Madison Aquatic Center logo

FAQs

Team Philosophy

Team philosophy, development, and supporting your swimmer and the team.

  • What is MAC’s philosophy?

    We prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child. Our goal is for the long term growth and development of each swimmer. We will challenge the swimmers to learn and grow from the highs and the lows of training and competition. It is inevitable that swimmers will have high points as well as tough times. Tough times can be some of the best times of learning and growth. We want swimmers to take ownership of their training, their success, and their sport.

  • What is Long Term Athlete Development?

    Our goal is to develop athletes both physically, mentally and socially for their long term health and well being. From a training perspective and competition standpoint we want to develop as well rounded swimmers as possible. We teach and train all athletes to be able to compete in all strokes and distances. This allows athletes to gain self confidence, self discipline and adaptation. We believe it is in the best interest of an athlete's development to have experience in all strokes, distances and events because it keeps the sport exciting and fresh. An athlete may be stronger at certain events during different periods of their career, but having the ability and experience to improve in different events than their “best” events helps build confidence and keeps athletes motivated.

  • What are the team expectations?

    Be on-time to practice and pick your swimmers up promptly after practice. If you stay at the facility during practice, follow the facility rules. Siblings accompanying parents must be supervised at all times and not to be left unattended. Everyone attending a practice must be respectful of the facility.


    Consistent attendance. While it is understood swimmers have outside activities, the more consistent a swimmer trains, the better the results. If there are absences, communicate these with your coach.


    Be ready to train and learn, be attentive and not talk when instructions are given, keeping hands to themselves, bullying will not be tolerated. The swimmer and parent code of conduct will be followed at all times. 


    As a team, we will challenge your swimmer to learn and grow throughout the season and we expect a good work ethic, for them to be coachable, and to have motivation.

  • How do we support our swimmer(s)?

    Your role as a parent is to help support your kids and guide them to love the sport. Leave coaching to the coaches. They can do it! We are all capable of more than we think. Maintaining a supportive relationship in sports and competition with your child is very important. Let the coaches teach and help guide them through their successes and failures. It helps keep a healthy and balanced parent to child relationship.


    Encourage your athlete! They already have internal and external pressure on them, do not add to it. It does take a village to raise children. Coaches, parents and the team are all in this together!


    If you have an issue, contact us. Please do not talk to other parents about your frustrations. We are a team and working towards a common goal. If there is a conflict we are happy to discuss concerns with you and we are here to help you. We might not agree on everything, but we care about your children and are here to help them be the best they can be. We coach because we love the sport, working with them, and seeing them grow and mature. Respect and courtesy toward coaches directly influences a child’s behavior.


    Remember that winning and best times are the goal, but not the only thing. The process of learning how to deal with success and failure is most important. Sports teach hard work, discipline, self worth, confidence, toughness, character, motivation and more. Your athlete will experience ups and downs, that is normal. They will improve and add time at different points of their career. Try to stay supportive no matter what. After All they are the ones competing. If you have a concern, talk to a coach.

  • How do we best represent OUR Team?

    We strive to build a special team atmosphere at MAC. Please represent OUR team positively in the stands, in public and in the pool. We are here to support your family and your athlete so please show respect to the officials, other parents, competitors and other teams. Please do the right thing, unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated and will be addressed.

  • What do I do if my child is upset or misbehaving at practice?

    If you are attending a practice and your child is upset or misbehaving at practice let the coaches handle it. Intervening if your child is having a hard time at practice is not helpful and can make the situation worse. The coaches have the experience and need to focus on the group. If they need your assistance they will let you know.

  • How do we support the team?

    Please read all team emails as all information is pertinent. Be familiar with the online calendar, meet signup deadlines and all other team parent responsibilities.


    Help us, help you! Get your swimmer to practice as much as possible. We are learning new skills and building upon them everyday. The more consistently swimmers attend the more they learn and the more they improve. 


