First Competition

Swimming competitions, generally referred to as "Swim Meets" or "Galas", are events at which swimmers can test their swimming skills and speed against each other.

Being a competitive club, Hillingdon SC regularly attends swimming meets throughout the swimming season - which runs from September to July. We also host a number of open swimming meets throughout the year, as well as organising in-house club-only events for our swimmers.

Swim Meets can be very busy, with a lot going on at once, and while very enjoyable and exciting - you've not experienced excitement until you've attended a National Arena League team event - they can at times, for the first time competitor, be a daunting experience.

Swim Meets are broken into four distinct categories; 

• Club Meets - these are generally held in our home pools and are just for Hillingdon SC swimmers with no restrictions on entry time standards or age (all other meets require swimmers to be at least 9 years old to compete).

• Open Meets - these are external galas where swimmers from different clubs compete against each other. As a club we host an annual Open Meet in December; our Winter Open Meet. These meets require swimmers to have previously swum at a gala in order to meet the qualifying criteria.

• League Meets - these are team based with swimmers competing against other clubs for the Hillingdon SC team as opposed to racing as an individual. These events contain a mixture of relay and individual events. The National Arena Swimming League, National Arena League and M11 League ae all competitions which Hillingdon SC are involved in and have a great history of success. Being selected to compete for the HSC team at one of these meets is a privilege and highlight of any swimmers career at the club.

• Championship Meets - these are some of the key meets throughout the swimming season and comprise Middlesex County Champs, London Region Champs and British/English National Championships. These meets require swimmers to meet a minimum qualifying time standard in order to enter.
   

As a club we will always have Coaches in attendance to work with and support our swimmers, along with a group of Team Managers - trained parental volunteers.

Below you will find information that will help your swimmer to settle into and enjoy the swim meet experience right from the first stroke.

Preparation

The Hillingdon SC Coaching Team will advise swimmers of what swim meets we will be entering as a club and will suggest to each swimmer the events that they should enter. This is generally done a number of weeks or months in advance.

Before leaving to go to the gala, double check the races you are doing and the time at which "Sign-In" closes. This information will be listed as part of the meet information that will have either been emailed out to swimmers or will be listed under that swim meets information on our website.

For most swim meets there will be a "signing-in" procedure. This is a desk, generally in the foyer of the leisure centre where the meet is taking place, which will have a list of all swimmers who are racing that day. This needs to be signed by the swimmer before the closing time, otherwise they will be unable to compete. We advise getting to the event location at least 15 minutes before sign-in closes. If you are going to be late please call the Team Managers and let them know.

Swimmers are advised to pack their bags the night before, and double check again in the morning.

We recommend that swimmers bring the following items and that they are clearly marked:

• Swimming costume x2

• Goggles x2

• HSC swimming hat x2

• HSC Pool Shirt

• Towel

• Water bottle and healthy snack (see Nutrition)

Positivity

On arrival, swimmers should sign in at the desk and proceed to the changing rooms to get into their swimming costumes and poolside top, before locking their bags in a locker and heading to poolside where you will find our team - easily identifiable as swimmers, Team Managers and Coaches will all be in club kit. Bring your towel and your water bottle with you.

Once the swimmer heads poolside, parents can make their way to the viewing gallery where they can cheer-on the team through the days events.

We recommend that swimmers stay poolside with the team until they have finished their races so that Team Managers and Coaches can organise them for warm-ups and their races. This also allows the swimmers to spend time together and build relationships and team bonding with one another. If you need to leave poolside, let the Team Managers know.

Before the racing begins, swimmers will be allowed some time to warm up. The warm-up time will generally be split between girls and boys and between age bands. Listen to the Team Managers who will advise when it is your warm-up time and who will direct you to your coach. Your coach will discuss with you the warm-up routine you should be doing, which will generally involve practicing the skills you work on in training.

Near the end of your warm-up time some of the lanes will be set aside for practising your starts. Your coaches will let you know once you can begin practicing your race starts from the blocks. As in training, once you have done your start from the block you should swim the entire length before getting out and lining up to practice another.

