Last updated on April 14th, 2023 at 10:33 am
A pool, swimmers, officials…there are certain things a swim meet requires, regardless of scope and size. These are the “must-haves.” You can’t have a meet without them. A general overview of what I consider “Must Haves” is given here. Why? Because getting a “bird’s-eye view” can help the meet director, and others, find the priorities. This helps when making decisions about where to put limited resources.
Contents for Swim Meet Must-Haves: Needs Versus Wants
Distinguishing Between Your Meet Needs and Wants
Picture a swim meet spectrum. One one side are things which most people agree are “needs.” On the other, are things most people agree are “wants” or luxuries. Everything else is somewhere in the middle. How the full spectrum looks will vary not only from host to host, but also from swim meet to swim meet. What is essential for one host, might be completely dispensable for another. What is an absolute must for one type of meet, might be easily dismissed at another.
Commonly accepted needs include a pool, swimmers, officials and a way to collect times and process accurate results. Other things aren’t as cut and dry. Take awards. Some might argue that they are essential. However, many successful meets run without offering awards to swimmers. At these meets, swimmers compete for “time only.” Because a meet can run successfully without them, for this post, awards are not considered essential. However, depending on your goals having awards might be essential for your event. This post is not intended to name all the essentials for your particular meet, but rather to show universal “Must Haves” for all swim meets. Why? To help leaders determine priorities. This greatly aids decision-making, especially when allocating limited resources.
So, what are my “Must Haves” for swim meets? Safety, Governance, Physical Resources, Financial Resources, People and Information: Gathering, Processing and Distribution.
Swim Meet Safety
Designed to promote fair competition, rules and regulations cannot address all safety issues. The meet director, referee, facility representative, and others, work together to find potential risks and hazards. Then, they make plans to prevent and respond to these and other safety issues. Leaders should also be aware of any reporting requirements and have a plan to fulfill them if needed. For example, USA Swimming requires the filing of a Report of Occurrence anytime there is an accident or injury at a USA Swimming activity. When it comes to swim meet safety, consider both “operational risk” type issues and also “SafeSport” issues.
- Operational Risk Management includes, but is not limited to things like insurance coverage, as well as operational risk prevention, and mitigation. Don’t know much about this and want to learn more? Check with your team’s governing body and facility management.
- SafeSport is essentially all of us working together to keep our sport free from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and misconduct. Here are some important links.
- Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) Has specific requirements for meet hosts, those who attend swim meets, and others
- USA Swimming SafeSport
- US Center for SafeSport
Governance
The meet must run according to governing body rules and regulations for swimmer times to “count,” or be recognized by the governing body.
Physical Resources
I think of the Physical Resources area as both the place where a swim meet is held and the stuff that’s used there. Depending on available resources, you may need to look closely at your own situation to distinguish between what is really needed and what is only wanted.
Facility
It goes without saying that you can’t have a swim meet without a swimming pool. Additionally, you might need other areas of the facility too. Some small events only require part of the available lanes. So, they save money by reserving only what they need.
Timing Equipment (and People Who Know How to Use It)
Recording accurate swimmer times in the results is essential at meets. Thus, you’ll need timing equipment and people who know how to use it. Be aware of any governing regulations when getting equipment. Make sure the Timing Equipment Operator is familiar with it and knows not only how to use it but also how to troubleshoot problems if needed. Count on new people operating stopwatches at every meet. Schedule a timer training meeting. For more on timers, see the series: Got Timers? 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers: Volunteer Recruiting and Retention
Essential Equipment/Supplies
Officials and those running and managing the meet administration, need a variety of equipment and supplies. At a small meet, this might be a single computer operator or Administrative Official. At larger meets, you’ll need more people to work in this area. Check with your lead admin person to find out what they need. Think of things needed to support essential processes and people in their roles. What do they need to do the job?
Also important: Who will bring the administrative slips, forms, and other supplies? It is usually either the host or referee.
Essential Support for Personnel
Tables, chairs, tents, and basic hospitality (if conditions warrant) are all examples of things you might need to support coaches, and people running the meet. However, depending on the circumstances, perhaps your essential personnel are fine without them.
Financial Resources
Some see meets as moneymakers. Some are. But financial resources may also be needed upfront to buy needed pool time, equipment, supplies, and other essentials. If finances lack, consider ways to increase income, decrease expenses, or both.
Although the following are not usually considered “essential” to hosting, they can become so if projected expenses exceed income. When thinking about ways to increase income, many look first to increase entry fees, but this is not the only option. Fundraising and selling things like concessions, apparel, swim gear, or other items can also work. Additionally, seeking in-kind or financial donations can also increase income and/or decrease expenses.
People, Including Many Volunteers
Many different people show up at swim meets. Swimmers, of course, are there. So are their coaches, parents and other spectators. There is, however, another essential group: Those who help to run the swim meet. Rules often dictate the least number of officials needed. They may also stipulate other essential positions. Be aware though, that regularly running meets with only the required minimum will quickly burn out key help.
Although the focus of this post is on swim meet “Must-Haves,” barely covering the essentials for one swim meet does not guarantee a sustainable system for hosting future meets. If meet hosting is not personally sustainable for the people involved, they won’t continue to help for long. This is a vital point. Work to get hosting personally sustainable for both meet leaders and the host organization. Why? So they not just survive the experience, but are willing to do it again. Swimmers need lots of meets, but the people who help run them also have many other demands. Most are volunteers. A positive, meaningful experience helps to draw them back.
Swim Meet Officials
Properly certified officials run meets. Meet Directors: Let them do what they do, but clarify where there might be overlap so important things don’t slip through the cracks. For example: Who trains the Meet Marshals? Is it the referee or someone else? If it’s someone else, does the referee want anything specific included in the training?
Host Leadership
The Meet Director is the head of the host leadership team. Add others as needed. The “Who Does What” page lists the roles you might need.
Volunteer Workers
In addition to leadership, meets also need volunteer workers. The Swim Meet Worker Job Descriptions list gives not only a variety of possibly needed jobs but also a short description of each. The Get Help area gives ideas on how to get and/or develop good help. Many people are great volunteer workers if given the needed direction and support.
Swim Meet Information: Gathering, Processing, and Distributing
Remember the “bird’s-eye view” mentioned at the beginning of the post? It very much applies to this area. Information Gathering, Processing and Distributing includes much more than listed here. This website includes details on how to do it effectively in most posts. In fact, it’s one big reason why I created the site. People need information before, during, and after swim meets. It is distributed in many ways including, but not limited to:
- The Meet Announcement
- Meetings
- Including Officials Briefings and Swim Meet Worker Training
- Reports (See Swim Meet Forms and Reports List for more)
- Volunteer Sign-up
- Tables at the Meet (Examples: The Clerk of Course and Volunteer Tables)
- Signs
- Announcer (Click then scroll down to “Announcer”)
Summary
There are lots of details to consider when planning swim meets. Sometimes it’s helpful to get a “bird’s-eye view” of what it really takes to run a successful event. When planning, make sure to adequately cover the essentials before taking on non-essentials. Getting enough good help is key. The resources on HostGreatMeets.com are here to help.
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!