Frequently Asked Questions:
What should a swimmer bring to a swim meet?
1) A pair of goggles; bringing a spare pair is also highly recommended. Sooner or later an older pair of goggles is bound to break, and having a back-up pair will avoid some stress and aggravation.
2) A swim cap. This is very important for long-haired swimmers, and helpful for all swimmers, to keep hair out of the swimmer's face and also to reduce drag and improve performance.
3) At least two large towels. Most swimmers will compete in multiple events, so a single towel will get wet quickly.
4) Most swimmers arrive in their swimsuit, ready to swim; some swimmers choose to bring an extra suit, in case of unexpected wardrobe malfunction. This is up to the swimmer's/parent's discretion.
5) Water and maybe some light/healthy snacks. It's important to stay hydrated, especially when it's hot and sunny. And swim meets are long, so snacks are good to have. In the past, snacks have been available for purchase at the meets, but due to COVID restrictions snacks may be less available.
6) It may also be a good idea to bring a sweatshirt or warm-up jacket to Wednesday (evening) meets, as sometimes it gets a little cool if the meet runs late.
What time should we show up for a meet?
Meets are held on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings (the meet schedule can be found on the Meet Schedule page). Swimmers should arrive at the following times:
Wednesday evening Home Meets (at Conklin) - 5:30pm warm-up (6:30pm meet start)
Wednesday evening Away Meets - 6:00pm warm-up (6:30pm meet start)
Saturday morning Home Meets - 7:30am warm-up (8:30am meet start)
Saturday morning Away Meets - 8am warm-up (8:30am meet start)
The pre-meet warm-up is very important, so please arrive on time!
How long does a meet last?
Our dual meets consist of 54 events, and each event may take 1 to 3 minutes to complete (depending on the number of swimmers). So swim meets typically last around 3 to 3.5 hours. You may wish to come prepared with snacks/water, chairs, sunscreen, etc.
Do we have to stay for the whole meet?
For regular dual meets, all swimmers must stay until the end of the meet!!! Even after you have completed your events, you should cheer for your teammates, and shake hands with the opposing team at the end of the meet. You may also be needed if it's necessary to make substitutions in the final relay events. If you must leave because of another commitment, you or your parent should tell the coach.
What happens if it rains?
Even though all of our meets are held outdoors, meets are typically not cancelled because of rain, except in the case of thunderstorms or high winds. So if it looks like rain, you might want to bring a poncho or umbrella. You will be notified by email (and on the Swim Team News page) if a meet has been cancelled; any questions can be directed to your coaches (conklinbarracudas@gmail.com).
What should we do when we get to the meet?
1) Swimmers should check in with their coach upon arrival; parent volunteers should check in with the volunteer coordinator. If the parent has signed up to be a timer, there will be a timer's meeting at the scorer's table around 15 minutes before the start of the meet (this will be announced over the P.A.).
2) Swimmers should get their event/heat/lane assignments from their coach. Most swimmers will write this information on the back of their hand with a sharpie marker.
3) During the meet, swimmers should remain in the pool area ready for their event, and should always notify a coach before leaving the pool area. Swimmers will be lined up prior to their event, and if the coach cannot find you, you will miss your event. This will hurt the team.
4) Parents who are not volunteers should stand back from the pool deck during the meet, so as not to interfere with the swimmers, officials, and timers. Parents are highly encouraged to cheer for the swimmers, and are welcome to take pictures or video of their swimmer's events, and offer positive words of encouragement.
Meet etiquette:
1) Swimmers should exhibit good sportsmanship at all times, both to their own teammates and opponents. Negative behavior will not be tolerated, and negative behavior from opposing swimmers should be reported to a coach.
2) Upon finishing a race, each swimmer should offer a handshake to their opponents in the adjacent lanes.
3) To save time, dual meets generally use "flyover" starts in all events (except for backstroke). This means at the end of each race, swimmers should remain in the pool in their lane, close to the starting block, until the next race has started. Once the next race has started, the swimmer should quickly climb out of the pool.
4) Swimmers may ask the lane timers for their time immediately after exiting the pool. Otherwise, swimmers can find out their times from the official meet results, which are generally posted on our Results page or the Liberty Swim League Results page on the day after the meet.
5) Swimmers and parents should leave the team area clean at the end of the meet; please pick up trash, food wrappers, water bottles, etc.
6) Any questions about meet results, an officiating call or the conduct of a meet should be referred to your team parent rep. If appropriate, the parent rep will pursue the matter through the proper channels.