    Volunteer. We offer opportunities to volunteer during the season. Please give back to the team by helping and signing up to volunteer when meets are announced. Most of the positions do not need experience. We appreciate and depend on your efforts to run a successful meet that visiting teams want to return to. We rely on meets to help offset swim fees.


Practice Expectations

  • What is expected from our children during practice and/or competitions?

    Each individual coach will have his/her own expectations, which you can speak to your child's coach about.  However, we have a few universal things we expect from our swimmers. We expect them to demonstrate respectful behavior towards other swimmers and the coaches at all times via their listening skills, tone of voice and the language they use. We also expect all swimmers to respect the pool and equipment. Finally, we also expect our swimmers to understand the Madison Aquatic Club's Code of Conduct and USA Swimming's Code of Conduct.

  • How many times would we like to see your children at practice?

    As a team, we do not mandate any number of practices  but we do have attendance goals. We encourage swimmers to attend the practices scheduled for their group. As an athlete, practice is one of the few things that you control that can help you excel at the sport.  Your motivation, nutrition and support are all important, but it is practice that contributes the most to your success.

  • Which coaches work with each group?

    Our coaches link (here) lists the coach(es) for each of our practice groups. Our assistant coaches work wherever the other coaches feel they are needed most.

  • If there is a personal conflict with a practice time, can a swimmer attend another group's practice?

    We do not offer alternative practices for swimmers who are unable to make their specified practice time.  Swimmers are in their respective group because that's where they will be sufficiently challenged.  Having swimmers jump in with other groups is not beneficial for them or for the other swimmers.  If swimmers have other commitments and can show up for part of their practice, they are encouraged to participate for as much of their practice as they can.

  • What is the locker room policy?

    While USA Swimming and MAC strive to allow only athletes use of the locker rooms during practice time, swim lessons, and meets, the actual physical layout of a facility may prevent such exclusive use. In situations where a changing area/restroom is shared with the general public or with coaches and parents, it is likely others will use the space at practice times, during lessons, and during meets.  In such cases, coaches and staff will make every effort to recognize when an athlete goes to the locker room during practice and if they do not return in a timely fashion will check on the athlete’s whereabouts.  


    We discourage parents from entering the locker rooms even in multiuse situations unless it is truly necessary. In those instances, it should only be a same‐sex parent entering the locker room. If this is necessary, the parent should not delay in the locker room. If an athlete needs assistance with his or her suit or gear (for example, a child under the age of eight), or an athlete’s disability warrants assistance, then the same‐sex parent may enter to help the athlete but not delay in the locker room. Applicable Adults as defined by MAAPP are not to be alone in the locker room with an athlete.  


    If the parent who needs to assist the athlete is not same‐sex as the child who is over the age of 5, the parent shall use a family changing areas or single restroom. If this is unavailable at the facility, the parent needs to speak with a coach or head lifeguard for further assistance. Applicable Adults as defined by MAAPP are not to be alone in the locker room with an athlete. 


    Coaches and staff may need to enter the multiuse locker rooms during practice times, lessons, and meets while athletes are in the locker rooms. In these situations, coaches and staff will not delay in the locker room and will not interact with the athletes while in the locker room. Applicable Adults as defined by MAAPP are not to be alone in the locker room with an athlete.  


    MAC does not constantly monitor locker rooms and changing areas over extended practice times, but MAC staff does make periodic sweeps of these areas. Staff and coaches conduct these sweeps, with women checking on female locker rooms and men checking on male locker rooms. MAC maintains this same policy during meets and during swim lessons.  Please remember that regardless of the type of locker room or changing area being used, the use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone camera, is not allowed under any circumstances. This prohibition applies to everyone in the MAC facility and any facility MAC is using for training and swim lessons during the time of such training and lessons. 


    As with all situations, if you see something that concerns you, please say something to your coach, swim instructor, or staff. MAC strives to maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes of any age. 

