Timing Meet Details - PLEASE READ!
Hi Team!
The first week of practice is in the books, and we are gearing up for our Timing Meet this Sunday, May 6th! Please read through this email in its entirety as there are important details that you won’t want to miss!
EVERY SEALS SWIMMER HAS MERCHANDISE TO PICK UP!!!!
Misty and Kristy will be distributing merchandise at Misty’s house:
Saturday from 1pm – 4pm
6416 Magenta Lane
We would really appreciate it if anyone who possibly can, could swing by to get their items during that time. This includes the free team t-shirt and cap for each swimmer. It is a large amount of merchandise, and logistically, transporting it to the pool is difficult. For those who are unable to pick it up on Saturday, we will be bringing the remaining items to the pool to distribute at the Timing Meet. Please find Misty and Kristy at the Age Group Parent Tents. Please make sure that you check your items and sign off on a clipboard at pick up. Historically, we find that sometimes a kiddo or a parent will come pick up merchandise and not tell the other parent and we end up scrambling and thinking we have lost some. Having a signature upon pick up helps us sort this out. Thanks in advance for your patience and cooperation.
Print your own heat sheets:
The HEAT SHEETS will be available in Swimtopia this evening or by tomorrow morning and our computer team will let you know via email and Facebook. There won’t be any for sale or pre-printed on Sunday. Strictly BYO!
Team Gear:
You heard Coach Colleen, bust out your black and orange!! Swimmers MUST wear their team cap (no black caps, no year-round or school team caps!!) and team suit. Swimmers can wear this year’s team suit, plain black, or any previous team suit. PUT YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING.
Parking:
Parking is limited. Please be good to our neighbors and do not block driveways. Also, remember to not park in crosswalks, intersections, near fire hydrants, in bike lanes or on grassy areas around the pool parking lot as APD has ticketed in the past. The parking lot entrance closest to the pool will be CLOSED. The other entrance, on the other side of the CDC, is open.
Arrival:
You can enter through the back gate from the parking lot or the gate along Escarpment. We have handily marked the Escarpment Gate entrance location with arrows on this map. Like last year, the main entrance to the pool will be closed.
VOLUNTEERS:
As soon as you arrive at the pool ALL volunteers must check in with Lynn Waldman and Susan Williams at the General Volunteer Check-In located by the back entrance, covered, picnic tables. Here you will sign-in, receive your volunteer badge, name tag and volunteer credit. Each volunteer 'group' has a volunteer meeting 30 mins before the start of the meet, so please allow time to check in before your meeting (we have 100 volunteers working this meet so expect a bit of a line!). See below for group meeting details.
Return Volunteer Badgeswhen you’re finished volunteering! There’ll be a tub to drop them into in the same spot as you picked them up.
Note: If you’re vomiting the night before the meet, or the morning of, and can’t fill your shift please try to find someone to cover your shift, and then TEXT our Volunteer Coordinators, Lynn: 512.653.7013 and Susan:713.376.1463. If you cannot fill your shift, again, please text right away, so that a replacement can be found. Otherwise, if you signed up, we’ll see you there! Be on time!
Volunteers of the Week: Heads of areas submit names of folks who went above and beyond each weekend. Volunteers of the Week will be announced the week after the meet and receive a gift certificate.
AGE GROUP TENT REMINDERS:
Check in: Drop your swimmers off at their appropriate age group tent and check them in with the age group parent. Make sure they are sun-screened and marked up BEFORE you leave the area :) Events on arm, name on back of shoulder. See instructions.
Snacks and Possessions: NO NUTS, no food sharing due to other allergens and intolerances. Make sure all possessions are marked, carefully consider what you bring, NO SLIME, and whether or not to bring valuables (electronics, favorite Pokemon or Baseball cards, etc). Of course, we expect everyone to make sure their kids are respectful of others’ possessions but you can’t be too careful.
Don’t remove your child from their tent unless you notify the Age Group Parent (it’s stressful and confusing when they notice their little charge is missing and don’t know where they are!). Check Out: Notify the Age Group Parent when you’re leaving for the day and actively check them out (don’t just wave at another adult nearby :).
Keep in Mind:
It is very important that no families set up their personal canopies and gear until Set Up crew has placed and secured all the age group tents. It is a tight fit and we have several large age groups. Exact placement is important so we can fit everyone in, keep things moving on time, and maintain safety. Please let us set up unimpeded.