1) A pair of goggles; bringing a spare pair is also highly recommended. Sooner or later an older pair of goggles is bound to break, and having a back-up pair will avoid some stress and aggravation.
2) A swim cap. This is very important for long-haired swimmers, and helpful for all swimmers, to keep hair out of the swimmer's face and also to reduce drag and improve performance.
3) At least two large towels. Most swimmers will compete in multiple events, so a single towel will get wet quickly.
4) Most swimmers arrive in their swimsuit, ready to swim; some swimmers choose to bring an extra suit, in case of unexpected wardrobe malfunction. This is up to the swimmer's/parent's discretion.
5) Water and maybe some light/healthy snacks. It's important to stay hydrated, especially when it's hot and sunny. And swim meets are long, so snacks are good to have. In the past, snacks have been available for purchase at the meets, but due to COVID restrictions snacks may be less available.
6) It may also be a good idea to bring a sweatshirt or warm-up jacket to Wednesday (evening) meets, as sometimes it gets a little cool if the meet runs late.
What time should we show up for a meet?
Meets are held on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings (the meet schedule can be found on the Meet Schedule page). Swimmers should arrive at the following times:
Wednesday evening Home Meets (at Conklin) - 5:30pm warm-up (6:30pm meet start)
Wednesday evening Away Meets - 6:00pm warm-up (6:30pm meet start)
Saturday morning Home Meets - 7:30am warm-up (8:30am meet start)
Saturday morning Away Meets - 8am warm-up (8:30am meet start)
The pre-meet warm-up is very important, so please arrive on time!
How long does a meet last?
Our dual meets consist of 54 events, and each event may take 1 to 3 minutes to complete (depending on the number of swimmers). So swim meets typically last around 3 to 3.5 hours. You may wish to come prepared with snacks/water, chairs, sunscreen, etc.
Do we have to stay for the whole meet?
For regular dual meets, all swimmers must stay until the end of the meet!!! Even after you have completed your events, you should cheer for your teammates, and shake hands with the opposing team at the end of the meet. You may also be needed if it's necessary to make substitutions in the final relay events. If you must leave because of another commitment, you or your parent should tell the coach.
What happens if it rains?
Even though all of our meets are held outdoors, meets are typically not cancelled because of rain, except in the case of thunderstorms or high winds. So if it looks like rain, you might want to bring a poncho or umbrella. You will be notified by email (and on the Swim Team News page) if a meet has been cancelled; any questions can be directed to your coaches (conklinbarracudas@gmail.com).
What should we do when we get to the meet?
1) Swimmers should check in with their coach upon arrival; parent volunteers should check in with the volunteer coordinator. If the parent has signed up to be a timer, there will be a timer's meeting at the scorer's table around 15 minutes before the start of the meet (this will be announced over the P.A.).
2) Swimmers should get their event/heat/lane assignments from their coach. Most swimmers will write this information on the back of their hand with a sharpie marker.
3) During the meet, swimmers should remain in the pool area ready for their event, and should always notify a coach before leaving the pool area. Swimmers will be lined up prior to their event, and if the coach cannot find you, you will miss your event. This will hurt the team.
4) Parents who are not volunteers should stand back from the pool deck during the meet, so as not to interfere with the swimmers, officials, and timers. Parents are highly encouraged to cheer for the swimmers, and are welcome to take pictures or video of their swimmer's events, and offer positive words of encouragement.
Meet etiquette:
1) Swimmers should exhibit good sportsmanship at all times, both to their own teammates and opponents. Negative behavior will not be tolerated, and negative behavior from opposing swimmers should be reported to a coach.
2) Upon finishing a race, each swimmer should offer a handshake to their opponents in the adjacent lanes.
3) To save time, dual meets generally use "flyover" starts in all events (except for backstroke). This means at the end of each race, swimmers should remain in the pool in their lane, close to the starting block, until the next race has started. Once the next race has started, the swimmer should quickly climb out of the pool.
4) Swimmers may ask the lane timers for their time immediately after exiting the pool. Otherwise, swimmers can find out their times from the official meet results, which are generally posted on our Results page or the Liberty Swim League Results page on the day after the meet.
5) Swimmers and parents should leave the team area clean at the end of the meet; please pick up trash, food wrappers, water bottles, etc.
6) Any questions about meet results, an officiating call or the conduct of a meet should be referred to your team parent rep. If appropriate, the parent rep will pursue the matter through the proper channels.
