Orcas Meet Day Guide

This guide is designed to help swimmers and families feel prepared, confident, and relaxed on swim meet days. Whether it’s your first meet or your tenth season, a little preparation goes a long way.

If this is your family’s first swim meet, don’t worry — every Orca parent was new once. Ask questions, take it one step at a time, and know that coaches, volunteers, and other families are happy to help.

Getting Ready for a Meet

Food & Hydration

The night before a meet, swimmers should eat a high-carbohydrate dinner to support energy and endurance.

On meet morning, aim for a light breakfast such as toast, cereal, or fruit with juice or water.

During the meet, swimmers should snack on simple foods like fruit or muffins and drink plenty of water. Candy and heavy foods are not recommended.

When to Arrive

Most meets start at 8:30am, though some pools begin at 9:00am. Always check the schedule for your specific meet.

  • Home team warm-up: 1 hour before the meet
  • Visiting team warm-up: 30 minutes before the meet

Please arrive at least 10 minutes before warm-ups to find a team area, check line-ups, and attend the team meeting.

What to Bring

  • Team suit
  • Orcas swim cap
  • Goggles (bring an extra pair if possible)
  • Two towels
  • Sharpie marker (for hand marking)
  • Sweatshirt or warm layers
  • Sunscreen and sun hat
  • Socks and shoes
  • Water and healthy snacks

Foggy mornings can be cold — a warm jacket or blanket can help. Please label all items with your swimmer’s name.

Hand Marking (Race Day Essential)

Before warm-ups, swimmers should have their hands marked with their event information. Hand marking helps swimmers, parents, coaches, and volunteers keep track of when and where swimmers are racing.

Each swimmer’s hand should include:

  • Event number
  • Heat number
  • Lane number

How to mark hands:

We recommend dividing the hand or forearm into three simple columns:

  • Event – the event number from the heat sheet
  • Heat – which heat (race) the swimmer is in
  • Lane – the lane number the swimmer will swim in

For example, a swimmer marked with:

  • Event: 12
  • Heat: 3
  • Lane: 4

…would be swimming in Event 12, Heat 3, Lane 4.

Helpful tips:

  • Apply sunscreen after hand marking so it doesn’t smear
  • Use a Sharpie or waterproof marker
  • Parents of younger swimmers may want to mark their own hand as well
  • Include the event number so swimmers can watch the scoreboard and know when they’re getting close
  • Heat sheets may be updated — always double-check before races

Hand marking helps prevent missed races and keeps the meet running smoothly. If you’re unsure how to mark hands, ask another Orca parent, a coach, or a volunteer — we’re happy to help.

Rest & Recovery

Swim meets can last four hours or longer, including warm-ups. Swimmers should get a good night’s sleep, rest between races, and stay shaded when possible.

Leaving Early

Swimmers are encouraged to stay for the entire meet to support teammates. If your swimmer must leave early, please check in with a coach before departing and help clean up the team area.

Meet Format Overview

Time Trials & Practice Meets

Time Trials are held before the first dual meet to establish baseline times for each swimmer. These times are used to seed swimmers into heats with others of similar ability.

A practice meet may also be held early in the season to introduce swimmers and families to meet procedures in a low-pressure environment.

Dual Meets

Most regular-season meets are dual meets, where the Orcas compete against one other Marin Swim League team.

Event order generally follows:

  • Medley Relays
  • Freestyle
  • Backstroke
  • Breaststroke
  • Butterfly
  • Individual Medley (IM)
  • Freestyle Relays

Age Groups

  • 8 & Under
  • 9–10
  • 11–12
  • 13–14
  • 15–18

Swimmers compete in the age group that matches their age on the day of the meet. Special age rules for All-Stars and Championships are shared each season.

Race Distances

  • 8 & Under: 25 yards (1 lap)
  • 9–14: 50 yards (2 laps)
  • 15–18 Freestyle: 100 yards (4 laps)
  • Individual Medley (all ages): 100 yards
  • Relays: 4 swimmers per team

Scoring & Ribbons

Points are awarded to teams based on overall finish order, but the primary focus is on personal improvement and team participation.

Ribbons are awarded by heat and are distributed at practice during the week following the meet.

Disqualifications (DQ)

Disqualifications happen when a stroke or turn does not meet league rules. They are a normal part of learning competitive swimming and are never punitive.

Meet Attire & Equipment

Swimsuits

Swimmers should have one team suit for meets and one practice suit. Team suits should only be worn at meets.

Caps & Goggles

Orcas swim caps are provided to every swimmer and are required at meets. Goggles are optional but strongly recommended.

Fins

Fins may be used at practice at the coach’s discretion. If requested, swimmers should bring their own clearly labeled fins.

Lost & Found

Unclaimed items are placed in Lost & Found. Space is limited, and items may be donated if not picked up.

Timer Instructions (Volunteer Role)

Timers are essential. Accurate timing ensures swimmers receive correct results and meets run smoothly.

Check-In & Assignments

Timers must check in with the Head Timer 20 minutes before their shift. Lanes and roles will be assigned at that time.

Timing Basics

All meets use a Colorado Timing System with a manual stopwatch backup. Buttons are pressed at the finish of the race, never at the start.

Starts, Finishes & Lap Awareness

Start the stopwatch when the light flashes. Stop timing when the swimmer touches the wall or crosses the plane of the wall. Be aware of lap counts for longer races and relays.

Shift Changes

Please stay until the next shift arrives and return all equipment to the Head Timer.

All-Stars & Championships

All-Stars

The All-Stars Meet is a mid-season league meet for swimmers who achieve published qualifying (“Q”) times. Details vary each season and are posted separately.

Championships

Championships take place at the end of the season and include all Marin Swim League teams. All swimmers who meet league participation requirements are eligible. Specific rules are shared each season.

Final Thoughts

Swim meets can feel overwhelming at first, but they quickly become familiar and fun.

Focus on preparation, encouragement, and enjoying the experience. Improvement, confidence, and team spirit matter more than times or places.

We’re glad you’re part of the Orcas — and we’ll see you on deck.