Meet Guide

 

 

What to bring to a meet

A minimum of 2 towels per day

Your USA Swim Card

Team approved suit, team cap, goggles

Cash to buy heat sheets, snacks, water bottles, replace broken goggles, etc.

Water bottles and nutritious snacks

Sunscreen and shading devices (hats, umbrellas, tents)

Warm clothing for the swimmer, even during the summer, usually sweatshirts and pants, sometimes long-sleeved T-shirts, flannel pajamas, special swim parkas, socks and shoes. You will learn what your swimmer prefers over time, but warm clothes for both top and bottom are essential. Your child will also need socks and waterproof shoes. Label everything -- kids lose things!

 

Optional items: Sleeping bags/blankets, tents, stadium chairs or foldout chairs, portable stereos, games, and books.

 

 

In 2009, due to Fire and safety concerns, Sierra Nevada Swimming has enacted a rule prohibiting the use or propane heaters on deck, please be sure to leave these at home.

 

Getting to the meet

 

Swimmers are responsible for their own transportation to and from most meets. Location and direction to pools are found in the “Meet Sheet.”  Meet Sheets are available when you register your swimmer on swimconnection.com.  Watch for e-mails from other parents who would like to carpool to away meets.

 

Time it so that you arrive 15 minutes before warm-ups begin so that you have time to check in and check with the coach about warm-up procedures.

 

If your swimmer is unable to attend a meet at the last minute due to illness or emergency, notify the coaches immediately. If you have some advance notice, e-mail or cell phones are good avenues. If you have little advance notice, tell another parent who is attending the meet, and ask them to convey the message to the coach as soon as they arrive.

 

Relay team selection

The Sierra Marlins Coaching Staff shall select the swimmers for each relay conducted at any meet with relays.  In selecting the relay teams, the Coaching Staff shall consider all available information, including but not limited to each team member’s qualifying performance, past relay performances, personal best performances,  event schedules, individual workload, other recent results and performances, consistency of performances, health, fitness levels, training preparation, scientific evaluation, and team chemistry.  Selection of swimmers for relays shall not be subject to challenge.

 

Preliminary and Finals Meets

Championship meets sometimes have 2 rounds of competition with preliminary heats in the morning and finals at night. The number of finals can vary between one, two or even three heats including the top 8, 16 or 24 competitors. Team points and individual awards are determined by the placing achieved in the finals only. Swimmers can only achieve the place determined by their heat. For instance, a person who is in the consolation final can only achieve up to 9th place even if they swim faster than someone in the top 8 during finals.