Coaches’ Corner:

First Meet FAQ

First thing: RELAX! The thought of swimming in your first Masters meet may be intimidating, but don?t worry. No one will laugh at you, and everybody?s just here to have fun. You?ll find that your teammates, and even the swimmers from the other teams, will be supportive. I remember the first time I swam the 200 fly I was so slow they needed a calendar to time me! But everybody cheered for me and congratulated me when I finally finished. You?ll be proud of yourself when the meet is over, and remember: there?s NO WAY you can hurt the team. In fact, just by being there and competing, you?ll probably score points, and that can only help the team. So come to the meet and have fun. Here?s the answers to some common questions:

ENTERING

1. What do I fill in on the meet entry form? Fill in the entry form and sign it. Be sure to write your name exactly as it appears on your USMS card, and attach a copy of your USMS card to the entry. If you are filling out an entry form on-line, be sure to fill in all the indicated fields. In either case, don’t worry about entering relays—the coaches will generally put these together and enter the all the team’s relays on one form. If the meet you’re attending is one of TNYA’s focus meets, DO let the coaches know you are going to the meet so we can put you in relays. Watch the announcements in the weeks before the meet to see what information the coaches are requesting.

2. What about seed times? Seed times represent your approximate guess of times for events you plan to swim. They are used to put you in races with swimmers of similar speeds so you don’t end up swimming with someone a lot faster or slower than you. If you cannot estimate your times, entering “NT” for no time will place you in the first race which usually (but not always) has the slower swimmers.

PREPARING

3. What ?extras? should I bring? Bring extra towels since you are in and out of the water between warm-ups and events. Be sure to bring a water bottle or some sports drink, and to drink them during the meet to stay hydrated. Especialy at longer meets, you might also get hungry, so you may want to add some snacks, such as applesauce, yogurt, bagels, or energy bars. Be sure to eat enough during the course of the day to keep your energy levels up. There will often be some refreshments offered or sold at the meet, but if you want specific items, you should bring them yourself. If you get cold easily, you may want to bring extra sweats and a warm up jacket. You might consider bringing an extra suit and goggles. If you accidentally rip a suit or break a pair of goggles, you won?t be out of luck.

AT THE MEET

4. What should I do when I get to the pool? Do I need to check in anywhere? There will be a registration table near the entrance to the pool. Report there as soon as you get to the meet, make sure your registration is complete, and find out if you need to check in (this depends on the meet AND what events you are swimming). You can usually also pick up a heat sheet (a program for the meet) at the registration table and, at meets where they’re offered, a tee-shirt or goody bag.

5. When do I warm-up? Dress and enter the pool area, claim your territory on the pool deck, and swim your warm up. Stretching on deck is recommended. All lanes of the pool are open to swimmers during the 45-60 minute warm-up period prior the meet start—there are generally no assigned warm-up lanes, so just pick one! During warm-ups, you can swim laps and drills, but kickboards and paddles are not allowed. After the meet starts, there will always be one lane, and sometimes more, available for warm up and warm down before and after your race. Some people do not warm up prior to the meet start. They instead wait to warm up at a time just before their race, especially if their first race is not scheduled early in the meet.

6. How much should I swim during the warm-up? Swim as much as you need to feel comfortable with the pool, loose, and ready to go. For most swimmers, 400 yds of easy to medium swimming, eight to twelve 50s at moderate-fast pace of whatever strokes you’re competing in, some starts and turns, and a 200 easy warm-down is about right. Make sure you practice a few turns at speed during your warmup to familiarize yourself with the pool’s walls and flags—sometimes things look or feel a little different in an unfamiliar pool, and you don’t want to be surprised by anything during your race. Practicing a few starts from the blocks during the last part of warm-up will probably make you feel more confident if you are starting from the blocks for your race.

7. Can I practice starts? Not all the time. You must always enter the pool in a safe manner during warm-ups—no jumping in on top of swimmers, and no dive starts. For the last 10-15 minutes of the warm-up period, a lane or two will be designated for swimmers to practice their starts. During this time only, you can dive from the starting block and swim to the pool end. You must then climb out of the pool or duck under the lane ropes and swim back in a different lane—the lanes in which you are allowed to dive are one-way-only lanes, to avoid collisions.

8. Are there any tricks to keep my goggles on during starts? Try cinching your goggles a bit tighter than usual. Some swimmers put their goggle on under their caps or pull the top edge of their caps down over the tops of their goggles; others duck their head on the dive in order to keep their goggles on. Experiment in practice until you find a way that works for you. Almost everyone worries about losing their goggles in their first meet. Remember, even if that happens, it’s not the end of the world—you can swim without them if they come off completely, or adjust them at the end of the pool and continue your race.

