Definitions of Meets
(Time Trials, Dual, Invitational, City, Conference & County)

Time Trials
Time Trials is an intra-squad meet to establish base times for each swimmer in each event.  IM Time Trials will be held during practice on Friday, May 29th.  Time Trials for the other strokes will be held on Sunday morning, May 31st.  Time Trials enables a swimmer to map his or her progress over the summer.  It also serves as a warm up meet, giving swimmers and families a bit of experience before the start of the season.  Tangentially, times posted at time trials might be necessary for the coaching staff to invite a swimmer to participate in the Dewing Derby.

Dual Meets-Saturday Morning and Wednesday Evening
Saturday Morning meets generally begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at about 1:00 p.m. Warm-ups are generally scheduled for 8:00 a.m. for home meets and 8:30 a.m. for away meets. All swimmers are expected to be at warm-ups.  Once your swimmer has finished his or her individual events and you have confirmed that he or she is not in the free relay, you are free to leave.
Wednesday Evening meets (and the Thursday meet) start at 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. and end at approximately 9:00 p.m. Warm-ups begin at 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. for home meets and 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. for away meets. All swimmers are expected to be at warm-ups.  Once your swimmer has finished his or her individual events and you have confirmed that he or she is not in the free relay, you are free to leave.

Invitational Meets
An invitational meet is a meet that swimmers attend by invitation of the coaches only.  This year Dewing is hosting again an invitational meet called the Dewing Derby.  We will host four teams from our conference at a meet where the bottom of the age group will be swimming up (in other words, the age groups will include 7 & unders, 8-9s, 10-11s, 12-13s. and 14-15s).  Four swimmers of each gender in each of the age groups will be chosen to swim.  We are also participating in the Springbrook Pentathlon, another event in which four swimmers of each gender from each of the traditional age groups will be asked to swim.  Swimmers participating in the Derby may not also swim in the Springbrook Pentathlon.

With both the Dewing Invitational and the Springbrook Pentathlon, participating swimmers must pay their own entrance fee..  In addition, families whose children swim in an invitational meet are expected to work a shift at the meet.  Sign ups for these shifts occur after swimmers are selected.


Battle of the Ages
Details of this meet will follow soon

Walnut Creek All City Meet
The Walnut Creek All-City Meet is a two-day meet scheduled for July 11th and 12th at the Clarke Memorial Swim Center in Heather Farm Park. . All of the recreational teams in the city attend this exciting meet.  Swimmers have the opportunity to choose three individual events to swim.  Saturday’s events are freestyle, butterfly, IM’s (11s and up) and the medley relay.  Sunday’s events are backstroke, breaststroke, IM’s (7-10 year olds) and the free relay.  Each team is assigned a grassy area to pitch tents and umbrellas.  City Meet tends to be a scorcher—bring lots of ice, water and shade!  Bring a chair, as well, and be prepared for two long days!


Conference Meet 
Conference, is a two-day meet, held this season on August 8th and 9th at Acalanes High School, (Closer to the event, check the Conference Meet Tab for more details).
All of the pools in the Walnut Creek Swim Conference (Indian Valley, Larkey, Rudgear Estates, Rudgear Meadows, Springbrook, Sun Valley, Walnut Heights and, of course, Dewing!) participate in this meet.  It is always a highlight of the year!  Saturday’s events are free, breast, IM’s (11 and ups) and the medley relay.  Sunday’s events are back, fly, IM’s (7-10 year olds) and the free relay.  We encourage you to stay through the end of the meet to cheer on our relay teams.  There are so many white-knuckle endings…it really is fun for everyone!
 Each team is assigned its own area at Acalanes where swimmers rest and hang out while waiting for their events.  There are shady areas at Acalanes, but you may want to bring a tent just in case.  Don’t forget your chair!  This year our team is in charge of the Clerk of the Course for the meet.  Our Conference Reps (Monica Cox and Penny Terry) will have more information on that as we get closer to the event.  Many spirit related activities surround Conference.  These activities are fun for the whole family.

Each child swims two individual events at Conference, and some (chosen by the coaches) swim in one or both relays.  In addition, the two fastest IM swimmers of each gender in each age group (7 and up) swim the IM.  Unlike any of the dual meets or City Meet, Conference has both preliminary heats and final heats.  Prelims are run in the morning and finals are run in the afternoon. 

After each preliminary event (e.g., freestyle), results are posted at the pool.  The top twenty swimmers will swim a second time, the fastest ten in one heat and the next ten in another.  Do NOT leave the pool until you know whether your swimmer has qualified for a second swim.  (There are always surprises at this meet!)  Further, if your child is an alternate, be sure to report to the Clerk of the Course and don’t leave until all the swimmers are seated.  Every year, many swimmers fail to make it to the Clerk of the Course on time and are disqualified from their second swim.  Don’t make this mistake!  It is really fun for the children to swim in finals.  In addition, the team earns points for each second swim completed successfully!

Also, if you are listed as a member of a relay team or as an alternate for a relay team, don’t leave the pool until you have checked with the head coach to see whether you will be needed for the relay.  Changes are sometimes made at the last minute.  The relays are so exciting—your child won’t want to miss out on the opportunity to participate!


Contra Costa County Meet
The Contra Costa County Championship Meet (referred to as “County”) is another two day meet, held this year on August 15th and 16th at Acalanes High School. To qualify for County, a swimmer must meet the time standards announced each year by Lafayette Moraga Youth Association swim club.  These time standards will be posted on the website and printed in the blue book.  It is an honor to make County, a meet that is recognized as producing some of the fastest recreational level swims in the nation!  Participation in the meet is optional.