What to expect…

• Before each meet you will need to RSVP your swimmer for the meet. Please be sure to complete your sign up as soon as possible so that the coach can start to plan for your child’s events. You will not be entered in a meet unless you provide a response that you are attending the meet.
• An email will be sent the weekend before each meet communicating the time, location and other pertinent information for each meet.

Packing for the meet…

• Swimmer’s should arrive at the meet wearing their team suit and sunscreen.
• Pack your goggles (and an extra pair), swim cap, one or two towels per swimmer, spirit wear and a water bottle.
• Bring a sharpie marker to write your child’s events on their arm.
• Bring a sweatshirt or something warm to wear as it gets colder some nights.
• Bring chairs and blankets to sit on.
• Bring cards, books or games to entertain kids during the downtime.
• Bring cash for the concessions or pack a cooler with extra water, dinner and your child’s favorite snacks.

Arrival at meet…

• Swimmer check in will be at a table outside of the pool gates for both home and away meets. Look for the WTW sign. Swimmer check in time varies, but usually begins approximately 4:30pm and closes at 5:15pm. This allows the computer worker to get all event info set up in the computer and timer sheets printed and out to the timers before the meet starts. Please check in on time. If your swimmer misses check in, and has not made other arrangements with the coach, they will be scratched from the meet. If you know your swimmer will be attending, please contact a friend to check in for you.
• At check in, there will be printed sheets specifying swimmer events. Swimmer events will also be available in the free Swimtopia app. Swimmers should note their events on their arm so they remember what they are swimming.

For example, 

#10 25 Free

#28 25 Back

• Volunteer check in takes place at this table as well. Both 1st Half and 2nd Half volunteers should check in at the start of the meet.
• Warm Ups will take place before each meet and are organized by age groups. The announcer will call for warm ups the same as they call event numbers. The times for warm ups will be listed in each meets informational email and may change time based on pool location.
• Team Meeting/Team Cheer, coach or announcer will tell swimmers where to meet.
• Meets typically begin at 6pm.
• Events will be called by the announcer and the event number being called to the Clerk of Course will be displayed on the board by the announcer table near the pump house (home meets). It is VERY IMPORTANT to keep an eye on this board and listen for the announcement of your child’s event. When your child’s event is called, they should head directly over to the Clerk of Course. The Clerk of Course will organize the children into the correct heats and lanes.
• For first time or young swimmers, it may be a good idea to walk with them to the clerk, especially at away meets. Once your child has found their spot, you can leave and watch them race!
• Race results will be posted but will take time to get through the computer system and printed. (If your child receives a ribbon, they will not get them until the following day at fun practice.)
• Do not leave the meet unless you are certain your child has swam all of their events. If your swimmer is 8 and under, they can leave the meet after they have finished their last individual event. If your swimmer is 9 or older, they need to stay until they have finished their relay, if they were signed up for a relay. If they were not originally signed up for a relay, they need to check in with the coach before they leave to make sure they were not added to a relay. It is very disappointing for other swimmers when a relay has to scratch because someone leaves the meet early.

Weather…

• Unfortunately, we do occasionally experience delays in our meets due to bad weather. At the first sound of thunder or sighting of lightning, the pool and deck must be cleared of all people. A 30-minute waiting period is to be enforced before swimmers may begin to swim after the last sighting of lightning or sound of thunder. If a weather delay is called, you must exit the pool and deck area and return to your car with all of your belongings. You will want to bring movies or games to keep your children entertained while waiting out the weather in your car. We make every effort to finish a meet on the scheduled evening, but postponements do happen. In most cases, meets will be postponed to the following evening. Delays and postponements will be communicated via the SwimTopia app, email, and the Wyndham Tidal Waves Facebook page.
• The full weather policy is included in the GRAL handbook https://www.gralva.com/gral-handbook Here are a few reminders:
  • A raindate should be scheduled in advance and shared by the hosting team in the welcome letter. It is typically the following day.
  • Decisions to postpone a meet will be made by 4 people: Meet Director, Pool Manager, Home Parent Rep and Visiting Parent Rep. We make all attempts to hold a meet due to the challenges of rescheduling a meeting.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many events can my child swim during a swim meet?

