Heat Sheet 101
A heat sheet is the document you will receive on the day of the meet. This will let you know what races your swimmer is entered into. In order to accommodate all the swimmers attending the meet, most events will have multiple heats (meaning that multiple groups will be doing the same event before we move on to a different event). Most pools we swim at have 5 lanes, so each team will be assigned either the odd or even numbered lanes.
Your swimmer should have their events marked on either his/her arm or leg BEFORE the meet. You will do this using a sharpie (yes, a sharpie) and your heat sheet. This helps your swimmer, the bullpen volunteers, and the coaches get everyone in place and ready to race.
The event (E) # is listed in yellow. This event is #3 Girls 7-8 100yd Medley Relay. The heat (H) number is shown in green. There are 2 heats of this event, so another group of 7/8 girls will swim the same race right after this group finishes. The lane (L) assignments are in blue. The Woodmont Wahoos will be swimming in lanes 2, 4, and 5. For the 100yd medley relay, each person will swim 25yd in a different stroke. For the 200yd medley relay, each person will swim 50yd. The stroke assignment is in orange. The stroke order for the medley relay is: (1) Backstroke, (2) Breaststroke, (3) Butterfly, and (4) Freestyle. For the 100yd relay ONLY, the odd numbered legs (backstroke and butterfly) will start at the starting blocks and the even legs will start from the opposite side of the pool. For the 200yd relay, all swimmers will stand at the start end of the pool.
When marking your swimmer, it should look similar to this.
It helps to write out the event name beside the lane so your swimmer easily knows the distance, stroke, and relay order.
After the meet is over, use baby oil or a deodorant stick to remove the sharpie.
