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WHAT TO WEAR — Most swimmers wear their team suits to the meet with t-shirts and shorts over the suits.
WHAT TO TAKE— Each swimmer may want to take a folding chair or towel to sit on between events. Bring a towel for drying off after each event. Also, bring a book, deck of cards, game boy, or other items to help pass the time between events. A small cooler with fruit, drinks, and snacks is also nice. Food-including snacks and usually dinner is sold in the concession area at most meets.
WRITE ON YOUR HAND — The best way to keep up with your event numbers and strokes is to write them on the back of your hand with a ball point pen. It might look like this:
#72 100 back
#76 50 fly
#80 100 free
This information is given to you by the coach the week of the meet. Once the heat sheets are posted at the meets, you can add the heat and lane in which you are swimming beside the event on the back of your hand.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE — Plan to arrive at the meet at least 15 minutes before your warm-up time. This will give you time to set up your chair. As soon as you arrive, look for the place where the heat sheet is posted to determine in which heat and lane you’ll be swimming. Each age group and sex may have a separate sheet.
REPORT TO THE COACH — After you have signed in and deposited your belongings, report to the coach on the pool deck for warm-ups. Warm-up time is limited and the pool will be very crowded, so you will need to make the best possible use of this pool time. After warm-ups, return to your team tent until it is time for your event. Stay under the tent and listen for your name to be called. Make quick trips to the bathrooms or concession stands and return to the tent. If you are not under the tent, you will not hear the Clerk of Course tent parent call for you to swim.
HEAT SHEETS — Two days before the meet and after the coaches of each team determine which swimmers will swim in which events, the host team will enter into the computer all of the swimmers and then “seed” the meet. This is the process in which each swimmer is assigned a heat and lane for each event. Once this has been completed the host will post the “Heat Sheets” which list the heat and lane that each swimmer will swim in for each event. Events are swum fastest to slowest, which means the first heat in each event will be the fastest swimmers with the fastest recorded time prior to this event. Each heat is also seeded from fastest to slowest as follows: starting with the fastest swimmer in lane 4, lane 5, lane 3, lane 6, lane 2,. At some meets, Heat Sheets are available for purchase.
CLERK OF COURSE — GETTING READY FOR YOUR EVENT —- At each meet, there will be a “Clerk of Course.” Some pools use loud speakers to make first and last calls for an event, but you are not always within ear-shot of the announcements. The clerk of course area will be an area away from the pool where lines of chairs will be set up. When you get to this area, you will receive a card with your name, the event, your heat number, and lane number. You will then be instructed to sit on benches in order, usually one heat per row. Your row will then move forward to the next bench until it is your heat’s turn to go into the pool area. When you enter the pool area, follow the instructions of the volunteers there. You will usually stand or sit behind the area of your lane until it is your turn to swim. When it is your heat’s time to stand by the block, give your card to the timer in your lane. Then wait for the starter to say ‘swimmers on the block'. Next the starter will say "take your mark". You then wait for the sound of the gun or the electronic beep and you’re off and swimming! Then return to the team’s area to dry off and rest. This procedure is repeated for each event. It’s your job to keep up with the events and report promptly to the clerk of course.
RESULTS — Results of each event are computerized and printed on labels that are posted on the back of ribbons. The color of the ribbon is determined by your finish place in your heat. The swimmers in the first heat will receive a SAIL ribbon; all other heats will receive team ribbons. Each Friday morning, we have “Ribbons and Donuts” after the morning practice where you can pick up your ribbons from the previous night’s meet. You can check the results on-line at www.greenvilleonline.com under the SAIL tab. In all cases, you should focus on your progress in terms of the amount of time improved, not necessarily on what your place was.
FALSE STARTS — A false start occurs when a swimmer leaves the block top early or there is a problem with the gun or equipment. In the event of a false start, the recall starter sounds the gun of beep repeatedly signaling swimmers to stop. If all these fail, a coach or older swimmer jumps in to stop the swimmer! If the false start is the result of your starting before the beep or gun, you will be disqualified from that event. If this is the case, the Referee will tell you personally.
OFFICIALS — Many officials are present on the pool deck in a sanctioned U.S. Swimming meet. They usually wear white. All meets have a referee, starter, recall starter, a stroke judge for each 3 (or 4) lanes of the pool, and two turn judges on the end of the pool. Each lane also has three timers and a recorder. This organization and structure ensures that each meet is run consistently throughout the league and that all times are "official."
DISQUALIFICATIONS — A swimmer may be disqualified by the judges or other qualified officials for not swimming a stroke correctly, making an improper turn, etc. For example, a swimmer could be disqualified for doing a flutter kick with the butterfly stroke or failure to touch the wall in a turn. Most swimmers get disqualified at some point in their swimming careers! Swimmers will be told by an official if they were disqualified and for what reason. After the swimmer understands what the mistake was, he or she should "shake it off" and focus on his next event. Parents should be supportive, rather than critical, treating the disqualification as a learning experience.
PARENTS AT A SWIM MEET — It is a parent’s responsibility to be familiar with meet procedures and have their swimmers understand the procedures. The most important roles parents play are getting swimmers to warm-ups on time and volunteering at the meet. Parents should not encourage (or allow) swimmers to sit with them on the deck, as the Tent Parents will not be able to find them when it is time for them to line up. If you need to be with your child, then you should plan to sit under the team tent with him/her. You may not go with your child to Clerk of Course. In fact, U.S. Swimming rules state that only swimmers, coaches, timers, and officials are allowed on deck. If you are asked to leave the deck, please don’t take it personally. When you are not working during the meet, you will want to sit and watch, so be sure to bring a chair. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed at SAIL events. Additionally, parents should be role models of sportsmanship for their children and uphold the league’s Code of Ethics.
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