Barclay Downs Swim Team

ORDER OF EVENTS

All week night meets start at 6:00pm. Swimmers need to arrive by 5:15pm, Shrimpers by 5:30pm. Saturday meets start at 8:00am. Swimmers need to arrive by 7:15am, Shrimpers by 7:30am.

Meet events are numbered 1-70 and organized by stroke: Shrimpers, freestyle relay, freestyle, backstroke, individual medley, breaststroke, butterfly, medley relay. They ascend by age and are divided by gender. 

For example, the 7-8 girls swim their backstroke first, followed by the 7-8 boys, followed by the 9-10 girls and so on. The stroke order for the individual medley (9-10s and up) is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle. The stroke order for the medley relay (7-8s and up) is backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle.

Every meet begins with the 6 & Unders, aka Shrimpers, who swim one lap of freestyle only; girls first, then boys. 

Entries are determined by our coaches. They place swimmers in events based on their recorded times. Swimmers can be entered into a maximum of (3) individual events and up to (4) relays, for a total of (7) events in each meet. 

If your swimmer is entered in the medley relay at the end of the meet, and you need to leave early, you must tell your swimmer's age group coach. Additionally, you must find the parents of the other swimmers in your relay to let them know you are leaving. Please note that a relay team that completes an event receives a minimum of 6 points. We receive 0 points if we do not compete in the event.   

Swimmers may leave when they have completed all of their events, but must check out with a coach to be sure they are not needed in a relay.  

HEAT SHEETS

Heat sheets are emailed the day of each meet. You are not required to print one out, but it's extremely helpful to have one. At the very least, you'll need to reference one to know which events/heats/lanes your swimmer is in. Having a heat sheet during the meet also helps you figure out which kids are where during what race because, let's be honest, they all start to look alike when they're wearing the same caps and goggles!

The home team is responsible for generating heat sheets. So when we are the visiting team, we are beholden to the other team's production schedule. That is why it is incredibly important to declare your swimmer's participation in a meet at least 48 hours before the meet. We may not be able to accommodate a request to enter a meet if it is made within that 48-hour window. 

We also highly recommend subscribing to SwimTopia Pro for the six weeks of swim team. All meet details will be conveniently located on your phone! 

KEEPING SCORE

Points are awarded to the top four finishers in each individual event, not each heat, for each age group. Accordingly, points can be scored from any heat, as the fastest four times count no matter the heat. Shrimpers do not score points. 

Individual Events

*Note, in the event of a tie, the points for the applicable place finish, plus the immediately following place finish, are added together and divided by two. For example, if there is a tie for 1st Place in any individual event, each swimmer gets 4 points (5 points + 3 points, divided by 2 = 4 points), and the next fastest swimmer is awarded 2 points for 3rd Place.

Team Relays

*Note, only “A” relay teams score points. If an “A” relay team is DQed, the swim team receives no points for that relay. Points are never awarded to “B” or “C” teams, even if they beat an “A” team. 

RIBBONS

Ribbons are awarded for individual events, 1st through 6th place, and for relays, 1st and 2nd place. Shrimpers receive participant ribbons at all meets. Heat winner ribbons will be given for all 10 & under events. Ribbons are not awarded for 15-18 events.

HOME MEETS

Please, carpool, bike or walk if possible to home meets. As you know, we are tight on parking, and want our visitors to have enough parking spaces. Please be mindful of other members and guests, and observe all no parking signs.

Volunteers check-in at the volunteer table near the adult pavilion/diving well where you will receive a name tag and instructions. Please visit the Volunteer page for more information on each job. 

The Snack Bar will be open and the grill team will be grilling!

As you enter the pool, the home side is to the right of the pool and the visitors' side to the left under the shelter.

AWAY MEETS

Team traditions, food offerings and parking policies will vary at every South Park Swim League meet. Please pay attention to the emails that go out before each meet. You will find important information specific to each location provided by our host.

Here is a Google Map with locations of all SPSL members.    

THINGS TO BRING

Swimmers, please bring your Patience, Team Spirit, and a Positive, Can-Do Attitude. Wear your BD team shirt, BD swimsuit and BD swim cap (per league rules, other team logos on suits and caps are not allowed). Don't forget your goggles, water, Sharpies, towels, sunscreen, and sweatshirt/sweatpants for evening meets.

Parents, please also bring your Patience, Team Spirit, and a Positive, Can-Do Attitude. You may also want chairs, extra goggles and towels, water and snacks for your swimmer. Meets can be long, so bring card games like UNO, Go Fish!, or something to entertain your little ones. Please WRITE YOUR NAME on everything you bring to the pool! And remind your swimmers to take home all of their belongings at the end of the meet and pick up their trash.