Barton Creek West Barracudas

Have you got a question about Swim Team you'd like answered? A helpful tip you'd like to share? Use the Contact Us tab to submit and we will answer your question or post your tip on this page.

Signup for jobs during registration and can't remember?  No worries!

Just "login" at the top right of the www.bcwbarracudas.com web page. Then go to "My Account".  You will be able to find your volunteer roles on that page.

The job info will also be available on the Schedule -> Swim Meets & Events page as we get closer to the events.

The BCW Swim Meets 101 presentation provides an excellent overview of our pool layout, summarizes our meet operations, and answers some common questions.

If you are volunteering as an Age Group Parent, please read below. 

Age Group Parents (AGP) need to be present at least one (1) hour before each meet starts and stay until each swimmer in their age-group has been collected by their parents at the end of the meet. These volunteers are responsible for checking that their swimmers are all present and communicating any no-shows to the AGP coordinator so we can find appropriate relay replacements.

While we ask parents to mark their kiddos’ arms with their events before they arrive, the AGP can do that if they forgot. AGPs also get swimmers ready to move to the Ready Bench for each race throughout the meet.

Getting Started

When you arrive, check in, get a clipboard (with heat sheets), marker, and lanyard from the AGP volunteer coordinator and identify the location of the computers and ready bench. Go to the section identified for your age group and start checking off the swimmers as they arrive and confirming they have their events marked on their arms (see below for how to mark up a swimmer). Try to do this before they start warm-ups and before they apply sunscreen (Sharpies don’t write well on wet arms or after sunscreen). Make sure each swimmer has signed in at the swimmer sign in table first!

At least 15 minutes before the meet begins, confirm all swimmers in your group have arrived. If someone has not shown up, notify the AGP Coordinator so they can find an eligible swimmer for any relays. If a swimmer does not show up for a relay during the meet, notify the AGP relay person to find an eligible swimmer, do not just find a substitute on your own.

Heat Sheets

Heat sheets list all the swim events, along with the participants in each event, what heat they are in, and what lane they are in. They will be posted here https://www.bcwbarracudas.com/swim_meets and you will be given a printed copy of the current heat sheet the morning of the meet, as well as a check in summary sheet for each child in the age group. Use that one since there may be last minute changes. Heats are typically organized from slowest to fastest seed times (the fastest time the swimmer previously posted in that event). If a kiddo is swimming an event for the first time, the heat sheet will have NT for "no time."

During the Meet

During the Meet, it is the Age Group Parents’ job to help organize the kids in his/her group before each event and send them in line in heat order to the ready bench. Keep an eye on the board showing the events and the groups ahead of you so you can line up the swimmers in your group to send them to the ready bench when there are about 10 heats from their event. Your group should line up in front of the kiddie pool when the group ahead of them moves off the pool deck line and onto the ready benches.

The kids swimming the current event will be lined up by heat/lane in the chairs behind the pool (at BCW), with the swimmers in the next event(s) on the ready benches and the swimmers in the following event lined up and ready to go to the ready benches when they are cleared. This keeps the swim meet flowing smoothly. For more information on how this works, check out “Swim Meets 101” on the Barracudas website: https://www.bcwbarracudas.com/helpful-info

End of the Meet

Kids will start to drift off to find their parents after their last event, but remind them to be sure to stay if they are in one of the late relays. If they are not, it is still nice for them to stay to cheer on their teammates and to be available in case there’s a scratch.

Encourage the kids to CLEAN UP their area. Every kid should throw away at least two pieces of trash. Kids should also collect their own belongings like wet towels, chairs, goggles, caps, etc. The lost and found is usually overflowing after swim meets.

Return the clipboard, lanyard and sharpies to the sign-in table and take a deep breath. You did it!

How to Mark Up a Swimmer

While it is helpful if parents mark up their kids before arriving at the meet, some will forget or the events may have changed. When you check in each child in your group, confirm they are marked with their name on their backs. Marking events on their arms is completely optional and for younger kids, it may be easiest to just put the event number and stroke so they can quickly glance down to see whether they are in an event (e.g. #19 - Free).

