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Surviving Your First Summer Swim Meet: A New Swim Parent’s Guide

Updated: Mar 23

So, your kiddo has joined the swim team—welcome to the wild, wonderful, and slightly chaotic world of summer swim meets! If you’re anything like I was at our first meet, you’re probably equal parts excited and terrified. What do you bring? Why does everyone have Sharpies? Will your child actually swim the right stroke? (Spoiler: That’s a 50/50 chance for the younger ones.  Mine would dive in and then look at what stroke the other kids were swimming)


Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered! Grab your coffee (trust me, you’ll need it), and let’s dive into everything you need to know about surviving your first summer swim meet.





1. Arrive Early (But Not Too Early)

Your coach will give you a start time. Add 15 minutes for parking and then subtract 10 minutes if your kid is the kind that you can drop off by the coach while you go find parking and carry ALL the items to the pool.  Arrive early enough to get your swimmer settled, but not so early that anyone is there any longer than necessary, especially if you have other kids with you. 


The swimmers will have warmups before the races and practice diving in. Each pool we swim at has a different style diving board so that part is important to avoid surprises during the race.


2. What to Bring (Besides Your Sanity and Patience)

Here’s a list of essentials you’ll want to pack:

  • SWIM GEAR

    • Swimsuit – This seems obvious but there are some things you need to know😊

      • Some teams do matching suits, some don’t.  Your coach will let you know.

      • No two piece swimsuits for girls. This is because you risk the swimsuit not staying where it should when diving in.

      • There are competition swimsuits, I am not sure how they are different, but my daughter says they fit differently.  Looks the same to me, just more expensive of course. We use this one. (https://amzn.to/4bT0MbG)

    • Goggles – Bring at least 2 pairs.  Sometimes they break so it is best to always have 2 pairs that you know fit and don’t leak.

    • We have had really good luck with TYR brand.

      • They have worked for both kids and don't leak and also hold up to chewing...yes chewing. 😒

      • My 6-year-old son uses these which I just realized are adult sized but fit him well and don't leak. He hasn't broken them which is a miracle for him (https://amzn.to/43VlcyD)

      • My daughter uses these and has had this pair for a year or 2. Highly recommend. (https://amzn.to/4iGexNf)

    • Swim Cap – Both the winter and summer teams my daughter has swam on have provided this so that the team matches.

      • Don't stress if they refuse to wear it.

      • Also don't help them put it on unless you know what you are doing. I tried this and my daughter refused for numerous months to even attempt putting it on. Just let the coach or a knowledgeable friend help.

    • Towels – Bring at least two.  Our summer swim team season starts in early June, so the weather is normally HOT, but the pool can be chilly.  The kids also like to sit on a blanket or towel in between their races so bring an extra towel or blanket that is easily washable.

    • Swim Bag - So the swimmer can carry all the above stuff together and put with the team.

  • AFTER MEET CLOTHES

    • No one wants to drive home in a wet swimsuit. (Don't forget the underwear)

  • CHAIRS OR A BLANKET

    • Some pools have bleachers, but generally not enough for everyone.  We prefer to bring our own chairs so we can be comfortable.

    • I love this chair from Dick's Sporting Goods. It is oversized and the drink cups are big enough for my big drink cups. Check out the chairs by clicking HERE.

  • POP UP TENT

    • This is not necessary, but we bring ours unless it is a night meet.

    • The meets are LONG (four+ hours) This is in the middle of summer (think July sun and heat) and sadly there is no pool for the parents to float around in with a cocktail in your hand. Having the tent to help block the sun is great for avoiding the sunburns and helps with the heat.  I always threaten to put a mister on it, but that hasn’t happened yet.

