ABOUT SWIM MEETS

A major component of competitive summer swimming is participation in swim meets, which take place from June to mid-August. Two types of meets are offered: Competitive meets, which are 2-day meets that take place on weekends, and Development meets, which are held Wednesday afternoons. Please note that even at competitive meets, development races are still offered to encourage participation and provide race opportunities geared toward younger and more beginner swimmers. You can view the meet schedule in the “Events” tab.

Competitive meet start times typically range from 8:00-9:00 AM, with warm-ups beginning as early as 6:30-7:30 AM. Development meets typically begin at 5:00 PM while school is still in session, with warm-ups starting around 4:00-4:30 PM. Once school is finished for the summer, start times are shifted earlier.

Within the BCSSA, swimmers have the opportunity to compete in the following events:

6&U/ Little Stingrays	25 freestyle 25 backstroke 25 breaststroke (meet dependent) 6&U swimmers may also participate in 50 meter events at the discretion of their coach.
Division 1-3	50 freestyle 100 freestyle 50 backstroke 50 breastroke 50 butterfly 100 IM 200 freestyle relay 200 medley relay
Division 4+	50 freestyle 100 freestyle 100 backstroke 100 breaststroke 50 butterfly 200 IM 200 freestyle relay 200 medley relay
Division 5+	50 freestyle 100 freestyle 100 backstroke 100 breaststroke 50 butterfly 100 butterfly 200 IM 200 freestyle relay 200 medley relay

Not all Division 1-3 events are offered at development meets.

HOW TO ENTER A MEET

Eligible swimmers will receive a meet invitation via email, which includes a link to the Active Portal where meet registration can be completed. Each invitation clearly lists a registration deadline, and all sign-ups must be completed by that date. When registering for competitive meets, please indicate whether you will be attending Saturday, Sunday, or both days (be sure to double-check that your attendance is marked correctly).

It is also assumed that swimmers are available for relays unless stated otherwise. The coaches will make every effort to include all swimmers in attendance in a relay, where numbers allow. If you are unable to participate in relays or have any additional details your coach should know when entering you into events, please inform your coach ASAP via email or in person after completing meet registration.

Once the Active Portal closes at the meet registration deadline and coaches have confirmed swimmer entries, an event summary will be either emailed out or posted on the shed at the Ladner Outdoor Pool. Please carefully review the events you have been entered in to ensure they reflect your intended availability for the meet. If you notice any errors, please notify your coach ASAP. After the Head Coach submits the meet entry file to the meet managers, making changes becomes significantly more difficult, and in some cases, not possible.

If you commit to a meet and do not attend, the club is still charged entry fees, and you will be billed for all missed races, unless there are extenuating circumstances that have been communicated in advance to the Head Coach and President.

TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM SWIM MEETS

Transportation to and from swim meets is the responsibility of each family. If you are looking for carpooling opportunities, there are often other parents available to connect with before, during, and after practices at the Ladner Outdoor Pool. If you are still unable to arrange transportation, please inform your coach, and we can send an email to families attending the meet to help coordinate rides.

WHAT TO BRING TO A SWIM MEET

Swimsuit(s)
Goggles
Swim cap(s)
Towel(s)
Warm clothing for in between races
Sleeping bag/blanket
Camping chairs
Pop-up tents
Healthy lunch/snacks
Water
Playing cards, books, games, etc
Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, etc)

Meets are held rain or shine, so families should be prepared for all types of weather. Team tents are often set up outdoors, even when the meet itself is held at an indoor pool. Swimmers and families should plan accordingly to stay warm or protect themselves from the sun.

MEET FEES

Meet fees are included in the program fees. Swimmers who are unable to attend a meet after signing up must notify the Head Coach ASAP. If you commit to a meet and do not attend, the club is still charged entry fees, and you will be billed for all missed races, unless there are extenuating circumstances that have been communicated in advance to the Head Coach and President. If a swimmer scratches from a relay causing the team to be scratched, the swimmer who originally scratched will be billed for the relay entry fee.

WARM-UP

WARM UPS ARE A MANDATORY COMPONENT OF ALL SWIM MEETS.

Warm ups are scheduled prior to the meet start time and include a 15 minute activation, along with a 15-20 minute in-water warm-up. Participating in warm-ups is extremely important, as it gives swimmers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the pool and visualize where the blocks, walls, and flags are located.

If you fail to participate in warm-ups without explanation, you will be scratched from all events that day. In addition, your family will be invoiced for these events.

We understand that competitive swim meet start times can be tiring and stressful, especially for our younger athletes. When a meet has a designated warm-up pool in addition to the racing pool, coaches may be able to arrange a later arrival time and guide your swimmer through an individual warm-up as races are in progress. We also recognize that there may be special circumstances, such as swimmers attending the meet for only one race. In these cases, please coordinate with your coach, who may be able to schedule a later arrival to help your swimmer stay well-rested. Be sure to stay in contact with your coach while traveling to the meet to ensure smooth communication.

