A Parent's Guide to Panther Swim Team Competitions
We have had a number of questions over the years about many things concerning our swim meets. In response to those questions, I've created a guide which should help you to understand each type of swim meet we attend as well as entries, warm-ups, and various other procedures.
There are several basic meet types
•· BISAC Meets
•o League Meets
•o Championship Meet
•· Invitational Meets
•o Panther Swim Team's Swimfest and Splash
•o International School Meets (like ISB)
•o Thai Invitational meets
•o Travel Meets
•o Specialty Meets
•· Intrasquad Meets
BISAC
BISAC stands for Bangkok International School Athletic Conference. This is a league composed of 8 or 10 International Schools in the Bangkok Area. In swimming some of those schools consist of Patana, Harrow, NIST, Shrewsbury, Ruamrudee and occasionally others.
League Meets
Each year we often swim two or three BISAC League meets. These meets are normally dual meets or tri-meets where no score is kept. The primary objective of these meets is to give the swimmers an opportunity to compete in a relatively low pressure situation. The events vary and are up to the coaching staff from each team to agree on. These meets usually occur on either Saturday mornings or Wed and Thurs afternoons during normal practice times.
Entries
BISAC league meets have limits on the number of swimmers each team is allowed to enter. In the past only 6 swimmers for each age group and gender were allowed to enter. Last year Patana and ISB allowed 12. Entry limits are set to ensure that the meet can be conducted in approximately 2-4 hours. Meets held on week nights MUST conclude by 6pm so that families can have dinner and swimmers have time to do homework and get to sleep on time. At ISB we set an entry deadline and insist that all swimmers who wish to swim send the coach their entries by email by that date. Once the entry deadline has passed, the coaches select the events for all swimmers including relays. The coaches select entries to try to give swimmers an opportunity to swim events they like as well as to try different events that may be out of their comfort zone. If more than the allowed number of swimmers wants to swim, all the swimmers' names in that age group/gender are put in a hat and names are drawn randomly. This way it is fair to all swimmers.
BISAC Championship Meet
The BISAC Championship Meet takes place once per year. This year it takes place at the end of March. All BISAC schools are invited. In recent years, ISB has won the championship or placed 2nd every year.
Entries
Since this a true championship meet, all entries are done by the coaching staff. Unlike most of our meets the swimmers do not have any choice as to what they swim. Only a certain number of swimmers per age group/gender/event may compete for the Panthers. The coaching staff selects the swimmers who give the team the best chance to win. All Panther swimmers who are selected for the meet are required to swim. Swimmers with the best chance to make the championship team are swimmers who can swim all events well since swimmers will be swimming multiple events.
Invitational Meets in Thailand
There are three types of Invitational Meets here in Thailand. Swimfest and Splash (the two meets we host), meets held by other International Schools (like Harrow's 2Fast 2Furious and Patana's Feeding Frenzy) and meets hosted by Thai clubs. These meets are generally appropriate for all ages and abilities.
Entries
When the meet information is received from the team hosting the meet, we send the entry information out. As in all other meets, there is an entry deadline. There are rarely limits on the number of swimmers we can send to the meets. Swimmers can choose their own individual events with occasional guidance from the coaches. Relays are set by the coaching staff as in all meets. Once the deadline is passed entries are closed and sent to the hosting team.
Invitational Meets Outside the Bangkok Area (travel meets)
Travel meets provide a unique opportunity for team bonding. Parents and swimmers get to know each other better.
There just a few differences between Invitational Meets outside the Bangkok area and those nearby. First we ask for earlier commitment so that travel arrangements can be made. Typically our away meet coordinator works with our travel agent to select a hotel and facilitate reservations. We prefer swimmers all stay together, but realize people may have friends they wish to stay with or hotel points to use at a different hotel. Second because one or more coaches must have airfare, hotel, etc paid for, we add a modest surcharge to take care of it. Usually the surcharge is between 1000 and 1500 baht per swimmer. All swimmers must be accompanied by a parent for any travel meet.