  • Can parents stay and watch practices?

    Where parents are allowed to sit is dependent on each facility. Please visit the pool location page for more details on each specific location. 


    Please note that coaching your child from the pool deck, viewing area and stands at practice or at meets is not helpful and will not be tolerated. It is a distraction to your swimmer, their teammates and the coaching staff. The pool deck is the coaches platform to instruct and a place for your child to learn. If you feel that your child needs to work on something, please talk to a coach before or after practice, send them an email or schedule a time to meet. We are here to help your swimmer succeed, but we are a team and focused on the development of everyone.

Swim Team Basics

  • Who do I contact with questions?

    For registration, billing and facility programming questions, please contact Janis Katz.


    For all swim practice, meet and group level questions, please reach out to your coaches.


    The best way to speak to your child's coach is via email. If more is needed after an email, your child's coach will be happy to set up a time to discuss something in person or over the phone outside of scheduled practices. 


    Please do not talk to a coach during practice for safety and courtesy.  Practice time is their time with the swimmers.


    Contact List:

    Janis Katz, Business Director - janis@trainmac.com

    Shane Ryan, Program Director/Head Coach - shane@trainmac.com

    Jake Shackelford, Associate Senior Select/Performance Coach - jake@trainmac.com

    Amy Silvestri, Lead Red/Blue Performance Coach - amy@trainmac.com

    Pat Abrahms, Lead Red/Blue Select Coach - pat@trainmac.com

    Jim Lohmeier, Lead White Performance/Select Coach - jim@trainmac.com

  • What are the different seasons in club swimming and how do they differ?

    Our competitive year is September through the following August.  We have two official competitive swimming swim seasons. 


    The Short Course season is swum from late August/early September to early March and is held indoors in short course (25-yard) pools.  It is separated into Fall and Winter sessions.  


    The Long Course season is swum from March to early August and is held both in short course pools and long course pools. It is separated into Spring and Summer sessions. The summer Long Course championship meets are held in Long Course pools.


    Swimmers can join either by session, season or for the full year.  Our Select groups have session and seasonal registration options. Our Performance groups are annual commitments.


  • What swim gear does my child need?

    All of the gear needed is through A3 Performance. A3 has a list of everything your child will need and their staff is helpful. Items are listed by the practice group on our website. Click (Here) to get to the Team Store page. You can also click on the A3 icon under our Partner section on the lower left-hand side of this website.

  • Why and when does a swimmer get moved up?

    Kids develop at different stages and rates and ages.The coaching staff has developed a 3 tier approach in determining the best fit for each swimmer's stage of development to help their long term athlete development:

    • Age of the swimmer
    • Physical abilities (practice and meets)
    • Emotional readiness 

    Many misconceptions happen when swimmers (and parents) focus primarily on time standards, best times and the age of the swimmer for group moves. This mentality means that a swimmer's season successes (or failures) are based solely on whether the swimmer moves to a new practice group. Swimmers should avoid this mindset in their training and when determining success. 


    Our goal is to develop the “whole swimmer” to guide them and give them the resources and opportunities to grow as an individual. Trust in the process.

  • How will I know about sudden and longer term practice changes?

    If practice needs to change at the last minute, we will send out an email/text as soon as the decision is made. These changes are usually due to weather or facility situations. We rarely cancel practice due to weather. If the facility closes, we will not have a practice. In any situation, use your best judgement. If you feel unsafe, then stay home.


    If practice is going to change in the longer term, it will be announced in a weekly or monthly email and will be updated on the calendar.


  • Do we need to participate in meets?

    We are a USA Swimming competitive swim team and encourage swimmers to participate in meets. Since swimming is represented by time, meets are a great measurement of your swimmer's progress in the sport.


    We schedule meets appropriate for every group level throughout the season from novice to advanced swimmers. We would like every swimmer to participate in at least one meet per season. If you have questions on meet readiness or which meets are more appropriate for your child, please talk to you swimmer's coach.

