Your kid's been going to practice for a few weeks (or months), and the coach just announced the team's next meet. You signed up, got an email with a bunch of attachments you don't understand, and now you're trying to figure out what you've gotten yourself into.
Take a breath. Your first swim meet feels overwhelming, but it's going to be fine. Thousands of families do this every weekend, and most of them were just as lost as you are right now. Here's what you actually need to know.
Before the Meet
Know Your Swimmer's Events
A few days before the meet, the team will send out a heat sheet — a document that lists every swimmer, their events, heats, and lanes. Find your kid's name and write down their event numbers, heats, and lanes. If you're not sure how to read a heat sheet, check out our guide to reading heat sheets.
Mark the info on your swimmer's arm with a Sharpie so they can reference it poolside. We've got a full guide on arm marking if you want the details.
Pack the Night Before
Meet mornings are early and chaotic. Get everything ready the night before:
- For your swimmer: Swimsuit (a practice suit is perfectly fine — competition suits are completely optional and not something every family needs to buy), goggles, cap (if your team uses them), towel (at least two — one for warmup, one for later), water bottle, team t-shirt or parka
- For you: Camp chair or stadium seat, layers (pools are cold, then hot, then cold again), snacks and a cooler, cash for concessions, the printed heat sheet, a pen, sunscreen for outdoor meets
- Nice to have: A blanket, a book or phone charger, a small game or cards for your swimmer between events, a plastic bag for wet suits and towels
Arrive Early
Get there when doors open or at least 15-20 minutes before warmups start. You'll need time to find your team's area, get settled, and let your swimmer check in with their coach before warmups begin.
Warmup is important — it's not optional. Your swimmer needs to get in the water, loosen up, and get comfortable in the pool they'll be racing in. Warmup sessions are usually 20-30 minutes and have specific lane assignments and rules (no diving in certain lanes, circle swimming, etc.). Your coach will guide your swimmer through this.
At the Meet
Find Your Team's Area
Most teams claim a section of the bleachers or set up canopies/tents on a pool deck or lawn area. Look for your team's banner or colors. Drop your gear with the team, and get your swimmer settled with their teammates.
Check In
Some meets require swimmers to check in (also called "positive check-in") for their events. This means your swimmer (or you) needs to confirm at the timing table that they're actually going to swim their events. If you don't check in, they might get scratched. Your coach will usually handle this or tell you if you need to do it.
Parents Stay Off the Pool Deck
This is a USA Swimming rule and it's strictly enforced. The pool deck is for swimmers, coaches, and officials only. No exceptions. You watch from the bleachers or designated spectator areas.
It feels strange the first time — your 7-year-old is somewhere on the other side of the pool and you can't get to them. But coaches and older teammates look out for the little ones, and your kid will be fine. They'll find their way to the blocks when it's time.
Understanding the Flow
Here's how a typical event works:
- The announcer calls the event ("Event 12, Girls 9-10 50 Freestyle").
- Swimmers for that event line up behind the starting blocks in their assigned lanes.
- The referee blows a long whistle, signaling swimmers to step onto the blocks (or get in the water for backstroke).
- The starter says "Take your mark..." and then the start signal sounds.
- They race. You cheer.
- Times are recorded. Results usually get posted on a wall or screen, or are available through an app like Meet Mobile.
Heats run back-to-back within each event. So if your swimmer is in Heat 3 of Event 12, they'll swim right after Heat 2 finishes. Events can move quickly, so make sure your swimmer is behind the blocks and ready.
During Races
Why Your Kid Might Be in Heat 1
Heats are seeded slowest to fastest. Heat 1 has the swimmers with the slowest seed times (or no times at all). This is completely normal for new swimmers. Everyone starts somewhere, and the only direction to go is faster.
What "NT" Means
If your swimmer has never competed in an event before, their entry will show NT — "No Time." It just means there's no recorded time to seed them with. They'll typically be placed in one of the early heats.
DQs Happen
A DQ (disqualification) means the swimmer did something that violated the technical rules of the stroke — maybe they didn't touch the wall with both hands on breaststroke, or they did an illegal kick during butterfly. It happens to everyone, especially new swimmers.
If your kid gets DQ'd, don't make a big deal about it. They'll probably be upset, and the best thing you can say is "That's okay, now you know what to work on." Coaches will usually talk to the swimmer about what happened so they can fix it in practice.
The officials aren't out to get your kid. They're volunteers (usually swim parents themselves), and they don't enjoy writing DQ slips any more than your kid enjoys getting one.
After a Race
Focus on Personal Bests
Place doesn't matter nearly as much as time, especially for younger swimmers. Did your kid go faster than their previous best time? That's a win, even if they finished last in their heat.
Swim is one of the few sports where you can measure individual improvement with precision. A "best time" (or "PR" — personal record) is the thing to celebrate. You'll start paying attention to seconds and tenths of seconds in a way you never thought you would.
Don't Coach from the Stands
This is the hardest one for a lot of parents. Your kid's head pops up after a race and you want to yell "You forgot to streamline off the wall!" or "Your turns need work!" Don't.
That's the coach's job, and they'll address it. What your swimmer needs from you after a race is encouragement — "Great job!" or "That looked strong!" or even just a thumbs-up from across the pool. Save the technique talk for never. Seriously. Let the coaches coach.
Volunteering
Most swim meets can't happen without parent volunteers. You'll probably be asked (or required) to help in some capacity. Common volunteer jobs include:
- Timer: You stand behind a lane with a stopwatch and hit the button when the swimmer touches the wall. It's easy and it gives you the best seat in the house.
- Runner: You carry timing slips from the timers to the scoring table.
- Marshal: You help keep the pool area organized and make sure spectators stay in the right areas.
Don't be scared of timing — they'll show you how, it takes about 30 seconds to learn, and you'll feel like a meet insider.
General Survival Tips
- Meets are long. A dual meet might be 2-3 hours. An invitational can be an all-day affair (6-8 hours). Pace yourself.
- Bring more snacks than you think you need. For you and your swimmer. Check out our meet nutrition guide for what to pack.
- Download Meet Mobile (or whatever app your league uses). It gives you live results, which is especially handy when you can't see the scoreboard.
- Make friends with other parents. The swim parent community is genuinely great. The people sitting around you will be at every meet for the rest of the season. Introduce yourself.
- Your swimmer might be bored between events. That's normal. Bring cards, a book, or a small game. Most kids end up playing with teammates, but it's good to have a backup.
- It gets so much easier. Your second meet will feel twice as comfortable. By meet three, you'll be the one explaining things to the new parents.
One Last Thing
You're going to feel some anxiety at your first meet, and that's okay. You'll worry about whether your kid is in the right place, whether you're doing the right thing, whether you packed enough stuff.
Your kid, meanwhile, will probably have a blast. They get to race, hang out with teammates, eat snacks, and show off for their family. Even if they're nervous before their first race, most swimmers are hooked by the end of the day.
Just show up, cheer loud, and be ready to do it all again in two weeks. Welcome to swim parent life.