Last modified Thursday, October 6, 2005 9:42 PM

Swim Meets

Swim meets are great fun. If you've ever wondered where everybody from Montrose hides on the weekends, go to a swim meet!

A week or so before each meet, swimmers, with the help of their coaches, choose the events they want to swim. Swimmers choose their events via email.

On meet day, swimmers are expected to be at the pool for warm-ups 45 minutes to an hour prior to the start of their session. This gives the kids an opportunity to experience how warm or cold the pool is, practice their strokes, turns and starts, and to get themselves thoroughly chilled until the day warms up! U.S. Swimming regulations limit swimmers 12 and under to a half-day of competition. Morning sessions normally begin promptly at 8:00 am and afternoon sessions begin approximately one hour after the end of the morning session.

Upon arrival at the pool, parents and kids should identify their events by purchasing a program, looking at somebody else's program, or looking at the team meet sheet (located in the team tent). The program will show the assigned heat and lane number. It is very helpful to highlight your events in the program, and to write your event, heat and lane numbers on the swimmer's hand (and maybe your own hand) in waterproof ink. Then watch for your events, and remind your swimmer to go to the heating area (if there is one), ready to swim (with goggles and cap), when the event is called. There will usually be first call and last call for each event, posted on a board near the start area or the heating area.

Most events have several heats. Some meets have a heating area, which is a place where swimmers wait for their events in their heat and lane order. If there is a heating area, swimmers should go there when the first call for the event is posted. They will be assigned places in the heating area according to their event, heat, and lane numbers. In heating areas, swimmers are expected to sit in their assigned seats, wait quietly, and go to their assigned lanes at the time of the race. Swimmers are heated or seeded by their entry times, ensuring that they will be swimming against others of approximately the same ability.

Some meets do not use heating areas. At those meets, it is all the more important to keep track of events and make sure your swimmer is there and ready for the start.