A Meet Hosting Culture Can Start with One Person

Last updated on February 6th, 2023 at 03:47 pm

Who should host swim meets? As many clubs as possible. Why?  Because swim meets are essential in competitive swimming. Meets can benefit not only swimmers but also the meet host. Even if teams don’t yet have a meet hosting capacity, they can still benefit from developing a swim meet hosting culture. Parents of newer and younger athletes are more likely to attend meets held closer to home.  If a team has access to a pool where they practice, they have a potential meet venue.  All swim teams can benefit from developing a meet hosting culture, even those who feel they could never host a meet.

Swim Meet Hosting Culture

So what is a swim meet hosting culture? Simply put, it’s a team culture that values swim meets and the idea of hosting them. It’s a way of thinking and behaving as a result of a shared value or attitude. The culture of a swim club can develop unintentionally or deliberately. Team leaders can take steps to change, or develop, the prevailing culture. Consider the following questions and discuss them with team leaders.  You may discover some areas where your team could make improvements.

Attitudes

• Does my team urge members to attend swim meets and encourage parents to work as timers or officials?

Actions

• Does my club host swim meets?
  • If yes:
    • Is there room for improvement?  If so, where? How?
    • Are there more types of meets that could be hosted? (Example: larger meets (increased number of athletes, events and/or sessions), smaller or more local meets (for newer and/or younger swimmers), USA Swimming National Certification Officials Qualifying Meets (OQM), etc.)

Leadership

• Do my team policies support swim meet hosting? (Example: Is there a team or meet volunteer policy?)
• Is the importance of swim meets and progressing towards meet hosting regularly discussed in club leadership meetings?
  • Include a discussion on how your organization can Overcome Obstacles to Running Swim Meets.
• Does my team budget support meet hosting?  (Examples:  Is money earmarked to buy and/or replace needed equipment? It could be a regular line item in the budget or a reason to do a fundraiser. Are team officials registration fees paid for by the club?)
• Is the value of swim meets, and meet hosting, woven into the team structure?
  • Turnover and youth sports go hand in hand because there will always be new swimmers coming in and others going out.  Parent volunteers, leaders, board members and sometimes coaches, change regularly too.  Because of this regular turnover, weaving the value of meets and meet hosting throughout the team structure is more effective at building a meet hosting culture than a one-time “push.”
  • What is team structure? It includes:
    • Places where parents and swimmers interact with the organization, things like parent meetings, applications, team emails, coach-swimmer and coach-parent interaction, team administrator-parent interaction, parties, award or recognition nights, etc.
    • Places where club leadership meet or convey information including coach meetings, board meetings, policies and procedures, handbooks, team development, interaction with facility management, etc.

Swim Meet Hosting Mentality

One person can make a difference.  If a club leader (coach, influential parent or another) believes that meet hosting is important s/he can start to develop a meet hosting culture even if none, or little, now exists.  Start by developing and sharing a swim meet hosting mentality. A mentality is a way of thinking or the ability to think and learn.

Overcoming Discouragement

Do you perceive a large gap between where your team is in regards to meet hosting and where you would like them to be?  Do you see the many benefits that result from hosting meets, but stand alone in your wish to move towards hosting, or hosting more or different types of meets because it’s not being done (or done well) in your club? If you feel like the goal of hosting swim meets is on one side of a deep, steep-walled canyon and you stand on the other, remember this:  Bridges are not built from the middle out.  Start where you are and do what you can.  Keep, and build, your meet hosting mentality. Then, do what you can to help others build one too. As you do, you can move from one person with a meet hosting mentality, to two or more. Together, you can then work towards developing a meet hosting culture and capacity.

Actions that Develop a Swim Meet Hosting Mentality:

• Learn more about hosting swim meets. HostGreatMeets.com has a lot of content on this topic. Governing body websites may also have information.
• Encourage team parents to become swim meet officials (both deck and admin) and to work meets.
• Learn the governing body rules and regulations in regard to meet hosting.
• Build or develop a good working relationship with the facility management where your club practices.
• Talk with meet hosts, or local swim leaders, outside your team about hosting meets.
  • Learn from them
  • What about working together to give more meet opportunities to swimmers? If possible, collaborate.
• Encourage club leaders to regularly earmark fund to buy meet hosting equipment and supplies.
• Regularly discuss swim meets and meet hosting in your club leadership meetings, include:
  • The benefits of hosting swim meets
  • What does your team need to host a meet?
  • What obstacles to hosting meets and how can they be mitigated or overcome?

Swim Meet Hosting Capacity

Capacity describes the ability to do something. Don’t despair if your team does not yet have the capacity to host swim meets.  Your team can develop it.  Individuals can begin by cultivating a meet hosting mentality and organizations can work to build a meet hosting culture. Swimmers are the greatest beneficiaries when we do.

Related post: Institutional Knowledge: Keep and Share it

For more on the benefits of hosting meets, read 7 Reasons Why Your Swim Team Should Host Meets, a post on SwimSwam.com.