Before the gala

• Please make sure you have plenty of sleep the night before - best to avoid any sleepovers !

• Make sure you have eaten during the day - you won’t perform very well on an empty stomach.

• Be prepared! Pack your bag the day before if you have an early start.

Arriving at a gala

• Always arrive in plenty of time to get changed before the start of the warm-up.

• If you are going to an away gala, make sure you know where the pool is and whether there is parking available nearby.

Things to take with you

• Extra towel or t-shirt and shorts to help you to keep warm during the gala.

• Goggles, hat and costume/trunks

• Plenty to drink but not fizzy drinks or glass bottles

• Light snacks, fruit, nuts etc preferably not sugary sweets - if you are there for the day you will need a packed lunch as well.

During the gala

• Wear a club hat when competing please.

• Always listen to your steward/team manager/coach and do what is asked of you.

• You will be told where to sit whilst waiting for your events;

Initially this will be somewhere poolside with your teammates and friends. Before your event the coach or team manager will tell you to get ready and report to the marshals. Your team manger will take you to this point if you don’t know where it is. Here you give your name and the marshal will tick you off their list and tell you where to sit. There will be a line of chairs, or a bench, usually with some numbers on the wall over each seat. These correspond to the lanes, so you will be asked to sit in a row under the number of the lane you will be swimming in. As each race starts, all the swimmers will get up and move along to the next bench/row remaining in the same order i.e under the same number, so by the time you go up to starting blocks you walk up in a line in the correct order for the lanes. All the time there are marshals checking you are in the correct place.

Once at the end of the lane, the official (person in white) will ask your name, again to make sure you are in the right lane.

• Remember you are representing Ashbourne and your behavior reflects on the reputation of the Club.

• Let your team manager know if you need to leave the pool side area for any reason - even if its just to see someone in the viewing area - we need to know where everyone is so we can be sure you are ready and prepared for your race.

• Eat light snacks during the event but not immediately before a race.

• The team captains there also usually there for support and any help you made need as well as the team managers and stewards.

• MOST of all ENJOY & don’t worry!