Whether you’re new to the sport of swimming or need a little refresher, we wanted to provide a list of FAQs since there’s a lot of terminology and tips of the trade we want to share to make this a fun, enjoyable season. For anything not addressed here, please ask your coach.

I’ve never been to a meet. What happens?

Weekday meets start with warm ups at 5pm… You will receive a heat sheet before the meet that will tell you what your child is swimming. Meets usually last a few hours, depending on the size of both teams, potential weather delays, etc. There are 70 total events (7 events x 2 genders x 5 age groups). Your child will swim around 3 events.  ***2026 Season we are having Free Relays swim first and Medley Relays swim last in an attempt to have swimmers present for those races

What is the order of events?

The sequence of races follows this order:

6 & under girls 25 Freestyle

6 & under boys 25 Freestyle

** 6 & under swimmers free to leave **

8 & under girls 100 Freestyle Relay

8 & under boys 100 Freestyle Relay

9-10 girls 100 Freestyle Relay

9-10 boys 100 Freestyle Relay

11-12 girls 200 Freestyle Relay

11-12 boys 200 Freestyle Relay

13-14 girls 200 Freestyle Relay

13-14 boys 200 Freestyle Relay

15-18 girls 200 Freestyle Relay

15-18 boys 200 Freestyle Relay

7-8 girls 25 Freestyle

7-8 boys 25 Freestyle

9-10 girls 25 Freestyle

9-10 boys 25 Freestyle

11-12 girls 50 Freestyle

11-12 boys 50 Freestyle

13-14 girls 50 Freestyle

13-14 boys 50 Freestyle

15-18 girls 50 Freestyle

15-18 boys 50 Freestyle

8 & under girls 25 Backstroke

8 & under boys 25 Backstroke

9-10 girls 25 Backstroke

9-10 boys 25 Backstroke

11-12 girls 50 Backstroke

11-12 boys 50 Backstroke

13-14 girls 50 Backstroke

13-14 boys 50 Backstroke

15-18 girls 50 Backstroke

15-18 boys 50 Backstroke

** 2nd half volunteers begin, 1st half finish **

10 & under girls 100 IM (Individual Medley)

10 & under boys 100 IM

11-12 girls 100 IM

11-12 boys 100 IM

13-14 girls 100 IM

13-14 boys 100 IM

15-18 girls 100 IM

15-18 boys 100 IM

8 & under girls 25 Breaststroke

8 & under boys 25 Breaststroke

9-10 girls 25 Breaststroke

9-10 boys 25 Breaststroke

11-12 girls 50 Breaststroke

11-12 boys 50 Breaststroke

13-14 girls 50 Breaststroke

13-14 boys 50 Breaststroke

15-18 girls 50 Breaststroke

15-18 boys 50 Breaststroke

8 & under girls 25 Butterfly

8 & under boys 25 Butterfly

9-10 girls 25 Butterfly

9-10 boys 25 Butterfly

11-12 girls 50 Butterfly

11-12 boys 50 Butterfly

13-14 girls 50 Butterfly

13-14 boys 50 Butterfly

15-18 girls 50 Butterfly

15-18 boys 50 Butterfly

8 & under girls 100 Medley Relay

8 & under boys 100 Medley Relay

9-10 girls 100 Medley Relay

9-10 boys 100 Medley Relay

11-12 girls 200 Medley Relay

11-12 boys 200 Medley Relay

13-14 girls 200 Medley Relay

13-14 boys 200 Medley Relay

15-18 girls 200 Medley Relay

15-18 boys 200 Medley Relay

What are some tips for the meet?

• 25 meters is one length of the pool
• The Medley Relay order is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle.
• In the 100 MR, each swimmer swims one length of the pool.
• In the 200 MR, each swimmers swims two lengths of the pool.
• Coaches will tell your swimmer which leg they are swimming.
• Swimmers must stay on their backs the entire race.
• The IM stands for Individual Medley. The swimmer swims 4 lengths of the pool in this order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle.
• Most DQs (Disqualifications) happen during breaststroke! A two-hand touch is required at the finish.
• Most DQs (Disqualifications) also happen during butterfly! A two-hand touch is required at the finish.
• In the 100 Freestyle Relay, each swimmer swims one length of the pool.
• In the 200 Freestyle Relay, each swimmers swims two lengths of the pool.
• Coaches will tell your swimmer which leg they are swimming.

What should we bring to a swim meet?

• Towels with your name on them (2 per swimmer recommended)
• Sunscreen
• 2 pairs of goggles (it’s good to have a backup pair)
• FXH swim cap
• Competition swimsuit (a FXH team suit or a solid black suit)
• Sharpie
• Games/cards to play
• Flip flops
• Money for concessions
• Hat, sunglasses

Where should we be at the meets?

