Fox Hall Fins

Welcome to the 2025 swim season and your first meet! You are about to discover how many people it takes to run a meet and how big an operation it is! 

If you cannot be at the meet by 5:30pm or are running late, you need to let our (Parent Reps) know. Our Parent Reps are responsible for providing a list of checked-in swimmers 30 minutes before the start of the meet. If you don’t check in and we don’t know that you are coming, there is a possibility that your swimmer could be scratched (removed from the meet). We do this to avoid heats with empty lanes. 

Before the meet COMMIT YOUR SWIMMER BEFORE THE DECLARATION DEADLINE!  Rest, avoid physical activity, and stay out of the sun. Eat a high carbohydrate dinner (like spaghetti) no later than 4:00 or eat the following kinds of snacks: bananas, oranges, raisins, Gatorade, graham crackers, apple or fig newtons, animal or saltine crackers, muffins, bagels or rolls, fruit juices. Warm-ups 

You have probably heard that swim meets can last a long time. That can be true; however, we do everything in our power to make these meets as efficient as possible. 

For most meets, the home team begins their warm up at 5:00 and end at 5:20, the visitor start at 5:20 and end at 5:40, and the meet starts at 6:00. We have over 100 swimmers on our team – that’s a huge number of kids to get through warm-ups in just 20 minutes. If your child is late, s/he will miss their warm-up. These warm up times may be short but provide vital time for swimmers to practice their skills and get adjusted to new and different pools. During warms ups, only coaches will be allowed behind the blocks. 

Seating: We have about 40 families in our team. That’s a LOT of people to fit into a pool deck. If you want a seat (and you do!) bring it. It's nice to have a blanket or extra towel for the kids to sit on and save your space. If you want shade, wear it or bring it. Space will be tight – think of your seat as a place to relax and get to know your fellow swim team families – a bonding experience! To watch your favorite swimmers, you will need to stand up by the edge of the pool. Food and water There will be a concession stand with food. There are usually soda, water, snacks, and pizza available along with lots of candy for reasonable prices. If you prefer something else, you should pack them along with lots of ice. Dehydration can happen if you or your swimmer overheats – please bring and drink lots of water!!! 

Events: There are 55 events per meet. An event is a swimming category like Event 28: Girls 8 and under Freestyle. In each event, there are between one and 5 (approximately) heats. Each heat is a grouping of 5 or 6 (depending on the number of pool lanes) swimmers who are swimming in that event. For example, there could be 5 heats for event 28. The heats are "seeded". The first heat includes swimmers with no time or slower times in comparison to other swimmers in the event, the swimmers with the fastest previously recorded times will compete in the last heat. This keeps each heat competitive so that the swimmers have a real "race" to win. 

Ribbons are awarded after the meet for the top 6 finishers of an event in each category (Nov, ADV, JV, V, and SV). Heat winners are given something special (usually candy) on the spot. Results are physically posted after completion of the event for swimmers and parents to see. Postings are NOT immediate. Results are entered manually for each swimmer. The results are triple-checked by computer and table workers from both teams to verify accuracy before posting. At the time of posting, results are also generally available on SwimTopia. SwimTopia is a application that can be downloaded to any smart phone at no cost. In some cases, the hosting team at an away meet will not have internet access for quick results via SwimTopia. Meets at Fox Hall will report results to SwimTopia. Results will also be posted on the website the next day . 

The swimmers are selected to participate in swimming events for the meet by the coaches. The coaches have been evaluating the swimmers during practice and will only put them in events in which they can be successful. As your child learns more strokes and gains more skill, they will have more events - up to 3 plus a relay. A day or two before the meet you can review the list of swimmers and their events in SwimTopia. During check-in, you will be provided an index card for each swimmer listing their individual events. The list will include the event number and stroke/distance. In addition, please look for our team's white board. On the white board, the coaches will list the swimmers in the relays. Relays can frequently change. Make sure that you and your child know the events in which your child is swimming. Most use a Sharpie and write their event numbers on the back of their hand or arm. 

The announcer will call the events in numerical order and there will be a flip chart displaying which events have been called near the clerk of the course, so please pay attention to the event numbers throughout the meet. 

Relays: The relay (four kids in one event) teams will not be posted until after the meet starts. Swimmers, who are 8 years old and under, have their relays at the very beginning of the meet; older swimmers (9 and up) have their relay events at the end of the meet. For our first meet, the relays will be freestyle only. On alternating meets, the relays are medleys (all four strokes - back, breast, fly, freestyle). All relays are subject to change. If a swimmer is sick or does not show up on time this affects the lineup. (The other 3 swimmers in the event will not be able to participate!) Please have this discussion with your swimmer and ensure that they arrive on time and do not leave before their relay. We do not post the relays until after the check-in is complete to ensure that all swimmers are truly present. For 8 and under families, this leaves only 20 min. to notify the swimmers/parents in the first relays. Please listen for your child’s name and make sure they are in the team area immediately after warm-ups. There will be volunteers accompanying the kids for each relay (4 swimmers per relay) and they will need to remain with their relay. Once all relay members are accounted for they will head over to the Clerk of Course. Please do not accompany your swimmer unless you are assisting with the relay. Each swimmer will be swimming one length of the pool. For 9 and over swimmers, relays are at the end of the meet. Please check carefully to ensure that your child does NOT have a relay before leaving the meet. Please, please do not leave the meet early if your child does have a relay – 3 other swimmers are counting on this. 

