Last updated on March 28th, 2023 at 06:29 pm
Looking for ways to improve swim meets? Get and use feedback. Here are some practical ideas on how.
Contents for Feedback: Get, and Use It, to Improve Swim Meets
Getting Feedback
To get feedback, simply ask a question or questions. Then, listen to, or read, the answer. There are many ways to do this.
Who to ask?
You can ask anyone associated with the meet for input. However, if you’re limited on time focus on key people.
- Meet Referee
- Administrative Referee or Official
- Meet Host Leadership (The meet host is often a club or team. Leadership might include the head coach, team captain, board president or member, team administrator, etc.)
- Meet Leadership (i.e. head of hospitality, volunteer coordinator, etc. See “Who Does What To Run Great Swim Meets?” for more.)
- Coaches
- Officials
- Meet Workers
- Spectators
- And, of course, swimmers!
When to ask?
You don’t have to wait until the last race is over to ask people to share their observations. In fact, asking people early on, “How is the meet going for you?” allows time to make adjustments if needed. Of course, you’ll get a better feel for the meet as a whole by asking towards the end, or afterward. There’s no rule that says you can’t do both.
How to ask?
With so many ways to communicate, pick what works best for you! Simply asking people at the meet works very well. However, an email, text, phone call or even social media after the meet can also work.
What Worked Well? What Didn’t?
A simple way to get feedback is to ask, “What worked well and what didn’t?” Often, you will personally observe things working, and not working well, throughout the meet. Write them down, along with possible solutions. However, don’t just rely on your perspective alone. Ask others, especially key people, too.
Start, Stop, and Continue
“Stop, Start, and Continue” is another technique for collecting feedback. Ask, “Is there something we should stop doing, or change. Is there anything we should start doing? What good things should continue?” This method may be especially helpful when talking with meet leadership.
Survey
A survey is another way to efficiently collect information from others. See sample meet survey files below. Many can be customized to easily fit local needs.
Record
Be sure to record what people say. As a meet director, I like to keep a clipboard with me. On it, I keep a piece of paper for recording feedback as I talk with people throughout the meet. More on what to do with the recorded feedback is below.
Using Feedback
Getting feedback is only half the battle. It’s not much good unless you use it. Here are some tips to help you make the most of the information you receive.
Share it with others. Hospitality feedback needs to go to the hospitality director. Shared kudos helps build morale among those working the meet. Did you receive negative feedback about the old starter system used? Share it with meet host leadership and ask them to consider budgeting or fundraising for a new system.
Save It Where You Can Find It
Once its recorded, make sure you can find it when you need it. Keep hard, or digital copies, in a meet feedback folder.
Review When Planning Next Swim Meet
Review previous meet feedback and then integrate it, where possible, when planning the next swim meet.
Receiving Difficult Feedback
Receiving criticism can be difficult. But without it, we may be blind to needed areas of change. Here are 13 positive ways to respond to criticism.
Sample Swim Meet Survey Files
Below are two examples of sample swim meet surveys.
- One survey is in both PDF and WORD form. If needed, customize. Then print and distribute to meet-goers. After they fill it out, they return it to the Clerk of Course at the meet.
- The other is an online survey made with the free Google Forms app. SurveyMonkey or Typeform are other online survey alternatives that may be free in some cases. Individuals use their own smartphones or another device to complete this survey. The information then comes to you via automatically created charts and a linked spreadsheet.
Get Your Own Copy of the Electronic Survey
How do I get an electronic survey to use at my swim meets?
- Have a usable Google account. If you have a Gmail address, you have a Google Account. The login and password are the same as for your Gmail.
Don’t have a Gmail account? Click to get directions on how to get one. (Free) - To make a copy of the swim meet survey for yourself, click the link below. Permission to copy granted for non-commercial personal and swim meet use. If the HostGreatMeets.com logo is removed, please include attribution elsewhere on the survey before using it.
- Click this link to get your own copy: Electronic Swim Meets Survey
- After clicking the link above, click, “Make a Copy” on the screen that pops up. If you do not see the button to make a copy, you will be asked to sign in to an account. Sign in to your Google account. Then, click, ‘Make a Copy.”
If you are signed in and still do not see the “Make a copy” button, try clicking the above link again from the same browser where you signed in to the Google Account. - You now have your own personal copy of the linked spreadsheet that collects responses. To get to the form from here, follow these steps.
- In the spreadsheet click Tools > Manage Form > Edit Form.
- This will take you to the form.
- You now have your very own swim meet survey to share, change, or update according to the terms below. Your copy of the swim meet survey is located in your Google Drive within your Google account. Share, change, or update as you see fit for non-commercial personal and swim meet use. If the HostGreatMeets.com logo is removed, please include attribution elsewhere on the form before using it.
Using an Electronic Swim Meet Survey
Here’s a basic primer on how to use the Google Forms swim meet survey. One of the best ways to learn is to get a copy and play around with it yourself. Once set up, it’s pretty straightforward to use.
To use the survey, there will be some set – up. Fortunately, Google makes the set – up pretty simple. The steps are:
- Start with a new survey by making a copy
- Set up a linked spreadsheet to collect responses. (Don’t worry, Google makes this and the other steps very easy.)
- Share the form with meet-goers. You can do this by including a link in the meet announcement (if you have the link that early) and/or on the host team website. You can also email a link to those who enter the meet and ask them to forward it to the coaches, officials, athletes, parents, and others who attend the meet. Another very effective way to get feedback is to post printed signs at the meet with a QR code for people to scan that takes them to the electronic survey. Here’s a sample of what that looks like. There are many QR Code generators available on the internet. Search to find one that works for you. The QR Code posters work best if there are several posted in high-traffic areas and the announcer encourages people to use them regularly throughout the meet.
- For more on using QR codes to help distribute information at swim meets see, QR Codes = Quick, Touchless, Paperless Sharing.
- Verify that everything works.
Brand new to Google Forms? Here is a well-written Beginners Guide to Google Forms to help, if needed. The HostGreatMeets.com post, Electronic DQ Form also has detailed instructions on setting up and using a copied Google Form.
Summary
Getting and using feedback helps meet directors, officials and other leaders host and run better swim meets. To get it, simply ask questions and then receive the responses. Using it not only includes receiving and recording it. It also involves being able to find, and put it into action, when needed. Sometimes feedback is best carried out directly after the swim meet — some changes take time, resources, or leadership approval to occur. Another key time to check earlier meet evaluations is in the early planning stages of a meet. Then, the information is fresh and can positively change the next meet experience. Although positive feedback is easier to receive, negative feedback can have value too. Try getting and using feedback at your next meet. Then, watch how it improves your future swim meets.
Note: Sometimes people need to protest a call or official decision. Find out more about this topic in the post: Swim Meet Protest: One Way To Handle.
Preparing for a swim meet? Check out The Ultimate Swim Meet To-Do List. Then, get a bird’s eye view of Who does What at Swim Meets. Both include easy-to-follow links to related information. Doing a smaller, simpler meet? Host a High School or Developmental Swim Meet will help.
Need more help? See 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers and Officials: 20+ Ways to Get them for Swim Meets.
Also, discover a few things you can do to Increase Safety at Swim Meets. Find ideas to implement before your meet as well as last-minute quick and easy tips!