BridgeMill Barracudas

For those of you that have never attended a swim meet, there are a few things to know in advance to help make the evening more fun for both the family and the swimmer.

1. Declaring for the Meet. One of the most important steps to get ready for the meet is to declare whether or not you will be there. We will open the meet on Friday the week before our meet and close by 10 PM on the Monday before the meet. It is your responsibility to submit your declaration through our Swimtopia site. A lot of time and effort goes into putting the meets together by our coaches, so we need your help with this part. If you do not declare for the meet, your swimmer will not be put into events. 
2. Heat Sheets. Heat sheets (events your child will be swimming in) will be available on our Swimtopia site and emailed by noon the day of the meet. The events could be subject to change last minute, but the heat sheets should be 90% accurate. Each swimmer will be placed in at least 2 individual events and 2 relays, but could have quite a few more if attendance for the meet is low. Swimmers 6 and under will only be in events of freestyle and backstroke. All swimmers 7 and up will be in events that could include freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
3. Marking your swimmer. Before the meet, please mark your swimmer with a sharpie on their arm, leg or back with the events, heats, and lane they will be swimming. See the PDF below on how to mark your swimmer.
4. Arrive to the meet on time. Be at the meet by 5 PM, so the swimmers can start warming up. When you are late, the stress and tension can affect how the evening goes. When you are on time, the chances of finding a space to set up your things and have your swimmer set and ready to go for warm up are much more likely than when you roll in late. The meets are crowded, people bring tents and the deck space fills quickly.
5. Food. Concessions will be on sale at the meets. At home meets, you can pay cash, credit card, or charge to your membership account. Depending on where the away meet is located, some facilities may accept Venmo, but cash or cards would be the easiest. An email will be sent before each meet detailing what is available and how is best to pay. Children get very hungry at meets and will snack all night, so be prepared!
6. Alcoholic Beverages: There is NEVER any consumption of alcoholic beverages allowed at our summer swim meets per the rules and by laws that we operate under as part of the Atlanta Swim Association Summer Swim League.
7. What to Bring: Bring lots of dry towels, bring warm sweatshirts in case it gets chilly and pack some sunscreen for the afternoon sun. Things you may want to bring to the meet:
   • 2 towels
   • Blanket
   • Snacks (concession stand will be open)
   • Sharpie (to write your child’s events on them)
   • Swimsuit
   • Goggles
   • Swim Cap (optional)
   • Great Attitude!!
8. Sign In: Please sign your swimmer in when you arrive. Swimmers will sign in at the check in station near the pool gate. Once checked in, please report to your bullpen immediately.
9. Remain on Pool Deck: Always stress to your swimmer, that never are they to leave the pool deck area for any reason. Events move quickly so we need everyone to stay on the pool deck so we do not have to hunt for our swimmers. Swimmers are not permitted to swim in the pool during a meet unless they are racing in their event.
10. Swimming Up: Based on swimmers' availabilities, we may ask a swimmer from a younger age group to swim up and fill a spot in an older age bracket. The coaches will determine who is ready for this, but if you absolutely do not want your child to swim up in an older age bracket, please let the coaches know immediately.
11. Inclement Weather. In case of inclement weather, the pool deck must be cleared and all parties must go to their cars. We will determine whether we will wait out the weather or call/reschedule the meet. Please sign up for Remind updates by texting @24brid to 81010 so you know when to come back to the pool deck.
12. VOLUNTEERING IS REQUIRED. All parents are required to volunteer at least 4 shifts for your first swimmer, and then one additional shift per swimmer after that. We cannot run a meet efficiently without volunteers, so the more volunteers we have, the quicker the meet should go. You will be able to sign up to volunteer when we open up the meets on the Friday before the next week's meet. You may sign up through Swimtopia. If you cannot fulfill your volunteer requirements, you will be charged $100 so we can hire a replacement for you.