Speaking of safety, it is imperative that we keep the pathway clear in front of the age group tents leading from the playground gate all the way to the stone steps down to ready bench. Do not set up anything in this traffic pathway.
As a reminder to all, tent parents are there to help the meet run smoothly and safely, not as babysitters. Parents are responsible for checking kids in and out and making concession stand trips. Also, parents should remind kids to listen to the directions given by the tent parents. We don't want anyone to miss their event or be unsafe.
Concessions:
The café usually has breakfast tacos and coffee – there is a chance they won’t be open this Sunday morning. Check FACEBOOK for an update! BYO healthy nut-free snacks and lots of water. Age Group Parents will NOT take your kids to the concession stand and the swimmers cannot go alone. If open, please organize your kids’ concessions for them, so as not to cause Age Group Parents stress or confusion.
Warm Ups:
Allswimmers hop in for a quick swim before every meet to get ready for some great swimming. Coaches will call for the kids at their Age Group Tents at the appropriate time.
If you’re hazy on any other Meet details look online here: Meet Preparation, Swim Meet 101
TIMELINE: BE ON TIME
6:15 am: Set Up Volunteers/Gatekeepers Arrive
6:25 am: Age Group Parents Check In
6:35 am: Swimmers and All Other Volunteers Arrive and Check In
6:50 am: Warm-ups
7:00 am: Volunteer Meetings (see below)
7:20 am: First call to Ready Bench
7:25 am: National Anthem
7:30 am: Meet Begins.
10:00 am: Meet Ends.
VOLUNTEER MEETINGS (7:00am):
Timers: meet under the timer tents – Head Timer – Susanna Eilers
Stroke and Turn Judges: meet under blue umbrellas near concessions on deck area – Head Stroke and Turn – Chad Gallun
Ready Bench: meet at the Ready Bench on the southeast side (bathrooms/main entrance side) of the pool – Head Ready Bench – Shannon Berndt and Tyson Thomas
Runners: meet by computer awning (located on the parking lot gate or south side of the pool) - Head Runner – Erin D’Andrea
Age Group Parents: you’ll receive an email from Head Age Group Parents - Brittany Christiansen and Betsy Spears. Please read the guidelines carefully. This email takes the place of a pre-meet meeting. Come early, and come ready to receive swimmers upon checking in!
Expected Behavior:
- Swimmers stay with Age Group Parents/Tents at all times.
- Swimmers must pick up all trash before they leave!
- Respectful and appropriate behavior is expected at all times, as is good sportsmanship.
Weather:
We will be keeping a close eye on the weather. Any meet changes will be sent out via Facebook, text message, and email. Make sure you’re signed up for text alerts. Text @seals2018 to 81010 NOW to sign up if you haven’t yet.
If your swimmer can't make it at the last second:
(As in, due to illness) please TEXT Matt: 512.808.7900 Matt lets the coaches know and adjusts the heat sheets (and for future meets, the relays). Please don’t bother texting or telling any other Head Seals Volunteers, Matt’s the guy!
Extra Resources:
- We post results to the Meet Mobile App if you’d like to see them sooner rather than later. Results are posted during the meet, with some delay after each event.
- We update MeetBop, so you can see which heat and event we’re up to in real time, compared to the timeline (handy for parents at home, hoping to just swoop in to see kids swim). Beware: typically meets run at home run a little faster than the meet timeline.
Results:
Matt will post meet results on the website, usually by Sunday evening after the meet. Check the website. Your swimmers’ times are also updated in your “My Account” section of the website. DQs will be posted on the results, including a code reason for why the swimmer was DQ’d. You can see what the DQ codes mean here.
FOR MEET SET UP SEE THE ATTACHED MAP:
For the Timing Meet only, we will use the 2017 Set Up Map. We are working on new set up map to accommodate the larger meets that will be hosted later this season. The first page is a general overview of the pool set up. The second page tells you exactly where your kiddo’s tent will be. There is another handy map on our Host Meet Page that may help you get oriented too.
Note about the map: As last year, Age Group Parents will direct ALL swimmers (young and older) to the ready bench on the northwest (grassy) side of the pool before swimmers proceed to their respective Ready Benches.
Can’t wait to kick off another great season of meets this Sunday!
GO SEALS!
Kim
