swim meet - 1st timer

[♥ms.pacman♥]

DS (9) has his first swim meet this evening at 5pm. I am trying to figure out what to expect. coaches have sent out info sheets on swim meets in general but still, nothing like the BBB wisdom :)

it seems like they last several hours and there is tons and tons of sitting & waiting. it is indoor pool (THANK GOD - Texas heat is brutal). coolers are allowed - i imagine i should bring tons of snacks? it will be dinner time which kind of freaks me out - my DS can be a real bear when tired/hungry. but not sure if DS should eat much if he is going to swim. i don't know right now what time his events will be. i bought jelly beans and GU for him, and i plan to bring Nuun (electrolyte). my dd (8) will be coming too so i plan to bring some sort of entertainment for her.

i already know to bring lots of cash as they charge per person. and i'm assuming bring extra towels?

[marymoo86]

My oldest just had her first on Tues for summer swim team. Year rounders may have better game plans :D

Our meets start at 6pm so at dinner time. We pack a bento box with easy to grab items - turkey/cheese rollups, grapes/strawberries, pretzels/hummus, string cheese, nuts/chocolate trail mix, Clif bar, etc.

Pack several towels, an extra swim cap.

We have medley relay, freestyle, backstroke, breast, fly, and freestyle relay. We don't know who is swimming in what heats until we get there. General rule of thumb is the fastest kids are Main event and then next fastest go in the next heat, etc, etc. Warm ups are an hour before meet so 5pm. Meet length is dependent up on # of swimmers and age groups/heats and lanes. Ours usually run 3-3.5 hours long. So yes lots of waiting in between. Kids love to draw on themselves so I pickedup a Bic tatoo markers but Sharpies will do as well (if allowed). I see kids play cards, draw, goof off, etc.

It will be a long night for your daughter though so plan accordingly. It is loud and organized chaos.

There's generally a food truck/grill for other food purchases but never had to pay to come. Ours is volunteer based league so unsure of other setups.

Does your team maintain a website? Ours uses the Team unify platform and has a good document on what to expect.

It takes a bit to get use to but my kid loves it. It is a big time commitment so summer is enough. I have no idea how year round parents do it! Then again she would play anything I let her try so hard to manage all the things.

Good luck!

[mmsmom]

This is our 5th year doing summer league swimming and we recently moved so I have seen how 2 places operate. Timing is never good for dinner. We warm up at 5 and meet starts at 6:00. I usually give them a heavy snack (like a sandwich) to eat on the way. They usually eat again when they have a longer break though last night DS waitEd until he was finished swimming. The younger kids seem to be able to eat anytime, any amount and anything and not be bothered by swimming after. Now that DS is getting older he seems to be thinking about the best time to eat a little more. No matter what I bring we also end up buying things from the snack bar. The event is a huge social time for my kids and I usually don’t see them except for a quick high five after their races. They are running around with friends the rest of the time. They usually do a good job of getting ready when they need to and the coaches track down kids who are not where they are supposed to be. Although the season tends to be very hectic and meet nights are late nights for us it is also a very short season and DC love it We have state ranked swimmers on our team and also kids who can barely make it across the pool but everyone is cheered for.

[lizzywednesday]

I swam summers as a kid.

Our dual meets were every Wednesday, inevitably at dinner time. Invitationals were on Saturdays and they lasted pretty much all day.

Have your DS eat a light meal before warm-ups (assuming warm-ups are at 5pm?) - maybe cold cuts & cheese roll-ups, or a half serving of pasta - and definitely pack a cooler with easy-to-eat snacks that don't require utensils. Lots of water is a Big Deal, too. The last thing you want to do is try and swim on an empty stomach!

I usually brought one towel per event I was swimming plus an extra. As we were outdoors, I also packed a sweatsuit. Since the bleacher space was very limited, I also brought a wool blanket that we used for the beach and picnics so we'd have a spot to sit.

You may wish to bring a fleece jacket for your DS to wear between events, especially if the pool area is chilly. (I don't think it will be - most indoor pools' spectator areas here are way too warm - but you never know, especially after swimming however many events, how your child will feel.)