After the warm-up, dry off and put your HSC pool shirt back on to keep warm.

Racing begins shortly after the warm-up and The Team Managers will let you know when you need to get ready for your race. For each race, known as an "event" there will be a number of heats. Swimmers are seeded based on their entry time, not their age. At the end of the event the swimmers will be classified in their respective age group based on the time that they achieved in their heat.

Once the Team Managers start to organise you for your next race, they will send you to speak to your Coach for some final advice before you go to the marshalling area, also known as "whipping area". For the younger swimmers Team Managers and Coaches will organise and speak to you in groups so that you are with your friends and can support one another when going to the marshalling area and preparing for your race.

At the marshalling area there will be Marshalls (usually parent volunteers) who will organise all the swimmers into their heats for the next event.

The marshalls will:

• line you up with others in your heat in lane order

• keep in this order as you move around the pool - the marshall will guide you

• make sure you know what event you are swimming and the number of lengths in your race 

• keep your HSC pool shirt on until you have been lined up behind the starting block

• At the start of the heat before yours, you will be asked to stand behind the lane you will be swimming in

• It is very important you are quiet at the start of all races

• wait for instructions from the officials before taking your place at the side of the starting block

Once a race has started - that you are not swimming - be sure to cheer for your team mates and friends who will encourage you in the same manner for your race.

Performance

The Referee signals that a race is about to start by a series of blasts on a whistle, followed, when the swimmers and officials are ready, by a single long blast. At this point the swimmers step up onto the blocks or get into the water if it is backstroke.

When the swimmers are ready the Starter gives the command "Take Your Marks" followed by the signal to "Go", which may be by shot, klaxon or command.

Under the "One Start Rule", any swimmer starting before the signal is disqualified at the end of the race. There is no recall of swimmers for a second start. However, if a faulty start occurs (eg there is a disturbance) the swimmers may be recalled by blasts on the whistle, and a rope is dropped into the water across the pool.

All swimmers and spectators should be silent for the start of each race

After you have swum, hold onto the lane rope until the next race starts at which stage you will be instructed by the officials to leave the pool by the side. Do not climb over the touchpads as you may damage them. Collect your belongings, put on your HSC pool shirt and go to your swim coach so that they can discuss your race with you.

After discussing your race with your Coach they will advise you to go to the warm-down pool, if there is one available, for a warm-down routine. Remember to re-hydrate during and after your warm-down, and have a healthy snack before your next event (see Nutrition).

Once all heats in an event have been swum, the swimmers will be classified within their respective age group based on the time that they achieved in their heat.

All Swim Meets set an "Age at date" for the competition. This may be the last day of the competition or may be the 31st December (end of year). If the gala takes place in March and your birthday is in June, but the "Age at date" is the 31st December then your age will show up in the programme and results as 1 year older eg you are 10 at the date of the gala but turn 11 in June, then if competition has an "Age at date" of 31st December your age will show as 11 years old. However if the gala uses the date of the final day of the competition as the "Age at date" then the age you are on that specific date will the the age band in which you compete for that competition.

For the classification of results and medals most competitions will group age bands together, so the age category you may be swimming in is 11/12 years olds rather than just swimming against 11 year olds only.

All galas are held under strict Swim England guidelines, for more information see our page on Competition Rules and Officials. You may at some point be disqualified in a race, denoted by "DQ" on the result sheet. Do not stress too mch about this as all swimmers have been disqualified at some point. A disqualification provides a learning opportunity for the swimmer and, for the most part, can occur due to nerves or adrenaline when a learned skill suddenly becomes rushed. Your Coach will be fully aware of what went wrong and will discuss this with you after your race so that you can learn from it and look to correct it the nex time that you swim that particular stroke.

There are a number of technical reasons why you may have been disqualified, some of which you can read further about on our Competition Rules and Officials page.

Once you are finished your races for the day, please let the Team Managers know before you leave poolside to go to your parents.