How to develop and run a meet

� Choose a meet structure-what events and in what sequence, split session or continuous.� Once you�ve decided on what you want to offer to kids, build the meet on Meet Manager.� Suggestion: �never start meets with the fly, breast, IM or medley relay.� Start it with a freestyle, or free relay, followed with a free or back individual event.

� Send off for a meet sanction-as early as possible (2 months +). Make sure you have reserved the pool for the dates requested.� As soon as you get the sanction number back, mail out the invitation to all the clubs and email as attachment to the Webmaster to put on website.� Use the website to obtain current email addresses for all coaches and team contacts.

� Identify key positions and recruit people to fill them.� Have them commit to the meet and train them in their job, preferably before the morning of the meet!� This is very important for Concessions.� Contact a concessionaire (BJ�s Aquatics) to sell equipment.

� Order trophies/ribbons and work on sponsorships/heat awards.� Order DQ slips and deck cards if necessary.

When team entry data starts coming in (10 days before the meet)

� Load team data through Comm Link into Meet Manager.� Check the results (summary) of the Comm Link load with the team hard copy, and again in Meet Manager with the team hard copy to ensure all the data was accepted.� Hand enter data as needed. Check Exceptions Report.

� Run a Psych Sheet from Meet Program report.� Look at the fastest and slowest time in each event to see if it is a �reasonable� time (21.05 for a 100IM; 3:51.32 for a 50 free?)� If it isn�t, call/email the team contact and get it corrected.� Once you�ve purged all the data and have received all corrections form the teams, send it to the printer.� You�ll need about 80% of the total number of swimmers, which includes 20 or so free ones for coaches and officials.� You may post psych sheets on the web site (email the Webmaster).

� Check the Fee Schedule to see if teams paid the proper amount.

� Check the Max # of entries per day per swimmer.

� Create a warm-up schedule.� Give each session at least 20 minutes and try to keep as few swimmers as possible in a lane (7-8).� When you write the meet invitation, build in 1 hour for warm-ups.� This will give you 3-20 minute� or 2-30 minute warm-up sessions.

� Print out a Meet Roster with swimmer ID Numbers (fax to Gashlers), and an Events List for the data entry person.� They may come in handy.

� Print out� Team Information and Lane Timer assignments for the announcer.

� Develop a script for the Announcer.

� Print out Session data for a time line.

� Run off deck cards or timer sheets by lane.

� Identify events that may be combined.� This is the jurisdiction of the Meet Referee, but a prior scan helps.� Once he/she concurs with you, change the timer cards to reflect lane assignment changes and make sure you notify Clock/Computer operators of the changes.� Post the changes, to include the lane reassignments, in the hospitality room for coaches to see.

� Collect administrative supplies as needed:� batteries for radios and stop watches, paper clips, pencils for timers, printer paper, etc.� Ensure you have a �� BACK-UP COMPUTER AND PRINTER,� either on hand or identified and quickly available.

The night before the meet

� Coordinate with the Pool Manager for equipment set-up and pool temperature (79-81 degrees F.)

� Set up your computer and set out needed equipment-watches and clip boards, gun or bells for long races, tables for clerical and Clerk of Course, signs posted, chairs set out, trophies places, etc.

The morning of the meet

� Put on a happy face (you�ll need it).� The meet actually belongs to the Meet Referee at this point, and he must first approve any changes to the program.� The two of you need to work very closely together to ensure a smoothly run meet.

� Field identified problems-coaches coming up with kids in the wrong events or not entered at all.� Have the team�s hard copy entry data available to see if it was your entry problem or a problem with the team not entering data correctly.� Regardless of who�s problem it is, we want kids to swim, if possible, but we don�t deck seed.� NEVER, NEVER� re-seed an event.� You open Pandora�s box with that move. Be creative in getting kids wet, but first bounce your ideas off the Referee.

� Have a Scratch Box by the Clerk of Course, and direct coaches there for scratches.� Get this information to the Deck Referee as soon as possible, preferably before the heat reports to the blocks. This speeds up the meet.

During the meet

� Oversee all meet operations.� Pay close attention to the Clerk of Course and the process of getting kids to the blocks efficiently and rapidly.� As soon as one heat is off the blocks, get the next heat behind them.� If there is not an Administrative Referee working timer cards, make sure official times are being properly entered in the computer.

� Back up data frequently.

� Post event results and run ribbon labels.� Field problems identified with event results when coaches/parents bring them to your attention.

� After the last event is swum, get team/individual scores run off so trophies can be given out.� Give the award presenter a copy of the winners so he/she can annotate who needs a new trophy plate in the case of a tie.

� Have data entry person start loading Comm Link meet results onto team disks so results can be loaded into their Team Manager files.� Announce that teams need to pick up their ribbons and disks before they depart. It�s a pain to mail them out.

� Send the records chair an attached e-mail file with all Meet Manager Data on it, or a Meet Manager Back-up disk, so the results can be posted on the WSI web site.� Hopefully this will preclude the need for mailing out hard copy meet results as identified in the sanction approval by the Age Group Chair.

� Write up an �After Action� report, identifying everything that went well and areas where improvement can be made, for the next time either your or some other poor soul will have your job.