies

For swimmers

  • Attendance to any meet is voluntary, there are no requirements to attend dual meets.

  • Families must inform the coaching staff their intention or ability to attend a meet on the Sunday prior to each meet by 12:00 PM. This will allow the coaching staff to set the line up of events.  

  • Illness can happen the day of the meet, and usually does. Please email the Head Coach directly at [email protected] if you need to change your attendance to a meet last minute. Bear in mind that it is easier for the coach to pull your swimmer out of an event last minute, then to add them back in.

  • All kids must check in at the check in table as soon as they arrive at the pool. This allows the coaching staff to know who has actually shown up for the meet. Failure to do this could result in your child not being replaced on a relay.

  • Warm ups for home meets will start at 4:30, Away meets will be 5:30. Please try to be at the pool by this time. We understand that some school schedules prevent this, so please get there as soon as possible.

  • Please make sure your swimmer has plenty of water for any meet. It can be very hot in the late summer afternoons and we don't want any swimmers getting sick.

  • During any dual meet, swimmers are required to stay in the "bull pen" with their fellow swimmers for the duration of the meet. Should they need to eat, they are welcome to find you, or for you to find them and bring them dinner and such. But, in order for the coaching staff and/or volunteers to line up the kids for their events they need to be in a central location.  
  • Swimmer's age group is defined by his or her age on June 1st of the current TSA swim season.
  • Swimmers are not permitted to wear a cap bearing the name of any team other than the Manchester Marlins, i.e. no year round team caps allowed. Vanity caps are permitted.

For Families:

  • Drinking of alcoholic beverages will not be allowed during the meet by spectators, parents, participants, coaches and all meet volunteers. 
  • No smoking or vaping with e-cigarettes and no pets (unless they are service animals) allowed on the pool deck at any time during meets or practices.
  • No glass permitted on the pool deck at any time during meets or practices.
  • Volunteering is required. All families must volunteer at 3 swim meets in a season in order to stay in good standing with the team. If you have an issue completing this requirement please contact the Volunteer Coordinator.  

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First Swim Meet - What to Expect

The (TSA) website is a valuable resource to learn more about the league, rules, and more

What do you need to bring to a swim meet:

  • Depending on the pool rules (that are typically posted on each club's TSA page - click the link from the team name) you can bring coolers with food. Under no circumstances should anything be made out of glass and no alcohol is allowed
  • Bug spray
  • Sunscreen
  • Towels
  • Swimsuits (must be team suit, from this or previous year, or solid blue or black, cannot have year-round club logos.)
  • Swimcaps (same rules apply as suits, must be team cap or solid color, cannot turn a cap inside out that has a logo other than Manchester.)
  • Goggles, check fit and verify they don't leak, try to prevent goggles from falling down during starts off blocks/on dives
  • Cash (money) for concessions
  • Chairs and Pop-up tent/canopy, if available, to provide shade.

What happens at a meet?

Warmups

  • The home team typically warms up from 5 to 530pm
  • The visiting team from 530pm to 6pm
  • Swimmers are expected to arrive 30 minutes prior to warmup in order to stretch and have their number written on their shoulder and arm

Volunteers:

  • There is typically a volunteer meeting 15 minutes prior to the start of the meet.
  • This meeting is to be attended by all volunteers involved in the running of the meet- not concession staff, heat ribbon distribution, ribbon writers, water distribution, etc. If in doubt ask your TSA Representative (Jackie Miller) if you need to attend.
  • All volunteers signed up to time must have a fully charged phone. You will meet with the Timing System Coordinator upon your arrival at the pool so that you can log in and make sure you are ready to time when the meet starts.

Shortly before 6pm the National Anthem is played then the meet begins

Events

  • The order of events is medley relay, freestyle, backstroke, breastroke, fly, free relay
  • 6 and under swimmers swim 15 yards, 7-10 swim 25 yards (one length of the pool), 11 and older swim 50 yards (two lengths of the pool)

What is a "main" event?

