Quick Reference Sheet
Things to remember per the Coaches

Before the meet:

Be sure to get a good night's sleep each night leading up to Sunday.  Make sure swimmers are eating enough quality food at each meal and DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST!  Like cars, bodies can't run well on an empty tank.

What to Pack:

Don't forget your Team Warm-up jacket, sweatpants, team t-shirt, team suit, team cap,  goggles and two towels.

Be sure to have extra suits, caps, and goggles with you just in case.

Pack something to keep the kids quite between events, ie. cards, mp3 player, DS, crayons and coloring book, dolls, etc...

During the meet:

Swimmers should arrive on deck no later than 20 min. prior to the start of warm-up.   Use this time to get dressed into your suits, find the team area, and put on your cap and goggles.

While the sessions are long, things may move very quickly at times.  Event numbers do not always run in order during prelim events.  Swimmers need to make sure to always know where they should be (event, heat and lane) and stay in the team area when not at the blocks for an event.

Pay attention to the small things like turns, starts, breathing patterns, etc.

Be sure to come see the coaches after your races to review how well you did!

DRINK LOTS OF WATER!! It will most likely be very warm with dry air that can dehydrate everyone quickly. Swimmers should avoid too much Gatorade during the meet as it can actually lead to more dehydration.

WARM-DOWN after races. Swimmers should be swimming an average of 2-3 times the race distance in the warm-down pool afterwards with a minimum of 300 yards.  The warm-down pool is not a play area.  Do not stay extra in the heated pool.

General Friday Events:
In the 200 and 500 free events, swimmers should focus on proper race strategy and pacing.  NO SPRINTING in the beginning...I promise the only thing gained will be PAIN!!

In the IM events swimmers should concentrate on executing great turns, streamlines, and giving equal effort on all strokes, NOT just the ones we like.  For the 400IM a good goal is to slightly negative split each stroke after fly and to control the first butterfly leg.

Meets with Finals:
Be sure to get a good nap in the afternoon before finals if possible.  Coaches advise against running around outside (or inside) until after the meet concludes on Sunday.

If a swimmer qualifies as an alternate they are expected to be in attendance and warm-up ready to swim.

MAKO HOLIDAY CLASSIC:

Always remember your DECK PASS (MAKO MEET). Swimmers will not be allowed on deck with out one and coaches will not be able to provide extras or back door entrance. If a swimmer goes upstairs during the meet they will still need the deck pass to get back down.

There will be a clerk of course for kids ages 8 & under.  Everyone else is responsible to get themselves to the blocks.  Swimmers help each other out. The coaches can't make sure all 95 kids get to every race.
If you miss your race, see the starter immediately. They may be able to put you in a different heat.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER!! It will most likely be very warm with dry air that can dehydrate everyone quickly. Swimmers should avoid too much Gatorade during the meet as it can actually lead to more dehydration.

Swimmers should not focus on TIME as the primary basis to judge the success of a race.  At this point in the year, time is actually closer to the bottom of the list.  The focus should be on race strategy, execution, effort, and learning what can be done better then next time.  Naturally, if these focuses are achieved, the times almost always follow, but not usually the other way around.

Remember, per Rec center policy, there is no food allowed on deck. This goes for all types of food including energy bars and candy so please leave it with the parents upstairs.