Swim Meet FAQs for New Families

What does a typical meet week look like?

Monday morning: Meet RSVP opens. Please declare your swimmer, even if they are not attending the meet.  If you have questions, reach out to one of the Crestmoor coaches.  Please register your kiddos for the maximum number of events they are capable of swimming.  Registration can be handled directly through the GoMotion App or in concert with one of the coaches at practice if you are new to the process.

Friday morning: Make coffee!  Have your swimmer ready to enter the water at their designated warm-up time (see examples below), but note that these change by meet and are set by the home team.

6:30am – For Upper Division
6:55am – For 9/10’s
7:10am – 8 & under
7:30am – Meet Starts

What is the order of events?

The meet begins with 400-meter freestyle races, followed by medley relays, then individual events, and ends with freestyle relays.
Races are organized by age, gender, and stroke; youngest first, girls followed by boys for each stroke.

How long does a swim meet last?

The duration of the swim meets depends on the size of the team we are against.  Smaller teams like SkyLine will finish around 10:30 or 11 am.  Larger clubs like Virginia Vale & Central Park can run until Noon-ish.

What do I need to bring?

• Sunscreen, water, two towels, and two pairs of googles per swimmer are a good start.
• Some mornings, especially early in the season, will be cool, so bring a sweatshirt & sweat pants, etc.
• A Folding chair(s).  Not all pools have dedicated seating.  Shade is limited at some pools, especially so at Central Park.  We will have the “vintage” Crestmoor tent for some shade, but expect to be in the sun, so prepare appropriately.
• Extra clothes/Jacket/or robe for your swimmer between events; a warm swimmer is a fast swimmer.
• There are concessions at all meets, but it’s mostly candy/doughnuts, burrito-type food. If you require other options, please keep that in mind and BYO.
• Entertainment for you and your kiddo.  There may be downtime between events, especially if you have only one child competing.  While the team will often entertain themselves, having a backup plan is ideal.

Does my swimmer need to wear a cap?

Yes.  All swimmers should wear a cap during races.  If you forget one or it gets damaged, the coaches or other swimmers can help.

How will my swimmer remember their races?

We will write your swimmer’s events on their arm in Sharpie at the meet.  Meet schedules (aka heat sheets) can be downloaded from our GoMotion App Instance.  Veteran swim families are happy to help with any questions.

Events are announced in this fashion:

• First Call (Event #) on the call board – you should go to the heating area, ready to check in and line up for your event.
• Last Call (Event #) on the call board – you should already be in heating.
• Listen to the announcer.

We have a conflict, and my child can no longer make their relays.  What do I do?

Notify the coaches as soon as possible.  Relay teams depend on all four swimmers—if one drops without notice, it affects the entire team.

Where do I find race results?

Meet results are posted around the pool during the event. Some clubs use the MeetMobile app for live tracking, covering events, and warehouse times. This does require the home team’s participation, so it is a 50/50 proposition.  Ribbons can be picked up at the very end of some meets or are distributed at the next swim practice.

What are the qualification times I keep hearing about?

Specific meets (Ken Caryl Invitational, A League, and State) require qualification times for participation.  These meets typically span multiple days and follow a different event order.  Parents can track qualifying progress throughout the season; links to this year’s times will be posted as they become available.