  • During a meet only the first heat is scored. This is considered the "main" event. It is the first heat of each gender of each age group. After the "main" event are what are commonly referred to as "heats". Many clubs award participant and heat winner ribbons, though this is optional.
  • All events start with the youngest swimmers and continue by age group to the oldest swimmers.
  • The age groups are 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18.
  • The swimmer's age group is determined by the swimmers age as of June 1st.
  • This means a swimmer who turns 13 on June 20th will still swim in the 11-12 age group ALL SUMMER

6 and under swimmers

  • do not swim relays (unless they are asked to "swim up" with an older age group)
  • only swim 15 yards to a rope strung across the pool
  • can only swim two of the three individual events. 6 and under swimmers do not swim butterfly, except at the Cupcake Race at the end of the last home meet.

Ages 7-18

  • can swim both relays
  • can swim 3 of 4 individual events

Relays

  • The first event is the 7-8 medley relay
  • The medley relay goes: backstroke, breastroke, fly, freestyle
  • If we have enough swimmers we often swim 2 and even 3 relays.
  • These are identified as A, B, and C.
  • The final event is the free relay.
  • While swimmers may leave when they complete their events we encourage everyone to stay until the end for two reasons.
  • We never know who may be needed to be pulled in to a relay. A swimmer may be sick, injured, or otherwise unable to swim.
  • It is good to stay and cheer on teammates as they compete. Sometimes the meet comes down to the final event and the free relay is often the loudest event of the evening and one of the most exciting to watch

Scoring

  • Points are awarded in individual events to the top three finishers in the main event.
  • Unlike year-round swimming a faster time in a heat will not overtake a time in the main event for scoring purposes
  • Relays are scored "all or nothing" meaning the club that wins the relay receives all the points for the event.
  • No points are awarded for 2nd or 3rd place.

Lane Assignments

  • The home team swims in odd-numbered lanes (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) while the visiting team swims in even lanes (2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
  • The fastest swimmers, based on entry times, should be placed in the center of the pool

What happens if it rains?

  • Most clubs allow pop up tents/canopies. These are great to provide shade as well as protection from rain
  • The home club is responsible for their lifeguards and the lifeguards are responsible for ensuring swimmer safety. If they blow the whistle due to rain, thunder, or lightning then we must clear the pool. Two weather stoppages and the meet is suspended for the evening. If we've completed all events through breaststroke then the meet is official and we don't have to return the following evening. Otherwise we have to complete the meet the following evening

What if I have a problem during a meet?

  • Find the designated TSA Representative for the Manchester Marlins.
  • Do not approach the other club's coaches, swimmers, volunteers, parents, etc. with a problem. Find your Rep and let them know what is going on. It is their responsibility to serve as the meet official and they will work with your coaches, other Manchester staff or opposing club's TSA representative to resolve/address the issue


Can I bring friends and family members and cheer for my swimmers?

Absolutely! Please just make sire that you are quiet prior to the start of each event and then you can cheer as loud as you want during the race

What if my swimmer is upset before/during a meet?

  • Keep it positive. Remember this is all about having fun. Tell your swimmer that many Olympians started swimming on a summer recreational team and some didn't start swimming competitively until they were teenagers.
  • It is perfectly normal for swimmers, especially younger swimmers, to be overwhelmed, nervous, or afraid
  • The goal each summer is to improve each practice and each meet. You'll see swimmers of all sizes, shapes, and athletic abilities. The key for your swimmer is to focus less on the other swimmers, their times, their points/places, etc. and instead focus on learning and improving while having fun with their teammates in and out of the pool.
  • Encourage your swimmers to talk to the coaches if they need to before and after each swim to help calm nerves and get valuable feedback to aid in the development process

What if after all this I still have questions?

Do not hesitate to contact your Coaching staff or your TSA Representative, we are here to help you and your swimmer to have the most successful season as possible!

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