Alto at Meets (Info Page)
Information for Parents and Swimmers - Attending a Meet with Alto Swim Club!
Please carefully review the updated calendar and meet schedule for your swimmer’s group: Alto Schedule. Regular meet attendance is very important for skill development and families should make every effort to attend 100% of the meets on the group schedule. The information below is an overview for families regarding what to expect when attending a meet with Alto Swim Club!
Rock the Blocks (March 28 - 30) - Information and Reminders
Swimmers and Parents,
This email is going out to the following groups: SRP / AGG / AG3 / D3 / AGS / AG2 / D2 / AGB
We are looking forward to great racing at the Alto Rock the Blocks Meet on March 28 - 30!
This meet is a prelims and finals meet and the goal is to make it back to the finals in the afternoon. For those who are not attending Far Westerns, this is our last short course season meet of the season.
Please carefully review the information attached to this email and outlined below. It is very important that swimmers (at all ages) read this email themselves and know the order of events, the team uniform, Alto check-in time, etc. Please reach out with any questions.
Location
Friday - JLS Middle School (480 E Meadow Dr, Palo Alto)
Saturday + Sunday - Gunn High School (780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto)
Meet-Sheet
You can find the meet sheet here.
Scratches
Please communicate if you’re not able to attend the meet, all scratches need to be received by Thursday, March 27 until 11 AM. The meet is pre-seeded, so there will be no athlete check in at the meet.
Individual Events
The individual team entry is attached. Please review carefully.
Relays
The relay entries are attached. Please review carefully. Swimming in a relay means that you are a part of a group with 3 other swimmers who are relying on your participation. We will send out a final relay only list on Thursday!
Friday - The Friday Session is a big relay session! Everyone will swim in two relays on that day.
Saturday + Sunday - The Relays will take place at the end of the final session. Relay only swimmers will come back in the afternoon according to the relay check-in time.
100 Freestyle Relay 8 & U - At the conclusion of the SA Final Session
200 Freestyle Relay (10 & U / 11-12 / 13-14) - At the conclusion of the SA Final Session
100 Medley Relay 8 & U - At the conclusion of the SU Final Session
200 Medley Relay (10 & U / 11-12 / 13-14) - At the conclusion of the SU Final Session
Timeline
You can find the timeline here.
Psych sheet
You can find the psych sheet here.
Check-In Times
A coach-led group meeting will begin right at the listed check in time. Swimmers must arrive on time, and I recommend leaving a 5-10 minute buffer in case you are delayed parking, etc.
Friday March 28, @ JLS
Check In D2 / AG2 / AGB 2:55 PM
Check In D3 / AG3 / AGS 3:15 PM
Check In SRP / AGG 3:35 PM
Check In D1 / AG1 3:50 PM
Saturday + Sunday March 29 + 30, @ GUNN
Prelims Check In Saturday (Morning Session)
Check In SRP / AGG / AG3 / AGS 6:55 AM
Check In D3 / AG2 / D2 / AGB 7:10 AM
Prelims Check In Sunday (Morning Session)
Check In SRP / AGG / AG3 / AGS 7:20 AM
Check In D3 / AG2 / D2 / AGB 7:40 AM
Finals Check In Saturday + Sunday (Afternoon Session)
Swimmers are coming back in the afternoon either for Individual Final Swims (Top 10 in the morning per age group are qualifying for Finals) and/or Relay Swims.
Check In Finals (Individual Swims) 3:00 PM
Check In Relay (Relay Only Swimmers) 5:00 PM
Timers & Lap Counters
For the 500 Free athletes will provide their own counter. This can be a parent and teammates.
Timers are provided for the 500 Free and the 400 IM.
Volunteer Sign Up
Thank you in advance for signing up! Volunteer Sign Up.
Alto Athlete Area
Our team area will be set up near the competition pool. This area is for Alto swimmers only. No parents will be allowed in the team area.
Team Apparel
Alto gear should be worn at all times while at swim meets. The team uniform is as follows. If you have new apparel, please label the INSIDE of your apparel items (do not write on the outside).
Uniform, All Sessions -
- Alto swim cap
- Arena black Alto team suit
- Alto sweatshirt / parka
- Warm socks and close-toed / athletic shoes
- Bring extra towels, sunscreen
- Winter hat, gloves, scarf and other extras to stay warm
Friday - Red t-shirt “Team above All”
Saturday - Black t-shirt "Greater Together"
Sunday - White t-shirt "True to My Team"
What else to bring
-Goggles, extra Towels
-Water bottle + Electrolytes
-Healthy snacks
-Sunscreen
-Alto Camping Chair
-Need to stay at home: Sweets and Gaming Devices (Handheld)
General Meet Information
Note: information specific to each meet will be distributed via email and is listed above
Meet Schedule / Updates - Please carefully review the updated calendar and meet schedule for your swimmer’s group: Alto Schedule. Regular meet attendance is very important for skill development and families should make every effort to attend 100% of the meets on the group schedule.
