Swim meets area a great family experience. They're a place where the whole family can spend time together. Listed below are some very important guidelines and tips that will help swimmers and parents through a meet. For more information about how a meet is run and how you can help, see the family volunteer information.

What To Take To a Meet
Most important is the Mako team suit, Mako cap, goggles, and a towel. Bring an extra cap and extra goggles just in case. By the end of the meet, everything will be wet so bring an extra towel and dry clothes for your swimmer to change into for the ride home. Each meet has a snack bar so it is not necessary to bring food or beverages. If you do bring supplies please be healthy and no glass containers. Also, remember that the pool area will typically be very warm so dress in layers.

Before the Meet Starts
All swimmers should be at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time. Once at the pool, find a coach so your swimmer can be checked in and get settled. Your swimmer should now get ready for warm-ups so that when the team goes in the water, they are ready. Events will be posted before the meet starts and most swimmers will write their event numbers on their hand in ink. This helps him/her to remember the events and helps the coaches focus on the swimmers in the water.

During the Meet
Events numbers will be announced over a loudspeaker or posted on the pool deck. Swimmers for those events will be asked to report to the bullpen. Before a swimmer reports for their event, they will have received an event card with their heat and lane number. This card must be brought to the bullpen when the swimmer reports for their event. In the bullpen the swimmers will be organized by event, heat, and lane for easy reporting to the starting blocks. Once a swimmer completes their event, they should ask the timer for their time and report to their coach. The coach will discuss the race with the swimmer providing positive comments and suggestions for improvement. Always provide your swimmer with positive feedback. Between events, a swimmer may visit the restrooms or the snack bar but always being careful to not miss their next event. When on the pool deck, swimmers should be with the team.

What Happens After a Disappointing Swim?
Even when your swimmer is feeling bad about their swim, it is still important to talk about the good things. Help them to understand that everyone has a bad race. There is nothing wrong with a swimmer negatively evaluating a race but they should not dwell on it. Help them to move on to something good. Remind them that the race is behind them and to look forward to correcting what they feel they did wrong. Never talk about any negative aspects of a race as this just encourages your swimmer to do the same.

Meet Volunteers, Meet Officials, and Coaches
A swim meet is an incredibly busy time for anyone participating in it. This includes your swimmer and all those who are helping to run it. If you have concerns regarding your swimmer's performance, don't ignore them, but during the meet is not the time to discuss them with a coach. Likewise, all of the volunteers and officials have responsibilities that need to be focused on and appreciate your understanding of this situation. If you have a concern that you feel cannot wait until the completion of the meet, you should bring it to the attention of a coach. These types of issues should never be brought directly to meet officials or volunteers but should go through the coach.

After the Meet
When a swimmer has completed all of his/her events, they should remain at the meet to cheer for fellow team members. If your swimmer must depart before the end of the meet, be sure to check with a coach before leaving. A swimmer who is included in a relay that has already left the meet is not only missing their event but cancelling the event for three other swimmers. Remember that this is a team event and all team members should stay and support their team.