Understanding event names: Here is a breakdown of the distances: 25 = one length across the pool 50 = two lengths (one each, there and back) 100 = four lengths (two full laps) 8 and unders generally only swim 25’s; 9 to 12 yr. olds mostly swim 50’s; and 13 and ups swim both 50’s and 100’s. The four strokes are back, breast, butterfly, and freestyle. If this is your first meet, freestyle is likely to be your child's only stroke. There is also the category of IM (Individual Medley) in which a single swimmer swims all four strokes as one event - not a common event for a swimmer at their first meet! This first meet is both fun and stressful so please reassure your child that if they make a mistake or miss an event it is okay. The coaching staff does a great job with positive reinforcement. It’s amazing what they can get these kids to do by the end of the season! 

Scoring the Meet: Points and ribbons are awarded for the top (6) times for each classification (novice, advanced, etc.) in each event. For individual events, 1st place = 7 points, 2nd place = 5 points, 3rd place = 4 points, 4th place = 3 points, 5th place = 2 points, 6th place = 1 point. For relays, 1st place = 14, 2nd place = 10 points, 3rd place = 8 points, 4th place = 6 points, 5th place = 4 points, 6th place = 2 points. The team with the most points at the end of the meet wins. 

Ribbons are handed out at practice the day after the meet. Final meet results will posted on the web site. 

Clerk of the Course: When you hear your child’s event number called to the clerk of course (this is the person who controls the flow of swimmers to the pool), please have them get their cap and goggles (no towel or shoes) and send them to the clerk of the course area. Once there, your child will be placed in a particular heat and lane. You probably will not know which heat and lane they are in until they are behind the block. Volunteers will be working with the clerk of course and will make sure your swimmer knows when to step up to the block. 

Dive Blocks: The swimmers are not required to start on the block. (The blocks are the steps from which the swimmer can dive into the pool.) Coaches will evaluate all swimmers to determine if they are able to dive off the blocks. If your child is not ready to dive off the blocks the coaches will ask you to mark the child's LEFT shoulder X - in water starts, O - side dives. All backstroke events start in the water. 

Items to bring: 

• Towels (2) – one to keep your swimmer dry – one for seating/warmth - your swimmers will get cold when they are wet and it is dark. 
• Goggles – extra pair if you have them 
• Caps – MANDATORY for swimmers whose hair covers their eyebrows. Sweats - in case it gets cool after dark Shade (hat/canopy, sunglasses etc) 
• Chairs / Blankets Money for concessions Something to do between events (cards, games, coloring etc.) 
• Snacks – like non-carbonated drinks, non sugary items (cereal, rice-cakes) or fruit. 

Weather: Be prepared for inclement weather. You will need to clear the pool deck in the event of lightning so please bring something for your child to do while waiting in the car. Many families pack movies for vehicles with DVD players. DO NOT LEAVE THE MEET WITHOUT NOTIFYING A COACH OR THE PARENT REP. We will be using Remind text messaging to keep everyone informed of the meet’s delays, restarts and/or postponement. You need to sign up for Remind with the phone(s) that you will have with you at the meet so that we can reach you if you leave a meet due to inclement weather. Text "@foxhallfi" to 81010. We REALLY try to complete the meet the first night. If Wednesday’s meet is postponed due to weather we will be completing the meet on Thursday. There are many hours planning and setting up for each meet. If a meet is resheduled, all that work has to occur again. In addition, many families have plans on other days of the week. We need swimmers, volunteers, and trained volunteer officials in order to hold a rescheduled meet. 

Please consider joining the board next year if you would like to learn about all the time and effort that is required to plan and run a meet. For extended rain delays, we may take measures to try and get the meet completed (i.e. shortening warmups, removing relays, etc..) 

Important Rules: Writing on your body is prohibited except the events on hands. Swimmer may wear only one suit. Please wear the team cap or a solid cap. All suits should be competitive in style and cannot have the name of another team on it. (i.e. BAC, Atlee).We sell the Fins caps at the meet. They are $15. Please bring exact change if possible. No smoking or drinking at swim meets. The Greater Richmond Aquatic League (GRAL) rules prohibit smoking on the deck during a GRAL meet. Also, no person officiating or working a GRAL swim meet shall be allowed to partake OR be under the influence of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs during the meet.

During home meets we ask that you park along Causeway or a neighboring street to save spots in the Fox Hall parking lot for the visiting team. We ask that you help your swimmers to clean up all their trash before going home. This applies to practice also, but is especially important at meets. Remember that the meets are held at night, and it is very easy to misplace items once it gets dark. We suggest you label EVERYTHING. 

Have fun!!!!!