Last updated on January 17th, 2023 at 05:36 pm
The Swim Meet Info Box is an inexpensive, reusable tool to help admin distribute heat sheets and other information. The great thing is, it allows for distribution to a variety of people at the admin’s convenience. It also allows people to pick up the heat sheets and other information at their convenience. The admin person puts heat sheets or other information in any time before warm-ups start, or at another designated time. Then, coaches and other meet helpers can pick up what is in their folder at their convenience. The Swim Meet Info Box is simply a box with labeled hanging folders. One folder for each team, person, or group who will be receiving heat sheets, or other information at the meet. Once created, you can reuse it. This is especially true if your organization hosts swim meets where many of the same teams attend each time.
Contents for Swim Meet Info Box
Set up Your Swim Meet Info Box
A sturdy hanging file box with a lid is best for storage in between swim meets.
Prior to the meet create, or update, tabbed labels. Put for each team and any others who will receive a heat sheet or other papers at the meet. Insert the labeled tabs into the hanging file folders.
In addition to coaches, the box is a great place to put team, record, and other reports for the announcer as well as award labels for the people doing awards. You could also put heat sheets for officials there too. Be creative and let this tool simplify your workload!
The Swim Meet Info Box Aids Delegation
Heat sheet copying and distribution at large swim meets can be time-consuming. Using an Info Box and a Heat Sheet Counter and Distribution Record enables others to help. Fill the Heat Sheet Counter and Distribution Record in prior to the meet. You can alter it as needed anytime. The one copying the heat sheets will need it to know how many copies to make. Additionally, the one putting the heat sheets into the box will need to know how many to put into each folder. This may be the same person or different people. I like to keep a copy of the Heat Sheet Counter and Distribution Record in the Swim Meet Info Box so it’s easily accessible to many.
To Use
Before loading heat sheets for a new session, first, remove any information from previous sessions or meets. Then, insert the information for the upcoming session.
If this is not the first session of the meet, note which people have not yet received their information. If someone did not get the stuff from their folder, you may want to have someone take it to them. When they do, they can let them know about the Swim Meet Info Box. Someone from admin, the meet director, or a runner are examples of people who could do this. Have them pass along both the location of the box and how to use it at this meet. If a person or team did not come to the meet, update the Heat Sheet Counter and Distribution Record to reflect the actual number used. At a multi-session meet, this can save the meet host money and minimize waste.
In addition to heat sheets, the meet director, referee, or other meet leaders can use the box to distribute information. Examples include a bad weather plan if lightning is in the forecast, hospitality or other instructions, a list of assigned lanes for teams who are supposed to provide timers, etc.
Get the Word Out About the Swim Meet Info Box
Make sure everyone who should use the Swim Meet Info Box knows about it. They’ll need to know both what they’ll find there and where it is located. Let them know to check the box. At a single session meet, this will likely be when arriving at the venue or at the beginning of warm-ups. At a multi-session meet, they may want to check it both upon arrival and again before leaving the venue. Announcing this in the Coaches Meeting, or a pre-meet email works well for notifying coaches. If using the Swim Meet Info Box for meet helpers too, let them know about it in a pre-meet email or during orientation. You can also have the meet announcer note when items are ready for pick-up during the meet if desired.
Location
The location of the Swim Meet Info Box is important. The Clerk of Course table often works great if there is space. The box needs to be in an area easily accessible to all who need it. Those retrieving information will likely come just before warm-ups, at the end of a session, or when called. Those stocking the box will likely access it before warm-ups, during the session, or when heat sheet copies are ready.
Personally, I prefer, to have the box away from the computer operator and admin staff if possible. Why? Because putting the Swim Meet Info Box in a different place, allows admin people to work with fewer interruptions. Since the box draws a number of people to it, it’s nice to have people congregate elsewhere. Lastly, put the box in a monitored place so non-authorized people don’t help themselves to the heat sheets.
Benefits
The Swim Meet Info Box:
- Helps swim meet admin people work more efficiently.
- Facilitates effective delegation. It enables the use of willing, but perhaps less experienced, volunteer meet workers.
- Once printed, those who need heat sheets can get them at their convenience
- Provides control over the number of heat sheets the meet host distributes. This can be both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
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!