  • Where do I find the practice schedule?

     Prior to the season, we post a "tentative schedule" for families to get a general idea of what the season's schedule should look like.


    Once the season begins, the online schedule should be the point of reference. This schedule is up-to-date and takes into account meets and facility scheduling that  is not considered on the tentative schedule. The online schedule can be synced to your personal calendar. There are instructions above the calendar to help you sync.


    We also have a daily calendar in Captyn which we will always try to keep mirrored to the online calendar. 

  • Why and how do I register with USA Swimming?

    Along with your MAC registration, swimmers also need to be USA Swimming members. All swimmers, officials and coaches must be current USA Swimming members to participate in the sport. In addition to an added layer of liability coverage for activities, USA membership offers swimmers from the very novice to the decorated Olympians a wide range of support.


    This is to serve as a step-by-step instruction guide to assist you with the USA Swimming registration process. 

    In past years, a team’s administrator would annually renew, transfer and add new members to their team. In 2022 USA Swimming moved part of that task on to families. Each family now needs to log in to USA Swimming, create a family account, add their swimmer(s) and then register them for the 2024-25 season.


    If you are new to USA Swimming, you need to follow the steps below to set up a USA Swimming account and register your swimmer(s) for athlete membership.


    If your swimmer is a USA Swimming member and is transferring from another team, the only thing you need to do is complete the transfer request on USA Swimming’s site. Instructions are below. Nothing else is needed, we will renew their USA registration.


    If you were registered with MAC this past year, nothing else is needed on your end. MAC will be bulk registering all renewing swimmers and non-athlete members (coaches & officials)


    This can be a confusing process. Below is a brief “how to” step by step guide to set up new accounts and add swimmers. If you have any difficulties along the way, there are Help topics provided for further assistance prepared by USA Swimming. On the USA Swimming hub landing page, click on Help and then click on Member Help Documentation for a variety of help topics with many listing screen by screen walkthroughs. 


    NEW to USA Swimming - 


    Step 1 – SET UP A PARENT ACCOUNT

    Go to the new USA Hub page - https://hub.usaswimming.org/landing and click on Create a Login and begin the setting up account process. 


    NEXT – Adding your Swimmer to your account

    If your swimmer is NEW to USA Swimming, you will add them in STEP 2 below


    If your swimmer is not currently registered with USA Swimming but registered in past years, you will need to link them in this step. If you need assistance with this step, contact Janis.


    STEP 2 – USA SWIMMING MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION

    To register your swimmers (or yourself if you are an official) or add a , you will need to log in to your USA Swimming Family Account through this 2025 MAC team specific team link – 

    https://omr.usaswimming.org/omr/welcome/955E47C2BA23AD


    If you qualify for an Outreach Membership, please contact Janis for that specific link because it is separate from the above membership link. 


    In this step you will pay the USA Swimming annual membership for the new member.

     

    TRANSFERRING TO MAC – This process is now done through your “View/Edit Member” page.  Click General Info, Club Transfer, Initiate Transfer, then type new club and swimmer's name. You no longer need to complete a transfer form and process anything through WI Swimming.

     

    FINAL IMPORTANT REMINDER -  Your swimmer MUST be registered through this process. If you have any questions or difficulties, please contact Janis

The Sport of Swimming Defined

  • What is the difference between Short Course Season & Long Course Season?

    Short Course Season

    This season typically runs from the months of September through March. All meets during this period are hosted in a type of competitive pool which measures 25 yards (or 25 meters). Here in the U.S. we swim in 25-yard pools most of the time and occasionally in 25-meter pools. The championship meets for theShort Course  seaon are conducted in 25 yard pools. The majority of pools in Wisconsin measure 25-yards.


