Swim Team

swim practice questions

Where do we go?

• Swim team practices are held at the City of Sumter Aquatics Center. Address: 1115 South Lafayette Drive. The AC is directly to the left of the South Hope Center. You will enter the AC and take a right after the Admissions Window to sit under our covered pavilion area. Coaches will call for swimmers under the pavilion area when it is time for your swimmer to get in the water.

What do we need to bring to swim practice?

• REQUIRED: water bottle
• Required: Goggles, swim cap, swimsuit and towel
• Sunscreen is highly recommended

Where can I sit to watch my participant? Or can I drop my swimmer off and leave?

• You can sit under our covered pavilion area or in the parking lot. All participants under the age of 16 must have a parent or guardian check their child in for lessons and stay for the entire lesson (whether under our pavilion area or in parking lot).  If parents interrupt or distractions occur, you may be asked to wait for your participant in the parking lot as interruptions disrupts not only your swimmer’s progress, but the progress of all swimmers practicing at that time.  
• ***Siblings who are watching swim practice from the deck may not climb on our swim lesson equipment located in the covered outdoor shower area near the restrooms. Parents and siblings must sit under the pavilion or somewhere on the deck. 

Should my swimmer eat before swim practice? 

• For the safety & comfort of each swimmer please refrain from eating 1 hour prior to swim practice or swim meet warmups. Swimmers should avoid dairy 1-2 hours prior to swim practice or swim meet warmups, so please plan accordingly. At swim meets, you are welcome to bring a snack for your swimmer to eat between events.   

What time should we arrive for swim practice? 

• Please arrive 5-10 minutes early, but no more than 10 minutes. This helps lower distractions and ensures that your participant is ready to go on time. Please sit with your participant under our covered pavilion area and wait for coaches to call your swimmers to the water. Do not let your swimmers wander on deck while waiting for swim practice as this causes distractions to the swimmers in the water. 

Can we swim before or after swim practice? 

• We welcome all patrons to enjoy our public open swim during the designated hours. Only registered swim team participants will be allowed in the pool during practice time.   

WEATHER & CANCELLATION POLICY

• Swim Practice Cancellations: If there is a pool closure (inclement weather, pool equipment issues, etc.) we will cancel practice 45 minutes in advance via EMAIL. If you do not receive a cancellation email 45 minutes prior to practice starting that means we are not cancelling. Please always check your email before swim practice.  
  • If we have to get out of the pool during swim practice (inclement weather, pool equipment issues, etc.) we will move to “dry land” activities.  
• City of Sumter Aquatics Center Inclement Weather Policy: The City of Sumter Aquatics Center will cancel all pool activities & clear the pool in the event of lightning within a ten mile radius and/or rain hard enough that drains at bottom of pool are not visible.  
  • The AC Team uses the app called Weather Bug and utilizes the Lightning Map feature to determine how far away lightning is from the pool. When using the app, be sure to change the location from Sumter SC to your current location.  
• Swim Meet Cancellations: In the event of bad weather persisting, the coaches from all teams, as well as a host facility representative, will meet to discuss postponement options. In the event of bad weather at the Championship Meet the League Meet Director will serve as host facility representative.  

Can I request a make-up swim practice if my child needs to be absent for one or more practices?

• We do not offer make-up practices should a participant need to cancel for personal reasons (sick, vacation, etc). 

Swim Meet Information

How long do swim meets typically last?

• Regular swim meets (meets #1-3) typically last 3-3.5 hour (including warmups).
• The Championship Meet typically lasts 4-5 hours (including warmups).
  • *Swimmers are asked to stay until the end of the Championship Meet to cheer on the coaches relay & receive team awards and ribbons, which are given out after all events and coaches relay. 
• Swim meet schedule:
  • Swimmers need to be on deck 20-30 minutes before warmups start 
  • Warmups start 30 minutes before the meet starts 
  • Volunteer/timers meeting starts 15 minutes before the meet starts 

When we will receive swim meet information (Heat Sheets that show my swimmer's races and Final Results sheets)?

