FAQs

How does a swim meet work?

An "event" at a swim meet consists of three things- gender, stroke, and distance. 

For instance, the girls 6&U 25-yard freestyle, boys 6&U 25-yard freestyle, 11&12 boys 50-yard freestyle and 11&12 girls 50-yard butterfly are four separate events. A 25-yard race is one length of the pool, and a 50-yard race is two lengths. Since there are usually more swimmers entered in each event than there are lanes, there may be several "heats" in each event.

Freestyle Relay: Four swimmers each swim freestyle. However, the distance swum per relay participant differs by age group.

Medley Relay: Four swimmers participate, each of whom swims a different stroke. The first swimmer swims Backstroke (BA), the second Breaststroke (BR), the third Butterfly (FL), and the fourth Freestyle (FR). An easy way to remember this is: BA, BR, FL, FR are in alphabetical order.

100 IM (individual medley) is an event in which ONE swimmer swims four different strokes: 25 yards of butterfly, 25 yards of backstroke, 25 yards of breaststroke, and 25 yards of freestyle, in this order.

How is a swim meet scored? How do you decide who wins?

Swimming is both an individual and a team sport. Each swimmer should strive to better their personal times from previous meets. They should also cheer and encourage their teammates. The team score is determined by the total number of points, NOT by how many first places a team gets.

All finishes are judged finishes, which means that the order of finish is determined by judges, NOT by times. Times for each event are used to help the swimmer and coach chart the progress of the swimmer.

What are the volunteer requirements?

Each family will be required to volunteer for five shifts during the swim season. At registration, an agreement will be signed that if the five volunteer shifts are not met within the season, Harrington Falls Swim Team will charge your credit card a $400 fee for incomplete volunteer shifts per family. For more information about this requirement click here.

What time should I be at the swim meets with my swimmer?

Please arrive 15-30 minutes early to get set up and allow time for parking. Home meet warm-up is at 4:00. Away Meets warm-up is at 4:30.

What should I bring to the meet, other than my swimmer?

• Hammerheads team swimsuit
• Goggles (good idea to bring a back-up pair as well)
• Swim cap, towel (one for use during the meet and one for after the meet)
• Water bottle (it’s important to stay hydrated!)
• Snacks – although most pools will have concession stands, it is a good idea to bring healthier options (apples, oranges, granola bars etc.) for your swimmer
• Sharpie for arm marking
• Dry clothes to change into after the meet
• Sunscreen
• Chairs for Mom and/or Dad
• AND lots of positive energy!

How long will the meet last?

The approximate length of a meet is three to four hours. 

Warm-ups start at 4 pm for the home team and 4:30 pm for the visiting team. Barring any delays, the meet is scheduled to start at 5 pm and run until about 8 or 9 pm. Note: The 6 and unders swim early in the meet and are usually finished by 7 pm, so parents, choose your volunteer assignments accordingly.

How will my swimmer know when to report for his/her race?

Each age-group will have a "bullpen," and the bullpen parent will help line up the swimmers before each race. The kids will need to stay in their age group bullpens for the duration of the meet! It is imperative that swimmers stay in the bullpen area so that the bullpen parents can easily and efficiently find your child. It is unfortunate when a swimmer misses his event because he was not in the right place to be lined up. Age Group Bullpen Parents are not babysitters. Parents need to supervise their younger children at the swim meets. 

The bullpen parent position is a challenging job; let’s make every effort to make it as easy as we can for our parent volunteers.

Where is the HOME Bullpen?

At Home swim meets, the Hammerheads will sit in the grassy hill area inside the pool fence. If your child is not going to sit in the bullpen area, then you are responsible for having your child to the bullpen parent in plenty of time for each of his/her events. Please do not let your swimmer play on the playground during the swim meets!

When will my child get their ribbons?

Ribbons are distributed during the Fun Friday practice. If your child misses Friday practice or ribbons aren’t ready on that day, they are placed in the family's vertical file folder. You can ask the Coaches or Team Rep to locate your swimmer's ribbons.