Swim Meet Guide
Understanding a Swim Meet
Your first swim meet can feel overwhelming.
There may be:
- Hundreds of swimmers
- Multiple teams
- Coaches
- Officials
- Timers
- Volunteers
- Announcers
- Parents
- Loud music
- Starting signals
- Scoreboards
- Lots of very excited kids!
It gets easier.
Before the Meet
Your coach will provide information about:
- Meet location
- Warm-up time
- Session start time
- Events
- Meet package
- What swimmers need to bring
Pay Attention to Warm-Up Time
Being at the pool for warm-up is different from arriving when the first race starts.
Your swimmer needs time to get changed, find the team, get organized and participate in their assigned warm-up.
Understanding Events, Heats & Heat Sheets
What Is an Event?
An event is the specific race your swimmer is swimming.
For example:
Event 25 — Girls 100 Freestyle
Your swimmer may be entered in several events during one session and may also swim a relay.
What Is a Heat?
If 60 swimmers are entered in the 100 Freestyle and the pool has 8 lanes, they can't all race at the same time.
They are divided into heats:
Heat 1 → Heat 2 → Heat 3 → Heat 4 → etc.
Your swimmer might be listed as:
Event 25 — Heat 4 — Lane 6
That tells them which event, heat and lane they are racing in.
What Is a Heat Sheet?
A heat sheet lists the swimmers entered in each event and their lanes.
It helps you figure out:
What event am I swimming?
Which heat am I in?
Which lane am I in?
What is my seed time?
Parents often become surprisingly good at reading heat sheets.
It's basically swimming's version of a treasure map.
What Is Marshalling?
Before a race, swimmers are often directed to a marshal area.
The marshal helps organize swimmers into their correct heats and lanes.
Your swimmer should listen carefully and go where officials or volunteers direct them.
An Important Step Toward Independence
Once your swimmer enters the marshal area, parents are generally out of the process.
This is an important part of helping swimmers become more independent and take responsibility for their own races.
What Should My Swimmer Bring?
Meet-Day Clothing & Gear
Swimmers spend a LOT of time sitting around between races, so staying warm and comfortable is important.
They should have:
- Team shirt
- Shorts or sweatpants
- Hoodie
- Warm socks
- Sandals or slides
- Extra towels
- Swimsuit
- Goggles
- Cap
- A sharpie (we'll explain...)
A wet swimmer sitting around in a cold pool environment can get uncomfortable very quickly.
Fueling Your Swimmer
What Should My Swimmer Eat?
Swimmers need fuel, especially during a long meet.
Good meet snacks can include:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Grapes
- Granola bars
- Yogurt
- Sandwiches
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Fruit
- Trail mix
- Water
Avoid turning the swim meet into an all-day junk-food festival.
A swimmer who eats a giant bag of candy between races may discover that their stomach has opinions.
Don't Forget Hydration
Bring a water bottle and encourage your swimmer to drink regularly throughout the meet.
Being a Breakers Parent
Swim Meet Etiquette
Parents are a huge part of the team experience.
We want families to cheer, encourage and support their swimmers while helping create a positive environment for everyone.
Please:
- Cheer for your swimmer
- Cheer for their teammates
- Encourage effort
- Celebrate personal bests
- Support swimmers after difficult races
- Let coaches coach
- Respect officials
- Respect other teams
- Follow facility rules
- Help keep equipment organized
- Create a positive team environment
Remember:
Your swimmer doesn't need another coach in the stands.
The coach handles the technical side.
Parents are there to support, encourage and celebrate.
After the Race
What Should I Say?
After a race, try not to immediately ask:
“Why didn't you swim faster?”
Instead, try:
“How did that feel?”
“What did you think about your race?”
Or simply:
“I'm proud of you.”
Sometimes swimmers need a few minutes before discussing a race.
The coach will work with the swimmer on technical improvements.
Cheer Them On
Cheering at Meets
Cheering is encouraged!
You can cheer for:
- Your swimmer
- Breakers teammates
- Relay teams
- Other swimmers
Keep cheering positive.
“Go Breakers!”
“You've got this!”
“Let's go!”
“Great job!”
Avoid negative comments about another swimmer or team.
Officials & Volunteers
The People Behind the Meet
Swim meets only happen because of officials and volunteers.
Officials help ensure races are conducted fairly and according to the rules, while volunteers support everything from timing and marshalling to hospitality and meet operations.
You may see:
- Referee
- Starter
- Stroke & Turn Officials
- Chief Timer
- Timers
- Clerk of Course
- Marshals
- Recorder / Scorer
- Session Coordinator
Please Respect Our Officials
Officials are volunteers and professionals who are doing an important job.
Please respect their decisions.
If you don't understand why something happened, ask the coach or meet staff rather than approaching an official during a session.
Want to Get Involved?
Breakers swim meets are 100% volunteer-run, and there are many ways for families to help.
Learn About Volunteering
When Things Don't Go as Planned
What Happens When a Swimmer Gets DQ'd?
A DQ can be disappointing.
But it isn't the end of the world.
A DQ means an official observed something that did not meet the rules for that stroke or event.
Common examples can include:
- Incorrect turn
- Incorrect finish
- Stroke technique violation
- Leaving the starting block early
- Incorrect relay takeoff
For newer swimmers, DQs are often part of learning.
The important question isn't:
“Why did you get DQ'd?”
It's:
“What did you learn from it?”
Personal Bests
Progress Is Worth Celebrating
Competitive swimming isn't only about winning.
One of the biggest goals is improving your own time.
For example:
1:10.25 → 1:08.90
That's a PB!
Even if a swimmer finishes 7th instead of 2nd, they have achieved something important.
We encourage swimmers to focus on:
Progress over placement.
Being Part of a Team
Swimming Is an Individual Sport Inside a Team Environment
Swimmers race individually, but they train together.
That means teammates should:
- Encourage each other
- Celebrate each other's successes
- Help younger swimmers
- Respect coaches
- Respect officials
- Include new swimmers
- Cheer for relays
- Be positive
A swimmer's teammates become a huge part of their swimming experience.