Swim Meets

There will be a mock meet at the beginning of the season for all swimmers 10 & under and all new swimmers to the team. This is a chance for the swimmers to see what a swim meet will be like. Times will also be taken which will help the coaches place the swimmers in the regular meets.

There will be 5 regular season meets. All meets are on Thursday evenings with the exception of our last meet which will be on a Tuesday.

The League Championship Meet at Georgia Tech is part of our regular meet schedule and is critical in establishing the team’s ranking in our league. All swimmers are encouraged to swim and must make every effort to participate.

Swimmer Availability for Swim Meets:

You will be able to RSVP on our website for each child for each meet. We need to know YES or NO if they will be there. We ask that you RSVP for ALL meets at the beginning of the season. This will eliminate any confusion as to availability. The coaches work on the lineup throughout the season so please make sure you RSVP for all events prior to the mock meet. If you do not RSVP we will assume your child will not be participating in the meet and your child will not be in the lineup. It creates unnecessary stress and extra work for the coaches to make adjustments to the lineup after it has been finalized.

Help signing up for a meet:

https://help.swimtopia.com/hc/en-us/articles/20078...

Swim Meet Procedures

• At practice the day of a meet, the coaches will post the swimmers events on the bulletin board. It is the parents’ responsibility to check the board and get the event #, lane # and heat # for their child(ren).
• Arrive at the pool 10 minutes before warm-ups. The coach will conduct warm-ups for the allotted 20-minute period. All swimmers must be present.
• Wear your team suit and bring your cap and goggles (if desired). Sweatshirts or jackets might be needed for the cool evening hours. 2 towels, a folding chair, sharpie and items to keep the kids occupied are suggested items to bring.
• If you are 10 and under, put your gear in the bullpen area and check in with the bullpen parent. If you are over 10, find an area near the bullpen to put your gear.  You are responsible for checking your events and getting to them on time.
• Check the heat sheets to make sure they correspond to the events you have been assigned to swim. There may have been changes from what was posted earlier in the day.  Check with the coach if there is a discrepancy.
• You can bring snacks and drinks with you but remember, there will be a concession stand available to purchase items. Please wait until you are finished swimming before eating heavier foods.
• The announcer will call swimmers to the deck by event numbers. Bullpen parents must assure that swimmers come to the block on time.
• Swimmers must stay in the bullpen area between events. Running in the parking lot or playing on the playground equipment is not allowed.
• In between races, rest and stay warm. Store up your energy for the competition. Use this time to cheer on your teammates.
• Check with your bullpen parent before you leave the meet to make sure you don’t have any more races to swim in.
• Remember, when you are wearing a team suit, you represent your team. Let your actions reflect your good sportsmanship and pride in being a Barracuda team member!

Age Groups:

The swimmer’s age group is based on the age of the swimmer as of May 31st. For example, if a swimmer turns 7 on May 31st, they would race in the 7-8 age group. If that swimmer turns 7 on June 1st, that swimmer will still swim in the 5-6 age group all season. Some swimmers with summer birthdays may want to swim in a different age group to be with their friends. Please discuss this with the coaches. Age groups are as follows:

• 6 & under
• 7-8
• 9-10
• 11-12
• 15-18

Swimming Up: In some cases, a swimmer may be asked to race in an older age group to fill a relay team.  The coaches will only do this if they feel the swimmer is capable and ready for the challenge. Meets have been won with the help of younger children swimming up.