Meet Event Sign-Ups
- Sign-in to your Swimtopia account.
- Click on the "Calendar" drop down menu, choose "Meets/Events".
- Click the green "Meet Entry" button for the selected meet.
- Click "Edit" under the swimmer name.
- Choose your session(s) and events.
- If you prefer the coach choose events for your swimmer, leave a NOTE at the bottom of the sign-up with how many events, any preferences, or thoughts/questions you might have.
- We recommend choosing at least two events, but not necessarily the maximum allowed at the meet. Please see Event Guidance below.
- NEED to be a USA Swimming member by a few days before the meet. So, even if you're not yet, you can still signup now and still have time to get it done.
Benchmark Meets: Meets labeled as "Benchmarks" are the meets everyone should attend if possible. These are regarded as team events we are looking for swimmers to do well in and in which practices are planned for.
Benchmark Meet - Prioritize these meets.
- Considered a team event in which we hope to have a high turnout.
- We want to be there en masse, swimming fast, and cheering. Make our presence felt and seen.
- Practices are planned with these meets in mind.
- Definitely attend if possible. This is a parent decision, not a swimmer one. If a parent decides their family or swimmer has a higher priority and cannot attend, that is totally understandable, but please mark the swimmer as "Not Attending" on the meet sign-up to confirm. No need to leave an explanation in the notes, we just need confirmation.
- SESSION ATTENDANCE: At benchmark meets, swimmers are expected to stay until the end of their competition session only (not the whole meet). Even after they are done swimming, we will all stay and cheer for each other and support each other until everyone in that session has completed their last event.
- We will clean up our area and then swimmers may leave together as a team.
Other Meets on the Schedule
- Any meet not labeled as a "Benchmark" is completely optional.
- Swimmers may choose to attend if they prefer.
- May leave when they are individually done, even before the end of the session, just let the coach know when you are. Of course though, may also stay until the end of their session to support any other teammates who might be there. :)
EVENT FEES - NO REFUNDS: Event fees and swimmer surcharge fees are determined by the meet host. Once we send the entries and issue a payment to the host team, meet fees are non-refundable. The meet host will not refund STEP Aquatics, and so we cannot refund those fees either. Event fees reserve a space in a lane to compete in that event. Like a ticket for a football game or a movie, the reservation holds the space only. Regardless if a swimmer ultimately sits in the seat..., or swims in the race, whether they were sick or injured or forgot they had another obligation, the space is reserved and heats/lanes are organized around those reservations. Basically, meet hosts are not going to vet or discern each swimmer's rationale from all the different teams that could not attend if an entry was received and paid for.
Event Guidance
- Meet-to-Meet: Try to be strategic, look through the schedule and space out events you want to do well in.
- In-Meet: Look through the event order at each meet and choose events which have some rest time in-between them.
- Experienced swimmers who can swim in all strokes/events, definitely swim in a variety.
- Do not just focus in the same ones all the time; that strategy leads to less developed and slower swimmers in the long run.
- Less experienced swimmers who are not sure if they should try an event for the first time, you can't really go wrong with shorter freestyle and backstroke events, but feel free to contact a coach to ask if you're not sure.
- Again though, try to be strategic about it and feel free to email/text/leave a note for coaches, to ask questions or go over event ideas.