[newnana]

Totally agree with everything said
- Feed kiddo on the way.
-Tons of easy to grab finger food snacks- bonus if high protein. Pack at least twice as much as you think you need
-At least 2 of: towels, swim caps, goggles
- easy zip up hoodie and or track pants they can easily slide on/throw off
- Bleachers are not comfortable. If you have a stadium seat or pad, bring it.
- Headphones if DD is on a device
- I bring earplugs. We have one particular coach of an opposing team who has the most ear piercing painful whistle I have ever heard. I've never spoken to him and I loathe him. Makes the events miserable. Everyone is screaming and cheering all the swimmers on, the fast ones and the slow ones, that's one of my favorite parts of our meets, this isn't about that.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Our summer swim team is faster than the club meets. There aren't multiple heats (usually) and no prelims. finals. The meets last about 2 hours. I think they move along pretty well. If you and your dh can tag team childcare, I highly recommend volunteering, especially timing, because it makes time fly and keeps you engaged.

[georgiegirl]

We’ve been swimming for years. Bring lots of food. It doesn’t need to be just snacks. He’s only 9, so you don’t need sports beans or gu or anything out of the ordinary. I pack lunches/meals for my kids (small sandwiches, apple with peanut butter, granola bars, string cheese), and then I give my kids some money for concessions (I’m a swim official so they are on their own at the meet.)

Bring a sharpie so you can mark his arm with his events. A highlighter for you is good too if you have a program and want to mark his events for your own benefit. On his arm, you will write his event, heat, and lane. Usually it looks like this “12 50 Fr H2 L5” (event 12, 50 free, heat 2, lane 5). He will want to be behind the starting blocks several heats before (like 5 min).

You never know how much time you have in between, and it really depends on how many kids are swimming. Sometimes my kids only have 15 min between events and other times it’s 2 hours.

Bring several towels. DD likes one towel per event plus one for warm ups. (DS1 on the other hand uses one towel...well once ant a meet he swam 5 events and used zero towels [emoji23]). I have small microfiber ones so they don’t take up space. It can be hot or cold in those areas, so bring something warm to wear just in case. Like sweat pants and a sweatshirt.




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[MSWR0319]

We’ve been swimming for years. Bring lots of food. It doesn’t need to be just snacks. He’s only 9, so you don’t need sports beans or gu or anything out of the ordinary. I pack lunches/meals for my kids (small sandwiches, apple with peanut butter, granola bars, string cheese), and then I give my kids some money for concessions (I’m a swim official so they are on their own at the meet.)

Bring a sharpie so you can mark his arm with his events. A highlighter for you is good too if you have a program and want to mark his events for your own benefit. On his arm, you will write his event, heat, and lane. Usually it looks like this “12 50 Fr H2 L5” (event 12, 50 free, heat 2, lane 5). He will want to be behind the starting blocks several heats before (like 5 min).

You never know how much time you have in between, and it really depends on how many kids are swimming. Sometimes my kids only have 15 min between events and other times it’s 2 hours.

Bring several towels. DD likes one towel per event plus one for warm ups. (DS1 on the other hand uses one towel...well once ant a meet he swam 5 events and used zero towels [emoji23]). I have small microfiber ones so they don’t take up space. It can be hot or cold in those areas, so bring something warm to wear just in case. Like sweat pants and a sweatshirt.




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This cracks me up! We had a meet last night in 55 degree weather with pouring rain and DS1 used 1 towel, which he stood out in the rain on the pool deck cheering on his teammates, while DS2 use 2 towels for 1 event!

OP, you've been given great advice, so I don't have much to ad, especially since it's an indoor meet. If you get there and have questions, don't be afraid to ask a veteran!!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Oh, something I didn’t see, but maybe it’s more for an outdoor meet... volunteering is wonderfully helpful for the team and it passes the time. Being a timer is a great way to meet other parents on your team and the other.

We are all exhausted after meets, and hungry, no matter how much food I pack. Have something in mind to feed them when you get home. Our DC take forever to get clean and go to bed after a meet.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I agree with a pp that says to check your team or league website. I personally keep our content updated for summer swim team so I know it's a treasure trove of info...if people think to look.

[georgiegirl]

I agree with a pp that says to check your team or league website. I personally keep our content updated for summer swim team so I know it's a treasure trove of info...if people think to look.

Yes, team unify is your friend. As is the meet mobile app and the on deck app. But some rec leagues don’t participate in that.