Guide to Meets
As we enter a new season, we want to be clear about how to sign up for meets and address some of the challenges from last season.
The competition calendar is carefully planned by the Senior Coaching Team, and will be published at least a term in advance. This allows swimmers and parents to plan attendance around other commitments.
All entries are managed through ‘Swim Manager’ system, which can be accessed via the desktop or the App. Please ensure you can log in as per instructions previously sent. If you have any issues with logging in, and accessing meets, then please let us know. Please but note that not all meets will be visible to every swimmer. This is intentional to ensure the right balance between training and competitions.
When a new meet opens, you will receive an email with a link to the information page. This page includes:
- Date and location of the meet
- A link to the host website
- attachments with meet conditions, qualifing times, and schedule
There will then be a list of events per session to enter. If you are not able to enter a race it is most likely because your swimmer doesn't meet the minimum qualifying time needed. If this happens and you don't believe this to be the case please contact Caroline or Aggie (meets@elmbridgephoenix.com).
You may "save draft" to edit your swimmer's entry before finilising. Once you "submit" entry changes can't be made, your invoice is generated and you are commited to attend. Please be aware that entries cannot be cancelled after submission, and payment will still be due. Swim Manager will always sent out reminder 24h before deadline is due.
Deadlines
Each meet has a strict closing date. This ensures time for entries to be reviewed and submitted to organisers 6 - 8 weeks ahead, as demand for places is very high. The meet close date will be strictly enforced and no late entries will be accepted, so please ensure you "submit" before the deadline to avoid missed opportunities or additional work for volunteers.
Once received from the meet organisers a list of accepted entries will be circulated. At this point payment will automatically be taken. All invoices include a £9 charge per swimmer which covers the costs associated with Coaches and Team Managers attendance at the meet.
Coach Review & Guidance
Coaches review all entries and open a dialogue with swimmers/parents if it is felt changes need to be made such as too many events in one session. Again, this is to avoid withdrawals on the day from fatigued swimmers. They may also suggest other races which may benefit your swimmer. We actively encourage swimmers to discuss upcoming meets with their Coach and seek guidance on events to enter.
Over the last year we have seen a significant rise in the number of withdrawals before and during the meet. This creates a lot of work for the meet organisers, which can reflect badly on Elmbridge but also means we end up with an excess of Team Managers or Coaches which is frustrating for those who have given up time to attend unnecessarily.
Two weeks before the date of the meet we will ask if there are any withdrawals due to change of plans (holidays, injury etc) so that we can manage the coaching/TM resources. Please note that this helps us manage the allocation of resources, but you will still be charged this is a condition applied by the meet organisers not the club.
Anyone that is a 'No show' or withdraws after the 2 weeks, unless for exceptional circumstances such as illness, will be noted and repeated no shows or late withdrawals could result in the club no longer entering the swimmer.
Finally, please make note of the deadlines, we have had a large number of people ask to be added to meets after the closing date. We are no longer going to be supporting this, so we need you to be aware of the timings. Deadlines also do change so please keep an eye on the meet.
We hope that this detailed guide provides you with information to support your swimmer to enter meets and ensure attendance. Should you have any questions about which meets or races to enter please speak with your Coach. If you have any questions about the administrative process of meet entry please contact Meet Coordinators, Caroline or Aggie at meets@elmbridgephoenix.com.