Swimmer / Family Communication - In the following I have outlined more background information about the communication you can expect for every meet that Alto attends. Parents please read through this carefully, but even more importantly please assist your swimmer in accessing this information! At every age, the Alto Coaches expect that swimmers will read team communication and be responsible for knowing the information outlined. Our Coaches will communicate the entry, venue details, arrival time, etc through email. They will also review meet information with the swimmers in person at practice.
Meet Schedule –
1) Attending meets on a regular schedule is an important component to skill development and skill assessment. Swimmers at Alto attend every meet scheduled for their practice group. Please review your swimmer's group meet schedule online and ensure that your swimmer can attend all of the meets listed on the calendar – Alto Schedule.
2) The Alto Coaches complete and submit all Alto team meet entries. Each swimmer's individual event lineup is decided by their coach.
3) If a swimmer cannot attend a meet or a meet session, please communicate a minimum of 60 days in advance by sending an email to your swimmer's lead coach. Unless the coach receives an email in advance communicating a conflict, your swimmer will be entered and billed for the meet.
Swimmer Event Entry –
Meets usually begin accepting entries 4-6 weeks in advance, but this varies for every meet. As soon as a meet opens and begins accepting entries, the Alto Coaches enter our team right away. Meets close when they reach capacity (sometimes in less than 12 hours). For this reason, you need to email in advance if you cannot attend. When a meet opens, we will not send a reminder (the coaches will enter right away and email the entry once submitted).
Once the entry is completed, the Alto Coaches will send a copy of the entry out to the team. Please always read that email carefully to ensure the following –
1) Your swimmer is included
2) Your swimmer is entered in the correct number of events (usually either 3 or 4 per day for regular season meets)
3) Your swimmer is entered in the correct events (for example, let your coach know if you see that all of their peers are entered in one set of events and your swimmer is entered in something different – this may be intentional but it’s best to clarify)
If there are any issues, communicate with your coach right away so that they can correct errors. Occasionally, there are mistakes – these can be fixed when they are pointed out in a timely manner. Once a swimmer’s entry is submitted to the host team, it cannot be canceled or refunded. However, a missing swimmer can likely be added or incorrect events can likely be fixed.
Arrival Time –
The age / gender breakdown (by session) will always be listed in the “Meet Sheet,” which is an info sheet that the host team provides. When we send out the entry, please check the meet sheet to see if your swimmer's age group is competing in the morning or afternoon. The exact Alto team check in time will be sent out to families after the host team collects all entries and tells us how long each session of the meet is estimated to last.
Generally, most regular season (non-championship) meets that Alto attends follow the same breakdown for AM / PM sessions. There are some exceptions to this. The breakdown is often as follows. When there is a different age distribution we will let families know as soon as we are aware of a change –
Morning session, approx. 7 AM check in – 11 & overs
Afternoon session, approx. 12 PM check in – 10 & unders
Check-In Times A coach-led group meeting followed from a swim warm up will begin right at the listed check in time. Swimmers must arrive on time, and I recommend leaving a 5-10 minute buffer in case you are delayed parking, etc.
Team Apparel –
Alto gear is worn at all times while at swim meets. The team uniform is as follows. If you have new apparel, please label the INSIDE of your apparel items (do not write on the outside).
Uniform, All Sessions -
- Alto swim cap
- Arena "marble" team suit (new 2023-24 suit)
- Alto red sweatshirt / parka
- Warm socks and close-toed / athletic shoes
- Bring extra towels, sunscreen, water bottle, and chair to sit outside
Friday - Red t-shirt “Team Above All, All Above Team”
Saturday - Black t-shirt "Greater Together"
Sunday - White t-shirt "True to My Team"
Alto Athlete Area –
We have an Alto Athlete Tent Area set up at each meet. This is the area where the whole Alto team is sitting together and it is for swimmers set-up only. Swimmers will sit with the team during the whole meet and will check in with the coaching staff before and after each race.
What Your Swimmer Needs to Know –
Please show your swimmer their coach's emails on a regular basis. Swimmers should review all of the team and meet information that is sent out. If your swimmer has their own email account, please respond to this email and send over their email address so that the swimmer can be added to their group's email list.
