Meet info / Meet on Saturday!

This is a longer post, please plan it to take a few minutes, and feel free to refer back to it during the season.

Each week, I will post the "meet program" on the blog in the "Important Links" area on or by Friday.  You can also click here to print your own copy.  A day or two after the meet, I will replace it with "meet results".  

On Saturday, the meet will be at the Aquatic Center at Mt. Hood Community College.  The campus is quite large, so here are specific directions from their website below.  But, you can also use Google Maps and enter "Mt. Hood Community College Aquatics Center" and Google will take you right to the pool building.

From I-84 take exit 17 and follow the Frontage Road to 257th street and turn right. Follow 257th south, pass Stark Street, to 17th Street and turn left. Take the first left after the soccer Field and then left again into the Aquatic Center parking lot.

If you swam with us previously, you know there is an indoor and outdoor pool under the bubble.  Our meet this week will be in the outdoor pool under the bubble.  Plan to be on deck ready to go by 1:45pm, but do not arrive at the pool before 1:30.  The meet will end by 5:00pm, but your swimmer can leave after they are done swimming.  BUT, they need to check with us FIRST before they change, if they think they are done.  Sometimes, we adjust relays and need your swimmer to stick around until the final relay.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you need to contact a coach during the season for any reason, call or text (better option) Coach Kevin at 503-267-2346.  Especially if a swimmer will not show up for the meet.  We make all of the relays, and it is easier to substitute someone if they tell us in advance if they are not coming (even if it's an hour before).

Two very important pieces of information for this week's meet.  First, I will not be at the meet this week, due to the HS Water Polo team I coach...they made it to the State Playoffs in Corvallis.  For this week, contact Coach Candace if you have any last minute issues.  Her number is 503-819-7660.

Next, since this meet is in the bubble, the bathrooms are far away from where we are sitting.  They are in the main building.  If your swimmer is a polliwog, a parent must accompany your child to the restroom.  It is too far and will take too long for the coaches to walk them to the restroom.  If they need to go during the meet, we will send them to find you.  If your swimmer is a cub or cadet, it is up to you if a parent should accompany your child to the restroom.  Please make a plan prior to the meet with your child.

If this is your first meet, please continue reading below...

Here is a good website that lists general swim meet basics from the USA Swimming website.  Feel free to read it (in addition to my notes below) for a good overview of swim meets in general.

Arriving and warm-up:
Swimmers should come to the team area on the deck in their swimsuits. On Saturday, we can get into the water to begin warm ups at 2:00.  We ask that everyone arrive on deck around 1:45 to get set up.  It might be a good idea to have your swimmer in their suit before you leave, if they may need help getting dressed into it.  Once the warm-ups begin, everyone must complete the warm-ups. This is the time for swimmers to get ready for their races, get their muscles warmed up, and get used to the pool they are swimming in.  Just before or after the warm-ups, we will have a quick team meeting and team cheer.

During the meet:

Swimmer will need to stay in the area where our team is sitting and wait there until his/her first event is called. This is our team area, and parents sit in a different section.  Due to the length of the meet, swimmers should plan to occupy themselves by cheering, reading a book (that could possibly get wet), chatting with friends, or sitting with their parents.  No electronics should be on the pool deck, due to the proximity of the water.  They will need to make sure they are paying attention to what event is swimming. The announcer will announce events and heats.  Let your swimmer know that they should go to the bullpen (staging area) once they get their meet entry card from a coach, and they need to keep it dry and walk to the bullpen. There will be volunteers to help them get to the right lane in the correct heat of the event.  If the swimmer is not in the lane behind the starting block for their heat and event, the starter will not wait for them, so it is important that they follow the meet.

Snacks:
Since the meets are around three hours long, the swimmers might get hungry.  The best snacking foods would be any light, and nutritious snack that won't make a mess on the pool deck.  Goldfish, Ritz crackers, and Cheerios are poor choices due to how they make a mess once wet on the pool deck.  Fruit, peanut-free trail mix, wheat thins, jerky, etc... are all great choices.  Water is the best drink choice, and all swimmers should have a water bottle.

Communication:
If you need to contact a coach for any reason, call or text Coach Kevin (503-267-2346).  Especially if a swimmer will not show up for the meet.  We make all of the relays, and it is easier to substitute someone if they tell us in advance if they are not coming (even if its an hour before).