• On the morning of meets, Heat Sheets will be sent out via email. Heat Sheets list what races your swimmers are entered in. Heat Sheets do not include the names of relay swimmers- coaches will tell swimmers who is in what relays after warmups at meets.  
  • ***It is recommended to print a copy of the heat sheet or save to your phone as there are limited physical copies available at meets. If you print your own heat sheet, I recommend highlighting your swimmer’s events.  
  • Swimmers can be entered into 3 individual races & 2 relay races. 
• Final results from swim meets will be sent our via email the business day after the swim meet. Final results will also be posted on our website under the 'Meet Heat Sheets & Results' tab shown above. Final Results show the final race times per each individual swimmer, ranked in order of fastest to slowest swimmer, per event.  
• Confused on how to read a heat sheet? Speak to a coach before the swim meet starts. At swim meets, swimmers typically write their races on their arms in sharpy to make sure they know what they are racing. When writing on the arms, coaches typically create 4 columns: E (Event), H (Heat), L (Lane) and the race name (ex: 50 yard freestyle) 
  • Race names are typically abbreviated as: FR for freestyle, BK for backstroke, BR for breaststroke, and FL for butterfly 
  • If you see an x by the final results time (Example: x1:45.74), that just means that the electronic timer did not register and the stopwatch time had to be used.  
  • If you see a DQ, that means your swimmer was disqualified from the race and the finals time was invalid and will not show on the sheet. Usually there is a reason for the DQ explaining why right below. Coaches use DQs to help focus on technique work needed to improve before the next meet.  
• PLEASE DIRECT ALL PRE-MEET AND POST-MEET QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO YOUR COACHES!

How many races will my swimmer compete in at swim meets?

• For the Championship Meet & at all smaller meets unless otherwise noted in the meet information, swimmers are allowed to enter up to 3 individual events & 2 relay events. 
  • Coaches select meet entries for every swimmer to be submitted by team administrator. Coaches also select relays to be submitted by team administrator.  
  • Parents do not select races for swimmer to compete in at swim meets.
• At regular season smaller meets, ribbons will be awarded by age group (boys & girls separately), 1st thru 6th for each event individually, and 1st-3rd place by age group for relays.  
  • All individual swimmers will receive a participation ribbon for participating in the meet.  
  • Swimmers who place first in their heat will receive a “heat winner” rubber duck. 
• **Diving will not be taught during practice or allowed at any meets as all pools in FSSL are shallow water pools.

Do we have swim practice the morning of swim meet days?

• No, we do not have swim practice the morning of meet days, even if you are not competing at the meet. 

How can I help volunteer at swim meets?

• To help all meets run smoothly, we are asking each family to volunteer a parent at least twice this season as either a Meet Mom & Meet Timer at all meets. 
  • Meet Timers: You get front row seats of all races! We need 2 timers per lane (6 lanes at each pool) to push start and stop on stopwatches for races.  
    • *You will be trained on how to use the stopwatches at the Volunteer Meeting that takes place 15 minutes before each meet starts 
  • Meet Moms: We also need 2-3 ‘Meet Mom’ volunteers at each meet. The Meet Moms will stay under the team tent to help coaches get swimmers to clerk of course/lined up for their races. This position is absolutely 100% necessary to run a smooth meet. Our coaches need to focus on coaching at the meets and not lining kids up at Clerk of Course. We could use your help! 

additional general questions

Can I take photos?

• Please send pictures taken at swim meets to the Team Administrator, Grayce Howard, at [email protected](opens in a new tab) or 803-305-9656 
• Team Pictures will be taken on -----. Please have your swimmer wear their SAC Team Shirt. 

• Do not tag anyone you do not personally know and do not tag AC staff members.  

Can you tell me more about the Swim Coaches that lead the SAC swim team?

• Swim Coaches have been certified through the American Red Cross as Lifeguards. 

• Swim Coaches have also been certified through the American Red Cross as Water Safety Instructors, which is an extremely difficult 28 hour course. Water Safety Instructors (WSI) are trained to teach individuals of different ages and abilities to swim, as well as to teach water safety concepts and progressions. They are responsible for planning, preparing, and teaching Red Cross Learn-To-Swim and Water Safety programs. Their training includes lesson planning and management strategies, best practice teaching methods, and techniques for communicating with families. They are also trained to examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation if necessary. WSI are always accompanied by additional lifeguards on deck during swim lessons. 

meet YOUR 2026 COACHES:

• Bronze Group Coach: Leila! This summer will be Leila's first season coaching for SAC's bronze team. She is currently a rising senior at the University of South Carolina where she is studying biology. The coolest thing Leila has done in the last 12 months is snowboard in Colorado! 
• Silver Group Coach: Jack! Jack has coached for SAC's silver team for 2 years. He is a rising sophomore at the Citadel studying Business and Supply Management and minoring in French. The coolest thing Jack has done in the last 12 months is successfully complete & survive knob year at the Citadel! 

• Gold Group Coach: Anthony! Anthony has coached for SAC's gold team for 2 years. He just earned his Associates in Science Degree and will be transferring to the University of South Carolina Aiken where he will study Psychology in the fall. The coolest thing he has done in the last 12 months is squat 515 pounds! 

  

Scroll down to view 2026 swim team photo gallery