Intrasquad Meets
Intrasquad Meets are meets with just our team. These meets are normally a little less formal. We still ask for entries, collect times and race. Generally our Intrasquad meets take place on Saturday mornings with the exception of our Gold and Black Meet which is held at ISB on a Wednesday and Thursday after school.
Specialty Meets
Over the course of the year there may be a few different types of meets that our club participates in. Patana's Tiger Prawn Invitational is an example - this meet is only for 8+under swimmers. We host a Pentathlon meet which is typically 3-4 teams in which each swimmer must swim all four strokes plus the age appropriate Individual Medley event.
Getting To the Meet
For home meets swimmers are asked to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled time for warm-up. Home meet warm-ups for Swimfest and Splash are generally held at Nichada. For away meets with 10 or more swimmers attending, there will always be a bus. The bus leaves from the front of ISB by the circle. One or more coaches will be there 15 minutes before time to board the bus. We prefer that swimmers take the bus to ensure on time arrival. It is not a requirement. We know many swimmers do not live near ISB. Swimmers who do NOT ride the bus need to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time. We ask that swimmers NOT board the bus until checking in with a coach. The coaches carry a sign in sheet. We prefer not to leave swimmers at ISB, but it IS the swimmer's responsibility to arrive at ISB on time. The bus will not wait at ISB past the published departure time. The 'after the meet section' describes the procedure for checkout and riding the bus. On the bus ride swimmers have a good opportunity to have some nutritious snacks. Swimmers should respect each other and the bus driver by not being wild and disruptive. Upon arrival swimmers will be led/directed to the pool area. It is recommended that swimmers wear their suit under their clothes in case the bus encounters some problems and we arrive late.
Warm-up
At the appointed time, swimmers should be on deck with their caps on and goggles in hand. Only the yellow ISB Panther Swim Team caps are permitted at meets. Please bring a spare! Black Panther suits are also required (last year's black and gold suits are permitted until swimmers grow out of them). Non-Panther suits are allowed for warm-up but once the meet starts all swimmers will wear team suits and caps. Swimmers must be on time ready to warm-up at the designated time.
When the Meet Begins
It is the swimmer's responsibility to be marshaled and to get to their assigned lanes in time to swim. Please pay attention. For younger age groups, designated parents and the coaches may in some cases assist and try to make sure swimmers get where they need to go. Parents who attend the meet with their swimmers can assist by keeping track of their swimmers. Swimmers should stay close to the designated areas so that coaches can be most effective. Coaches will ensure relays are set up properly and be sure they are in the marshalling area and understand what they are supposed to do.
Parents please try to be sure your swimmers are eating nutritious snacks and drinking nutritious drinks. We have a number of articles on our website that discuss proper nutrition, please check them out if in doubt. Bring or be prepared to buy bottles of water.
Parents! Please do not give your swimmers instructions about technique or how to swim their races at the meet. Encouragement is great! PLEASE cheer for them and tell them they did a great job; it's impossible to be too positive especially with elementary swimmers. However too much information from multiple sources about how to swim will confuse most young swimmers and cause them to swim slower than they otherwise might. Even more than any other days on meet days, it is important to leave coaching to the coaches.
After the Meet
Before leaving, it is required that all swimmers check out with the coaches. There are two reasons for this. First we will not leave any swimmer behind - if you don't check out with the coach, we may spend a long time searching for your child needlessly thus inconveniencing the rest of the swimmers who are waiting to take the bus home. Please check out with the coach and NOT with another swimmer or family. Second, often relays are at the end of the meet and a swimmer may keep 3 other swimmers from competing if they leave early without being sure they are not needed for a relay. Swimmers if riding the bus will be dropped off at the front of the school where we started. Swimmers will be picked up in a timely manner. Nobody likes to wait a long time after a fun but probably tiring day racing and riding the bus.
