Officials and HelpersOfficials and HelpersLarge galas - for example out Reading Easter Open Meet - require a lot of side-line man-power in addition to the swimmers. Over 40 adults are needed to run a big event like the Reading Easter Open.
That's 18-23 Officials, 11-20 back-room folk, or 26-43 in total.
The obvious ones are the timekeepers and judges. These officials prowl round the pool ensuring fairness and correctness, and recording the results. They aren't there to try to disqualify them all! Typically you'd need:
| Referee | Overall in charge of the running of the swimming side of the meet. Makes all the vital decisions about results, placings, timings and disqualifications. Handles protests. Also responsible for Health and Safety and competitive fairness. |
| Assistant Referee | Things go a lot faster if there are two: One referee is running a race whilst the other is doing the results of the previous race. |
| Starter | Operates the start of the race, and often doubles up as a judge |
| Judge of Stroke | Used to be called Stroke judges... You need 2, one either side of the pool |
| Finish Judges | two needed... They make sure that the finish orde ris correct: So the person coming first will have the fastest time, etc |
| Inspector of Turns | The new posh name for Turn Judges. Two needed. Sometime can be combined with other roles |
| Timekeepers | One per lane; Preferably two per lane. Time-keeping is the usual "entry" to the world of officials. |
| Chief Timekeeper(s) | Good to have two of these - they act as backup in the case where one the othe timekeeper watch doesn't start properly, and collect and process the race results with the referee after the race. You can manage with one, but the meet runs more slowly. |
| Announcer | For the PA system to announce races, results and other items |
| Recorder | Who operates the meet computer |
Those are the visible guys. Less visible are the back room folk, A real opportunity to get involved here:
| AOE operator | A specialist role - we usually bring them in for Easter, which is the only time we currently use Electronic Timing (as most people refer to the AOE - Automated Officiating Equipment) |
| Meet Office | Has a veritable army of people in it: This includes the Computer Operator, who manages all the processing around the entries (which starts months before the event), producing the cards after closing date, and the programme(s). Attendance on the day, to produce the start lists, and entering the results and printing the results sheets. Job which requires discipline, a cool head, attention to detail and dedication. Surrounding and supporting this roles are usually 3-4 people who handle the paperwork, cross-check everything before and after. You've no idea how ratty people get when you've written little Johnny's race time down wrong on the results... So they don't get it wrong. |
| Medal Stewards | For handing out medals, ribbons, certificates, speeding tickets.. |
| Clerks or the Course | This the new posh name for the two or three Competitor Stewards. They "control" the swimmers, get them together at the start of the races, organised into heats and fed to the starting end of the pool just in time for their race. Highly important role! |
| Announcer | Or two for a big meet. Keeps people informed, safety announcements, event information, spectator control at the start of the races ("Quiet please") and results. Women tend to make good announcers because their voices carry well over the PA systems, but that doesn't stop you doing it guys! |
| PA Operator | At Easter, we also have a PA operator which plays music at other times... |
| Refreshments | For the everyone above ... It's hot on poolside and you don't get a lot of time off (we're not complaining - it's hot in the gallery too, but you don't get a chance to go and get a drink, and attention falls off if you get dehydrated) |
| Runners | (Well, walkers really on poolside.) Often done by a swimmer's young sibling, collects the results from the Chief Time Keeper and delivers them to the meet office. Stick up the results sheets on the walls... |
| Raffle/Tombola | This needs staffing. as does other money raising ideas liekt he money board... |
| Manning the Door | Collecting Entry monies, selling programmes, signing in camera users |
| Photographer | Often a Specialist Role... |
For Open meets, where there are non-club members swimming, we also need to provide Council Lifeguard cover for when swimmers are in the pool(s).
Just for the record there are some REAL back room boys who do work before and after the event, but less on the day. These are
| The Promoter | Who is in overall charge of the whole meet. gets the license for the meet, books the pool, and the referees. No Promoter, No meet. |
| Sponsorship | For the Easter Open, talks to the local companies for prize monies, goods, support, without which the cost would be horrendous and there would be no prize monies. |
| Press Secretary | After the event, writes up the press reports for the Reading Evening Post and Web site. Also tends to produce pre-meet stories and summary write-ups too. |
Oh - and some other big roles which we musn't forget:
| SWIMMERS | Because without you, what's the point? |
| COACHES | |
| SPECTATORS |