Here’s a helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww3fElqOh6o

If you want to write the events, here are the basic steps and more detail can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yqtIbSkH7KXWMW0xW2Wo2Gm8X2hBf87tVsQqX1X2be8/edit?usp=sharing

• Write your swimmer's name in big letters on his/her back.
• Go through the summary sheet for each child, confirming their events.
• Make four (4) column headings - E, H, L, S on your child’s left forearm (grid lines optional). These stand for Event, Heat, Lane and Stroke
• For each event, write the event number, heat number, lane number and stroke in the corresponding column.

The * asterisk that is marked on the left of numbers 27 and 67 in the picture above indicates that those are relays (see relay marking below).

Strokes: You can use the following abbreviations for the strokes:

- FR = Freestyle

- BK = Back Stroke

- BR = Breast Stroke

- FLY = Butterfly

- IM = Individual Medley (Same swimmer swims all 4 strokes in this order: Fly, Back, Breast, Free)

- FR = Free Relay (All swimmers swim freestyle)

- MR = Medley Relay (Each swimmer swims a different stroke: 1st = back, 2nd=breast, 3rd=fly, 4th=free)

Relays

• Swimmers may swim in a max of two (2) relays per meet (one free relay and one medley relay).
• On any relay team, there must be at least one swimmer from that age group on the relay.
• Younger swimmers may swim up in older age groups for relays; however, that counts toward their number of allowed relay swims and those swimmers may only swim a max of two relays per meet (one free relay and one medley relay).

Relay Marking: This will designate the relay leg the child is swimming.

- 1/1 = Lane 1, first relay leg

- 4/2 = Lane 4, 2nd relay leg **If the Medley Relay this will be Breast Stroke

The Medley Relay (MR) order is as follows:

1 – BK 2 – BR

3 – FLY 4 – FREE

The Freestyle Relay (FR) is displayed in the same order as the Medley Relay.

All swimmers in the FR swim FREESTYLE but they are put in an order of how they should swim:

1 – FREE 2 – FREE

3 – FREE 4 – FREE

Relays are a constant source of questions from parents. How are they formed? How do I know if my child is swimming? Does my child have to swim relays? We hope this FAQ answers all these questions and many more.

Relays reflect the “team” aspect of the swim team and are an opportunity to compete together to a shared goal. Most importantly, relays are really fun and are intended to be that way! They build team spirit and help kids really feel a partnership with their fellow Barracudas.

Being placed on a relay team is a privilege and sometimes involves asking our swimmers to step outside their personal comfort zone for the good of the team. For example, swimmers might be asked to: swim-up to an older age group to complete a team, welcome a much younger swimmer to complete their team, swim a less-favored stroke to compose the fastest team, swim on relays separate than specific friends, and/or arrive early or stay late to help avoid a scratch for the teammates depending on them.

Please carefully read through the information below to better understand how these awesome events work.

What kinds of relays do we swim at meets?

There are two(2) types of relays we swim at meets, though some meets may be exceptions. Always check meet entry details carefully for changes to the events and order before entering.

(1) the Medley Relay (ages 7 and above). The Medley Relay consists of 4 kids each swimming a different stroke for one length of the pool in the following order: Backstroke (1), Breaststroke (2), Butterfly (3), and Freestyle (4). Look at the heat sheet to see when the events will be held and which swimmer is swimming which stroke.

• In most meets, these relays are usually events #11 through #18 on the heat sheet.
• Swimmers MUST have a current, legal time in a given stroke to swim that stroke in the medley relay. The computer will not pull a non-qualified swimmer into a stroke s/he does not have a valid time in.
• Stroke assignment is completed by the computer to create the fastest possible relay teams and swimmers selecting medley relay should be prepared to swim in any stroke that s/he has a qualifying time in. Attempts to change or prefer a certain stroke are not considered.
• Note that the order of strokes in the medley relay is different from the order swam in the Individual Medley (IM) individual event, in which one swimmer swims one length of the pool of each stroke in the following order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breastroke, Freestyle.

