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2023 Important Meet Information - Please Read

Hello Marlins!

We have our first Meet Saturday against Cromwell. This email is filled with all kinds of important meet related information that might be a given for our returning families but vital for our new ones. It's long but needs to be stated, please read the entire email.

First, for those 8 and Under and New swimmers who could not make evaluations tonight, please contact Coach Chris directly at [email protected] to schedule the evaluation.

Just a few meet reminders:

  • Parents - please allow coaches to coach during the meet; if you have any questions, please see a member of the parent board.
  • Only Coaches, Meet Volunteers and Swimmers are permitted in the area behind the starting blocks. Parents are welcome at the far side (deep end) of the pool to cheer on and watch their swimmers.
  • Swimmers need to pick up their belongings after each meet.
  • Please pick up all garbage left on the ground after the meet is over.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Wednesday meets: Swimmers MUST declare their attendance at the meet by 8am Tuesday mornings. All swimmers should leave the pool by 2pm on meet days. All Wednesday meets begin at 6pm. Swimmers MUST check in with Coach Chris upon arrival at 4:45pm. Swimmers should be ON DECK and ready for warm up by 5pm.

Saturday meets: Swimmers MUST declare their attendance at the meet by 8am Thursday mornings. All Saturday meets begin at 9am. Your swimmer MUST check in with Coach Chris upon arrival at 7:45am. Please be ON DECK at 8am for warm up.

If you do not declare your swimmer, it will be assumed that your swimmer will not be at the meet. If there is a change to your swimmer’s attendance after the declaration cut-off, please email Coach Chris directly at [email protected]

Coaches EXPECT all swimmers to wear the “uniform”, arrive on time and stay for the entire meet….as you would for a soccer game, baseball game, etc.

Meet bag inventory: MP Marlins suit is usually on. MP Marlins t-shirt is on (and whatever else is appropriate for the weather), MP Marlins cap is in bag, goggles, multiple towels, drinks (water preferred - NO SODA) and HEALTHY snacks (fruit, Go-gurt, and easily portable foods). All home meets will have a snack bar and most/if not all away meets will have one too.

PRE-meet: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate….all night long (or all day for Wed night meets). Carbs beforehand are best: pasta on Wed afternoon about 2/3pm for the 6pm meet, cereal with milk, bagel w LIGHT topping, eggs, yogurt, low fat muffins for morning meets. SMARTEST PIECE OF ADVICE don’t try anything new—tried and true favorites work best.

Arrival at meet: find some space, swimmer gets ready for warm up. Coaches stretch swimmers and the younger swimmers enter the pool first. Older kids follow. While they warm up, Mom/Dad reviews the Meet Sheet posted in an obvious place (you will see a parent group huddled there). BRING A PEN/SHARPIE. Usually, the swimmers write their events on their hand/arm so they remember and the Marshaller can see. (Event #, Event Name, Heat #, Lane #. For example: #10 Free H1 L4)

Meet Sheets: Even though the SwimTopia app will show your swimmers events, ALWAYS check the meet sheet. Nothing is final until it’s on the meet sheet!

Swimmers are listed in alphabetical order. Please look for your swimmer's name, their events will be listed under their name. Each event has an event #, heat and lane listed. It is important to remember all this information. This is where your pen/sharpie comes in handy. There are weeks your swimmer is in free and then due to a vacationing teammate, they are instead in fly. AGAIN, the coaches do their best to get every swimmer in every meet. Keep in mind we are a large team so when other teams don’t wish to allow us 10 heats of 9/10 freestyle, we have to move on. Your swimmer may NOT swim their strongest stroke because another swimmer holds their own there and the coaches need your swimmer in another event. Just a reminder to keep an open mind.

Reading the meet sheet: the first “heat” listed is the official heat. OFFICIAL heats are the only ones that ‘score points’. The unofficial heats are providing more swimmers a chance to improve their times and “move up” heats. This is truly the only fair way to do it. As your swimmer improves (and they will quite quickly), you move up in heats with a chance to score points. REMEMBER to check the relay listings. Meets begin with Medley Relays, then Individual Medleys, every age group of free, breast, back, fly and ending with Freestyle Step Up Relays (using swimmers of every age group—stepping up in age).

Scoring: first place 5 points, second 3, third 1. Relays are 7 points to win, nothing for any other place. Again, only official heats score these points. Swimmers will get ribbons for places 1-3 in the official heat (heat 1).....Participant ribbons for all swimmers in the extra heats. Ribbons are handed out at the end of season party.

Disqualification: occurs when the swimmer is not doing the stroke “by the book”. The officials will let the coaches know why a swimmer is disqualified. The coaches will work with your swimmer on correcting the technique at practice. There may be some tears but quickly remind your little swimmer we all have learned this lesson!

Volunteers: you must sign up to work a minimum of 4 meets. This will be tracked. If you do not sign up and pick your own job - you will be assigned to work whatever is left.

  • Meet Volunteers: Check in at the scoring tent just to state your presence, get further instruction and to ensure we have no last minute holes.
  • Snack Bar/Food Donations: Check in and/or drop donations at the snack bar area.
  • Meet Buddies: All rising 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders check in at the scoring tent AFTER WARM UPS for more information on assisting with the 10/Under swimmers.

MCSSL Alcohol Policy: Under no circumstances will alcoholic beverages or propaganda be allowed at any League sanctioned event (swim meet/representative meetings). Consuming alcoholic beverages will not be tolerated as it is not a vision that the MCSSL stands for. This MCSSL policy will apply to all League sanctioned events regardless of the rules and regulations of any individual pool.

Inclement Weather: in case of inclement weather always check your email prior to leaving for a meet. We still attend meets in the rain. Only thunder and lightning will cause a meet to be canceled/delayed. We have been known to wait out a storm in the parking lot. So, as long as there is no email from the coaches, plan on being at the meet on time. Rain or Shine.

All meets should be kept to 2 hours. Bring your chairs to all meets and bring the whole family!! Swimmers love to hear all the cheers from the crowd!!

We hope to see everyone at the pool!! Go Marlins!!!

For new families – a Home Meet Pool Layout is attached. 

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