Stratford Swim Team

Swim meets start at 6:00pm and will last anywhere from 2.5 hrs (or less for virtual meets) to 4 hrs (in-person meets).

- Swimmers check in with Coach Trevor, Will, Carter or Declan by 5:00pm 

- Warm up is from 5:30-5:50 pm 

- Volunteers check in with Olivia at 5:30 pm

        If you are unable to work your assigned shift it is YOUR responsibility to find a replacement!  Remember, we are here for the kids and we can’t do this without your help.  The more we work together the smoother it will go!

- Bring cash for concessions.  We also offer Venmo & CashApp payments.

- Chairs and canopies are allowed on the pool deck but DO NOT set up on either end of the pool - these areas will be needed for swimmers/timers/officials.  Our team will set up on the clubhouse side of the pool.  The visiting team will set up on the parking lot side of the pool.

• What does my child need to do to prepare on the day of a swim meet?
  • Your child needs to wear the team swimsuit and have goggles and a cap. Kids do not have to wear a cap or goggles but it is definitely recommended.  It’s a good idea to always bring a back-up pair of goggles as well.
  • Make sure your child brings one or two towels, one to sit on and one to dry off with.
  • Do not let your child play outside in the heat. They need to drink lots of water and rest.
  • Eat healthy and bring healthy snacks such as fruit and protein to the meet. There are concessions at the meets as well.
  • Bring sunscreen and bug spray.
  • Make sure your child has their events written on their arm before the meet. If you have questions about an event, feel free to ask one of the head coaches.
• What is a heat sheet and how do I read it?
  • The heat sheet is basically the schedule for the meet. When the heat sheet is sent out, usually a day or two before the meet, swimmer entries will be attached as well. This is where you can find what your child is swimming. Here is an example:

    

• How to read a heat sheet

  • A heat sheet shows all the Events in a meet. Events are listed #1, #2, #3.....#43, #44, #45...all the way up to #77
  • Each event is broken into Heats (Heat 1 of 2, Heat 2 of 2.... or Heat 1 of 3, Heat 2 of 3...Heat 3 of 3...etc)
  • Each Heat is broken into Lanes (Lanes 1-6 or 1-5, depending on the pool)
  • A child's name appears next to the lane number.
  • You will be able to tell what event, heat and lane a child is in. This should match up with what is written on their arm unless:
    • It was written incorrectly on their arm
    • there was a change to their event, in this case, a coach or official should have the change and should make you aware of the change.

  
  

• Should I print my own heat sheet for the meet?
  • YES, we recommend that all parents/volunteers and spectators print their own copy of the heat sheet prior to coming to the meet, as copies will not be available at the meet. Additional note: a lot of parents like to highlight their kids events and their kids' friends events to keep track throughout the meet of when everyone is swimming.
  • You can find the heat sheet with the swim meet in SwimTopia
• How do I write the events on my child’s arm?
  • Your child needs to have the Event, Heat, Lane, & Stroke on his or her arm. Based on the example above, here is what it should look like:

MARKING CHILDREN FOR A MEET 

 - Use ONLY a BLACK PERMANENT SHARPIE 

 - Apply sunscreen BEFORE the sharpie and let it dry (sunscreen removes sharpie!)

 - Write their NAME and LAST initial and their AGE on the back of their RIGHT SHOULDER– this helps the COACHES and the SHEPHERDS find the right child for the events Make sure their SUIT, TSHIRTS SWIM CAPS AND TOWELS have their names in them as well

- Write their events on the inside of their forearm as listed in the example above

- If possible, try NOT to wait until you show up for the meet to START marking your swimmer