    Long Course Season​

    This season generally runs from March through early August. The season is named because the championship meets are conducted in Long Course, 50-meter pools. Internationally, most competitors swim in 50-meter pools—the size of pool used in the Olympics. Many, but not all, of our meets are held in 50-meter pools during the summer season.



  • What meets/events/strokes do I register my swimmer for?

    Meets that MAC will participate in are selected by the coaches.  There are recommended meets for each group level based on factors that the coaches feel are appropriate for the group.


    Our Select Groups will often have coaches select the swimmer’s events while Performance swimmers usually commit to their own events.  Some meets are better suited for novice swimmers and are selected to start out your swim meet experience positively.  Meets for Select Groups are often more local; whereas, Performance Groups can compete outside of the area.


    The coaches know what your swimmer is capable of and will select events accordingly.  The season will begin with shorter distance and even fewer events for the first few meets and build as the season continues.   Parents, talk to your swimmers on what THEY want to swim and feel free to discuss this with the coaches. Stress and anxiety are a natural part of the experience, but the key is to keep that to a minimum as much as possible. We especially want those first meets positive and enjoyable so swimmers want to do more.


    Gradual increases of events, distances and variety of strokes in subsequent meets is the best approach for reluctant swimmers. There is no rush for an inexperienced 8-year-old to do a 200 Freestyle; conversely, an experienced 11 or 12-year-old who only swims 50s & 100s may want to branch out of his/her comfort zone and swim events they have never done before. This approach will build confidence and willingness to do more meets. Try to keep in mind each and every swimmer is different and should not be compared with other swimmers. Some who are overly excited may need a bit tempering; others who are cautious may need a gentle nudge. Swim meets are not required, but swimmers are encouraged to try at least one in a season. Reach out to your swimmer's coach if you have any questions regarding swim meets.

  • How do I register my child for swim meets?

    Meet sign-up instructions will be here when available.

  • When signing up for a meet, what does it mean if my swimmer's time is a NT (No Time)?

    If your swimmer's time shows up as black, he/she is eligible to swim that event at this meet. If your swimmer's time shows up as red, he/she's current time is either too fast or too slow to be eligible to swim that event. If the time shows up as a NT, that means he/she does not have a time in that event or a recorded time in our system.

  • What is the SWIMS database and how do I get my times from it?

    The SWIMS Database is USA Swimming's official record keeping list of all swimmers' official times that are allowable from sanctioned USA Swimming Meets. You can find this database by clicking here.

  • What is a disqualification (DQ) and what are some examples of how it could happen?

    The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules designed to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer.


    Trained officials observe the swimmers during each event to ensure compliance with these technical rules. If a swimmer commits an infraction of the rules that is observed by an official, a disqualification (DQ) will result. This means that the swimmer will not receive an official time and will not be eligible for an award in that event. A disqualification may result from actions such as not getting to the starting blocks on time, false starting, performing strokes in an illegal manner, or unsportsmanlike conduct. 

     

    DQs are also a result of technical rules violations. There are far too many to include here, but below are a few common infractions:


    Freestyle: 

    • Walking on the bottom, pulling on the lane rope, not touching the wall on a turn, or not completing the distance.

     

    Backstroke: 

    • Pulling or kicking into the wall once a swimmer has turned past vertical onto the breast. Turning onto the breast before touching the wall with the hand at the finish of the race.

     

    Breaststroke: 

    • An illegal kick such as flutter (freestyle), dolphin (butterfly), or scissors (side stroke); not on the breast; alternating movements of the arms; taking two arm strokes or two leg kicks while the head is underwater; touching with only one hand at the turns or finish. 

     

    Butterfly: 

    • Alternating movements of the arms or legs; pushing the arms forward under instead of over the water surface (underwater recovery); a breaststroke style of kick; touching with only one hand at the turns or finish. 

  • What are Time Standards and where can I find them?

