Swim Meet 101
Swim Meet Attendance
Swimmers are not required to attend meets but it is strongly encouraged that new swimmers attend at least one meet to watch and try one meet once they are more confident in their ability.
Swimmers looking to attend meets need to be registered through USA Swimming (see the link in the Swim Meet drop down menu) and then need to register for each meet by the date listed next to each meet in the sign-up calendar. Swimmers can attend as many or as few meets as they would like in a season.
Swim Meet Basics
During the summer league dual meets are the bulk of our competitive season. Dual meets are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with warm-ups starting at 5:00 or 5:30, for home meets and away meets respectively. During dual meets swimmers race in between 2 and 3 individual events and 1-2 relay events. Swimmers aged 10 & Under race only a single length of the pool (25 yards) in one of the four strokes and swimmers aged 11-18 race two lengths of the pool (50 yards) in one of the four strokes. Relays are comprised of 4 swimmers each either racing 25y or 50y (age dependent) and the first relay is one swimmer racing each of the four strokes and the final relay is each swimmer racing freestyle.
At the end of the season there is a Champlain Valley League Championship held on a Friday evening and Saturday and then a State Championship held on a Saturday and Sunday. Only the State Championship has qualifying times.
What to bring to a swim meet
- Swim suit
- Dynamo Cap
- Goggles
- 2 towels (1 for in between races and 1 for the end of the meet)
- SHOES AND SOCKS other than gym shoes (think wet, cold feet)
- Sweatpants or pajama pants (something that can get wet with chlorinated water)
- Sweatshirt and extra t-shirt (again something that can get wet with chlorinated water)
- Snacks for between races
- Stuff to drink (water preferred)
- Board/card games, activity books, simple entertainment (for the down time between races)
Swimming Terminology
EVENT: This is what the swimmer will be swimming. For example: Event 1 is 8 & under girls 25 yd. butterfly
HEAT: Different groups of swimmers doing the same event. For one race and one age group there could be as many as 4 or 5 heats. The first heat usually has the faster swimmers, with the slower swimmers going last (except in Championship Meets). For example: Event 1 Heat 3
LANE: This is what lane of the pool has been assigned to the swimmer to swim in. Most pools are 6 lane pools. The farthest lane to the right at the starting blocks is lane 1. For example: Event 5 Heat 2 Lane 4.
25 YARDS: Length of the pool. 10 and under swimmers swim 25 yds. (1 length), 18 and under swimmers swim 50 yds. (2 lengths).
HEAT SHEET: The printed report that shows the heat and lane assignments for each swimmer in each race for the entire meet.
SCRATCHED: Didn’t show up for, or was taken out of an event.
DQ: Disqualified from an event because the start, stroke, turn or finish was done incorrectly or illegally. Each swimmer/coach will be told immediately following a race if a swimmer has been DQ’d and the reason for the disqualification.
FALSE START: When the swimmer leaves the blocks before the start gun is fired. The swimmer then returns promptly to the block for a second try or can be DQ’d. The starter will determine the ruling.
STARTER: The volunteer who starts each heat with the starting beep.
MEDLEY RELAY: Group of 4 swimmers each doing one event in this order: back, breast, butterfly, free style. Coaches will determine relay teams and which swimmer will be swimming which event in the relay.
FREE RELAY: Group of 4 swimmers each doing free style. Coaches will determine relay teams and the order of the swimmers.
I.M.: Individual Medley; one swimmer, swimming each stroke: butterfly, back, breast, free, in that order.
AGING UP: If a swimmer’s birthday falls during the swim season, the swimmer would age up to the higher age group – even if the birthday is during the Championship Meets.
BUTTERFLY, BACKSTROKE, BREASTSTROKE, FREESTYLE: Check out this video for what each of the 4 competitive strokes look like: https://youtu.be/sxPn_qEXXOg
