Swim moms, what do your kids use to track their times?

[Alte Veste Academy]

DS10 wants to begin tracking his times, places at meets, training, etc. I figured Googling for a log book would be a quick solution, but I was surprised that I really didn't find anything. I'm thinking of something like a dive log. Waterproof would be helpful, especially for this kid. Anyway, I would love recommendations.

[mlktwins]

My boys are newly 8 and it's our first year. I'm doing one for them and just created a little Excel spreadsheet for each event. It has their time, place, and points earned for each meet (all the freestyle times are together, etc). If they are in relay, I put what team they are on (A, B or C) and the boys on that team (these have changed on us all season). I put if they DQ and why. I also note next to each event whether they won a heat ribbon or earned a time improvement ribbon. I enjoy doing it, but I'm pretty anal though. Must be the accounting background in me :-). The boys love looking at it though.

 

I can email it to you if you PM your email address.

[Alte Veste Academy]

My boys are newly 8 and it's our first year. I'm doing one for them and just created a little Excel spreadsheet for each event. It has their time, place, and points earned for each meet (all the freestyle times are together, etc). If they are in relay, I put what team they are on (A, B or C) and the boys on that team (these have changed on us all season). I put if they DQ and why. I also note next to each event whether they won a heat ribbon or earned a time improvement ribbon. I enjoy doing it, but I'm pretty anal though. Must be the accounting background in me :-). The boys love looking at it though.

 

I can email it to you if you PM your email address.

I like all the different things you are logging! Thanks! Some hadn't even occurred to me. DS is ready for the responsibility though (whereas I do not need another on my already overflowing plate, LOL), so I was hoping for a physical notebook he could keep in his swim bag and maintain on his own.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

AMDG

 

Clearly your son's swim bag is a completely different kind of habitat than my daughter's.

 

That being the case it seem like a grade book could be converted to the purpose. You could also print the excell sheets and bind (binder, comb, et c).

 

But to answer the question, no, I havent seem a swim log.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Well, he has a bag with a section for wet and dry, but yes, the habitat being wet was why I was specically hoping for something waterproof. :lol:

 

I did find something just now when I thought to search for "waterproof notebook" instead of "swim log." I think it will suit him perfectly!

 

http://www.riteintherain.com/category.asp?Id={654E2183-E5F5-466C-912C-97B400866A48}

 

ETA: This one looks particularly well-suited to logging swim stats: http://www.amazon.com/Rite-In-The-Rain-Notebook/dp/B001H8VL8E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1L3BJ0UCBCU9&coliid=I31W40ACIENIDN .

 

I'm still all ears for logs specifically made for swimming though, or more suggestions for what he should log.

[NCMom]

Swim2000.com has them and likely other swim retailers do also. My kids have always just used the US Swim database or written it on a heat sheet directly after. We are not the most organized, clearly, lol.

hth,
Georgia

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Swim2000.com has them and likely other swim retailers do also. My kids have always just used the US Swim database or written it on a heat sheet directly after. We are not the most organized, clearly, lol.

 

Hath,

Georgia

 

That's what we do.  Dad writes times and notes b/c the coach doesn't like the kids to have the heat sheets.  Then we gabble about them over post meet ravenous calorie consumption.

 

We don't even save them. blush. 

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Well, he has a bag with a section for wet and dry, but yes, the habitat being wet was why I was specically hoping for something waterproof. :lol:

 

I did find something just now when I thought to search for "waterproof notebook" instead of "swim log." I think it will suit him perfectly!

 

http://www.riteintherain.com/category.asp?Id={654E2183-E5F5-466C-912C-97B400866A48}

 

ETA: This one looks particularly well-suited to logging swim stats: http://www.amazon.com/Rite-In-The-Rain-Notebook/dp/B001H8VL8E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1L3BJ0UCBCU9&coliid=I31W40ACIENIDN .

 

I'm still all ears for logs specifically made for swimming though, or more suggestions for what he should log.

ADMG

 

OH!  I didn't even get all the way to waterproof before I fell out of my chair at swim bag + log book!  Sorry!

 

Do you ever wonder if a new life form will emerge one day?

[Alte Veste Academy]

Swim2000.com has them and likely other swim retailers do also. My kids have always just used the US Swim database or written it on a heat sheet directly after. We are not the most organized, clearly, lol.

Hath,

Georgia

 

Thanks! Swim2000 had some cheap ones. I think maybe I do need to look at a local store. I do so much buying online I figured I could find anything and was surprised when it wasn't easy. :tongue_smilie:

 

That's what we do. Dad writes times and notes b/c the coach doesn't like the kids to have the heat sheets. Then we gabble about them over post meet ravenous calorie consumption.

 

We don't even save them. blush.