    Time standards are a set of times established by USA Swimming's Local Swimming Committee (LSC) known as Wisconsin Swimming, Inc. Time standards are designed to encourage and challenge swimmers to strive for and achieve higher levels in their swimming. Time standards also allow swimmers to compete against swimmers of similar abilities in specific events and meets. Wisconsin Swimming uses both State Qualifying time standards and USA Motivational times. With USA Motivational Times, each set of standards is a new level of achievement beginning with slower than B times through the highest AAAA times. You can find a complete list of all the time standards on our MAC Events webpage.

  • What type of swim meets are there and which ones can my swimmer participate in?

    Wisconsin Swimming has many types of swim meets; each designed for different levels of swimmers. Here are a few of the types of meets and what level of swimmer should attend. Each of these meets assumes you understand WI Swimming's time standards which are talked about at the top of this page.


    A,B,C and Open meets

    • This meet is open to all swimmers, youngest to oldest; beginners to the most skilled. Any group on our team is encouraged to attend this type of meet.​

    "A+" "BB" or similar meets

    • This type of meet is specifically for swimmers who have achieved the required time, or faster, time standards in any event.  Eligibility reports are posted and updated throughout the season for these types of meets.

    Wisconsin Regional Championship Meets

    • This is the championship meet for swimmers who did not qualify for the state meet. Regionals are held at the end of each Short Course and Long Course season. This is a championship meet where swimmers and coaches focus on trying to improve their times to get a season best. 

     

    Wisconsin State Meet

    • This is a championship meet for swimmers who achieve a State qualifying time or faster. This meet is held at the end of each Short Course and Long Course season. State meets are comprised of some of the fastest swimmers in the State of Wisconsin. 

     

    "Zone" meet

    • This is a National-level championship meet for Age Group Swimmers (14 & under) conducted in the summer (typically August). In order to participate in this meet, all swimmers must achieve a Zone time standard. This meet is conducted in long course meters and is hosted in one of the Central Zone states defined by USA Swimming. Wisconsin swimmers with Zone times will represent our great State as "Team Wisconsin." Everything for this meet is done through Wisconsin Swimming, from registration to competition. Click the Zone logo to learn more!

    USA Championship Meets: Sectionals, Winter Junior Championships, Summer Future Championships, Junior Nationals, USA Nationals and Olympic Trials

    • The meets listed above are the highest level qualifying meets held annually by USA Swimming. Our highest achieving swimmers that qualify for these meets are expected to attend.

    • Sectional Championships are held both during short course (March) and long course (July) seasons. Sectionals is an “Open” meet, which means that any age swimmer who meets the qualifying time standards is able participate.This meet is held regionally and there are multiple sites throughout the country, which teams are assigned to based on their location. Sectionals have qualifying time standards in order to participate. 

    • Futures Championships are held in long course meters in late July or early August. Futures is an “Open” meet which means that any age swimmer that meets the qualifying time standards is able to participate. This meet is held regionally and there are multiple sites throughout the country, which teams are assigned to based on their location. 

    • Winter Junior Championships is for 18 and under age swimmers and has qualifying time standards in order to participate. This meet is typically held in short course yards in December. There are two Winter Junior Championships and the country is divided into East and West. 

    • Summer Junior Nationals is the “National Championships” and the fastest meet held in the nation for 18 and under age swimmers. The meet has qualifying time standards in order to participate and is held in August in long course meters. Summer Junior Nationals is also a meet where the USA (18&U) Junior National team is selected.


    • USA Nationals (US Open) are the “National Championships” and is the fastest meet in the nation for any age swimmer who meets the qualifying time standard. This is the fastest meet held annually in the United States. There is one meet held in December and in the summer either late June or August depending if it is an Olympic year. This meet is where the USA National Team is selected.


Swim Meets 101

Unlike summer league swimming, swim meets leading up to the season championship meet are not focused primarily on “winning” and “placing” but rather on technical improvement.  Technical improvements result in faster swimming, but not always right away. Swimming fast is important, but so is technique, endurance, and race strategy.

