Eagle Watch Swim Team

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.  Signup Calendar - Eagle Watch Swim Team (swimtopia.com)
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.  Individual medley order is butterfly, back stroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.  Medley relay order is back stroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle.
4. Arrive to the meet on time.  Be at home meets by 4:45 PM and away meets by 5:00 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.  Bring cash or credit cards!  Concessions are how the swim team fundraises, so please come hungry!  Depending on where the meet is located, some facilities may accept Venmo, but cash or cards would be the easiest.  Of course, you may bring your own snacks.  Nothing greasy, or too heavy, but the kids do snack all through the night, not really sure why, but they do.  Kona Ice will also be available for sale at home meets. 
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
   • Great Attitude!!
8. Sign In:  Please sign your swimmer in when you arrive, as well as yourself for any volunteer duties that you may have signed up for that evening's meet.  Swimmers will sign in at the check in station near the pool gate.  Volunteers will sign up at the computer table near the baby pool.
9. Remain on Pool Deck:   Always stress to your swimmer, that they are NOT to leave the pool deck area, no playground 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.  Please have your swimmer to the bullpen at least 5 events before their event is called.
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 so you know when to come back to the pool deck.
12. VOLUNTEERING IS REQUIRED.  All parents are required to volunteer for at least 4 shifts for your first swimmer, and then one additional shift per swimmer after that.  If you have 2 or more swimmers on the team, you will sign up for 5 shifts for the season.  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.  On the day of the meet, please check in with Jamie McManus at the computer table to get your volunteer instructions.  Descriptions of volunteer opportunities are on our website.  Team Handbook - Eagle Watch Swim Team (swimtopia.com).  If you cannot fulfill your volunteer requirements, you will be charged $200 so we can hire a replacement for you.  (Volunteer requirements are subject to change based on enrollment numbers).