Good Morning Dolphins,

With our Mock Meet coming up on Tuesday, Hilary has put together one comprehensive guide to help families understand how swim meets work and what to expect throughout the season. Please Read This Post Even If You Have Been on Swim Team for Years!

Last week, each family should have received a bag containing swim caps for each registered swimmer as well as three informational handouts. These guides were designed to help families understand meet procedures, volunteering, and meet declarations. They are also available on the website in last week's blog posts.

Today's post is a deeper dive into swim meet preparedness, starting with Tuesday's Mock Meet.

Please Read This Post Even If You Have Been on Swim Team for Years! There are several changes to both Swimmingly and team procedures for the 2026 season, including swimmer declarations, lineup deadlines, and meet operations.

MOCK MEET: TUESDAY, JUNE 16

The Mock Meet is a practice swim meet designed to help swimmers and parents learn the flow of a swim meet before competition begins. Please arrive by 5:45 PM. We will begin promptly at 6:00 PM with a joint parent and swimmer meeting led by Meet Director Hilary Irons. During this meeting, Hilary will walk families step-by-step through meet preparation, swimmer check-in procedures, volunteer roles, and what to expect on a typical meet night. THIS WILL INCLUDE CHANGES TO PAST TEAM POLICY AND SWIMMINGLY PRACTICES!!

During the Mock Meet, swimmers will practice freestyle and backstroke events, followed by relays. We will swim 25-yard events for younger swimmers and 50-yard events for older swimmers.

Following the meeting:

• Swimmers will be dismissed to the coaches and Clerk of Course.

• Parents will remain with Hilary for volunteer training and meet operations instruction.

  
  

Swimmers will practice check-in procedures, writing their swimmer number, event lineups, Clerk of Course procedures, relay exchanges, and racing in meet conditions. Parents will learn how swimmer declarations work, how meets are organized, volunteer roles, timing procedures, and the overall flow of a swim meet. The environment is instructional, relaxed, and low-pressure. Questions are encouraged!

Please download both Swimmingly apps: Swimmingly Clubhouse and Swimmingly Fan.

The Swimmingly apps serve different purposes. Swimmingly Clubhouse is used by volunteers and meet officials, while Swimmingly Fan allows families to view lineups, heat sheets, results, and scores.

Important: Swimmer declarations are completed by logging into your Swimmingly account through a web browser. They cannot currently be completed through either app.

During the season, there are a few important things families should do before every meet.

1. Declare Your Swimmer

One of the most important responsibilities families have is declaring whether their swimmer will attend each meet. This information helps coaches create lineups and relays.

NEW THIS YEAR: We will assume your swimmer is NOT participating unless they are actively marked as attending. In the past, we assumed swimmers were participating unless they were specifically marked absent.

This change allows coaches to build more accurate lineups, create relays earlier, and reduce last-minute confusion on meet day.

There are three ways to declare attendance (see handout distributed last week).  Hilary will walk parents through this process during Mock Meet.

1. Swimmingly (preferred)

2. Sign-out sheets posted at the pool entrance

3. Contacting a coach directly for last-minute changes

NEW THIS YEAR: You can declare attendance for all meets at once through Swimmingly. Swimmer declarations are completed by logging into your Swimmingly account through a web browser. They cannot currently be completed through either app.

2. Check the Meet Lineup

NEW THIS YEAR: Coaches will create entries on Friday afternoons.

This allows us to review the set lineup at Monday practices before creating the official Heat Sheets required for Tuesday meets. Heat Sheets will be shared Tuesday morning and can also be viewed through the Swimmingly Fan App.

3. Write Your Swimmer Number

Before arriving at a regular-season meet, write your swimmer's number on their arm in triathlon style.

This helps volunteers quickly identify swimmers throughout the meet.

HOME MEETS

Home meets are held at Spotswood Country Club.

Home Meet Timeline

• Arrive/Check-In: 4:30 PM

• SCC Warm-Ups: 5:00–5:25 PM

• Visiting Team Warm-Ups: 5:25–5:50 PM

• Junior Dolphins Race: 5:30–5:40 PM

• Volunteer Meeting: 5:40 PM

• Meet Begins: 6:00 PM

After home meets, we host a pizza party, night swimming, and access to the snack shack and bar (weather permitting).

These activities typically run from approximately 8:45–10:00 PM.

AWAY MEETS

Away meets are hosted by other teams.

Arrival Time/Check-In

• 5:00 PM unless otherwise communicated

Every pool is different. Parking, seating, team areas, and facility rules may vary from week to week.

Please watch for weekly updates containing pool-specific information.

VOLUNTEERING

We cannot run swim meets without volunteers.

Because of the size of our team, we need families to volunteer as much as possible. Swim meets simply cannot happen without volunteers. No experience is necessary for most positions, and experienced volunteers are always available to help train new volunteers. For example, if you can tap your phone screen, you can be a timer. Volunteer information, role descriptions, and training information are available in the Volunteer Guide distributed last week.

WHAT SHOULD WE BRING WITH US TO EACH MEET?

Every meet is a little different, but swimmers should generally bring:

• Team swimsuit

• Team cap

• Goggles (plus a backup pair if possible)

• Towels

• Water bottle

• Healthy snacks

• Sunscreen

• Extra dry clothes

• Sweatshirt or blanket for cooler evenings

• Chairs

• Shade tent (optional)

COMMON QUESTIONS

What if my child misses a meet?

That's okay. We simply need advance notice through declarations whenever possible.

Important: Swimmers must participate in at least two regular-season dual meets to be eligible for Champs at JMU on August 1 (barring rare exceptions).

What if my child doesn't want to swim an event?

Please communicate with the coaches. Individual events can often be scratched if needed.

What are relays?

Relays are races where four swimmers work together as a team.

Coaches work to create competitive relay teams while providing as many swimmers as possible the opportunity to participate.

How long do meets last?

Most meets begin at 6:00 PM and finish between 8:30 and 9:00 PM, depending on team size, weather, and the pace of the meet.

2026 MEET SCHEDULE

Tuesday, June 16: Mock Meet

Tuesday, June 23: @ ERRA

Tuesday, June 30: Home vs. Broadway

Tuesday, July 7: Home vs. Westover

Tuesday, July 14: @ Ashby

Tuesday, July 21: @ Massanutten

Saturday, August 1: Champs at JMU

Most importantly, remember that summer swim is about growth, friendships, teamwork, sportsmanship, and fun. The first meet always feels a little overwhelming. By the second or third meet, most families feel right at home.

As always, if you have questions, please reach out. The first meet always feels a little overwhelming. By the second or third meet, most families feel right at home.

Go Dolphins! 🐬