(2) the Freestyle Relay (all age groups). The Freestyle Relay consists of 4 kids each swimming freestyle for one length of the pool.

• In most meets, these relays are events #9 and #10 for ages 6 and under and events #59+ for ages 7 and above.
• Almost all swimmers are eligible to swim on a freestyle relay team.
• Swim-ups, intrasquad programs, or other specific meet logistics may shift the order so always check meet entry details carefully for changes.

How are relay teams formed?

Our policy is that relays are computer-generated by fastest time, but our coaches evaluate and adjust if needed. This means that each meet’s relays are generated based upon their previous recorded times from official AHSL meets according to AHSL guidelines to generate the fastest teams using the available swimmers at that particular meet in that particular age group. Coaches sometimes make slight adjustments in the best interest of some age groups or overall team, but individual preferences other than no swim-ups and availability don’t factor into those adjustments.

At most meets, we are able to form 2-3 relays per age group, with most dual meets limited to 3 per age group per team and tri-meets limited at 4 per age group per team. So if there are more than 12 kids in an age group (and many of our younger age groups are very large), not all of them will be in a relay. Our goal is to get as many kids in relays as possible… which might also mean that your child will be asked to swim with older kids to fill out a relay team.

How do I RSVP properly for relays?

When signing up for a meet you plan on attending, you have four options concerning relays:

• Attending this meet and available for ANY relays (willing to swim in both relays)
• Attending this meet BUT cannot swim EARLY relays (i.e. arriving late)
• Attending this meet BUT cannot swim LATE relays (i.e. leaving early)
• Attending this meet BUT cannot swim ANY relays (not willing to swim in either relay)

Please note that the RSVP “lingo” is based on your timing schedule and NOT the type of relay since that can change based on the type of meet. Depending on swimmer age group:

• For swimmers ages 7 and above, “early relays” USUALLY means the medley relay and “late relays” USUALLY means the freestyle relays.
• For swimmers ages 6 and under, “early relays” USUALLY means the freestyle relay early in the meet BUT we can swim-up these young swimmers if needed (see swim-ups section below). If you absolutely need to leave early, please still mark “Attending, no late relays” or “No swim-ups requested” for your younger swimmer, so the relay coordinator has a full picture of availability.

If you are unsure if your swimmer actually will be able to attend a meet for any other reason, PLEASE only sign up for individual events and choose NO RELAYS. You can always withdraw from individual event entries with minimal meet disruption, and at least you will be able to participate if you end up available to swim. However, it’s a whole lot of work if you miss a relay with a domino effect of changes to the Heat Sheet that affect the Relay Coordinator, AGPs, Ready Bench, and Computer volunteers, and most importantly, scratching relays sometimes leaves 3 or more other teammates disappointed and sitting by the side of the pool.

Why is my swimmer not in a relay if we marked “available” for relays?

Please note that "willing to swim" doesn't always mean "will swim" when it comes to relays. It means your child is available to swim, and there are often more swimmers than open spots on relay teams. We try our best to include as many happy, swimming Barracudas on the team as we safely can each season, so some age groups have many more members than the usual 12 spots per relay. Don’t be daunted if you aren’t making those relays right away because we have opportunities that may help.

What are “swim-ups” and how do they work?

Swim-ups are when a younger swimmer is added to a relay team for an older age group to complete the team and avoid a scratched race. Luckily, our team can often use swim-ups for younger, large rosters to older, less populated age groups to help them complete their relay teams. As long as one of the four relay spots on a team is occupied by a swimmer in that age group, we can fill the rest with willing Barracudas!

Though a younger swimmer might feel daunted to be with “the big kids,” those older swimmers really appreciate the bravery of the young swimmer to step up and complete a team that would otherwise scratch. And most of our older swimmers remember swimming up themselves seasons ago, so it’s a great community building aspect to our team.

