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Before entering a meet, you may wish to find out the following:
a) Does your child's coach concur that your child is ready to compete?
b) How does your child feel about entering a meet?
c) Do you have appropriate expectations for this experience?
If you are unsure about any of these areas, be sure to talk with your child's coach and read both the introduction to racing and the information on officials below, particularly about how to talk with kids about disqualifications(DQ's).
Swim meets are generally buzzing with continuous activity and can be overwhelming at first. Connecting up with experienced swimmers can be a great help for first time racers.
Relax, there is a lot to learn, and it is unlikely that all will be learned at the first meet.
Disqualifications:
Violations of the rules are reported to the Referee, and every reasonable effort will be made to notify the athlete or the athlete’s coach of the reason for the disqualification.
If your child is disqualified (DQ’d) in an event, be supportive rather than critical. A disqualification should be treated as a learning experience, not as punishment. A disqualification alerts the athlete and coach to what portions of the athlete’s stroke need to be corrected. They should be considered the same as an incorrect answer in schoolwork - they point to areas that need further practice. Remember that a .300 batting average is considered great, but when looked at from a different view it means that they failed 70% of the time.
The disqualification is necessary to keep the competition fair and equitable for all competitors. A supportive attitude on the part of the official, coach, and parent can make a positive experience for the disqualified athlete.
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Against the Clock 
Records & Top Times (moved to RESULTS)