 

 

Yes, the kids never do have the heat sheets, and DH or I write their times and places at the meet. (Speaking of, we do have a real ribbon problem though. So many unlabeled ribbons! Argh! :willy_nilly:) So far I have been keeping them all, and I am getting weary of the sheer quantity of them laying around. The fact that they are almost always a bit bulgy and crumply from having been wet then dried certainly doesn't make for tidy storage. LOL DS doesn't want to let them go but agreed that it would be enough to keep track of the results before tossing them. Since it is paramount to always be primarily racing against your own best time, DH and I think it's a great idea for him to keep a record as a motivational tool. Anyway, this prompted the idea of keeping a formal record book. He's already a big fan of journaling, so this seems like a natural evolution for him.

 

ADMG

 

OH! I didn't even get all the way to waterproof before I fell out of my chair at swim bag + log book! Sorry!

 

Do you ever wonder if a new life form will emerge one day?

I think new life forms possibly emerge every day from swim bags! ;) :D

[Corbster98]

My son has his memorized but I start to get the times mixed up especially between long and short course seasons. We keep up with it on the heat sheets- write the new times down and also regularly check USA swimming. I do have a printed sheet that is in a page protector that he keeps in his swim bag of the motivational times ( B-AAAA times). We also keep printed copies of the state champs qualifying times, as well as sectional and Jr. National qualifying times to reference.

[Swimtaxi234]

If your son is swimming in a USA Swimming sanctioned meet, you might get lucky to have the Meet Mobile app work. If the pool has WiFi for the instant uploads for MM, you might also find the USA swimming Deck Pass Plus a good option, but that one isn't a free app like Meet Mobile.

[Alte Veste Academy]

My son has his memorized but I start to get the times mixed up especially between long and short course seasons. We keep up with it on the heat sheets- write the new times down and also regularly check USA swimming. I do have a printed sheet that is in a page protector that he keeps in his swim bag of the motivational times ( B-AAAA times). We also keep printed copies of the state champs qualifying times, as well as sectional and Jr. National qualifying times to reference.

Thanks. I just printed the motivational times for him the other day. DS does have some of his times memorized, but it is starting to get fuzzy when sometimes it's 25/50/100. Plus he does IM and wants to track times for each stroke in those races. He's also interested in tracking total swimming yards in practices. I think it's really cool to see him take this kind of initiative.

 

If your son is swimming in a USA Swimming sanctioned meet, you might get lucky to have the Meet Mobile app work. If the pool has WiFi for the instant uploads for MM, you might also find the USA swimming Deck Pass Plus a good option, but that one isn't a free app like Meet Mobile.

Thanks for mentioning these! I think DH will like them. DS does not have any sort of device with apps yet though.

[Swimtaxi234]

I wanted to add that I make myself a cheat sheet before every meet so I don't have to hold on to the meet sheet. 

 

I create a simple table that has 5 columns going across with the following headings:  

 

Event     Heat/Lane     Seed Time    State Time      result

 

"Event"  - I put the event number and event name (#3   100 free)

 

Heat - I leave this blank and fill it in after looking at a heat sheet

 

Seed time - I bold the seed time if it has already achieved a state time and put  A, AA, etc. next to the time 

 

State time - I keep the state time listed for that event

 

Results - I leave the column blank to add the time

 

 

Under this chart, I keep a USA Swimming Motivational Times chart with all of the events for A, AA, AAA, AAAA times.  The size of these charts together is only half of a 8.5x11 page, so once I cut out the charts, I fold them in half and then that in half.  It fits nicely in my pocket with a pen and it frees up my hands to film or cheer.

[MarinesWife]

As for ribbons, this year I got my kids a scrapbook, and they make a page for their ribbons, cutting off the backs, and glueing the results below the ribbon.  Then they add a few pictures from that meet, along with where and the date.  I do not do this!  They do it all.  Even the 5 year old does her own.  Her scrapbook.  :)  I just have to print pictures.  But this way there are not ribbons stacked everywhere ... and the walls are not covered anymore in ribbons.  :)  With 5 in swim it was too much.

[zimom]

If your son is swimming in a USA Swimming sanctioned meet, you might get lucky to have the Meet Mobile app work. If the pool has WiFi for the instant uploads for MM, you might also find the USA swimming Deck Pass Plus a good option, but that one isn't a free app like Meet Mobile.

 

Just curious, what is the advantage of Deck Pass PLUS over the free Deck Pass when it comes to looking at or tracking times?

 

Can I add additional times?  My daughter swims in disability meets in addition to USA meets.  

[twoxcell]

I don't keep track. :leaving: I just searched the USA swimming website and what do you know his times are right on there. lol

[Swimtaxi234]

 

Just curious, what is the advantage of Deck Pass PLUS over the free Deck Pass when it comes to looking at or tracking times?

 

Can I add additional times?  My daughter swims in disability meets in addition to USA meets.

 

I got rid of both the free Deck Pass and the DP Plus because I couldn't easily switch between my children and because as a deck offical, it messed up my account, but my girlfriend loves to use Deck Pass Plus instead of Meet Mobile.

 

While I had DP Plus, I remember liking the extra features over the free DP app, but I can't remember what those features were since it seems like everything I want is always on Meet Mobile - if the meet has wifi.

 

I don't know about adding additional times, but hopefully someone can offer some help.