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COMPETITION
Flying Gull Aquatic Club (FGAC) is a competitive Age Group Swimming club, registered and insured by USA Swimming, the national governing body of competitive swimming. We operate out of its Potomac Valley Swimming (PVS) region, or Local Swim Committee (LSC).
www. pvswim.org is the one-stop source for all PVS information.
Our swim meets are hosted primarily in Montgomery Co., Prince George's Co., and Northern VA. The majority of meets are organized individually and by age group, with swimmers competing in a time trials only format. They generally run from 3-4 hrs., depending on the entry.
Some meets are championship meets, scored by team, requiring entrants to meet qualifying standards. They occur anywhere from 4-8 times a year, depending on your skill level. These are generally set as "A" level meets or faster, on a "AAAA" to "C" scale. (First time, year-round swimmers generally fall between the "A" and "C" levels.) These commonly follow a trials/finals format, meaning you first swim in the morning and if you swim fast enough (place in the top sixteen,) you come back at night for the finals, "under the lights."
Meet procedures:
Eligibility - All meets are listed on the PVS website. The Meet Name link gives you the meet information. Note that not all swimmers attend meets at the same time. Meet sessions are comprised by age group and scheduled at different times of the day. The majority of meets for age groupers are two or three day meets. (i.e. - Saturday and Sunday or Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.)
- Entry - Coaches will forecast team meets and confirm entry with swimmers. Identify the meet on the website then make entry in person or email (email is best) by our team entry deadline, which is approximately 1 week before the deadline listed in the meet information. Entry fees are also listed in the meet info. and usually range from $3.00 - $5.00 per event. Total entry fee for each swimmer is due by the first day of the meet. Relay entries are paid for by the club.
- Location - Meet locations and directions can be found on the PVS website, through the Meet Location link.
- Meet Day - Arrive by warm-up time. If a swimmer's first event falls in the middle of the session or later, arrangements can be made to arrive later. When you enter the facility for other team members or a coach on the pool deck. As you attend more meets and become more familiar with the facilities in which we compete, you'll become accustomed to where we locate our team area on deck. Swimmers may visit with parents during the meet but should stay in the team area as much as possible. Parents are not allowed on deck during the meet.
- Equipment - Water. A couple pairs of goggles if possible, a swim cap for those with shoulder length hair or longer, a couple of towels, a book, deck of cards, gameboy, etc. Light snacks. Did I say water?
- Post meet - Once a swimmer has completed their events they are free to go. Any awards earned will be handed out at a subsequent practice.
- Types of meets
Open - Anyone registered USA is eligible. Swimmers have no qualifying standards to meet.
NFT - Entrants cannot be faster than a qualifying time.
NST - Entrants cannot be slower than a qualifying time.
Zone - Select
- Courses of Competition
Short Course - 25 yard pools. Mainly winter season for Age Group Swimming. (Remember: summer league competition is held in 25 meter pools so be careful when comparing times from summer to winter.)
- Long Course - 50 meter pools. Mainly summer season for Age Group Swimming.
- National/International - The vast majority of national and international competitions, such as Senior Nationals, US Open, Pan Ams, Pan Pacs, and the Olympics, are held in Long Course venues.
- Collegiate - NCAA swimming, at every level, competes Short Course. Even Division I NCAA's, often considered the fastest meet in the world, is traditionally held in Short Course.
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