**Heat sheet is attached! Some people prefer to look at it online at the meet, but I recommend printing it especially if this is your 1st meet. You can use it to follow along the order of the meet. The app helps as well. Please do not ask to borrow the coaches' heat sheets, and no swimmer should be asking the coach what event they're in -- this is something that your family needs to have together before the meet.

A few things of note:

• Big brackets mean combined events, so we swim the events at the same time. This helps the meet run faster.
• "Medley relay" order goes like this: 1) backstroke 2) breaststroke 3) butterfly 4) freestyle. The app also tells you what stroke your child is swimming in the relay. "Freestyle relay" is all 4 freestylers.
• We focus on trying to do all strokes legally before we work on getting faster. It's always fun to win, but keep in mind that only 1 person (or 1 relay) gets 1st place in each event. I love focusing on "dropping times" for our returning swimmers, or "not getting DQ'd" if you're trying out a new stroke so that you get a ribbon in every event, or "just finishing all races" for a new swimmer. Set the bar this week, and let's see if we can improve each week.
• What is DQ? That means "disqualification" if you do the stroke incorrectly, which means no ribbon for that race only. Freestyle (no pulling forward on the lane lines, no walking on the bottom) and backstroke (stay on your back the whole time) are the easiest to stay legal, so you will notice that many of our beginners are in these events and that's what we focus on before moving on with more challenging strokes like butterfly and breaststroke. DQ isn't the end of the world -- it means coaches have something to focus on and swimmers will try to correct that stroke during practice next week.
• Please stay at the meet until you are confident that your child has completed all of his/her races. You may leave as soon as all of your kids are finished swimming - no need to stay until the end of the meet if you're done! Please encourage your swimmers to throw away all their trash, and please leave your area as clean as you found it.
• Life happens, and if your child becomes ill or there is a family emergency, please email me ([email protected]) or text if it's close to meet time (770-265-2925). If you're at the meet, let a coach know. We depend on your child for the relays, but we can find a replacement so earliest notice is best!
• Swim meets are a bit of organized chaos. Hopefully your swimmer has a positive experience! Go Wahoos!!!
• If you already know your swimmer will be later that 4:15 for warm ups (some have dance this week, some have a dr appointment), please let me know! I really appreciate those of you who have already told me this. If you miss the scheduled warm ups, then your swimmer will not be able to warm up at a different time - no exceptions.
• When you arrive at the meet, your swimmers need to check in with the coaches. That way we know everyone is here!

Lastly...

• Definitely bring to the meet:
  Goggles, suit, towel, cap (if you use one)
  Suggested items to bring to the meet:
  Food, drinks, foldable chairs, sunscreen, a sharpie (for writing events on swimmer's arm), cash for concession stand (smaller bills appreciated), blanket (for swimmers to hang out on), printed copy of the heat sheet (or you can look online)

Thanks again to everyone who signed up to volunteer this meet! Go Wahoos!

Coach Susan