The basic items needed are a racing suit and a pair of competition goggles. Going to your local sporting goods store or paying the equivalent per inch of fabric as Tokyo real estate for a first suit is not the way to start. Your team usually will sell you a team suit at the start or you can check out invitational meets where vendors are set up with reasonable prices. Also, don't be afraid to ask a returning parent - they are a source of good tips .A competition suit is designed to fit snugly in the front and back so that the swimmer can be as sleek as she or he can be. Buying a suit so that the swimmer can wear it for more than a year is not recommended. Suits that are too large will only bag and slow your child down during competition. 

For girls, a suit should feature a high neckline and closed beck. For boys, the suit will be in the briefs style. Baggy shorts are not recommended since they create too much drag and will slow down a swimmer. If that reasoning doesn't work, let your son go to practice in his shorts, eventually he will pickup the idea from his fellow teammates .Unless you are the worlds greatest picker upper of your child's stuff, it is highly recommended that an extra suit be purchased. Otherwise, on the day of a meet or on your way to a meet, you will discover that your child has 1) left his suit at practice: 2) doesn't remember ever owning one; or 3)has been composting his suit in his bag since last week .

Goggles protect the eyes from chlorine and help your child see underwater. There are many types and styles. It tends to be a matter of personal choice. The longest lasting goggles are those with rubber-like gaskets. A good pair has soft gaskets that conform around the eye sockets. "Swedish" style goggles (a hard plastic goggle that sits inside the eye socket) are not recommended for beginners. For first time swimmers who have difficulty with rubber gaskets, a pair with foam gaskets might work. Anti-Fog goggles have a coating that reduce Fogging. The coating degrades with time, but your Child will have lost his goggles way before then. For those goggles without the coating try dipping them in water or applying a little saliva before putting them on. For new swimmers, goggles will also allow them to swim with their eyes open. This gives them greater confidence in he water The coach will help them adjust the goggles and teach them how to dive so that their goggles stay over their eyes and not their nose.