Hello swim parents!

Happy First Meet Eve! I hope you all are as excited as we are to kick this season off officially! Thank you so much for stepping up and volunteering to fulfill all our roles for the meet. I get tons of compliments from other coaches and officials and have to turn away a LOT of teams who want to be in our meets, and all of that is because our parents are top-notch and do a fantastic job of organizing, supporting, and serving. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Here are some details for tomorrow’s meet and answers to some questions you might have:

How does my swimmer need to get there and when?

We will take a team bus to the meet. It’s probably the kid's FAVORITE part of meets, and they have a good time bonding and getting ready to swim. The bus will leave from in front of the CBHS Cafeteria at 8:15 am tomorrow morning. Please drop your swimmer off (or have them drive and park in this lot) no later than 8:05 AM so that I can get attendance and give them their early morning pep talk!

We will return to the school via bus as well, so drivers will be able to come back to their cars at the end of the meet.

What time do I need to be there?

The meet is scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM, but we could theoretically start before that if everyone is ready. If you’ve never been to Frances Meadows, it’s hot and humid, and there isn’t a lot of seating, so arriving early is essential if you’d like to sit in the natatorium for the entire meet. The bleachers are metal and close together, so you may want to bring seatbacks if you have them or folding chairs to sit in the lobby and just step in and watch your swimmer during their events. There are two flights of stairs to get to the bleachers in case mobility might be an issue.

NOTE: Parents are not allowed to be on the pool deck AT ALL unless they are serving in an official capacity. This can get you dismissed from the facility, and then you’ll miss everything, so please don’t break this rule!

I have attached the projected timeline for the meet. This is just PROJECTED. Lots of things can happen, so please don’t use this as a make-or-break schedule and then be upset if you miss your child’s event!

Address: 1545 Community Way, Gainesville, GA

Also, this event is live-streamed for family members who cannot attend in person. See the “Go Dog” attachment below for how to stream!

What does my child need to bring?

They must have their competition suit (for girls, this is the grey TYR suit; for boys, it is the plain black TYR suit), CB Swim cap, at least one pair of goggles, two towels, and a refillable water bottle. I also suggest a healthy snack or two (although, thanks to our fabulous parents, we will have a table for the kids). Examples are granola/protein bars, dry nuts like almonds or cashews, jerky, etc. You will want to stay away from heavy or high-sugar foods. Pizza is tasty going down, but not so much coming up on the deck or in the pool after a challenging swim and big nerves!

I also suggest activities like card games, etc., and don’t forget phones and chargers since most of the meet is waiting between events.

When is it over? 

The meet is scheduled to conclude around 2:30 pm. Again this is just an estimated time. If your swimmer is done before this and you want to take them home, you are welcome to do so. A PARENT must see one of the coaches or designated booster to sign out your child! You may only take YOUR child! 

Otherwise, they should stay and ride the bus back to the school and be picked up there after the meet is over (this is preferred so that they can stay and cheer one another on!). We will send out a GroupMe message when we are headed back to the school. 

What should I do?

Cheer! Have fun! Encourage your swimmer! Take lots of pictures! This is a great opportunity to celebrate your child’s hard work and progress. Be sure to take note of something that they did great or new and compliment them on it. Don't know what to look for? Ask them what they've worked on this week at practice! 

A note on what NOT to do… Don’t focus on the negatives. I assure you that Coach Smith and I are watching and taking notes on each of your child’s swims. We are talking this over, shaping next week’s practice, and we are offering support and suggestions for how they can get better. More importantly, your swimmer likely already knows what they messed up on. They usually come to us already beating themselves up about what they did wrong - and in this, they can often miss what they did right.

This is a VITAL role for you! Focus on what they did right and what they did better. 99% of swimming is mental. Don’t take them out of it by focusing on what they could have been better at in a swim. I assure you we will correct and coach those things. Let us be the voice of correction so you can be the voice of love and encouragement!

Whether a swimmer is an old pro or a newbie, the first meet can be a little nerve-wracking, so encourage them to eat well tonight and get good sleep and hydration. Packing their swim bag tonight will mean less panic and feeling hectic in the morning!

It’s going to be an awesome meet!

GO BEARS!

Coach Goodwin