Coaches would like the swimmers to practice "starting", in the manner which is used during meets. This entails the setting up of the timing system and starting buzzer, as well as the scoreboard. The swimmers will practice, during their normal practice time, following the direction of the meet starter; there is a sequence of whistles and the swimmers will learn what each whistle is telling them. They will have the option to start off the blocks if they are comfortable with it. The starter will announce "take your mark", then will start the race by sounding the buzzer. This practice will let the swimmers experience what they will do during meets; to alleviate confusion and to expose them to the starting process. If you don't know about starter, blocks, or are confused in any way, come to this practice!

Not only does this benefit the swimmer, it benefits the volunteers who use the equipment during home meets. This is the first day we take everything out of the shed since last season. This is an opportunity to make sure everything is still working, fix what needs fixing, and to refresh our brains :-)