  • Preparing for the Meet

    Prior to the meet you can find all of the meet details including dates, qualifying times, deadlines, event limits, location/directions, etc. from the Meet Information document posted on the MAC's website.  


    Please take the time to read the basic information for each meet paying attention to sign-up deadlines.


    We recommend downloading the Meet Mobile app to follow meets and view results in real time. 

  • What to Bring to the Meet

    • Swimsuit, team cap, and goggles.  Having an extra suit, extra cap and an extra pair of goggles packed is always a good idea.  These items seem to rip and break at the most inopportune time!

    • Towels – wet bodies are everywhere so pack at least two.

    • Several changes of clothes such as sweatpants, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. Swimmers need to stay warm between events and there is nothing worse than pulling on cold, soggy sweatpants.  Also a good idea to bring a change of clothes for the swimmer to leave in as many swimmers shower after the meet (they will also need another dry towel for this).

    • Dress appropriately.  The pool area is usually very warm.  Nothing is worse than being hot at a swim meet.  It makes the time pass very slowly.


    • Small cooler of healthy snacks and drinks. Most meets have concessions but they might not offer appropriate selections or selections your child enjoys.

    • If you are bringing younger siblings, bring things to entertain and help the family pass the time.

    • Sharpie marker, pen, highlighter

    Most importantly – a POSITIVE attitude to pass on to your swimmer(s) along with a lot of encouragement!

  • Before the Meet Starts

    • Most important is that your child should be on deck and ready to get in the water for warmups at least 15 minutes before the start of the MAC warm-up session.

    • When the warm-ups are about to start, the swimmer should proceed to the swim deck and listen to their coach for instructions.  Swimmers are not allowed to enter the pool without a coach on deck.

    • Know what events your swimmer is competing in.  It is important for a swimmer to know what event numbers he is swimming. Again, a heat sheet and sharpie are a swim parent’s best friends!  Prior to the start of the meet, use the sharpie to mark your child’s races.

    • Only swimmers, coaches and officials (timers, strokes and turn judges, meet referee, etc) are allowed on deck.  According to USA Swimming rules, parents are not allowed on deck unless they are serving in an official capacity. Parents must sit in the spectator area, usually bleachers on the side of the pool.

    • Locate other MAC swimmers and parents to sit near. Watch for others in MAC spirit apparel.

    • Heat and lane assignments are usually posted on deck for the swimmers, where and how can vary from meet to meet, so ask a veteran parent to help you identify it.

    • At most swim meets, there are no “ready benches” or team volunteers to make sure swimmers get to their heat and lanes on time (most summer league swim programs have this).  Swimmers and parents must pay attention to the meet events. Remember the timeline posted on the heat sheet are only estimated times and the actual meet may run significantly slower or faster. 

    • Obtaining the heat/lane assignments and having swimmers ready & behind the blocks in time for their race is probably the most stressful detail for new swimmers and parents – especially for our younger swimmers. Ask another parent and/or swimmer for help…..they were once in your shoes! But remember, parents are not allowed on deck. This is for safety reasons and to reduce the confusion behind the blocks.

  • Before Each Race

    Listen for event announcements.  Upcoming events are usually announced over the loudspeaker, asking swimmers to report to the starting blocks or to the “clerk of course“/staging area used at very large meets or for swimmers 8 years and younger. Swimmers should report with cap and goggles.  On the way to the starting blocks or to the clerk of course, swimmers are expected to talk to their coaches to inform them of their heat & lane assignments, and to get race instructions.  After speaking with their coach, they should stand behind their assigned lane, check with the timer to make sure they are in the right lane, and that they know their heat number. When their heat is called by the starter, they should proceed to the blocks.

  • After Each Race

    • Immediately after each race, the swimmer is expected to speak to their coach to get feedback on their race.  These discussions are very important and need to happen while it is fresh in both the coach and swimmer’s mind.  Swimmers will be told what they did correctly, and what they need to work on to improve, regardless of how well they did or did not do in the race. 

