So, many of you new parents may be wondering what you do now?  You've bought the suit, attended practice, and now you have registered for the first meet.  I am going to be as brief as I can so everyone can get back to work and make a note of what you have to do this week.  This is going to apply to every week you intend to swim so please don't delete this email (that includes you returning parents).

Wednesday:

When you get to the pool today (those of you who drop off your swimmers need to come into the pool) you will go to the table and look over each of your swimmer's events for the week and initial if you approve.   The girls' names will be on one side of the table and the boys will be on the other.  Remember if you don't want your swimmer to be in a relay, you need to note that on the paper.  If you see something is missing or you need to add, this is the ONLY time you can do.

 

Thursday:

Attend practice

 

Friday:

Set up for the home meets (tents, ready benches, chairs behind the blocks, tables for concession, and event numbers hooked onto the slide.  There isn't a volunteer position for the duties listed above, we all pull together and work as a team for quick set up and take down.  

 

Saturday:

Arrive at the pool prior to warm up to find your child's heat and lane assignments.  On meet days you may need to get there even earlier to set up your personal chairs/tents.  When we swim against other teams, they set up in the same areas as we do, so the earlier you get there the more likely you are to get your desired spot.  After we finish setting up the pool area for the meet, you can finish setting up your personal area while the swimmers warm up.  

THIS SATURDAY is a practice run for a real meet.  The only volunteer jobs we will have are timers and ready bench (Head Ref, starters, computer people, and ready bench folks are still doing their job...don't ask Henke).  We want the kids to practice this process as much as possible.  Ready bench people will line the kids up in order of events, heats, and lanes and escort them to the chairs behind the blocks.  After the kids swim their events they will go and speak to the coaches who are sitting on the side of pool.  If they are swimming more events they will get back in order on the ready bench and wait for their next event.  We will have the starter up and will explain the directions the referee will give once the meets starts.  Again, we want the kids to be familiar with the meet process and to have an understanding of how things should go next week.

How will your swimmer remember their events??  We mark them on their shoulder, forearm, or upper thigh with a sharpie. This will come off with baby oil or goo gone.  

Where do I find my swimmers events?? You will look at the Heat Sheet posted on the wall (usually by concession and the office).  For competitive meets you will purchase a heat sheet ($2-$5 depending on the host team).  You can choose how you want to write on your child but the order will always be the same Event, Heat, Lane.  My kids prefer when it is written like this 21-2-4.  Some kids who are younger and need to know what the numbers stand for and can read may like it to be written like this:     

Event	Heat	Lane
21	2	4
31	1	2

If your swimmer isn't swimming Time Trials, make sure they get with the coaches so we can enter their times before the next meet.

When the meet is over we expect everyone to help clean up- Team supplies first and then personal areas (yes kids can help).  The more help we have the faster the process goes.

Sunday:  Church (if you go), REST, prepare to do it all again this week.  This may be a good day to sign up your swimmer for the next meets.