Briar Hill Farm Sea Dragons

SWIM MEET BASICS 

Our team emphasizes a friendly and competitive atmosphere. Please help each visiting team to feel welcomed. When BHF is visiting other pools, we ask parents and swimmers be respectful each swim club's facilities and rules.

ARRIVE EARLY

Arrive 15-20 min early for the meet. Meets begin promptly at 5:30p. Warm-ups begin at 4:30 or 4:45p. It will take time to park, get to pool and for swimmer(s) to find their spot in the bullpen area.

LOOK FOR BHF BULLPEN 

The Bullpen area is a designated area for swimmers to be prior and in between their heats. PLEASE INSTRUCT YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN TO STAY IN THE BULLPEN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

HEAT SHEETS 

These will be posted in the bullpen at each meet. If time allows, they may also be emailed prior to the meet. HEAT SHEET are usually finalized by mid-afternoon of a swim meet.

MEET INFO & FAQ's 2022

• Timeframe for a meet Dual meets (2 competing teams) usually take about 3 hours to complete.
• Swimmers may compete up in age bracket, but NOT down in age group
• How is a swim meet organized? A swim meet consists of 78 events. Individual events may have several heats (races) since there are often more kids swimming than there are lanes.
• What is the stroke order for the medley relay and the IM events? For the medley relay the order is back, breast, fly, free. For IM (Individual Medley) - it is fly, back, breast, free.
• What is the Line-up area? A few minutes prior to a swimmer's race, the kids move to the line-up area and wait for the parent volunteer to line them in the right spot. Please ask your swimmer(s) to remain in the bullpen area during the meet so they will not miss an event.
• Rain Delays In the event that it is raining at the start of a meet, there will be a 15 minute delay before a decision is made to start or reschedule. If it begins raining after a meet has started, there will be a 45 min delay. The coaches and parent reps will make the decision on whether to continue with the meet or re-schedule a meet. Meets are usually re-scheduled for 1-2 days after.
• River City Racers League Rules BHF swim team adheres to the rules set forth by the River City Racers League. All questions concerning meet results, an officiating call or conduct of the meet, should be referred to a parent rep who will pursue the matter through the proper channels.
• Alcohol Parent volunteers and parent representatives are prohibited from consuming alcohol during meets
• Bullpen We ask for swimmers to stay in the bullpen prior and in between their heats. Parents, please talk to your swimmer(s) about staying in the bullpen area. If a volunteer can not find a swimmer when it is time to line up, the swimmer may miss their race. If a swimmer scratches (misses a race) it affects not only the swimmer, but the swim team as well.
• Keeping Pool area Safe and Clean It is permissible to bring beverages and food to the swim meets. Please be mindful and pick up any trash and keep the pool area/deck clean.
• Heat Sheets Heat sheets will list all heats for the evening. These will be posted in the bullpen. With a sharpie (and probably best AFTER applying sunscreen), please include the following information:
  • On his/her forearm, list his/her event number(s) and stroke. For older children, you may also want to include heat # and lane #.
  • On a swimmer's upper RIGHT shoulder, please write their first initial and last name. Ex: R. SMITH

WHAT SHOULD I BRING TO A SWIM MEET?

SWIMMERS - Please LABEL everything!

• At least 2 towels. One towel to sit on and the other to dry off with
• Swim cap (if you have one) BHF Swim Caps may be purchased for $12 through Coach Amanda.
• Goggles (good to have a back-up pair!)
• Wear the Team Suit (go to B&B Aquatics to purchase one)
• Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
• A light sweatshirt or jacket. It can get chilly for the swimmer while they wait.
• Book to read, games, playing cards, etc. (sometimes there is a lot of waiting in between races)
• Backpack/bag to hold all the stuff
• May bring own food and beverages. Bring water!! Concessions may also be offered at each meet. Cash only. NO GLASS at the pools!

PARENTS

• Portable folding chairs
• Cooler with food and beverages. The host team has a concession stand where food and drink may be purchased. CASH ONLY. You may want to bring items that are light, but filling. Bring water! NO GLASS at the pools
• Sharpie - write the child's name and heats on your swimmer(s).

What to do when you arrive for warm-ups before the meet?

1. FIND THE BHF BULLPEN (if applicable for 2021) Please remind your child/children to remain in the bullpen once the meet has started. If the parent volunteers can not find your child for their race, he/she may miss their racing event!
2. GET YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN SITUATED IN THE BULLPEN Find your spot! Many swimmers use their towel or a waterproof type picnic blanket to sit on in the bullpen.
3. MARK YOUR CHILD WITH A SHARPIE Upon arrival, the heat sheets will be posted. Look for your child/children's name. With a sharpie (and probably best AFTER applying sunscreen), please include the following information:
   • On his/her forearm, list his/her EVENT NUMBER(s) and STROKE. For older children, you may
   also want to include heat # and lane #. See pic below.
   • On a swimmer's upper RIGHT shoulder, please write their FIRST INITIAL and LAST NAME.