Tidal Waves,

The first meet day is finally here tomorrow! The kids have been working hard and are ready to race!

Sometimes the first meet can be organized chaos. Please be patient with us, pitch in and volunteer where you can.

Don't forget to bring a chair, extra towels, drinks and healthy snacks. 

Typically during home meets we leave the pool deck closest to the gymnastic center (concessions) open for the other team. Tidal Wave parents will sit on the side closest to the gravel lot (the side by slide).

Support our concession vendors if you are eating at the meet. They will have all kinds of snacks and cold drinks, along with a kid favorite, Italian ice.

Please make sure that you dispose of all trash that you generate at the meet. We want to be good customers of our home pool.

There should be parking attendants around to provide instructions on where to park. *If you are able to arrive early to assist with parking we would greatly appreciate the extra help. Please do not park in front of Real Sports Academy (RSA). They might tow your car without warning. We will try to instruct our team parents to park in the gravel lot between Fit One and the Gymnastics Center. We will try to reserve the gravel lot closest to the pool for the visiting team and officials.

During the meet the kiddie pool in the back will be closed to all swimmers, this includes siblings. Please remind your swimmer and siblings to not be in the kiddie pool during the meet.

Warm-ups will be at 4:30 pm. Please try to get there earlier than that to "check in" at our check in table, but not before 4 pm when the pool closes to regular customers. There will be a roster of swimmers and volunteers at the check in table located at the side gate. We will check off your swimmer when he/she arrives. If you have not received your swim cap, those will be available at the check-in table (if you have paid your Tidal Waves fees). Remember we are wearing only Tidal Waves caps in this meet to look like a team. If you would like to purchase additional caps, they are available for $10 each. 
We also plan to have the t-shirts and other merchandise that you purchased online available for pick up at the check in table. 

If you have not paid Tidal Waves summer fees, please get those in ASAP. We have already paid expenses on behalf of your swimmer. Our team is a "non profit", so please be diligent about getting fees in so we have funds to operate.

Please "mark" your swimmer's name & age on his or her back shoulder so our deck parents & coaches can give them correct instruction. Also, we are asking to keep all 8 & under's at one team tent and 9-10's at the other team tent. These will be located along the back fence nearest the baseball field. We have so many swimmers in these age groups -- it is impossible to corral them from all over the pool deck. Keep in mind we have volunteer deck parents to help get kids to the coaches behind the blocks. *All 10 & under kids must stay in the corral area so deck parents can locate them. If they are outside this area there is a chance they will miss an event. Also parents, please follow the meet so you know when your child is to swim. Find a deck parent to get them to their event. Ultimately, the responsibility of swimming the event is on the swimmer and parents.
Also, parents aren't allowed behind the blocks.  It is very crowded and the coaches and timers and volunteers need to be able to move around so please get your swimmer to a deck volunteer to line up behind the blocks.

We still need 1 place judge and 1 timer. If you can help in this area please let us know.

We hope to have the heat sheet emailed to you by 3 pm tomorrow, depending on when both teams are ready to merge the meet. If possible please print it and bring it with you so you can write your swimmer's events on their arm. There will also be a heat sheet posted on the pool deck for you to view. The heat sheet will have all of the events listed.

We have alternates on the heat sheet under most point swims. If we need an alternate to take the place of a point swimmer, we will notify that swimmer ahead of the point swim. *If they are listed as an alternate in point events and not listed on the exhibition events, they should plan to do the exhibition swims anyway.

All swimmers not swimming for points in 3 individual events should plan on swimming the exhibition heats in freestyle and backstroke. Every swimmer should be swimming individually in at least 2 maybe 3 events in addition to any relays they are in. Encourage your swimmers to give their all in these events to improve their times in the hopes of earning a point swim. Please do not leave before the freestyle relays if you are assigned to an A, B, or C relay.

Additionally feel free to use the exhibition races to get timed in something other than free or back. Just remember to tell the timer to record the time under the stroke that you swam.

Team Dinner after the meet will be at Mojo Burrito. They are a new Tidalwaves sponsor, located in Cambridge Square so please stop by after the meet.

As always, if you have any questions about the meet, the heat sheet, or anything else, please come see any board member or call! Our hope is for everyone to have a great swim meet experience.

Thanks and Go Tidal Waves! Beat the Dalton Dolphins!