Meets & Events
Attendance at all swim meets is expected. However, some conflicts are unavoidable and when that occurs parents should advise the coach by email directly ([email protected]). Please let the coach know no later than the Tuesday practice before the meet you will miss. This is important to help us run a speedy and efficient swim meet.
Swimmers aged 10 and under must be supervised by a parent or caregiver throughout the swim meet. We recommend if you are volunteering or cannot stay for the entire swim meet, you coordinate with other parents to help keep an eye on your kid(s).
There are three types of swim meets:
- Dual Meets
- Two teams form the same division compete
- 80 swimming events with boys swimming first in age group followed by girls from the same age category.
- Each swimming event is made up of heats where groups of swimmers swim at the same time (one swimmer per lane). Heats are organized by combining swimmers with similar racing times.
- Divisional Meet
- The most important meet for swimmers
- Brings together all of the eligible swimmers form every team in the division for one last competition.
- To be eligible, swimmers must have participated in two dual meets during the current swim season, not including the time trials.
- This is the final meet of the season and the scores from this meet will determine division rank.
- Invitational Meet
- Throughout the swim season you will hear about meets held outside of our regular dual meet schedule.
- These meets are optional and swimmers must have qualifying times to enter.
- Find information about invitational meet in our team newsletter.
NWAL rules limit the number of events each swimmer may participate. A swimmer may compete in three individual events and no more than one freestyle relay and one medley relay.
Volunteer timers on deck report an unofficial time to each swimmer after each race. Typically three timer stopwatches are used and the official time is recorded which normally falls in the middle of the three times. If the official time is higher than there entry time to swim that event (personal best), that time before their new entry time used for the next swim meet they attend. Computer printout of recorded times are displayed at the meet but parents can download the Swimtopia app, paying a small fee, to see real-time updates.
