FAQ Page for Swim Meet Directors

Last updated on May 10th, 2021 at 04:20 pm

Swim Meet Directors have questions. This FAQ page helps direct them to answers. Do you have other questions?  Ask them in the comments section below.

Common Swim Meet Director FAQ’s

What am I supposed to do as a meet director?

The answer to this question depends on the “meeting hosting system” already in place. You’ll definitely want to talk with a leader (coach, team administrator, board president) in the host organization.  But sometimes it’s hard to even know what to ask. Reading the posts below may help answer some questions and help clarify what to ask.

• Meet directors make sure the “Must Haves” are in place. See Swim Meet Must Haves: Needs vs. Wants for more.
• Next, use the Swim Meet To Do List. Read through it completely. Cross off things you aren’t doing. Mark items you question, and then start looking for answers. A lot of general information is available on HostGreatMeets.com. Find local answers by asking team leadership, the local governing body, officials and possibly neighboring team leaders if needed.

Do I need be aware of any rules or regulations?

Yes. Find out more from the governing body — the organization which sets up the rules and regulations for its membership. The coach, or person who asked you to be a meet director, can probably tell you who is the governing body for your league or group.

How do I help provide safety for all attending the meet?

Begin by reading Increasing Safety at Swim Meets, then review other posts in the Safety category for more ideas and resources. The USA Swimming Safe Sport and Managing Your Teams web pages are also good resources. On the “Team Management” page, scroll down to the Risk Management and Insurance section.

How do I get swim meet officials?

The post Officials: 20+ Ways to Get Them for Swim Meets gives both short-term and long-term answers to this question.

I know I need timers and officials.  Are other people needed?

Yes.  See Swim Meet Workers: How Many Do You Need? for more information.

How can I get timers, and others, to help run the swim meet?

The series Got Timers? 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers answers this question and others related to swim meet volunteer recruiting and retention.

We just lost a key person who used to help run our swim meets. What can we do?

This is one reason HostGreatMeets.com was created: to help people learn how to host and run swim meets. Find someone willing to help, then use this website and your local resources to help enable them to do it. Use the site categories and tags to find needed. Then, share the posts with your new person.

Can’t find someone to help? Read the post, Help Needed! Get More Willing and Able Volunteers and posts in the category, Get Help.

How do I get a swimming pool?

The post, Swimming Pool: Get One for a Swim Meet answers this and other facility related questions.

What equipment do we need to run a swim meet?

The answer varies from meet to meet, however, the post, Swim Meet Equipment and Supplies Overview has a large equipment and supplies list and other information on this topic.

We had problems at past meets, any suggestions?

Search HostGreatMeets.com to find ideas and resources to address past problems. The post, Overcoming Obstacles to Running Swim Meets may also help.

I’m new. Where do I start?

Reading the posts in the QuickStart category is a good place to begin. As are the Swim Meet To Do List and the Who Does What pages.

We lost money on our last meet. Is there anything we can do to avoid this on future meets?

To run in the black, meet hosts need to generate more income than they spend. Therefore, it’s important to develop and use a meet budget. To balance the bottom line, you can decrease expenses, increase income, or both. Posts in Financial and Food categories address swim meet finances, including possible ways to both increase meet income and decrease the relatively large, discretionary expense of hospitality.

Are you an experienced swim meet director with additional answers to these FAQ’s or others?

Please add to the HostGreatMeets.com knowledge pool. Sharing your experience and ideas helps others.