Your child's first swimming gala: a parent's guide

A swimming gala is a competition. Your club enters your child in one or more races, and the meet runs as a session of anywhere from two to five hours, sometimes across more than one day. The first one feels chaotic. By the second or third it settles into a routine. This guide explains what to expect, what to pack and what happens afterwards.

If you meet a word you do not know, our UK swimming glossary explains it.

The kinds of gala you will come across

Club galas are run by one club, often for its own members. They are usually the gentlest introduction to racing.

Open meets are open to any club, usually with qualifying times attached. Most competitive swimmers spend most of their season at open meets.

Licensed meets are open meets approved by the governing body to strict standards for timing, officials and the pool. Only times from licensed meets count towards national rankings and qualifying for county, regional and national championships.

Ask your coach which kind your child's first gala is. It changes how entries work and what is expected on the day.

Before the day

Entries to the host are usually made by the club, not by parents directly. Your club will tell you how to choose events, the club's deadline and the entry fees. If your child cannot go after being entered, tell the club before the withdrawal deadline. Missing it can mean a fine, because the club has already committed to the host.

What to pack

• Club costume and hat, if your club has them, plus a spare costume

• Goggles, and a spare pair

• Two towels, one for the poolside and one for later

• Warm layers for between races

• Snacks and plenty to drink: sessions run long and pool halls are hot

• Money for spectator entry or a programme, which many hosts charge for

On the day

Arrive in time for warm-up, which your coach or the meet pack will specify. Warm-up is when swimmers get used to the pool before racing. There are often rules about which lanes are for sprints and which for steady swimming, so it helps if your child listens for poolside instructions.

Before each race, swimmers are gathered behind the blocks with their heat. This is called marshalling. Coaches and team managers usually make sure swimmers are in the right place at the right time.

You will watch from the spectator area. The poolside is for swimmers, coaches and officials.

Results and personal bests

Results are usually posted or announced shortly after each event. It is completely normal for a first-time swimmer to set a personal best simply by racing for the first time, wherever they finish. That is worth celebrating.

Once results are official, they feed into your child's personal best record. Short course (25m pool) and long course (50m pool) times are kept separately, because they are not directly comparable.

If your child is disqualified

A disqualification, or DQ, means a swim does not count because of a rules infringement, such as a false start or an illegal turn. It happens to every competitive swimmer, especially when starting out. It is not a big deal, and the coach will use it as something to work on in training.

Gala duty

Galas need volunteers to run, and clubs often ask parents to help as timekeepers or in other roles. No experience is needed for most first duties. See what gala duty involves.

How clubs on Olympus Swim keep parents informed

On Olympus Swim, parents see open galas in the parent portal, with dates, venue, entry fees and closing date, and only the events their child is eligible for. The portal shows which events a swimmer has been entered for, and personal bests update after the meet when the club imports the results. Read more about gala entries.

Common questions

How long does a swimming gala last? Usually a session of two to five hours, and some meets run over several days. Your child may only race a few times in that period.

What should my child eat at a gala? Something light before warm-up, and small snacks with plenty of water between races. Ask your coach for any club guidance.

Can I go poolside? No. The poolside is reserved for swimmers, coaches and officials, unless you are there in an official or volunteer role.

What does a DQ mean? Disqualified. The swim did not count because of a rules infringement. It happens to every swimmer at some point.

Written by Joel Knight, swimming coach and founder of Olympus Swim (about).