Ensworth Aquatics Ensworth Aquatics pool

Swim Meets 101

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Understanding the Seasons

Key facts

  • Short Course: 25-yard pool, used for middle school and high school competitions, September–March
  • Long Course: 50-meter pool, used throughout the summer and for all major swimming competitions, April–July
  • Ensworth Aquatics hosts three meets per season
The Seasons
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Page 2 of 8

Home Meets & Volunteering

Key facts

  • All swimmers are expected to participate
  • 3+ home meets per season
  • Holiday Classic (December) is our flagship meet
  • Parent volunteering is required
All
Swimmers Compete
3+
Home Meets / Season
Holiday
Classic
Flagship Event
Our premier home meet each December. Teams travel from across the Southeast to compete in the Ensworth Natatorium.
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Page 3 of 8

Travel Meets & Team Bonding

Key facts

  • Optional but recommended for all swimmers
  • Four travel windows: October–November, February, April, June
  • No qualifying times needed for in-season meets
  • Overnight trips with teammates
October–November

Short course season travel opportunity. In-season meet with great opportunity to compete outside our local competition.

February

Short course championship meet. Swimmers compete against the region's fastest swimmers.

April & June

Long course season. Two in-season travel meet opportunities to race competition outside our area.

July

Long course championship meet. Swimmers compete against the region's fastest swimmers.

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What to Pack

Food, Fuel & Tools
  • A large water bottle, filled, plus a sports drink
  • Easy snacks — bananas, peanut butter, granola bars, pretzels, trail mix. For sport-nutrition guidance tailored to young athletes, follow Coach Marli on Instagram @marli.lap.
  • A real meal if the meet spans midday
  • Permanent marker for writing heat and lane on the arm
A day at the meet
Prepare like a Champion
  • Arrival Time
    Warm-Up to Swim
    Group coaches will communicate the arrival time through GroupMe.
  • Warm-Up
    Into the Water
    Swimmers enter the water (feet first) and warm up their body to prepare for racing.
  • Session Begins
    Time to Race
    Make sure swimmers are marked up with their Event, Heat, and Lane information. Visit Heat Sheets for more information.
  • Between events
    It's More Than Waiting
    Following a race, it is time to warm down, fuel, hydrate, stay warm and rest.
  • Session Ends
    Clean + Collect
    Collect belongings, throw away trash, and leave every place better than you found it.
  • Wrap-up
    Cool-down & awards
    Final events, then celebrate the swims.
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Sanctioned vs. Non-Sanctioned

Every meet falls into one of two buckets. Whether a meet is sanctioned by USA Swimming is what decides if your swimmer's times officially count — toward records, rankings, and qualifying standards.

✓
Recognized by USA Swimming
Sanctioned
Official meets — the times count.
  • ✓ Officially recognized and approved by USA Swimming
  • ✓ Results are entered into the national times database
  • ✓ Count toward records, rankings & qualifying times
  • ✓ Run under USA Swimming rules with certified officials
  • ✓ Best for chasing time standards & championships
VS
×
Unofficial / local
Non-Sanctioned
Great experience — the times don't count.
  • × Not approved or recognized by USA Swimming
  • × Results stay unofficial
  • × Don't count toward cuts, records, or rankings
  • ✓ Relaxed format; officiating varies by host
  • ✓ Perfect for practice, first meets & development
Am I qualified for a meet? Open the event's page on our member portal (SportsEngine) and find the attached meet letter. If that letter lists time standards, the meet has qualifying times — compare them to your swimmer's best times to see if they're eligible. When in doubt, always ask a coach.

New to time standards? They're the qualifying times themselves — see how they work next →
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Page 6 of 8

Motivational Time Standards

USA Swimming publishes Motivational Time Standards — national benchmarks that show how a swimmer's time ranks against others their age. They're updated every four years (currently the 2024–2028 “QUAD” standards) and set separately for each age group, gender, stroke, distance, and course (yards or meters). Think of them as goal posts for tracking progress — not entry cuts for a meet.

Six levels, B to AAAA
Each level is faster than the last, so the bar grows as you move up. The percentage shows how selective the time is — AAAA is roughly the top 2% for a swimmer's age.
B
Entry levelTop 55%
A strong first goal for a new competitor.
BB
DevelopingTop 35%
A clear step up from the B standard.
A
CompetitiveTop 15%
A solid, competitive age-group time.
AA
AdvancedTop 8%
Faster than most swimmers in the age group.
AAA
Elite age-groupTop 6%
Among the fastest for the age.
AAAA
Top standardTop 2%
The highest motivational level for the age group.

Percentile ranges are approximate benchmarks for where each standard falls within a swimmer's age group, gender, and event, compiled from SwimStandards and USA Swimming. USA Swimming updates the standards every four years.

Motivational standards aren't meet qualifying cuts

Reaching an A or even a AAAA time is a milestone worth celebrating — but it doesn't automatically qualify your swimmer for a championship meet. Meets like SES Championships, Sectionals, Futures, and Junior Nationals each publish their own separate qualifying times. Always check the specific meet's letter to see what's required.

Southeastern Swimming — our region's standards → USA Swimming — national time standards →
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Reading the Heat Sheet

Key facts

  • Your guide to the meet — lists every swimmer's event, heat & lane
  • Posted 1–2 days before the meet on the team website
  • E = Event number
  • H = Heat number (which group your swimmer races in)
  • L = Lane number (which lane in the pool)
  • Find your swimmer's name, note all three, and you'll always know where to look
Swimmer Markup Format
E
H
L
Event
23
4
4
200 Freestyle
27
2
7
100 Backstroke
35
1
4
100 Butterfly
Pro Tip
Download the Heat Sheet PDF from the swim meet's event page. Use the search command (Ctrl+F on PC, Cmd+F on Mac) to locate your swimmer's last name and find all of their events quickly.
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Championship Season

Championship season is the payoff — the meets your swimmer's training builds toward, with February (short course) and July (long course) as the two peaks of the year. The meets stack into a ladder: everyone can race the Region Championship, and each level beyond it requires its own — progressively faster — qualifying time, from our Southeastern (SES) championships all the way up to USA Swimming's national championships.

Region Championship February
Southeastern (SES) Championships February & July
Speedo Sectionals March
TYR Futures July
Speedo Junior Nationals December & July
Toyota U.S. Open December
Toyota National Championships July

Everyone can swim the Region Championship at the top — from there, each step down the funnel requires its own, progressively faster qualifying time, and fewer swimmers reach each level. The blue tiers are our Southeastern (SES) regional meets; the orange tiers are USA Swimming's national pathway.

Look up qualifying times

Qualifying times are set by USA Swimming and Southeastern Swimming (SES). Use the links below to check the current standards for your swimmer's age group and events.

Southeastern Swimming Time Standards →

USA Swimming Time Standards →

Meet names and months compiled from USA Swimming Events and Southeastern Swimming's short course and long course meet schedules. Dates vary year to year — always confirm on the event page.

Visit EAQ Website →
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