Still, if your swimmer is uncomfortable with the idea of a swim-up, check the “No swim-ups requested” box during each meet’s RSVP and the computer will only consider placement of that swimmer in a relay for their assigned age group. Clicking this button has no bearing on placement in your swimmer’s own age group’s relay teams but will make their overall relay chances less likely by limiting the other spots available to them.

How can I be a good relay teammate? (aka, the RULES stuff)

BE COMMUNICATIVE

First off, RSVP properly for each meet according to your schedule. If a meet falls during a possible dance call back or baseball tournament game, select “Attending, No relays” when RSVPing and do not cause churn for our volunteers for foreseeable conflicts. If fate allows you to attend and your swimmer would like to change their availability, they can simply tell the Athlete Check-in volunteer or Relay Coordinator when they sign in on time at the beginning of the meet.

If you realize that some unforeseeable circumstance, like illness, injury, or other non-scheduling issue, does unfortunately happen after the RSVP deadline for a meet your swimmer was marked as available for relays, please email [email protected] as soon as you safely can so the volunteer team can have as much lead time as possible to make these changes. We understand that life happens and appreciate any notice possible.

BE ON TIME

Perhaps the most important rule, if you're on a relay, PLEASE SHOW UP ON TIME. If your swimmer has not signed in at the swimmer check-in by FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE the start of the meet, s/he will be dropped from the early relay team and either replaced or the relay team will scratch. We must have a hard stop time to allow our relay coordinator to solve for these complex last minute changes, notify all the impacted swimmers and their AGPs, and get all the changes to Ready Bench and the Computers team according to AHSL meets rules.

Yes, even if your swimmer arrives after the relay check-in deadline has passed but before the event has been swum, the swimmer will be dropped from the relay team. If your swimmer misses the relay check-in deadline and must be replaced more than once in a season, we will no longer consider that swimmer eligible for early relays that season.

In many cases, our bench of available replacements may be very small or zero for any given meet, so one late arrival may cause an entire relay team to scratch, leaving 3 other kids disappointed. Again, if you don't think you will make it, please select "not available for relays" and if the fates align, your swimmer can notify the athlete check-in volunteer of new availability and perhaps sub in or try again at a different swim meet.

BE A TEAM PLAYER

Individual requests for specific strokes of medley relays or swimming order in freestyle relays cannot be honored because the relays reflect the “team” aspect of the swim team over the individual athlete needs. A swimmer selecting medley relay should be prepared to swim in any stroke that s/he has a qualifying time in and swimmers entering the freestyle relay should be prepared to swim a leg of the relay in the order the computer assigns them to. 

• 100 IM
  
  • 7-8 Girls
  • 7-8 Boys
  • 9-10 Girls
  • 9-10 Boys
  • 11-12 Girls
  • 11-12 Boys
  • 13 & Up Girls
  • 13 & Up Boys
• Freestyle Relay
  • 6 & Under Girls
  • 6 & Under Boys
• Medley Relay
  • 7-8 Girls
  • 7-8 Boys
  • 9-10 Girls
  • 9-10 Boys
  • 11-12 Girls
  • 11-12 Boys
  • 13-14 Girls
  • 13-14 Boys
• Freestyle
  • 6 & Under Girls
  • 6 & Under Boys
  • 7-8 Girls
  • 7-8 Boys
  • 9-10 Girls
  • 9-10 Boys
  • 11-12 Girls
  • 11-12 Boys
  • 13 & Up Girls
  • 13 & Up Boys
• Backstroke
  • Same as freestyle
• Breaststroke
  • Same as freestyle
• Butterfly
  • Same as freestyle
• Freestyle Relay
  • 7-8 Girls
  • 7-8 Boys
  • 9-10 Girls
  • 9-10 Boys
  • 11-12 Girls
  • 11-12 Boys
  • 11-12 Girls
  • 11-12 Boys
  • 13-14 Girls
  • 13-14 Boys