    • Coaches may ask a swimmer to “warm-down” after a race if the facility has an extra pool. Warming down (swimming slow laps) helps to loosen strained muscles and reduce the lactic acid build-up from the race. By warming-down, the swimmer’s muscles recover sooner for their next race. 

    • After race talks with coaches and warm-downs should be completed by the swimmer prior to returning to their seats and speaking with their parents. 

    • When a swimmer has completed all of his events for the day, they are able to go home.  Be sure, however, to check with the coach before leaving to make sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. It is not fair to other swimmers who may have stayed to swim on a relay where your swimmer is expected to be a member and he is not there.

  • Meet Logistics

    USA swim meets are run mainly by volunteers, parents and swimmers just like you, and each position is critical to the success of the meet.  So, be patient when things get long or troubled. Remember, one day, it will be your turn to volunteer at a meet and you’ll want folks to be considerate then, too.  The volunteer’s roles consist of:


    USA Swimming Certified Officials


    The officials are the most visible volunteers, wearing dark blue pants/shorts and white shirts. The Meet Referee, Deck Referee, Starters and Stroke & Turn Judges have all gone through a certification program for each position they fill. Unlike many officials in other sports, USA Swimming officials are not there to “catch” swimmers doing something wrong.  They are there to “observe” and to make sure the races are swum fairly.


    Each stroke and turn judge is responsible for watching multiple lanes and may have to judge both strokes and turns for their end of the pool. Disqualifications are not viewed as a penalty, but as an opportunity for the swimmer to learn what he/she did incorrectly so that they can work with their coach in correcting the mistake.


    Only coaches are allowed to approach officials to question a call, or inquire if a swimmer can be placed in a subsequent heat due to missing their race. If you have a question for an official, please speak to one of the Virginia Gator coaches at the meet.  Officials do have the authority to remove parents from the pool area if they are abusive or interfere with running of the meet.


    • Parent timing volunteers


    • And an army of host team volunteers helping with concessions, admissions, hospitality, computer operations, safety marshals, awards and cleanup. 


  • After the Meet

    Your swimmer is allowed to go after their events are concluded.  Although please check in with your coach before leaving to make sure they are not in any relays that would be remaining in the meet.


    Results - The question is often asked, where do I find my swimmers results.  There are several ways to follow your swimmer's competition.


    • For results during the meet, download the Meet Mobile app.  Most teams connect to this app to their meet management program and unofficial results are immediately viewable during the meet.  When heat sheets are not sold at the meet, if the meet host wishes, they published free of charge via this app.  There is a $5.99 annual fee for this app.

    • Official results will be posted on the meet landing page and recorded with USA Swimming within a few days after the meet.  

    • Your swimmer’s individual results can be viewed online within your team account. There are manual steps involved with importing results, please be patient. We upload results when we receive them from the host team. 

  • Updated Times

    The other question often asked is will my swimmer’s times be updated for the next meet.  We updated times for future meets as much as possible depending on the meet and when the entries were due.  We do our best to enter your swimmers with their most recent times.  Updating times is not an automatic electronic process, meaning that if an entry file has already been sent to a host team, the times are entered as we had them in our database as of the date of sending.  Most of the time, once you have received an email to review your swimmer's events for accuracy, those will be the times submitted to the host team and if a meet occurs in between, the seed times will not be updated.

  • Team Records

    MAC team records are updated after each meet and listed within our website. State records are sent to WI Swimming and can be found by (Wisconsin State Records).

  • Finally

    When all else fails, remember to ask for help!  If during a swim meet a swimmer or parent feels lost or confused, be sure to ask any MAC parent for help! We have all had our “first meets” and know it can be overwhelming.  Once you have attended one or two meets, it will all become very routine and enjoyable.

Share by: