Swim Meet 101
When are the swim meets?
Swim meets runs from approximately mid-June through the third week of July. We have three home meets and three away meets. All swim meets are on Tuesday evenings unless postponed by holiday or weather.
What kind of equipment does my swimmer need?
Each swimmer needs a swimsuit, a pair of goggles and a swim cap. For girls, a one piece tank suit is preferable to a two piece suit. For boys, a snug fitting jammer or Speedo style will work best. Well-fitting suits, caps, and goggles will make the swimmers more efficient in the water as well as more comfortable.
Does my swimmer have to wear a team suit and cap?
A team suit is not a requirement, but many kids get excited to wear their team colors and show their Swampfoxx spirit. The Swampfoxx colors are red and black, so an alternative suit in either of the colors will help the kid pushers locate our swimmers when it is time for their races. If you choose to purchase a team suit, many swimmers find it useful to have a separate practice suit to save wear and tear on their team suits. If you have a very young swimmer and are not sure if they will be meet ready for most of the season, it is fine to have your swimmer wear whatever he or she is comfortable in. All American Swim in Cary carries the team swim suit for order and purchase. You can also try to find the team suit online or at another store.
A swim cap is also highly recommended if your swimmer has long or unruly hair. Red Swampfoxx swim caps are provided with registration, but if you want an extra or if the cap breaks, you can also purchase them in the Swampfoxx store. If you chose not to wear a Swampfoxx cap, your cap must be a solid color with no other team name, logo, markings, etc. Often very young children struggle to get used to wearing a swim cap. If your child chooses not to wear a swim cap, please make sure any long hair is secured away from their face so they can see while in the water.
What do parent committees do?
The parent committees are responsible for planning and running the swim meets and all support efforts that go into having a successful swim team season. Committee assignments vary in time and amount of responsibilities. All duties are done during the pool season, most are only during the six weeks of swim team. Parents should be able to find a committee that works for their time commitment and abilities.
Do parents have to sign up for a committee?
A handful of dedicated parents is great, but it is not sufficient to make it all work. This swim team requires some work by every single family. We ask that at least one parent in the family sign up for a committee during the registration process.
What is Time Trials?
Time Trials is a practice meet that usually takes place one week before our first official meet and is an opportunity to get accurate event times for each swimmer. The times are used by coaches to place swimmers for each event during a regular swim meet. It also is a chance to make sure our timing systems are working properly, help volunteers learn more about this different jobs during a meet, and give our newer swimmers (and parents) a better understanding of how a swim meet works.
Who plans and runs the swim meets?
All swim meets in the TSA are planned, organized, and run by each team’s parent volunteers. It is vital that all parents do their best to help run our swim meets. There are approximately 20 positions per shift for each swim meet that need to be filled for the meets to run efficiently.
How do I sign up for a meet volunteer job?
Once logged into the Team Unify website find the swim meet under Events. You can sign up to volunteer by clicking on the Job Signup button. Certain jobs, such as Stroke and Turn Judge and Clerk of Course have special requirements. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator if you are interested in one of those positions.
Do parents have to volunteer at every swim meet?
We ask that one parent plan to volunteer at each swim meet if necessary. There are some parents who can volunteer at every meet. We want all families to do their part to help and not leave it to a select group of parents to shoulder the responsibility. There is a wide variety of jobs to fit the needs of most families. If you are interested in learning about a particular job, you can shadow a more experienced volunteer for part of their shift. Time Trials is a great opportunity to try a new job.
What time do meets start?
All swim meets will begin at 6:00 pm unless there are weather concerns. For a home meet, your swimmer should arrive at the pool by 4:45 for 5:00 pm warm ups. For an away meet, your swimmer should arrive at the other team’s pool by 5:15 for warm-ups at 5:30. If you know your swimmer is going to be late to a meet, please let your coaches know as soon as possible so the heat sheets can be adjusted accordingly or a substitute can be placed. The relays are the first races of the evening at every meet. If one swimmer is absent, the whole age group relay team may be unable to compete. If you are concerned about arriving on time for a swim meet due to work or other circumstances, please discuss with your swimmer’s coaches or other team parents. Most team parents are happy to provide a ride for another swimmer or help out in any way.
How long is a swim meet?
A typical swim meet consists of 66 events; 20 relays and 46 individual events. Swimmers are divided by age group and gender. Depending on the number of swimmers on both teams, meets usually run between 3 and 4 hours.
The first half of the meet (Medley Relays-backstroke) usually runs from 6:00 pm to about 8:00 pm. The second half of the meet (breaststroke-freestyle relays) usually finishes up between 9:30-10:00 pm. The meet officials do their best to ensure that events move as quickly and efficiently as possible. The parents of swimmers under 10 can make sure their child reports to the Kid Pushers when called (with cap, goggles, having visited the restroom if necessary) in a timely manner. Swimmers 11 and up should be responsible enough to know when and where they need to be. Kid Pushers are there to help if there are questions about events or relay placement. If a swimmer is not in place when their event begins, they will miss that event.
