🏊♂️ Welcome to
Competitive Swimming
A Parent’s Guide to Life at Hanover Swim Club
Whether your swimmer is just starting out or entering the competitive stream, this guide is here to help you feel confident, informed, and part of the HSC family. From practices to meets, time standards to team spirit—here’s what you need to know.
📚 How Swimming Works in Ontario
Competitive swimming in Ontario is governed by Swim Ontario, under the umbrella of Swimming Canada. When you join Hanover Swim Club, your swimmer is registered as a competitive athlete with both organizations.
Swim Clubs (like HSC) offer training and local programming
Swim Ontario manages provincial competitions and rules
Swimming Canada sets national standards and rankings
🏊♀️ Program Structure
We offer several training streams based on age and readiness:
Swim School & Learn-to-Swim – Building confidence, safety, and basic technique
Developmental & Pre-Competitive – Focused on refining stroke technique and introducing competition
Competitive & Performance – Multi-session training for swimmers attending regular meets and chasing time standards
Group placement is based on skill, maturity, and coach recommendations.
🗓️ Training Season Overview
Our swim season typically runs from late September to July, with seasonal variation by group:
Swim School & Developmental Groups usually wrap up by late May or early June
Competitive & Performance swimmers may train into July if they qualify for championship meets
Practice schedules are shared in advance and updated as needed. Coaches may also include dryland training.
🏋️♀️ Practices: What to Expect
Swimming is a technique-heavy sport—regular practice builds endurance, skill, and confidence.
What to Bring:
Swimsuit
Goggles
Water bottle
Towel
Group-specific equipment (fins, kickboard, etc.)
HSC cap – Not just for long hair! All swimmers are encouraged to wear caps to get used to them for meets and warm-ups
Parent Tips:
Aim to arrive early—warm-up matters!
Let swimmers carry their own bags to encourage responsibility
Encourage effort and commitment over perfection
🏆 What Competitive Swimming Looks Like
Swimmers will progress at different paces, and that’s okay. Here’s the general pathway:
Developmental Meets – Short sessions, close to home, beginner-friendly
Invitational Meets – Hosted by other clubs, often with qualifying times
Championship Meets – For swimmers who hit time standards
Coaches track swimmer progress and will guide families when athletes are ready for these levels.
🗓️ Short Course vs. Long Course Seasons
The swim year is split into two main seasons:
Short Course Season (SCM) – Runs from September to February, with races held in 25-metre pools. This is the most common pool format for younger or newer swimmers.
Long Course Season (LCM) – Runs from March to July, with meets held in 50-metre Olympic-sized pools. This format is used in national and international competitions, and it’s typical for championship meets like OAG & OSC.
Swimmers compete in both seasons, and times are tracked separately for short course and long course. The switch to long course often brings new challenges and opportunities for growth.
🗓️ The Swim Meet Experience
Meets are a chance to test what’s learned in practice. Here’s what you’ll see on a heat sheet or Meet Mobile:
📄 Event – A specific race (e.g., 100m Freestyle, Girls 11 & Under)
🔥 Heat – Each event is divided into heats based on seed times
🛶 Lane – Assigned lane for your swimmer
⏱️ Seed Time – Best previous time used for placement
Your swimmer might race in a 25m (short course) or 50m (long course) pool. Events include:
Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly
Individual Medley (IM) – All four strokes in one race
Relays – Teams of four; freestyle or medley format
📱 What is Meet Mobile?
Meet Mobile is a handy app used at most meets. It provides:
Real-time race results
Event heat/lane assignments
Rankings and personal best tracking
Some features require a paid subscription, but the basic version is still useful. Our website is also a great place to look for the heat sheets. Check under EVENTS and when they become available we will post them there.
📝 Qualifying Times
As swimmers improve, they may reach official time standards that allow them to enter higher-level meets like Regionals, OAGs, or OSCs. These qualifying times are set by Swim Ontario and Swimming Canada and vary based on age, gender, event, and course (short course or long course).
Time standards are updated each season and shared by coaches, here are some relevant time standards.
Huronia Regional Time Standards
OSC Time Standards 2025
Progress toward these goals is celebrated, but swimmers are never pressured—development comes first.
📌 Want to follow your swimmer’s progress?
Check out geekswimmers.com to search upcoming meet standards or view time conversions. You can also visit swimrankings.net to find your swimmer’s personal bests, rankings, and progress over time.
📍 What Are Regional Meets?
Regional Meets happen twice a year—once during the short course season and again in the long course season. These meets bring together swimmers from across our region and are typically one of the first major goals for developing competitive swimmers.
They’re a great way to gain racing experience and represent the club at a broader level
Some events may have qualifying times, while others are open to all
Coaches aim to have as many eligible swimmers attend as possible
These meets are fun, team-focused, and a great chance for your swimmer to build confidence and measure progress.
🏆 Championship Meets: What’s the Difference Between OAG and OSC?
As swimmers progress, they may qualify for provincial championship meets. At Hanover Swim Club, you’ll hear two common terms: OAG and OSC.
OAG (Ontario Age Group Championships) is a mid-season championship meet, typically in February. It’s a great stepping stone where swimmers compete by age and focus on improving under regular training conditions. Qualified swimmers attend this meet as their first big provincial competition.
OSC (Ontario Swimming Championships) is the end-of-season championship in July. It’s a more advanced, high-performance meet. Swimmers must meet stricter qualifying times & have at least two qualifying times. This meet often includes Ontario’s top swimmers preparing for national competitions.
Both meets are incredible accomplishments. Think of OAG as a development milestone and OSC as the next level up in the competitive journey.
🧠 Common Swim Terms
DQ (Disqualification): A rules violation (e.g., incorrect turn). Not a failure—just part of learning
Seed Time: A swimmer’s fastest recorded time used for meet placement
IM: Individual Medley (Butterfly–Backstroke–Breaststroke–Freestyle)
Heat: One group of swimmers racing within an event
Lane Assignment: Where a swimmer will race
Relay: A team of four swimmers each completing a portion of the race
🧳 What to Pack for a Meet
Racing suit + backup
HSC cap + spare
Goggles + backup pair
2–3 towels
Flip-flops/slides
Warm clothing for between races (sweatpants, hoodie)
Healthy snacks (eat off-deck)
Water bottle
Highlighters or pens (to mark heat sheets)
Optional: Meet Mobile app
💬 Your Role as a Swim Parent
You don’t have to know the difference between breaststroke and butterfly to be a great swim parent. Here’s what helps most:
✅ Encourage regular attendance
✅ Celebrate effort and personal bests
✅ Let the coach give race feedback
✅ Stay upbeat—even after a tough swim
✅ Volunteer when you can (timing, officiating, fundraising)
✅ Encourage swimmers to sit with the team—not in the stands with you
❤️ Final Words
Competitive swimming is more than just racing—it's about growth, goal-setting, and team spirit. Every swimmer’s journey is unique, and every lap is progress.
If you have questions, we’re always here to help!