swim meet
101…
Attending a swim meet as a parent can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be overwhelming if you're not familiar with the process. Here's a guide to help you navigate through a swim meet.
Swim meet registration: A few days before the meet, the coaches will send out a reminder to register your swimmer for the upcoming meet. Unless otherwise noted, each swimmer is allowed to register for 3 individual events. They will also participate in the relays, however, you do not need to register for those. The coaches will organize each relay. You must register your swimmer by the deadline or they will not be able to compete. Please see the Team Info section for all registration links and contact info.
Prepare your child: Make sure your child is well-rested and properly nourished before the swim meet. Encourage them to stay hydrated and provide them with snacks that are easy to digest. Also, make sure they have all the required equipment listed on the equipment checklist page of this site.
Know the Schedule: Before the swim meet, make sure you know the specific events in which your child will be competing. This information can be found on the Active website or by contacting one of the coaches.
Plan Ahead: Bring snacks, drinks, and any other items you may need to entertain yourselves for a few hours. We can't stress enough the importance of sunscreen and make sure your child applies it multiple times throughout the swim meet. For longer meets or meets without a shaded area, you may want to bring your own umbrella or canopy to sit under.
Seating: Bring a camping chair to sit in while you are waiting for your child to swim at the meet. Most meets will have a viewing area at the end of the pool or on the side of the pool where you can stand to watch the events. When not watching your swimmer during their events, you can relax in your chairs.
Arrive Early: Arriving at the meet early will give you time to find parking, locate the team's area, and get settled in before the events begin. Your swimmer will need to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warmup time.
Check-in: Once you arrive to the meet, check in with Coach Michaela and make sure your child/children are ready to swim.
Stay Hydrated: It's important for swimmers and spectators to stay hydrated throughout the day, especially if the weather is hot.
home swim meets
For home meets in Auburn, at the Auburn Municipal Pool, set up will begin immediately at 5pm once the pool closes. All volunteers and swimmers should be at the pool ready to help set up for the meet. For the meet to start on time, we will need all the help we can get.
Volunteers - Check in with Michaela under the awning.
Swimmers - First check in with Michaela. Once checked in, swimmers will head to the "Dawg Pound" located in the baby pool area. This is where you will stay the entire length of the swim meet.
Warmups begin at 5:30pm and the meet starts at 6pm.
Parents & Families - You may watch your swimmer during their event in the area at the north end of the pool. Please set up any chairs outside of the fenced area.
Teardown will start immediately after the last event. Please stay after the meet and help put everything away.
during swim meets
Most swim meets are 2.5-3+ hours long and invitationals can be even longer. It is a good idea to have a few items for your swimmer to play with in between their events. Bring enough things for your other little ones to keep them entertained throughout the swim meet as well as a cooler with drinks and snacks. Some meets have concession stands but do not assume that they will. Cash is always good to have on hand as well.
Below are a few optional entertainment ideas for your swimmer.
deck of cards
small toys
electronic device
books
travel games
paper and something to draw with
swim meet timeline & events
This is an example of the events in a typical swim meet.
Depending on the number of swimmers, relay events may have a mix of boys and girls. The relay events may also split into events of just girls or just boys.
Girls swim before boys in each event/age bracket. Age groups are as follows: 8 & Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18.
Warmups - Each team has a predetermined time for warmups that lasts around 20 minutes. Please make sure you know the warmup time before every meet. You will need to be ready 15 minutes before warmups
National Anthem
Meet Announcements
Events Start
Depending on the pool where the meet is held, the below events will either be in meters or yards.
100 Medley Relay → Girls & Boys - All age groups
25 Back → Girls & Boys 8&Under, 9-10
50 Back → Girls & Boys 11-12, 13-14, 15-18
25 Breast → Girls & Boys 8&Under, 9-10
50 Breast → Girls & Boys 11-12, 13-14, 15-18
25 Butterfly → Girls & Boys 8&Under, 9-10
50 Butterfly → Girls & Boys 11-12, 13-14, 15-18
25 Freestyle → Girls & Boys 8&Under, 9-10
50 Freestyle → Girls & Boys 11-12, 13-14, 15-18
100 Freestyle Relay → Girls & Boys - All age groups
Some meets will have the following events after the freestyle relays...
50 Meter freestyle for 8 & Under, 9-10
100 Meter Freestyle for 11-12, 13-14, 15-18
100 Meter Individual Medley for all age groups.