How do I indicate my swimmer's availability for a meet?
The website provides sign up instructions online.
How do I find my swimmer's number?
A swimmer's number, once assigned, will remain their number with each consecutive swim season. The timers use these numbers to record each swimmer’s time for each event. In addition, these numbers help the Kid Pushers organize the swimmers appropriately for their events. We will have a copy of the team roster at each meet which will list the swimmers’ numbers. We recommend you take note of your swimmer's numbers to facilitate the marking process. Your swimmer’s number will be preceded by a letter corresponding to their age group, as shown below.
A=6 and under, B=7-8, C=9-10, D=11-12, E=13-14, F=15-18
Many families find it easier to have their child’s number marked on his or her arm before arriving at the pool. A wide Sharpie marker works well, but feel free to use any waterproof marker. We will demonstrate the ideal way to mark the kids’ arms at Time Trials. Sunscreen often wipes away Sharpie marker (a great tip for removing it from walls!), so it's best to keep the marked up area away from sunscreen. If you need to apply sunscreen on the arm with the markings, do sunscreen first and then mark a child's arm once the sunscreen dries.
What should we bring to a meet?
Team swimsuit (or other appropriate suit), swim cap, goggles (spare pair if possible), towels, sunscreen, camping or lawn chairs, food/snacks/water, and a sweatshirt or cover up for the the end of the evening.
Can I bring/buy food to a meet?
You may bring your own food, snacks and drinks (no glass containers or alcoholic beverages) to the Oxxford Hunt Pool as well as other pools for meets. Many families do this for economic or dietary reasons. Also, if you have picky eaters, bringing their favorite foods along can help make every meet an enjoyable one.
For home meets, food and drinks are available for purchase from our Swamp Shack. Expect things like pizza, hot dogs, Chick Fil A sandwiches, pretzels, chips, cookies, sweets, soda, Gatorade and water. For away meets, the pools we swim against will have different choices. Away teams hosting Oxxford Hunt in the past have usually sent an email with detailed directions and parking information as well as what they have available in their own snack bars.
What are the events in a swim meet?
6 and under swimmers swim 15 yards to a rope stretched across the pool. They usually swim freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke as they are able.
The 7-8 and 9-10 age groups swim one pool length of 25 yards. They swim medley relays, freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle relays.
The 11-18 swimmers swim two lengths of the pool for 50 yards. They swim medley relays, freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle relays.
In a medley relay, four swimmers each swim one leg of the relay in the following order:
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
- Freestyle
In a freestyle relay, four swimmers each swim one leg of freestyle.
Each event is divided into a main event and subsequent heats so that all swimmers can participate. The main event for each stroke is the only event that will score points for the team.
Each 6 and under swimmer is limited to swimming in two individual main events, but may swim a third stroke in a heat. They do not swim relay events or butterfly stroke events. Swimmers in all other age groups are limited to three main events, but may swim their fourth stroke in a heat.
How do I know when my child is swimming?
When swimmers begin arriving at the pool for warm ups, coaches should have posted the heat sheet for that meet. The heat sheet lists all the events and where each swimmer is placed in that event.
What happens during inclement weather at a swim meet?
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms during the summer can delay our meets. All swimmers must be out of the water for 30 minutes after each observation of thunder or lightening. Pool lifeguards are responsible for calling a thunder or lightning delay. The TSA representatives for each team will confer, consult radar, and make the best decision as to the viability of continuing with the meet. If severe weather is predicted for later in the evening, often the TSA representatives will elect to run all main events consecutively to meet the TSA requirements for a completed meet. A meet that is considered complete will finish the main event for freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Otherwise, for meets that are cancelled due to weather, they will be rescheduled for the following day.
Where can I collect my swimmer's ribbons?
Place ribbons for events should be available by the next day. Each family has a folder in the black parent communication box for ribbons and other paper communications. The box is kept locked in the Swamp Shack and will be brought out during swim practice if you need to check your folder. Personal best ribbons for swimmers may not be available until a few days after each meet, due to the time it takes to generate the labels and distribute the ribbons.
How can I find my swimmer's scores?
This is under development.
What is a DQ?
DQ stands for disqualification. Backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly have certain technical requirements to be considered “legal” in a competition. There are also requirements regarding starts, turns, and finishes that must be precise in order to win points in a race. A Stroke and Turn Judge from each team watches the swimmers in each main event to determine if their race is within those requirements. If you have questions about a DQ call, it is best to discuss it with your child’s coach at the next swim practice.
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