However, if the meet uses one pool for both warm-ups and racing, it is not possible for a later warm-up time to be accommodated. In this case, swimmers must arrive for their scheduled warm-up time with the rest of the Stingrays, especially if they are in multiple events that day.

Little Stingrays will not be participating in warm-ups due to their hectic nature and depth of the pool. We will not have volunteer coaches in the water during warm-up, so please do not send your swimmers for the early morning warm up, and rather arrive closer to the meet start time.

COMMUNICATION WITH COACHES

Be sure to check-in with your coach as soon as you arrive. If your coach does not know you are at the meet, you may be mistakenly scratched from your events.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Coaches’ Sphere of Responsibility at Meets: The coaching staff has the authority to maintain proper discipline at a meet. They may set specific expectations which the parents and swimmers need to respect. Coaches are busy tracking the race performances of every swimmer, so during a swim meet, swimmers are not permitted to loiter at the coaches’ table, and nor should parents. Swimmers are required to see their coach when they arrive at the swim meet, before each event, and after each event.

Parent Participation: The Stingrays, along with all other clubs in our region, have mandatory volunteer requirements per family for each day of any meet you attend. When we host our Super 7 Meet, participation from every family is essential to ensure the meet’s success. Specific volunteer opportunities are communicated near the beginning of each summer season, and all Stingrays families are expected to assist, whether or not you are registered to compete.

When attending meets hosted by other clubs, our families support the event by serving as officials (required training must be completed) and lane timers. If you are ever unsure how you can help, please don’t hesitate to ask. It takes everyone working together to ensure a smooth and successful season!

Monitoring Children at Meets: Parents are responsible for their children at a swim meet. If parents are unable to attend, another parent must be contacted to look after their child(ren). Some of our parents spend the day on the pool deck as officials and timers, meaning they might need help getting their kids to marshalling. Please offer to help out in these situations if you are not signed up for any officiating or timing shifts.

Team Tent Area: Parents are responsible for monitoring the team tent. Please ensure your children are aware of this and respect direction given from other club parents. Remember that there are swimmers of all ages in our club (and tent) and it is important to act appropriately. The tent is a team space where swimmers wait in between their races. All Stingrays are asked to help clean up the tent area at the end of each day.

On-Deck Officials: At each meet, every club is required to supply officials to fill officiating shifts. These positions are only filled by parents who have attended the required clinics: Stroke & Turn, Starter & Ref, etc. If you are concerned with missing your swimmer’s races, this is the best spot in the house to watch the competition!

The Club and Fraser South region arranges clinics for those parents interested in working as on-deck officials annually. Watch the website and your emails for any upcoming events. Contact the Director of Officials for information or to express your interest in attending a clinic. It is imperative that we train as many parents as possible as Fraser South is desperately short of qualified senior officials.

Timers & Recorders: At each meet, the host club assigns a lane to each visiting club and posts a sign-up sheet for timers and recorders. Anyone can be a timer and recorder. If you are concerned with missing your swimmer’s races, this is the best spot in the house to watch the competition!

RELAY POLICY

Please read the following policy on relays and ask the coaches if you have any questions:

When you sign up for a meet, you are committed to relays unless coaches are notified prior to the deadline that you will not be available.
You must check with the coaches by 11:00 am to confirm if you are on a relay team before you leave the meet (even if the relay event number is not on your event sheet).
All relay selections and combinations made by the coaches are final.
Coaches will make every effort to ensure that each swimmer has an opportunity to be on a relay throughout the season.
At the Regional Championships, the coaching staff will determine the individual team members and the order in which they will swim to maximize team potential and placement.
The qualifying Regional Team will stand for Provincials unless there are events beyond the Club’s control.

Glossary of Terms for Swim Meets

Meet	Description
Interclub	An informal event or competition held within the club. Times are unofficial. An important team building exercise! Cheers and supporting eachother are part of this event.
Developmental	A smaller and shorter running meet where young novice swimmers race. Low pressure, lots of fun, prizes awarded to everyone. Open to Div 3 ‘B’ swimmers and under (Div 2, Div 1, 6&U). A good introduction to racing and summer club competitions.
Timed Finals	A regular competition available to all athletes that will host a full event list. Each event is swum once. A longer format than a Development meet but more exciting!
Heats & Finals	Regular competitions that include finals in the afternoon, where top-place finishers (normally 1st to 6th) swim a second time, after preliminary races in the morning. Emphasis is placed on racing and swimmers get additional racing opportunities to improve.
Championships	A grand heats & finals competition whereby finalists score points for their respective clubs. Thrilling races and an intense team atmosphere to conclude the summer season!—not to be missed. Everyone participates at Regional Champs; swimmers qualify for Provincial Champs by coming top 3 or achieving PQT standard while at Regionals.