Last updated on June 12th, 2023 at 10:03 pm
The Problem: You’ve seen it before, the desperate last-minute scramble for swim meet lane timers. These essential meet workers collect and record race times as either a primary, or backup timing system. Correct times matter in swimming. Mere tenths or hundredths of a second decide an athlete’s placing and qualifying times. If times are so important, and timers hard to get, why aren’t more ideas being generated and shared about how to get them?
Competitive swimming, like most youth sports, relies on volunteers to keep programs running. Swim meets are no exception. Not only are most meet workers and officials, volunteers, but the meet leadership is also composed of volunteers and/or underpaid staff who give their time and ability because of their love of the sport and the kids. Unfortunately, there is always more work to do, than workers to do it.
Contents for Got Timers? Supporting Swim Meet Timers
Supporting Timers
Most experienced meet workers began as timers, it’s an “entry-level” meet worker position. To help build the base of potential volunteers for future meets, its important to make it a good experience. Below are a few ideas on how to make the timing experience a great one.
Training
No one enjoys being corrected by an official. Before they begin, give your timers the information they need for their job. Although some will be experienced, there will likely be at least one first-time volunteer in every group. Additionally, different meets may use different procedures. It’s best to make sure everyone is on the same page from the start. Two simple ways to train timers are:
- Attach instructions to the timer clipboards.
- Have the Head Timer, or another person, run a Timer Training Meeting before the meet starts.
The post: Timer Instructions: A Swim Meet Must has tips, and both mobile-friendly lists to make training easy. Prefer to download? The post has timer instructions, instructions for the head timer, and printable clipboard instructions.
Taking Care of Timers
Depending on the length of the meet, consider offering hospitality (food and drink) and/or breaks.
Swim Meet Hospitality
“Hospitality” is the term used for the food and drink served to swim meet coaches, officials, and meet workers. A water bottle and snack, or more, can help improve the timer experience at a meet.
Offer breaks
Let’s face it, some meets are just plain long. It is hard for many to stay at the end of a lane for hours on end without so much as a bathroom break. Consider offering a short 10 -15 minute break to timers. Below are two ways to offer breaks. If you have other ideas, please leave them in the comments section.
- Use Relief Timers. Recruit an extra lane worth of timers. These will be relief timers. They rotate through each lane, relieving the assigned lane timers for 10-15 minutes, or another predetermined break time. With relief timers in place, the assigned lane timers get a short break. Upon their return, the relief timers move on to relieve the next lane. After rotating through all the lanes, the relief timers take a short break and then start over again. Using 15-minute breaks at an eight-lane pool this method will provide a break about every two hours.
- Use “part-time” workers to give breaks. Some meet workers, like program sales or extra people working at the volunteer table, may finish their job part-way through the session and could relieve timers as requested.
Modify the Position
Most meets use one to three timers per lane and fill each position with one person for the entire session. This makes sense, as it requires the least number of volunteers. However, if you’re having trouble filling timer positions, consider modifying the position to increase the number of people who could fill it. Do the restructuring either at the meet if having trouble filling all the positions with “full-time” people, or in advance and publicize in the online volunteer sign-up.
First Half/Last Half Timers
Sometimes people will be more willing to time if they do not have to commit to an entire session. Using two people, a “First Half” and a “Last Half” timer to fill one position is a technique that increases the pool of “Willing and Able” volunteers to draw from. Below are a few tips that help this suggestion work well.
Find “Last Half-ers” First
- Since “Last Half-ers” are harder to find, it’s helpful to get them first. This will decide the number of “First Half-er” positions that can be offered. Where to find “Last Half-ers?” Try:
- Home team parents
- Other meet workers who are only needed for the first half of the session (like program sales, extra people at the Volunteer Table, etc.)
- Mature home team swimmers who are done competing
- Parents who have children swimming in the last few events
Clearly Designate Transition Time
- Clearly designate, by event name and number, when the transition time from “First Half” to “Last Half” timers will be. Choose an event after the exact halfway point as the “Last Half-ers” will need to report before the transition time to check in, receive training and get into position before the “First Half-ers” leave. When choosing the transition time, remember not all events take the same amount of time. The computer operator can provide a “Sessions Report” or timeline for the session to give a good idea of the halfway point.
“Last Half-er” Training
- Consider how “Last Half” timers will be trained. Ideas include:
- A second-timer meeting
- Pairing with an experienced full-session timer who trains them “on the job”
- Training individually at check-in
Smoothing the Transition Time
- It’s wise to have some backups to help smooth the transition time. What happens if “Last Half-ers” report late? How will they be located? (Collecting cell phone numbers when they sign-up is an option) Are there others who can step in to time temporarily if needed?
Summary
Supporting timers by providing training, hospitality, breaks, and modifying the position are four ways to help provide a good experience. They also show care for those willing to volunteer. Each of these points can also be used to recruit and encourage parents to take one of the “best seats at the meet” and time.
Title image attribution: In The Nick of Time” by tim ellis is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. (Background removed)
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!