About Invitationals
Invitational Meets are meets Forest Park attends and competes in as a team, by invitation of the host team. Unlike regular dual meets, invitationals have many teams competing and may last more than one day. As they are a fundraiser for each host team, they cost money to compete.
Invitationals are fun events with each one having a unique aspect. By and large most invitationals are larger than a normal meet, and require a swimmer to go to the "clerk of the course" to check in for their race. They may also sell programs (typically for $10) and have vendors food available on site.
Unlike regular dual meets, Invitationals cost money to compete in (typically $15-$40) and entries are final once submitted. If your swimmer attends an invitation the parent will be assigned a job (usually timer) for part of it which does not count to your work assignment totals.
With exception of City Meet, athletes must “sign-in” by the specified date. Note: Often entries are due for these particular meets 2-3 weeks in advance so please pay special attention to the “SIGN-IN BY…date.”
Invitationals
Below is the list of invitationals Forest Park has been invited to for the 2025 summer season.
Bishop Bash
Monday June 9Bishop Bash is hosted by Bishop Estates Swim Team and is only for swimmers aged 8 and under. Swimmers compete only against swimmers the same age as them. For each heat winner ribbons will be issued. This ia great event for our younger swimmers to get a taste of an invitational in a smaller, less scary setting. Note: This event uses children as timers, and as such the times do not count as a County Qualifying event.
Middle Ages Invitational
Monday June 16Hosted by Gehringer Park Swim Team, this invitational is strictly for swimmers ages 9 to 14. Unlike in a regular meet, each swimmer only swims against children of their exact age, rather than in age groups. At the end, instead of a Free Relay, there is a Middle Age Relay where the team races to build a knight suit. Note: this meet has deceptively similar order of events to a regular meet, but their fly and back events are in reverse order. The order is - Medley Relay, IM, Free, Breast, Fly, Back, Middle Age Relay.
Devil Mountain Pentathlon
Saturday June 21 - Sunday June 22The Devil Mountain Pentathlon, hosted by Dana Hills, is all about the individual swimmer. There are no relays, but each swimmer swims every individual stroke. Ribbons and medals are awarded for best combined time of those five strokes. In a unique twist, the order of events is reversed from a regular swim meet starting with butterfly and ending with IM. Instead of IM, swimmers 6 and under will swim a 50 free.
This is an excellent opportunity to see your swimmers progress in the strokes they generally don't swim.
Order of events (9-10 age group may shift days):
Saturday (8&u and 9-10 girls) - Fly, Back, Breast, Free, IM
Sunday (11 and up and 9-10 boys) - Fly, Back, Breast, Free, IM
Battle of the Ages
Saturday June 28 - Sunday June 29Hosted by Pleasant Hill Dolfins, the events in this two day meet are set by the exact age of the swimmer. It is a perfect meet for swimmers in their down year to see how they match against their peers. More details, including the schedule, can be found at the official website
East County Invitational
Saturday July 12 - Sunday July 13Hosted by Antioch Delta Skimmers, this meet is held at a high school with what is known as a "fast pool" and excellent competition. It is a great opportunity for the swimmer to pop their times towards the end of the season.
Order of events:
Saturday - Kickboard Races for Littles, IM (7-8, and 9-10), 50 Free (15-18), Fly, Back, Medley Relay
Sunday - IM (11-12, 13-15, 15-18), Breast, Free, Free Relay
City Meet Invitational
Friday July 25 - Sunday July 27For most families, the City Meet is the last meet of the year. It is the high note to end the season with. It is the big Kahuna, the only three day meet. All the Concord teams participate, as well as several other teams from surrounding communities. The events are split into A and B divisions based on entry time. All but IM have preliminary races with top 10 advancing to the finals. The B division allows those swimmers who may not always place in regular meets to feel a sense of accomplishment and a chance to earn a medal. Because City Meet is an essential part of the season, the Forest Park team covers the entry fee, and all swimmers are assumed to participate unless they sign out. The meet is organized by a committee of all the teams, so everyone is expected to work at least one job shift.
Order of Events:
Friday Evening - 50 Free (15-18), IM
Saturday Morning - Fly & Free Prelims
Saturday Afternoon - Fly & Free Finals, Medley Relays
Sunday Morning - Breast & Back Prelims
Sunday Afternoon - Breast & Back Finals, Free Relays
Contra Costa County Meet
Saturday August 2 - Sunday August 3The County Meet, hosted by LMYA, is the ultimate invitational. The best swimmers in the county come together in what is likely the fastest recreational meet in the country. In the beginning of the season, county qualifying times will be released. Only swimmers who achieve those times may compete. Should a swimmer qualify for the county swim, they will receive a golden cap to mark their tremendous achievement.
For this event, a swimmer is limited to two individual events and two relays. The fee for this event is covered by the team, and the qualifiers will be invited to a special breakfast to celebrate their achievement.
Order of Events:
Saturday Morning - 50 Free (15-18), Free and Breast Prelims, IM (11-12, 13-14, 15-18) Finals
Saturday Afternoon - 50 Free (15-18) Finals, Medley Relay, Free and Breast Finals
Sunday Morning - Back & Fly Prelims, IM (7-8, 9-10) Finals
Sunday Afternoon - Free Relay, Back & Fly Finals