Hertford Swimming Club

All you ever wanted to know about Open Meets

(with thanks to Lee Ransome & Steve Barber)

 

Q. What are open meets and how do I find out when and where they are taking place ?

A. Open Meets are organized by a number of Swimming Clubs up and down the Country. They are a way of recording times for events which you do not normally swim. They are at various levels thereby allowing swimmers to compete against other swimmers of similar abilities. Sometimes they are licensed by the ASA as follows:-

Level 1 - is aimed at national qualifiers, or swimmers close to national qualification, looking for opportunities to achieve national qualifying times.  These meets will have qualifying times for entry which will be just below national times.

Level 2 - is aimed at regional qualifiers and will have qualifying times and upper-limit times.

Level 3 - is for club swimmers aiming to reach county qualifying times.

Level 4 - such meets are for club swimmers below county qualifying times and those beginning competitions through initiatives such as Active Sports.

Licensed meets tend to have qualifying times If you have not achieved any of the qualifying times then you cannot enter these types of Open Meet. Open Meets such as Biggleswade, Milton Keynes and the Hatfield UK Challenge events are licensed at levels 1 or 2  and are generally intended for swimmers who are looking to achieve specific goals, for example a Regional or National Qualifying Time. 

Hertford S.C. supports a number of Open Meets during the course of a year which will be advertised in the list of galas, on the notice board . Some of these are not licensed (eg Hitchin, Cheshunt, Stevenage) but we would advise swimmers to enter these as they build on our training schedules. These events do not have qualifying times although, in the main, you need to have ‘a time’ in order to enter. It is these events that you, as a young competitive swimmer, should enter as a matter of course in order that you gain experience and improve your times so that you can enter the higher level events. It may sometimes be possible to enter without a time. If so, you will probably be swum in the first and slowest heat.

 

Q. What about BAGCATS?

A. The County Championships / BAGCATS take place over three weekends in March.  To be eligible for this competition swimmers need to have achieved a qualifying time to be certain of entry to a particular event. If time/volume of entries permits consideration times can be accepted.  In 2006 all Hertford entries with consideration times were accepted.

BAGCATS was introduced about 5 years ago “to encourage younger swimmers (up to & inc 13 years for females and 14 for males to become proficient in a range of strokes and distances rather than just settle into one event…..”

To participate in the overall BAGCAT competition, you must enter and compete in at least one event from each of the following categories:

Best Sprint – 50m any stroke (all ages)

100’s – 100m any stroke (ages 11-13 for  females and 12-14 for males)

Form – 200m back, breast or fly (all ages)

Distance – 200m free (all ages) *can be substituted by 400m, 800m or 1,500m for older swimmers

Individual Medley– 100m or 200m IM (all ages)

Points are scored for each event (dependent upon time swum) contributing to an overall score and position. If you enter more than 1 event in any category it is only the “best” score that counts towards the overall competition. This does not preclude a swimmer from entering only the events that they wish to participate in during the County Championships (although there is usually a minimum entry fee).

 

Q. So what’s a Development Meet?

A. The Herts ASA Development Meet, normally held in December, is organised by the County as an introduction for swimmers to the more formal County events, such as the BAGCATS competition. To this end, the procedures are similar to those used at County events, such as the use of electronic timing.

The competition is designed to give new, young swimmers the chance to take part in something other than inter-club galas / club championships before they have reached the ability level needed for the County Championships / BAGCATS  competitions.

There are no minimum qualifying times for this Meet. However, there will be an upper limit qualifying time which will be the same as the entry times for this year’s BAGCAT competitions. Medals are presented to the first, second and third swimmers in each event. Swimmers whose times are faster than the accepted fastest time do not receive a medal.

 

Q. Where do our Club Championships fit in ?

A. The Club Championships held in June/July provide the perfect opportunity for swimmers to register times that can be used as entry times to the Development Meet and local open meets such as Cheshunt, Hitchin and Stevenage. It is a chance to record times for strokes and distances you may not get the opportunity to swim in Club Galas. Times recorded in the championships can also act as a starting point for possible entry into the BAGCATS / County Championships which are held usually in March.

 

Q. Should I ask a member of the coaching staff if I would be suitable to enter an open meet.

A. Your coach will be able to give you valuable advice regarding open meets and help you choose what events to enter.

 

Q. What age do I have to be to enter open meets.

A. Usually you must have reached your 9^th birthday to enter an open meet. Sometimes, these meets are swum at age at date of meet. For the younger swimmers, this may give you an advantage. An example is your 10^th Birthday is on the 20^th October. Cheshunt are running an open meet on the 7^th October so you will be still able to swim with the 9 year olds.

 

Q. How do I enter Open Meets?

A. You know the dates they are taking place. When the entry packs become available a further notice will appear on the Notice Board. Speak to our Meet co-ordinator Sarah Burr, for more information. You then obtain an entry pack, complete the entry form indicating the events in which you wish to compete and return the form to Sarah with your entry fee made payable to Hertford Swimming Club by a date that will be before the official closing date indicated on the entry form so that all the forms can be sent off together.

 

Q. Will I have to upgrade my current ASA registration.

A. To enter open meets, you must have the Cat 2 ASA registration ( currently £18.00- January 2008). This year the Club has paid everyone’s ASA registration so check what level yours is. If you only currently have the Cat 1 ASA registration, please discuss with a committee member how to upgrade your registration well in advance of the entry date.

