First Meet Advice

Parents:
As our first team meet is only 48 hours away, I thought I would 'cut-and-paste' some points to consider in preparation. I know for many Dolphin parents, this is your first meet, so feel free to ask lots of questions. Meets are a very exciting time for our swimmers - it is why they work so hard in practice. I am sure you will find Saturday exciting as well - GO DOLPHINS!!!!!

•Pack lots of clothing and towels for your swimmer. They will go through lots of them through the day.
•Pack water, healthy snacks and drinks. Coaches will probably give your swimmer some advice before a meet on the best choices.
•Make sure you get directions to the pool before you leave.
•Pack a lawn chair – some pools have seating and some do not, so it is always best to be prepared with a chair.
•Do not take pictures at the start of a race, as the flash of the camera interferes with the race start.
•Pools, as a rule, are very warm. You may wish to dress in layers, bring along a pair of sandals or pack a pair of shorts.
•For off island meets, team members are usually asked to stay until the last swimmer on the team is finished, so everyone can cheer their teammate on.
•Even though parents are not competing in a meet, you will find sitting in a hot pool for the better part of a day very tiring. When attending weekend meets, try not to plan too many events, as you will need time to rest.
•In the majority of cases, programs will be sold at meets, so you may want to make sure you bring some cash along. The program will show your swimmers best time (if they have one) for the event for which they are registered.
•Many pools do not have electronic timer systems. I would encourage you to bring along a stop watch so you can celebrate any personal bests your swimmer might achieve. It is also a great tool to see how other Dolphins are doing and to encourage them when they achieve a personal best. This is a great way to build team spirit.
•A few days after the meet, you can visit our website (www.summersidedolphins.ca) and click on the results button. This will take you to the swim direct website where the results of the meet are posted (you do not need to log onto this service.)