The following is a brief guide to help those who may be attending a USA Swimming club meet. If you have additional questions or concerns, please email us at team@nseaswim.com.
A sharpie, highlighter, water, snacks, stadium chairs, cash (to buy heat sheets), and a camera to take pictures of your swimmer. Keep in mind the pool area will be warm so kids in swimsuits are comfortable — dress yourself in layers, as it can be hot inside!
Once you get to the meet, buy a heat sheet — a packet listing all the races, swimmers, times, and heats during the meet. Someone is typically selling them in the lobby of each pool. Heat sheets show your child's events and their heat and lane. Bring a highlighter so you can mark your swimmer's name and follow along.
Once you have a heat sheet, find all of your swimmer's events, heats, and lanes and write them on their arm with your Sharpie. This way the swimmer knows when to report to the block. A good rule of thumb: right arm on day one, left arm on day two, so you're not writing over the previous day's events. Complete this before sending your swimmer on deck — only swimmers, coaches, officials, and volunteers are allowed there.
Most year-round meets don't have "kid pushers" or a "clerk of course" like summer league meets. Swimmers need to pay attention to what event is being called versus the next number on their arm. Coaches can help, but learning to track the meet and take responsibility is an important part of a swimmer's development.
Parents typically sit in bleachers; swimmers may want to bring chairs if they'll be sitting throughout the meet. The coaching staff recommends swimmers stay off their feet and rest between events, and stay on deck rather than in the stands.
Most sessions last about four hours, so your swimmer will need food to fuel their effort. Small sandwiches with fresh or dried fruit are easy to pack, store, and carry. Send a refillable water bottle, and consider a sports drink like Gatorade, Powerade, or Propel during the session.
Bring more than one towel. Swimmers dry off after warming up and after each event, so a dry, fresh towel later in the meet — or for showering afterward — makes a big difference.
Many of our meets include relays. Relay swimmers are chosen by the coaching staff, usually based on the fastest swimmers in each age group as shown by the computer. Not everyone will swim on a relay at every meet. It is VERY IMPORTANT that each swimmer check with the coaches before leaving each session to find out if they're needed for a relay. Swimmers sometimes leave without knowing they're on one, which forces the whole relay to be reworked to cover the missing swimmer. Please remember: check out with a coach before you leave each session!
DQ doesn't stand for Dairy Queen — and, most importantly, it isn't fatal. It stands for disqualification, and beginning swimmers and world-class athletes alike receive them. There are a number of reasons a swimmer could be disqualified in each stroke. Officials give a "DQ" sheet to the coaches explaining why, so the coach can talk with the swimmer about what happened and how to correct it for the next swim in that event or stroke.
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