 

Q How will I know if my entry has been accepted? (See below for Cardless Meets)

A. You will know the number(s) of the event(s) in which you are competing and in due course you will receive an entry card for each of the events you have entered. Female swimmers have pink entry cards and male swimmers have blue entry cards. Each card will show your name, date of birth, club, the event you have entered, the time you entered, the event number, your competitor number, the date of the competition and the time the session in which your events starts. The time your card must be ‘posted’ by will also be shown. Warm Up time will also be shown on the card or you will be notified of this by means of a separate document. (Remember, the start time is when the competition itself starts. You need to be at the venue well before the start of warm up so that you can ‘post’ your card(s) and be in a position to commence warm up at the allotted time).

 

Q. What do I do with my cards?

A. Keep them safe until the day of the competition and take them with you to the Open Meet. On the day of the Competition you ‘post’ your card(s) in a box or tray which you will find in a prominent position at the pool. You ‘post’ your card in the box/tray corresponding with the event in which you are competing. If you are swimming in ‘Event 3’ then you post your card in

the box or tray marked ‘Event 3’. Usually you can only post your card(s) for one session at a time so if you have entered events in Sessions 2 and 3 you will only be able to post your entry cards for those sessions when the relevant card boxes/trays

become available. Normally the card boxes/trays for the events in say Session 2 become available when Session 1 has started and so on. It is important that you ‘post’ your entry card before the time shown. If you don’t then you will not be able to swim. Remember – It is YOUR responsibility to post your card(s) not anyone else.

 

Q. The Event is a Cardless Meet, what does that mean?

A. Many events (such as the Counties) are now cardless. This means that after the closing date each club receives a printout of their entries which they can then check internally. Any errors must be reported immediately so it is important to check with your coach that the correct entry has been made. On the day of the meet you must sign an attendance sheet against each event you intend to take part in. Usually you have to sign a new sheet for each session.

 

Q. What should I take to an open meet.

A. You should take all the normal items you take to gala’s including your HERTFORD hat but you should also take the following, your entry cards, an extra towel, an extra costume/costumes, enough drink to last the whole time you are at the meet and food- small high energy snacks such as jelly, Haribo sweets, fruit and pasta for lunch are all recommended. You should also take something to keep you entertained whilst you are waiting for your event. Read Steve’s paper on Nutrition for more advice. Click here

 

Q. What should I do when I arrive at the competition?

A. If it is one of Hertford’s “official” Open Meets there will be a member of the Club’s Coaching Staff or a Team Manager appointed by the Club waiting for you. You should let them know that you have arrived. There will be other swimmers from the Club arriving about the same time so you should ‘feel at home’ at an early stage. If there is anything you don’t understand at this point ask the Club Official who is present and he/she will be able to help you. Make sure you have signed in or posted your entry cards.

 

Q. How will I know when it is time for me to swim in my event?

A. Generally speaking you report to a designated assembly area one event prior to the one in which you are taking part. If it is a Carded Meet you will either receive your entry card back at this point or you will have collected it from a specified point prior to you going to the assembly area. Your card will, at this stage, have been marked with a heat and lane number and there will be a Steward in the assembly area who will ensure that you and the other swimmers in your heat arrive at the start at the appropriate time. (This procedure varies slightly depending upon the Open Meet but the principal is the same. The Coach/Team Manager present will be aware of the procedure in force and will tell you what do). Make sure you are wearing a Hertford hat so coaching staff can identify you and make sure they are at the end of the lane when you swim.

 

Q. What do I do when I have finished my race?

A. Return to your Coach /Team Manager so that he/she can discuss the race with you. Hopefully you will have done well but whatever the case there will be things that were good and things that were not so good. Sound advice at this stage will help you in future performances. Some Meets (including this year’s Counties) are once again swimming heats & finals so you need to wait until these have been announced. You might be in the final even if you didn’t win your heat as the heats are swum by entry times with mixed ages but the finals will be your own age group. Whether it is a Heat Declared Winner event or heats & finals check if you have won a medal before you go (some events top 3, some top 6).

 

Q. Do I have to stay on poolside after my race?

A. If you are only competing in one event then when that is finished it would be expected that you would want to go home. If you are swimming in other events then you should remain on poolside to support the other swimmers from the Club when they

compete as they will have supported you. You will, from time to time, want to visit your parents in the spectator area but whenever you leave poolside you MUST inform the Coach/Team Manager where you are going. If you have any other questions about Open Meets please ask a Member of the Coaching Staff, a Committee Member or the Club Administrator. They will be only too pleased to help you.

 

Q. So when is the next Open Meet ?

A. Biggleswade is usually in January, the Counties in March, Stevenage in May, Bishops Stortford in July, Cheshunt in October, Hemel Hempstead & Hitchin in November . When we get confirmation of the exact dates they will appear on the website & on the notice board. Closing dates for entries are usually 6 weeks to 2 months before the Meet. If you find any other Open Meets that might be of interest please let your coach know—others might want to take part as well. Sarah Burr co-ordinates our Open Meet entries.

 

Finally good luck ! And don’t forget email me with the results !