9. What if I’m swimming a long freestyle race? How will I keep count? If you’re swimming a freestyle race of 400 meters or 500 yards or longer, you will probably want to have a counter keeping track of your laps for you. The host pool will provide lap counting devices that can be flipped to the appropriate number and held under water for you to see, but you must supply the person to do the actual counting and holding! Usually a teammate will be happy to do this for you. They will put the counter in the water as you approach the wall, and remove it before you touch the wall for your turn. In short course meets, laps are counted by 25s, and the counters are placed in the water at the opposite end of the pool from the start. Hence, as you approach 75 yards swum (3 lengths of the pool), you will see the number 3 in the water in front of you; as you approach 425 yards (17 lengths), you will see the number 17. On the last lap, the counter will generally display a red or orange square square rather than a number—this welcome sight lets you know that you’re nearly done!

SWIMMING

10. When do I swim? Each event will have several races or “heats” scheduled. For example, the third heat of an event is the third race for that event. Use the meet program to determine what heat and lane you are assigned to swim in. You do not need to check in further prior to your races, and your name will not be called for your race. Pay attention to the meet progress, and when it is time for your race, show up at the starting blocks.

11. What do I do before my race? Just before your race, it is a good idea to check with the lane timer to be sure you are at the correct lane and heat. The starting official will give three or more short whistles. This is a signal to the swimmers that he is ready to start the race. Another long whistle follows, which means it’s time to get up on the starting blocks or get into the water for backstroke events. You do not have to use the starting blocks to start, but can start from the edge of the pool, or from in the water.

12. When do I actually begin? The starting official will give a hand signal and say “take your mark.” During a short pause, the official will glance to be sure everyone is still and not moving on the starting blocks, then will start the race. The electronic starter will sound and a strobe light will flash, signaling the start. Now get going! A false start will occur if you leave or are moving before the start occurs, and you will be disqualified. If someone else “false starts” while all the swimmers are starting, the electronic starter will flash and beep several times, signaling everyone to stop swimming and to get back to the starting blocks.

13. What if I don?t want to dive off the block? You don?t have to. In fact, you don?t have to dive at all if you don?t want to. You can dive from the deck, or you can start in the water. If you start in the water, you have to have at least one hand on the starting block or the edge of the pool. If you?re going to start in the water, it?s a good idea to tell the starter beforehand that?s what you?re going to do, but it?s not a requirement.

14. What about a backstroke start? You start in the water for backstroke races. So when you hear the long whistle, instead of stepping up on the block, step into the pool. Do not dive in or do a cannonball or anything else wild and crazy. Just step in. The referee will blow one long whistle, and this is the signal for you to come to the wall and be ready to assume your starting position. You can grab hold of the backstroke starting grips with your hands if you want to, but you can also grab the edge of the pool with your hands if that?s more comfortable for you. When the starter tells you to take your mark, pull up into your starting position. Your feet must be beneath the surface of the water. At one time you were allowed to curl your toes over the edge of the pool, but that is not allowed any more. As with the forward start, you should assume your backstroke starting position immediately, and then hold it. When you hear the starting horn, push off and start swimming.

15. What happens when I finish? After touching the wall at the end of the race, leave the pool quickly. It is courteous to stay in the water until the remaining swimmers also finish, and to briefly congratulate them on their swim. If you must use a ladder to exit, do not immediately swim across another swimmer’s lane to reach it. Wait in your lane until the other swimmers have finished their races, then swim across their lanes to the ladder. Once you’ve exited the pool, you can go warm down from your race in the designated warm-down lanes.

16. What should I do to warm down? Swim a 100-200 very easy, then do several 50’s at moderate speed with about 15-20 seconds rest in between. Then, you can think a bit about your next race, and practice a few lengths of whatever stroke you’ll be doing, or perhaps practice a few turns. You should leave the warmup pool loose and relaxed.

RULES

17. How do I keep from getting disqualified in a freestyle race? It?s pretty hard to get disqualified in a freestyle race. The most common disqualification is a false start. If you leave too soon, or are in movement when the horn sounds, you?ll be called for a false start. You won?t find out you?ve been disqualified until the race is over. At one time when the officials saw a false start they would call the heat back, the person who false-started would be disqualified, and then everyone else would start again. But the rules changed a few years ago, and now false starts are not called back. So if you don?t want to find out after you?ve swum the 1650 freestyle that you?ve been disqualified for a false start, then don?t false start!

18.What else could disqualify me from a freestyle race? You could be disqualified if you don?t touch the wall on one of your turns, if you grab the lane line and use it to pull yourself along, or if you push off the bottom of the pool. You can swim any stroke you want in a freestyle race, as the name implies. So if you want to swim 1650 yards of butterfly, go for it! But the time will only count as a freestyle time.

