Prepare For Meet Day
Preparing for a successful day at the pool begins with a well-packed swim bag. Whether you’re a seasoned competitive swimmer or diving into the world of racing for the first time, having the right essentials in your swim bag is key to a smooth and focused performance.
Our guide is here to help you pack the ultimate swim bag, ensuring you have everything you need on race day. From must-have swim gear to post-race snacks, embark on a journey to organized and efficient swimming with our comprehensive list of items to pack in your competitive swim bag.
Here is a quick list of what you will need…
- Swim Bag or Backpack
- Extra Gear (Goggles and at least 1 extra pair, 4 swim caps, 2 dry towels, 2 swimsuits, ear plugs and nose clips if your swimmer wears them
- Water and Snacks (water bottle, sports drink or electrolyte recovery drink, Snacks (See What To Eat During A Swim Meet for ideas)
- Clothing (full change of clothes including underwear, swim parka or warm-up suit, slides or flip-flops
- Activities (games, a book, things to keep busy, headphones and iPod, Nintendo Switch)
Swim Bag | Swim Backpack
Seems simple but you will need the backpack-style swim bag. If you have one, clean it out! For many kids, the bag becomes a catch-all. You want to start with a cleaned-out bag.
Remove any training equipment. Your swimmer should really have 2 bags. One is a backpack and the other is a mesh bag.
It’s best to keep all of the training gear in a mesh bag. These are the wettest items and are not needed on the days of meets.
The meet day is all about the backpack.
Extra Swim Gear
You will want at least one pair of extra goggles (I recommend two extra), four swim caps (2 pairs for double capping), two dry towels, and one extra swimsuit. If your swimmer uses earplugs or nose clips, pack extra.
Basically, have at least one or two extra of every essential.
Want to know the best goggles to buy for your swimmer read our post: Ten Best Swimming Goggles | Tester by Swimmers.
Water and Snacks for Swimmers
A large water bottle with just water, a bottle of a sports drink, and snacks. Swimmers get very hungry between events and often the choices of food sold at meets are quick and tend to be sugary.
Choosing the right snacks can be difficult. Learn more about choosing snacks during a swim meet.
Swim Clothing
First, check with your team or club. They often have shirt and cap requirements for each day of your swim meet. For example, Saturday may be your red shirt and black cap, while Sunday may be white shirts and silver caps.
You will need a full change of clothes, including underwear. Also, have a jumpsuit or sweatsuit to wear while walking around between events. There tend to be large gaps in time between events, especially at the younger age meets.
Some kids like to walk around wearing their swim parka, while others are fine with just a shirt. It depends upon your swimmer’s preference.
Also, take a pair of slides or flip-flops for walking outside of the pool deck.
If your swimmer has long hair, they will need to put their hair up or wear a “ponytail.”
Activities for Swimmers
Your swimmer will need something to do. Some clubs or meet hosts won’t allow cell phones due to USA Swim policies, while others are more lenient.
Waterproof cards, portable video games, books, and iPods are just a few examples. Pack something to do or your swimmer will get bored.
I like it when swimmers are cheering for their teammates, but new swimmer age group meets tend to be very busy with a lot of swimmers. Combine that with the slower times and it makes for a long day on an over-crowded pool deck!
Swim Bag Packing Tips
- Make sure all of your things are marked with your swimmer’s name. Items tend to get lost in all of the chaos.
- If your swimmer needs feminine care products, don’t forget those on the day of the meet!
Now it’s time to pack your Pack Your Family Bag! or back to How To Prepare for a Swim Meet