The areas that are “off-limits” are behind the starting blocks, the clerk of course heating area and the starter’s area. The officials also need enough space to walk easily along the length of the pool. Other than that, wherever you are most comfortable. At home meets, our team is assigned the clubhouse side of the pool and our guest team is assigned the diving board side of the pool. The upstairs deck is open for adults.

How do I know what races my child swims in?

You will receive a heat sheet via email before each meet that will list the events your child will swim in.  The Swimtopia site and app will also display your swimmer's events.

How does my child make it to their races?

The starter will announce which events are happening and when your swimmer should report to the Clerk of Course, which is a row of benches by the starting blocks. Volunteers will make sure your child is lined up behind the right block at the right time. Please make sure your swimmers stay close by and can be easily found. Marking your child with their events and name will be extremely helpful. See other question for how to mark your swimmer. Swimmers can check with their timer to make sure they’re in the correct lane.

What are Heat Sheets?

Heat sheets list all the swim events 1 through 70, along with the participants in each event, what heat they are in, and what lane they are in. You will also see your swimmer's best time in that event or NT for "no time." It is a good idea to go through the heat sheet and highlight all of the events your child is entered in.

Where, why and how do I “mark” my child for the swim meets?

The smell of a Sharpie marker brings back fond memories and nervous energy for me. To make meets run smoother, a best practice is to write your child’s events on their arm and also write their name on their deltoid for the Clerk of Course volunteers to help make sure they’re in the right spot. It is a big help if parents mark their swimmer's arm/thigh with a Sharpie before arriving at the meet.

• Write your swimmer's name in big letters on his/her arm or back.
• Go through the heat sheet and every time you find your swimmer's name, highlight it. Your child may be entered in several events.
• Make four (4) column headings - E, H, L, S. These stand for Event, Heat, Lane and Stroke
• Go through the heat sheet and find your swimmer's name which you highlighted.
• For each event, write the event number, heat number, lane number and stroke in the corresponding column.

The asterisk that is marked on the left of numbers 27 and 67 indicates that those are relays. Under the S (Stroke), MR stands for Medley Relay and FR stands for Freestyle Relay. The medley relay order is as follows: 1 – BACK 2 – BREAST 3 – FLY 4 – FREE The Freestyle Relay is displayed in the same order as the Medley Relay. All swimmers in the FR (Freestyle Relay) swim FREESTYLE but they are put in an order of how they should swim: 1 – FREE 2 – FREE 3 – FREE 4 – FREE

How are relays determined?

The coaching staff will determine relays, with the head coach's having the final say. Relays will be determined on time, attendance, attitude and sportsmanship.

How do I find out my child's time or place?

Once times have been collected, they are given to the scorer and recorded. The official results and times are sent out via the Team Director after the conclusion of the meet.

How are meets scored?

Individual Events: 1st place – 5 points, 2nd place - 3 points, 3rd place - 2 points, 4th place - 1 point. Relay Events: 1st place - 10 points, 2nd place - 6 points. No points will be scored for 6 & Under Freestyle events.

Who gets ribbons?

Ribbons are given to all 6 & under swimmers as they finish their race. Ribbons are given to heat winners in the 10 & under age groups. For all swimmers who score points for the team, they will receive ribbons after they are processed at practice following the meet. The top 5 finishers in the individual events and the top 3 teams in the relay event receive ribbons. The home team determines how ribbons are distributed, so some away meets may do it slightly differently.  Our team has Personal Best ribbons for 7 & ups who beat their fastest time.  These start after the second meet.

What does DQ mean?

Disqualification - this can happen for a variety of reasons including starting early (false start), leaving the diving block early in a relay, performing an illegal stroke, performing an illegal turn, not touching the wall with two hands during a breaststroke turn, etc. Are kids DQ'd a lot? No. The younger swimmers, especially the 8 and under age group tend to have more problems early in the season, but you'll see a DQ from time to time in every age group. If your child is disqualified, it’s not the end of the world… it can be a great learning experience. The stroke and turn judges at the meet are swim team parents who volunteer their time. Two judges are supplied from our team, and two from the opposing team. If you’re concerned about why your child was DQ’d, please speak to the coach. Coaches record the reasons why DQs were given in order to work with your child on correcting.

What if my swimmer can’t attend a meet?

If there's an emergency, and your swimmer cannot swim after the RSVP deadline, please email [email protected] to let us know. It's most important if your swimmer is in a relay so we can find a replacement ASAP.