DOMINION Dolphins

The following are a list of practices that are recommended you follow in order to help your swimmer achieve their goals by having them ready to compete. Swimming FAST is FUN!

DO…

Participate in all of the meets if possible. This helps with their competitive drive and its FUN!

Read the meet entry report which may be posted on the website and at the pool prior to the meet to carefully ensure you know which events your child is swimming..

Download the location maps from the Swimtopia web site (if available).

Check the team website for Psych sheets and possible last minute changes to the meet.

Pack your swimmers bag ahead of time to ensure that it contains a competitive team suit, team cap, team t-shirt, appropriate clothing, 2 pair of goggles, two towels, and activities like playing cards, etc. It is recommended that swimmers do not bring electronic devices, but it us up to parental discretion. Leave the bag by the door so you don't forget it.

Provide healthy and nutritious meals on the day of a meet for your swimmer.

Hydrate your swimmer prior to the swim meet. Water is the best source of hydration.

Bring snacks and sport drinks when allowed in a small personal cooler.

Arrive at least 30-45 minutes prior to the start of warm up so as to allow your swimmer to report to the warm up lanes on time and check in.

Bring a heat sheet and always bring a highlighter, pencil or pen and a permanent marker.

Draw the checkerboard graphic on your swimmer’s body (usually thigh or forearm/hand) so they know their event, heat and lane numbers. This consists of a crossword puzzle graphic with the event, heat and lane # in the squares. For example if your child is swimming 7-8 25 Freestyle and 7-8 25 Breaststroke you would look for their name in the Heat sheet under the event numbers. They will be seeded in a heat and placed in a lane. For Breast it is Event 35, and they are in Heat 2, Lane 7. For Free it is Event 45, they are in Heat 4, Lane 2. The Box would look like this:

__E__|__H__|___L___

__35_|__2___|___7___ 25 Br

__45_|__4___|___2___ 25 Fr

NO OTHER BODY MARKINGS OF ANY SORT ARE ALLOWED such as “eat My bubbles”.

Write child’s last name on their back to help keep swimmers organized in the ready bench area.

Have your swimmer check-in when they arrive at the meet. We will probably have a Sign-in Sheet

Ensure that your swimmer(s) stay in a designated team tent area. If your swimmer is not sitting with the rest of the team, it is very hard for the ready bench workers to find your swimmer which increases the likelihood they will miss their race. It is ultimately the swimmers responsibility to be ready for the event.

See the coaching staff before and after swimming.

Hydrate after each event; remove your swimmers swim cap so as to prevent possible over heating.

Check the posted results at the pool and record them in your swim meet record book.

Cheer and have fun watching your swimmer compete. They have worked hard to get ready.

Praise them for a job well done. Your job is to love them. Let the coaches coach them.

DON'T...

Sit in restricted areas, or park illegally.

Enter the restricted area of the pool deck unless you are authorized.

Mark your swimmers body with any phrases or other designs. his is against NSSL rules.

Leave the meet without checking out with the coaching staff to ensure sure your swimmer is not on a relay team. This is very disrespectful to the other 3 swimmers on that relay team. This also makes it very difficult on coaching staff to find alternates.

Distract your swimmer when they are behind the block.

Yell or use flash photography at the start of the race.

Approach an official if your swimmer is disqualified; let the coaching staff do it.

Allow your swimmer to run around at a meet or play in a playground area, as they can get injured and dehydrated.