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TENT PARENT RESPONSIBILITES

For both home and away meets, the main responsibility of the Tent Parent is to keep the swimmers in their tent organized, calm and ready to swim when their event is called. This includes checking swimmers in, marking them correctly with their events they are swimming and watching over them during their entire shift.

Absolutely no horseplay nor ‘active’ play (throwing a ball, throwing a frisbee, gymnastics, etc.) is allowed of the swimmers. Electronic games and devices are allowed, but if you see or hear any inappropriate content, take the device and return it to the swimmer when they are leaving the meet.

Tent Parents arrive 10 minutes before swimmer check in. It is imperative that you arrive on time!

IMPORTANT!!! If you are unable to fulfill your responsibilities as a tent parent please let us know ASAP.

PREPPING SWIMMERS FOR THE MEET

Check in as a Tent Parent with a Volunteer Coordinator:

Locate a Tent Chair - Erika Spector or Melissa Eubanks. Check in with them and pick up the following:

  • Black Sharpie marker
  • Pencil/pen
  • Reusable bag with clip board containing a list of swimmers and their events, listing the event number, swimmers’ names, swimmer positions, heat number and lane number

Taking Attendance:

When swimmers arrive, make sure you are checking them all in on one roll sheet. If a swimmer is absent at the time of warm up, please let one of the tent chairs know so they can let the coaches know, and possibly adjust relays.

Warm-Up:

A swim coach will come to the tent and take the swimmers to warm up.

Restroom Procedures:

6 & under and 7/8 swimmers are not allowed to go to the restroom on their own. It is easiest to take them in groups. Make periodic announcements to the tent to line up if they need to use the restroom. One Tent Parent should then take the group to the restroom. Wait for all of the swimmers to exit the restroom before bringing them back to the tent as a group.

Older swimmers are allowed to use the restroom, go to concessions, etc. on their own, but we encourage using the buddy system (2 or more) whenever possible. They need to be instructed to immediately return to the tent when they’re finished.

How To Mark Your Swimmers:

*TIP* - Try to mark your swimmers BEFORE any sunscreen is applied

One Tent Parent should read aloud the swimmer’s number and event information to another Tent Parent, who will write them on the swimmer in sharpie.

On their inner forearm create a “grid” with Event, Heat, Lane columns as below. Write all of the swimmer’s Event, Heat and Lane numbers including their position/stroke for relays. Swimmers can swim up to 5 individual events, plus 2 relays – this will vary based on age and skill level and is at the coach’s discretion.

Stroke Abbreviations: Freestyle=F, Breaststroke=BR, Backstroke=BK, Butterfly=FLY, Individual Medley=IM, Medley Relay=MR, Freestyle Relay=FR

Order of Medley Relay: Backstroke(1), Breaststroke(2), Butterfly(3), Freestyle(4)

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Lining Up For Relays:

There are two sets of relays: at the beginning of the meet and at the end of the meet. For the youngest swimmers (6 & Under age group), start lining them up for their first relay event approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet. For the older swimmers (7/8 and older), start lining up the swimmers approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the meet.

For both Medley and Freestyle Relays the 1st and 3rd swimmers will start from the timer side of the pool, while the 2nd and 4th swimmers will start on the opposite end of the pool. You will need to line them up in the tent area to match this.

  1. Create a single file line of 1st and 3rd position swimmers, starting with Heat 1 and the highest lane number, swimmer 1, then swimmer 3.The heat sheet below shows in red the order in which you will call out the names of the swimmers to form your lines.

  2. Next start a separate line of 2nd and 4th position swimmers and follow the same pattern as above, starting Heat 1 and highest number lane, swimmer 2, then swimmer 4.
  3. One tent parent lead the 1st and 3rd position swimmer line to the timer side of the pool, and have another parent lead 2nd and 4th swimmers line to opposite side of the pool. Make sure everyone stays in order!

For the 6 & Under and 7/8 swimmers: When the swimmers are ready to swim their relay event, a Tent Parent should stand at the end of the pool to help guide swimmers off the pool deck and back to their tent after they have completed their event. Older swimmers will not need this kind of guidance and can return to the tent on their own.

Lining Up For Individual Events:

Sometimes the Announcer is difficult to hear due to proximity or noise in the tent, so be aware of the event numbers your age group will be swimming and periodically check the current event number at the display board near the pool. Be aware of the age group who swims before you and check to see when they leave their tent.

  1. The heat sheet below shows in red the order in which you will call out the names of the swimmers to form your lines. Start a single file line of swimmers by Heat they will be swimming in, with the highest lane number swimmer first. For example, (Heat 1, Lane 6); (Heat 1, Lane 5), (Heat 1, Lane 4), etc.
  2. Then behind those swimmers start with the next Heat and highest lane number. Ex. (Heat 2, Lane 6), (Heat 2, Lane 5), and so on.
  3. Continue until you have worked all the way through the heats. Then lead the line of swimmers in order over to the ready benches.

IF IN DOUBT, STAY CALM AND ASK FOR HELP. There will also be tent chairs in the tent area and a ready bench volunteer checking swimmers to ensure they are all in the correct places before they swim.

Checking Out Swimmers:

We strongly discourage the swimmers to sit with their parents outside of the tent. It is very easy to lose track of a swimmer’s whereabouts if they are not in the tent, and then they may miss their event. If a parent is insistent that their child sits with them, remind the parent that they are responsible for returning the swimmer to the tent when their event is coming up.

If a swimmer needs to leave the meet early, they must check out with a Tent Parent. Use the swimmer list you checked in on as the “check-out list” also. Check off their name on the list. Refer to the heat sheet to ensure the swimmer does not have any remaining events to swim.

Prepping For The End Of The Meet:

Prior to their last event (for the 6 & Under age group, the majority of the swimmers leave after their backstroke event; for all other age groups, swimmers stay until the end of the meet), have the swimmers clean up the tent and put all trash in the trash bag. Have the swimmers collect all of their personal belongings and fold up their chairs. DO NOT take down the tent! Another group of volunteers will do that at the end of the meet.

When swimmers are leaving the meet for the day, they must check out with a Tent Parent. Use the swimmer list as the “check-out list”. Check off their name on the list. Refer to the heat sheet to ensure the swimmer does not have any remaining events to swim. You cannot leave the meet until all of your swimmers have been accounted for.

Return your Clipboard, markers, pens, pencils, badges & reusable bag to the Tent Chair.

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How to Read a Heat Sheet

The Heat Sheet shows all the participating swimmers and what events they will participate in as well as the heat number and lane number. The announcer will say the event and heat number prior to each event taking place.

At the bottom of this page is an example of a heat sheet. For more explanation please refer to this link. The info in this link is the same as our sheets except heat 1 for us is the fastest heat. https://youtu.be/9BSBB9Qs8f0

Event Number: Up to 70 events in a meet, split by stroke, gender and age group.

Heat Number: In each of the events, there are HEATS. Each heat has 6-8 swimmers - depending on the size of the pool.

Lane Number: This will tell you which lane your swimmer is scheduled to be in.

Heat Sheet

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