Swim Meet Essentials: What's in Your Bag?

It is always important to be prepared for adventures, and a swim meet is certainly not any different. While this post may seem to contain common knowledge to the swimming veterans on the team, newer swimmers and parents may find it very helpful (and you never know, even a more experienced swimmer may find a new helpful tip).

Swimmers should be sure to pack:

• Drinks and snacks to keep hydrated and energized (see our post on nutrition for swim meets)
• Two or more towels - towels quickly become wet, and it is important that swimmers are able to dry off and keep their muscles warm
• Two suits - one is a back up in case of emergency and can be just a practice suit
• Goggles (also good to have a spare pair in case of emergency - or at least a spare strap)
• Clothes for during the meet - pants and a sweatshirt or shorts and a t-shirt - it is imperative to keep your muscles warm between events!
• Sandals
• Blanket or large beach towel to sit on (this is especially useful at outdoor meets)
• Sunblock for outdoor meets

Tips for parents:

• Pool decks are often warm and humid, dress appropriately - in colder months it helps to wear layers
• Drinks and snacks for yourself (or siblings not participating)
• Book, magazine, tablet...something to do when your swimmer is not competing
• Cash to buy a heat sheet (if you would like one) - heat sheets contain the event number for each event and the name of each swimmer participating in that event, which helps you follow the meet and your swimmer(s)
• Supportive words! Make sure your swimmer knows you love them no matter what the outcome of the race, and that you believe in your swimmer's ability to succeed (which could mean swimming an event legally for the first time, dropping time, getting an 'A' cut...). Every race is a learning experience and even if the results were not exactly what we had hoped for, we walk away smarter than when we came in; later races may suffer if we dwell on any one race.

As usual, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to comment here (I receive e-mail notification about comments so I can answer very quickly) or seek out a coach before or after practice. For our veteran swimmers and parents, if you have any additional advice, feel free to leave a comment!

Let's swim smart and have fun!