• Each swimmer can enter up to 3 individual events plus one relay at each swim meet.

What is the order of the meet?

• The first event is the 8 & under relay.
• After event one, all even numbered events are girls and odd numbered events are boys until the individual events are finished.
• The meet ends with relays for swimmers 9 and older.
• Meets have 55 events total.

Relays

• Relay teams are made up of 4 swimmers.
• Odd Week Meets are Freestyle relays (all 4 swimmers swim freestyle)
• Even Week Meets are Medley relays (each of 4 swimmers swim a different stroke in this order: Back, Breast, Butterfly & Freestyle)
• The coach chooses who swims a relay.
• A dry erase board will be positioned at swimmer check in. Check the board to see if you’re on a relay. This could change throughout the even so swimmers 9 and older should check with a coach before leaving. 9 and older relays are at the end of the meet.

What is a DQ?

• A disqualification is often referred to as a DQ. If you check out the event results and see a DQ instead of a time next to your swimmer’s name, that is because they did not perform a stroke or turn, or start or finish, correctly. It happens to nearly all swimmers at some point, and more frequently when they are learning new strokes. Please try not to be discouraged. After each meet, the coaches are given the DQ cards which explains exactly why a swimmer DQed. This gives the coach an opportunity to work with your swimmer to help them learn to swim the stroke correctly.

What is the 100 IM?

An Individual Medley (IM) is one swimmer that swim 4 laps in the following order: Butterfly, Back, Breast and Free.

What are age groups?

• Age groups* are the way in which the GRAL (Greater Richmond Aquatic League) groups swimmers.
• 8 & under, 9 & 10, 11 & 12, 13 & 14, 15-18
• Swimmers age 6 & under are broken out into their own age group for Freestyle & Backstroke only

*A swimmer’s age is determined by their age as of June 1st. They remain in the same age group all season.

What are swimmer classifications?

GRAL has 5 classifications of swimmers determined by the times the swimmer has earned in a particular event. All swimmers without times are first placed in the Novice category. Swimmers may swim with other classification but will only be scored with those in their classification. Time standards can be found at gralva.com.

• Novice (N) - a swimmer with no time in a given event or a swimmer who has not achieved a valid ADV, JV, V or SV time in the event and age group in which the swimmer is competing.
• Advanced (ADV) - a swimmer who has achieved a valid ADV time and has not yet achieved a valid JV, V or SV time in the event and age group in which the swimmer is competing.
• Junior Varsity (JV) - a swimmer who has achieved a valid JV time and has not yet achieved a valid V or SV time in the event and age group in which the swimmer is competing.
• Varsity (V) - a swimmer who has achieved a valid V time and has not yet achieved a valid SV time in the event and age group in which the swimmer is competing.
• Senior Varsity (SV) - a swimmer who has achieved a valid SV time in the event and age group in which the swimmer is competing.

How do swimmers earn ribbons?

GRAL ribbons are awarded to the first six finishers (including both competing teams) for each of the swimmer classifications (N, ADV, JV, V, SV) for each Age Group for each event. Note that GRAL ribbons are awarded based on the classification under which the swimmer was entered in the event, not the classification for the time they achieved in the event. For example, if a swimmer is entered in an event at the Novice level, but swam faster than the Novice time range, they will be ranked with other swimmers who entered that event at a Novice level. The next time they swim this event, they will be ranked with other swimmers based on their fastest time in this event.

How does scoring work during a swim meet?

• Individual events are scored (1st place to 6th place) with points - 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1

• Relay events are scored (1st place to 6th place) with points - 14, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2

What is Champs?

• At the end of the season GRAL hosts the league wide championship meet open to swimmers achieving a JV time or faster in an individual event.
• Swimmers may qualify in many events, but are only allowed to swim in 4 individual events and up to 2 relay events. The coaches choose the relay swimmers.
• Champs is held at Swim RVA. There is a fee to participate in the Champs meet.
• Qualifying for Champs is a great accomplishment for our swimmers.