    • This tent has wheels and a sidewall, so I am pretty jealous. Mine does not have wheels which means it has to go on the wagon. Get one with wheels (https://amzn.to/42gznNE)

  • FOOD

    • It is truly amazing how much food my daughter and her friends can consume during a swim meet.  Bring snacks, lots of them.  We started packing sandwiches or a Snackle Box (https://amzn.to/4higNZS).  We live in a small town, so we travel to other small towns to compete.  So most of the time we are at a meet in an unfamiliar town.  The swim races will also be spread out so sometimes you will have quite a bit of time in between races, but not quite enough time to walk to the car, find food and then come back and get a new parking spot. 

    • Some meets do have a concession stand. The type of food, price and nutritional value varies a lot.

  • SHARPIE

    • Heat | Lane | Event – More about this later.

    • Yes, a black sharpie works, but what fun is that? The kids like to get creative with them. (https://amzn.to/42gznNE)

  • SUNSCREEN

    • I personally buy the “baby” or “kid” kind of sunscreen for the face as it tends to not run into the eyes when wet like the other kinds do.

  • WATER 

    • Bring a lot.  It is hot out and you are there a long time.  I fill my 2-gallon Stanley Water Jug so we can refill as necessary. (https://amzn.to/4iFcSHX)

  • ENTERTAINMENT

    • You are there a long time (4+ hours) to watch mere minutes of racing.  This leaves a lot of downtime.  Books, headphones, games are also great options.

    • Recently we started packing a bag of games for the kids to play while they wait, and this has been a big hit.  Some popular games are below

  • WAGON

    • This makes it a lot easier to carry everything above. We pack everything in and then magically balance the tent on top of it.

    • This double decker wagon is pretty cool and very reasonable priced. Just depends on if you want it to double as a kids wagon or not. (https://amzn.to/4j1Kuzu)


3. Heat Sheets & The Sharpie Ritual

At swim meets, kids don’t just swim “the freestyle race.” No, no, they swim in events, heats, and lanes. And unless you have a photographic memory, you’re not going to remember all of them.

Here’s where the Sharpie comes in:

  1. Find out your swimmer’s events from the heat sheet.

  2. Write them on their arm or leg in a grid like this:

Event

Heat

Lane

Stroke

2

3

5

Free

5

2

2

Back

8

1

7

Breast

4. The Waiting Game

Here’s a fun fact: Your swimmer may only race for a total of two minutes across a four-hour meet. The rest of the time? You wait. And wait. And wait.


The good news? You have time to chat with other parents, cheer for teammates, and eat snacks. The bad news? If you have younger kids with you, you’ll spend those four hours listening to them be bored, so make sure to pack snacks and entertainment for them too.


5. The Race (and getting ready)

Ten to fifteen minutes before the race your kid should be over by the coach or in the designated lined up spot. This is also the time when where kids disappear, and other swimmers are wandering around asking everyone if they have seen them.


Your job? Make sure your child gets there on time. Their job? Actually listen when their name is called. 


Pro Tip For most races, they start with the youngest group and then proceed until they are finished with the oldest group.  I watch the heights of the swimmers that are getting ready to go.  My daughter swims in the 8 & U, so when the tallest kids are getting ready to go, I know that she will probably be in the next event.


6. The Parent Cheer Zone

When your child swims, you will lose your mind. Even if they are dead last, you will yell like they’re breaking a world record. And that’s the beauty of swim meets—every kid gets cheered on.


7. Leaving

As soon as your kid has completed their last event, you can leave.  So pack up 15 minutes BEFORE that race so you can leave right after. 


***This is how my kid's summer and winter team operates, and in the winter swim there are exceptions to this rule where you must stay to watch your team compete. (i.e. Regional)***

 

Final Thoughts

Your first summer swim meet will be exhausting, exciting, and a little bit overwhelming, but it’s also an incredible experience. Watching your child improve, make friends, and develop confidence in the water makes it all worth it. It also will help you feel more comfortable with them in the water, which is a game changer for summer pool time.


I hope this summer swim meet guide helps! Comment below if I forgot anything.


Welcome to The Swim Life.  We are glad you are here. 🏊‍♀️💦



Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use or believe will be helpful for my readers. Thank you for supporting this blog!

 


 

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