Attending meets is not mandatory, but swimmers improve when they challenge themselves and try new events. Racing can be a fun way to see how all the practice time is making your swimmer stronger and faster. If you can only attend one day of a two-day meet, that is okay. We try to offer one meet a month. You learn about scheduled meets from he coaches or our club Calendar.

Each swimmer attending a meet needs to fill out a meet sheet. The team hosting the meet sends us all the information we need in a meet sheet. These are copied and put in each swimmer’s folder at the pool. Please encourage your swimmer to check his/her folder on a regular basis. See our handouts on entering and attending a first meet. Check with the coach to see if the meet is suitable for your swimmer.

Meets are popular so mail in the Meet Entry Form as soon as you can. Don’t wait for the deadline because most meets are full by then. If you’re not sure whether or not you will go, send in the entry anyway to avoid a possibly disappointed swimmer.

Read the meet sheet carefully and check to see what time standard is required for entry. For example, some meets are C/B+ (suitable for novice and up), others are A+, or AA+ or Q+, each one requiring faster times. If your child has not been to a meet ask the coach whether the meet is suitable and which events to enter.

Event numbers are always odd for girls and even for boys. Time standards are also different for girls and boys.

Meets are often “split” with the younger children swimming in the morning and older ones in the afternoon, but not necessarily so. The 11-12 boys usually swim with the younger swimmers and the 11-12 girls with the older swimmers.

It is useful to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your entry with a note asking for confirmation of entry status.

Following is an explanation of the “boxes” you will need to complete on the Meet Entry Form (SAMMS Consolidated Entry Card):

• LSC Code and year of registration: PC1
  
• Club abbreviation: LAMV
  
• If Unatt . Team Abbr: applies only to “unattached” swimmers who have switched teams and must wait 120 days from date of last competition before they can earn points or be on relays for the new team
  
• Club name: Los Altos Mountain View
  
• Age: swimmer’s age on the first day of the meet
  
• Amt. Paid: the total fee due
  
• USS Reg#: If you have your United States Swimming Card, your registration number is on it. If you just joined and have not received your card yet, write Pending.
  
• Distance/Stroke: It stands for the distance swum and the name of the stroke. (e.g. 25 Free for 25 yards freestyle). Do not sign up for relays for this is the responsibility of the coaches.
  
• Entry time: Swimmers should be entered with their best time for each event. If a swimmer has never swum an event, s/he may be entered at the minimum time listed on the meet sheet. Check with your child’s coach for the appropriate entry time.
  
• Coach: Jose Bonpua (Foothill swimmers)
  
• Address/Phone: are needed so the host club can contact you if there is a problem with your entry. Make sure all the info on the form is easy to read – the host team will be processing hundreds of these and you want to help them enter your child's info correctly.