Swimming and Diving Meets

The measure of the team’s success is in the development of its individual athlete’s skills and positive attitudes towards swimming and diving, not just winning swim meets.

All involved in OSDT want to see the team win, but such success is a team effort and is achieved when all athletes, parents, coaches, and Board members strive to do their part with positive and supportive attitudes and actions. Parents bear a special responsibility to show understanding and support, not only for their swimmers and divers, but also for the coaches and the team.

Team unity is important to the OSDT. As a member of this team it is hoped that all swimmers and divers will be at all meets.  If you have a conflict, please notify the coaches and update the “Meet Attendance Log” on the team bulletin board, when your child will miss a scheduled swim meet at least 72 hours in advance.

 OSDT completes with 4 other teams in the BCSL.

  • Regular season dual meets are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from mid-June through late-July.

  • Full meets include diving (New London plus add on Diving for Hy-Crest) Diving normally begins at 5:30 P.M. Divers arrive at 4:15 P.M. for home meets.  Swimming normally begins at about 7:00 P.M.  Swimmers arrive at 6:15 P.M.  (Please remain quiet)

  • Wildwood, Forest Hills, and Rolling Hills do not have diving teams.  Home team warm-up at 6:00 and visitors at 6:15; the meet starts at 6:30. If Hy-Crest Diving is added to any of these teams, please see above for the Full meet schedule.

  • Home meets are at the Oxford Aquatic Center.

  • During home meets, parents can expect to have a job helping run the meet. Be sure to sign up for at least 2 meets. We will try to limit the commitment for new families to 1 meet. If you do not meet your obligation, there may be a penalty.

  • Please help clean up the team area before going home.

  • Younger divers and swimmers may leave once they have completed all their events. Older swimmers are encouraged to stay and cheer on teammates

What to bring to a swimming/diving meet

  • Sweats and sweatshirts for cool evenings.

  • Lawn chairs, blanket, sleeping bag or towels for kids to sit on.

  • Cards, books or other toys to occupy kids while they wait.

  • Plenty of healthy snacks and drinks. Swimmers get hungry during meets.

  • Cash for concessions. At championships, there is an admission fee and heat sheets are sold.

Team Suit

Swim Suits will be available at the team suit sale.  If you are unable to attend, contact SwimVille USA @ 1-800-595-1153. Let them know you are part of Oxford Swimming and Diving Team so that you receive our discounted price.

Relays:

Participation in relay events is clearly one of the most important team building activities in swimming and one in which all swimmers desire to participate and enjoy.

BCSL rules allow teams to swim multiple relays in dual meets. It should be understood that no swimmer is guaranteed a spot on any given relay. The assignment of swimmers to relays during the dual meet season is the responsibility of the head coach within the parameters of these guidelines.

  • Every swimmer will have an opportunity to earn a place on relay teams.
  • Relays will be constructed, in general, to be competitive, to provide opportunities for all swimmers to participate, and to share in the team’s success.
  • The head coach will consider such factors as attitude, team spirit, work ethic, regular attendance of practice, and improvement as factors in determining which swimmers deserve an opportunity to participate on a relay team.
  • On occasion, a swimmer may swim on a relay one age group higher as permitted by BCSL rules. No age group swimmers will be “moved up” into higher age group, if there are enough swimmers available, in the higher age group to complete that relay.
  • Championships: BCSL rules allow only one relay entry, per relay event.

Order of Events

Dual meets: Usually, only one of the relays is swum; the coaches decide.

  • Diving (except Wildwood, Forest Hills, Rolling Hills)

  • 15-18 200 meters Freestyle

  • Relay: Medley Relay (Back, Breast, Fly, Free) or Free Relay

  • Freestyle (6&un and 8&un swim 25 meters; 9&10 and older swim 50)

  • 100 Individual Medley (IM) – one lap each Fly, Back, Breast, Free (ages 9 and older)

  • 6 & Under 25 Backstroke

  • Butterfly (8&un & 9-10 swim 25, 11-12 and older swim 50)

  • Backstroke (8&un swim 25; 9-10 and older swim 50)

  • Breaststroke (8&un swim 25, 9-10 and older swim 50)

  • Free Relay (Normally held at the beginning of the meet)

Swimming Championships

  • Usually held either the third or fourth Wednesday of July. Check the meet schedule.

  • Prelims are held on Wednesday. 11 and older swim in the morning (approx 7:30) and 10 and younger swim in the afternoon (approx 1:00).  The fastest 16 swimmers  plus 2 alternates return Thursday evening (about 4PM warm-ups) to compete in finals.  Both relays are also swum on Thursday during finals.

Diving

  • All diving is completed on the 1 meter
    spring board

  • 10 & under compete in 3 dives, 1 voluntary and 2 optional

  • 11-18 year olds compete in 4 dives, 1 voluntary and 3 optional

  • Diving team score is added to the Swimming team score to decide the winner of the duel meet.

Diving Championships

  • Usually held the third or fourth Monday of July.  Check the meet schedule.

  • A special warm-up will be held at the host pool on Sunday prior to champs.

  • Competition is held Monday morning.

  • Open warm-up is first thing in the morning.

  • Divers will alternate girls then boys from youngest age group to oldest age group.

  • There will be a age group warm-up before changing to the next age group.

Terminology and Tips

The Referee: blows the whistle in a series of short signals to indicate that the next event is ready to be announced. The Starter will announce the event. The referee will then give one long signal with the whistle. This indicates to the swimmers that they are to step up on the block and remain in a relaxed position or, if they are swimming backstroke, enter the water and remain relaxed. The starter will tell them to “take your mark” and the swimmers will get into the “ready” position, and hold steady. If all swimmers have positioned themselves and are still, the starter will sound the horn and off they go! If the swimmers are not still, the starter will ask them to stand and repeat the command to “take your mark”. The referee is also responsible for determining what place each swimmer finishes.

Meet Attendance Log: Located on the bulletin board.   Shows if you will be swimming in each meet based on your response at registration. Any changes need to be noted on that Log the week before the scheduled meet.  For each meet, mark “Y” if you are going to attend or “N” if your swimmer will not be participating.  It is difficult to organize such a large team, so last minute changes will only be honored if there is space in a consolation heat. Thank you for your help. Also, check the Dry Erase board for last minute announcements.

Heat Sheet: Program of events. Emailed before dual meets (when possible). Purchased at championships. 

IM: Individual medley; one swimmer swims all the strokes: Fly, Back, Breast, Free.

Medley Relay: Each member of the relay team swims a different stroke in the following order: Back, Breast, Fly, Free.

D.Q.: Disqualified. The swimmer fails to make a proper touch or turn, uses an illegal stroke or had a false start. The swimmer’s time for the event does not count.

Legal Touch:

Freestyle—any part of the body.

Backstroke—hand/head/arm before the body turns over at the finish.

Breaststroke—two hands at the same time.

Butterfly—Two hands at the same time.

Entries: Swimmers need to check the lists in the team area to see which events the coach has assigned them.  Swimmers are responcible to get themselfes to the block.  The entire relay team must report for the team to swim.

Age Groups: BCSL rules establish June 1 as the date on which a swimmer’s/diver’s age is determined for assignment to an age group. If a swimmer turns 13 on June 2, then they swim as a 12-year old in the 11-12 group.