19. How do I keep from getting disqualified in a backstroke race? Basically, you just have to swim backstroke on your back. That?s the only real stroke requirement. You can do double-armed backstroke or elementary backstroke if you want. Most backstroke disqualifications come from illegal turns. You can do an ?open? turn, in which you touch with one hand, swing your feet around, and push off in the opposite direction. You can do the ?old? flip turn, in which you touch with one hand, throw your feet back over your head to touch the wall, twist around, and push off in the opposite direction. Or you can do the ?new? flip turn, in which your last stroke turns you over onto your stomach, you do a freestyle flip turn, and push off on your back. The ?new? turn has to be executed in ?a continuous turning motion.? This means you?re not allowed to glide into the wall. Once you turn over onto your stomach, you have to start the flip immediately, and you have to be on your back when you leave the wall. You have to be sure you?re close enough to the wall when you turn over onto your stomach. If you?re too far from the wall to make a continuous turn, you?ll probably be disqualified. Make sure one of the coaches watches your backstroke turn before the meet so you know you?re doing a legal turn. And remember, you can false start in a backstroke race too, so make sure you?re stationary in your starting position, and don?t leave until the horn sounds.

20. How do I keep from getting disqualified in a breaststroke race? Most disqualifications are for illegal turns or pullouts. You must touch with two hands simultaneously. If you touch with only one hand, that?s a DQ, and if you touch first with one hand, then the other, that?s also a DQ. After each turn and the start you?re allowed to do a pullout, in which you pull down once with your arms, and then take one breaststroke kick while under water. A single dolphin kick between the underwater pull and the breastroke kick is also allowed, but optional. You can start your next arm pull before your head breaks the surface, but if your head doesn?t break the surface before your hands reach the widest part of the stroke, you?ll be disqualified for taking an extra arm pull. You can also be disqualified for doing too many dolphin kicks on the pullout, or for using a dolphin or flutter kick while swimming breastroke. And you can also be disqualified for a false start.

21. How do I keep from getting disqualified in a butterfly race? As with breaststroke, you must touch with two hands simultaneously on turns and the finish. And also as in breaststroke, you can be disqualified for an illegal kick. That would be using a flutter kick instead of a dolphin or breaststroke kick. And of course you can be disqualified for a false start.

22. What about individual medleys? All the same stroke rules apply in the IM?s as in the individual strokes. The most common disqualifications in an IM are for illegal transition turns. In other words, swimmers get disqualified when they change from one stroke to the next. What you need to remember is that when you?re changing from one stroke to the next, you have to follow the finish rules for each stroke. So when you finish your fly leg, you must touch with two hands simultaneously; when you finish your back leg, you must be on your back and touch with any part of your body (do not roll over onto your stomach and do the ?new? backstroke flip turn); and when you finish your breaststroke leg, you must touch with two hands simultaneously.

23. What about relays? Don?t false start! This applies not just to the first swimmer, but especially for the second, third, and fourth swimmers. You don?t want to be glued to the block and have a slow start, but don?t leave too soon either. You can be in motion before the previous swimmer touches the wall, but your feet should not leave the block before the swimmer in the water touches the wall.

24. Any other ways I can be disqualified? You can be disqualified if you stay under water too long on the start. You have to come up by the 15-meter mark, which is indicated by the orange cones on the pool deck. This is for safety reasons. But don?t worry too much about this one?very few Masters swimmers can stay under water that long! You could also be disqualified if you cross another swimmer?s lane to get out of the pool after you finish your race. It?s OK to swim over to the ladder to get out, but make sure everybody?s finished swimming before you do it. And finally, you could get your relay disqualified if you get excited and jump into the pool in celebration before all the other relays have finished swimming.

25. What if I get disqualified? Don?t worry about it. Most swimmers have been DQ?d at one time or another. One of the officials will come tell you what you did wrong. Just learn from your mistake and don?t do it again.

AFTER YOUR RACE

26. How is my time determined? Your official time is usually determined by the electronic scoring system. The horn used to start your race also starts this system, and touchpads at the end of your lane determine your final time, as well as split times for your race. At some pools, you can see your official time on the scoreboard right after your swim. As a backup (sometimes electronic systems fail), there will be up to three timers per lane using stopwatches or buttons to record your time. These “hand-times” are usually only used if the main system fails; although these timers will often tell you what they clocked you in, this will generally not be your official time. Be careful not to interrupt timers while they are recording times or getting ready for the start of the next race. Ask timers for your time only after the next race starts so you are not distracting them during the start.

27. How do I find out the results? After all races for each event are over, the times are submitted to the officials for recording. After recording, each event’s results (including your time and age group place) will be printed and posted on the pool wall. Times will be listed by age group. If you are entitled to an award (usually the top three or eight within each age group, depending on the meet), you can pick it up at the awards table. Please don?t wait till the end of the day to pick up all your ribbons at once. Once the meet is over, everyone will be trying to get out of there and go home or to the meet party. So please, pick up your ribbons periodically throughout the day. Complete results for the meet will also be posted on the host team’s or LMSC’s web site later in the week. Now you will have something to compare at your next meet!

Above all, remember to relax, enjoy yourself, and cheer the other swimmers.

Adapted with permission from articles by Meg Smath and Ray Novitske.

last updated Thursday, Apr 21