Northwest YMCA Neptunes Swim Team Competition Page

Joining The Team
YMCA Membership: All swimmers are required to be members of the Greater Wichita YMCA. This can be through a family membership or a youth membership. Contact the YMCA for more information.

Swim Meets
The Wichita Northwest YMCA Neptunes’ (WNYN) participate in swim meets year round, in and around the Wichita metropolitan area. Swim meets are usually on weekends, with the majority of the events held on Saturday and Sunday. Meets that spread over 3 days will hold long distance events on the Friday sessions. There is swim to accommodate all levels of swimming, from developmental to advanced. There is not a requirement to attend meets with the team, but it is greatly encouraged. In order to compete in any swim meet each athlete must be registered with the team for practice at the YMCA's front desk and registered with USA Swimming/Missouri Valley Swimming. If you have any questions please talk to the Head Coach.

United States (USA) Swimming Registration
Members of the Wichita Northwest YMCA Neptunes are required to join the United States (USA) Swimming before participating in any competition. This is insurance for the athlete(s). The Neptunes participate in the Missouri Valley Division of the USA Swimming which sanctions the swim meets we attend and the meets we host. For more information on USA Swimming Registration please contact the Head Coach.

Calendar
Check back soon for schedules

Upcoming Swim Meets
For updated information on swim meets (except Chisholm Trail meets), please check the Missouri Valley Swimming website. Please check back often for updates--information is subject to change. Also check the bulletin board on the pool deck at the Northwest YMCA.

Swim Meet Entry Events
The Neptunes Swim Team Bulletin Boards at the Northwest Y will provide swim meet entries for the upcoming meets. Swimmers can check to see what events they are swimming for the upcoming meet(s). All entries can be paid at the Y's front desk. Any questions should be directed to the Head Coach, Phone: (316) 260-9622 x207, or email.

Swim Meet Event Fees
Just a reminder all swim meets, except Chisholm Trail meets, each event/race cost $3.50 each and relays are $1.25 each. Chisholm Trail meets cost a flat $5.00 and swimmers swim all three individual events and a possible relay.

Crash Zone Info
This is a place where swimmers and their family can store gear and rest between events/races. This is usually a room or area near the pool (e.g. a gymnasium). Most swim meets, but not all have a crash zone. When arriving at the meet it is a good idea to find the Crash Zone, if available and drop off your extra gear before proceeding to the pool/viewing area. For outdoor meets this area will generally be on deck around the pool where there is available space.

Swim Meet Supplies
Event/Race Preparation: Sharpie (permanent marker), Ink Pen, Highlighter, Mini Note Pad/paper to write on, Stadium Seats/Chairs, Blanket, Cooler with healthy snacks & drinks (e.g. fresh fruit, beef jerky, fish crackers, pretzels, chocolate milk, Gatorade & water). Athlete's Bag: 2 pairs of goggles (mirrored/dark goggles for outdoor meets), 2 swim suites, 2 swim caps, swim parka and/or sweats or warm-up & a beanie cap (stocking cap) to get warmed up after each race. In the summer some shade (e.g. Canopy, Umbrella) is a good idea along with plenty of liquids & snacks. Please remember when your swimmer exerts themself they need to replenish what they used/lost to keep their energy up. It's better to have several small snacks & sips of fluids through out the meet than to wait & consume large amounts of food & drink at one time. If you don't have a canopy, buddy up with a Neptune family who has one, we watch out for one another.

Individual Athlete Event Information
Below is an example of an athlete's event chart: Top Row Legend: E = Event, H = Heat, L = Lane; Events Legend: F = Freestyle, B = Backstroke, BR = Breaststroke, FL = Butterfly, I.M = Individual Medley (the order is Fly, Back Breast, Free), F Relay = Freestyle Relay (each member of the relay team will swim freestyle), M Relay = Medley Relay (each relay team member will have a different stroke to swim, the order is Back, Breast, Fly, Free).

Example of Athlete's Event Chart

Most swim meets have a psych sheet available for purchase (the cost is usually $5, sometimes more), which list all the competing athletes for each event and their seed times if they have already competed in that event at a previous meet. Heat sheets will list the event, heats and lanes for each competing swimmer & will be posted after the coaches meeting, which will be after warm-ups.

Pre-meet schedule at the swim meet
1. Find the crash zone drop off your gear
2. Find the pool, find a place to sit where your team is sitting in the spectators area/bleachers.
3. Athletes stretch before warm ups
4. Warm ups (no diving at warm-ups, unless coach has you working on starts off the blocks) Here's the rule for entering the water during warm ups, as stated by Missouri Valley Swimming. "Swimmers must enter the pool by stepping in feet first, or sitting and sliding in, in a safe and cautious manner. Entering in any other manner may result in the disqualification from one or more of the swimmer’s events for that session.
5. Coaches Meeting/Timers Meeting
6. Heat Sheets posted
7. Write athlete's event chart either on their arm or on the leg above the knee.
8. National Anthem
9. Meet Starts. (Have fun)

Post Meet Tips
-Before leaving the swim meet, please be a kind neighbor and clean up the area around you; throw away trash and pick-up any items your team mates may have left behind and kindly turn it in to the coach when you return home.

-Solution for removing sharpie/permanent marker from your athlete's skin: use clear spray sunblock (e.g. Banana Boat or Coppertone). You will want to make sure your swimmer is in a bath tub or outside on the ground, because the ink will slide off your athlete & pool on the ground or floor. It also works on vinyl folders & other slick surfaces.

Meet results may be checked at the Missouri Valley Swimming website and the USA Swimming website. Those links may be accessed at the links below. Neptunes can also check their swim meet results at the Northwest YMCA on the pool deck bulletin board.

Time Standards
2009/2012 National Age Group Motivational Times
Level 2 Championships - SCY Qualifying Times
Level 1 Championships - SCY Qualifying Times
Division 2 & 1 Championships - SCY Qualifying Times
Division 1 & 2 Championships - LCM Qualifying Times