We are thrilled your family has decided to join the Valley Gators! Below is information about how our swim meets work including changes for the 2026 season.

For home meets, warm ups begin at 5:00. For away meets, warm ups begin at 5:30.

Meet Basics

There are 57 events in each meet - 52 individual and 5 relays. 

• Swimmers may swim in no more than 2 individual events and one relay in each meet or 1 individual event and two relays.
• The order of events is freestyle, breaststroke, individual medley (IM), backstroke, butterfly, and then relays.

The number of laps swum per event is based on age. 

• 8 & under - always swim one lap
• 9-10 - swim one lap except for freestyle (2) and IM (4)
• 11-12 - swim two laps except for IM (4)
• 13-14 - swim two laps except for freestyle (4) and IM (4)
• 15-18 - swim two laps except for freestyle (4) and IM (4)

Meet Sign Ups

• In order to participate in a meet, a swimmer's parent/guardian will sign them up via the Meet Entry Button for the meet. Indicate whether your swimmer will attend and select the strokes they would like to swim. Please note, the coaches will consider requests but will have final decisions on what strokes each swimmer swims.

• After signing up your swimmer, click on Job Signup to choose a volunteer position and time for yourself.
• Meet Entry Signups will close 24 hours prior to the meet so the coaches have time to complete the lineup. If you miss a meet entry deadline but your swimmer is able to participate, you should contact the coaches.

Arriving to Meets

• Once you arrive find a place to sit with the team.
• Check the VCC Pre Meet Report to see what your child will be swimming. At home meets this is hung outside the ladies restroom. At away meets it will be hung in the area where Valley is sitting. Our goal is to have the Pre Meet report hung by 5:00. Please note, if directors are still finalizing, it may be slightly delayed. We will share it with families as soon as possible. 
• Swimmers should listen for their coaches to announce it is time for warm ups (5:00 for home meets and 5:30 for away meets).
• Parent volunteers should check in with one of the VCC directors. If you have not signed up to volunteer, please check with a director to see if volunteers are still needed. Timers and runners will be called to the pool around 5:45 for a quick meeting with the officials. 

Understanding the Pre-Meet Report

The Pre-Meet report lets you and your swimmer know what events, heats, and lanes they will be swimming. We are hoping to have these updated when we post but event and heat combinations and lane changes can happen to make the meets run more quickly. This is why it is important to listen to the Clerk of Court volunteers for our team and to the announcer as they have the most up to date information. Below is a sample from a Pre-Meet report.

This would mean that Sophia, who is twelve years old, would be swimming the 50m freestyle in event 5, heat 1, lane 4. She would then swim the 50 m back in event 35, heat 2, lane, 2.

Scoring and Ribbons

Typically, only three swimmers from each team can swim at the same time. This means most events have multiple heats. 

• Heat placement is based on time. The swimmers that hold the fastest times swim in the earliest heats. 
• Swimmers in the first heat can earn a first, second or third place ribbon. Swimmers in other heats can earn a heat winner ribbon. Swimmers 6 & under also get a great job ribbon after finishing their races.