It’s that time of year again—Summer Swim League!  Woo Hoo!

Summer swim is a fun break for my kids because they swim year round.  For us, the shorter practices are fun and the meets are time spent with friends.  The only downfall—Louisiana in June!

Here are a few things we must have for those 5 hours we are at summer league meets:

1.  Sunscreen.  Sunscreen for them.  Sunscreen for me.  Sunscreen for my face.  And don’t forget to reapply.

2.  Water.  Again, for them and for me.  Lots and Lots of it.

3.  A picnic quilt.

4.  A pop-up shade.  Our swim club has two covered areas.  One is reserved for visiting teams.  The other fills up quickly.

5.  Lawn chairs.  At least one for me.  My rule is:  If you want a chair, carry it yourself.

6.  Food.  Swimming makes you hungry.  Waiting for a race makes you hungry.  Just being 8-years-old can make you hungry.  We pack grapes, cherry tomatoes, peanut butter sandwiches, yogurts, chex mix, and rice crispy treats.

7.  Some cash.  You’ll need to purchase a heat sheet.  At summer league meets, these are usually only a few dollars, but they are always cash only.

8.  A highlighter and a sharpie.  Highlight your kids in the heat sheet and then write their race, heat, and lane on an arm or a leg.  They sooner they can get to their own races, the better!

9.  DSs, iPads, phones, playing cards, books, crosswords, sudukos, and lots more fun stuff to do.

 

10.  Patience.  Lots and lots and lots of patience.  Also, a willing attitude.  Summer meets  couldn’t run without parent involvement.  Timing is easy (and you get splashed so it’s quite refreshing).  Or, trade off with another parent and watch her kids so she can time.  Trust me.  You’ll coaches will love the help to make the meet run smoothly.

 

If you’re in the Shreveport area, Summer League is sponsored by COSST.  You can swim with any team.  Town South, the Swim School, East Ridge, the Elks, Pierremont Oaks, Stonebridge, and Southside are just a few.