Aquatics Venue Guide

How to Run a Successful Aquatics Venue

AQUATICS VENUE DIRECTOR GUIDELINE

Aquatics Venue Directors checklist……………………………………. pages3-6

Aquatics Venue items needed…………………………………………...page 7-9

Things to cover with volunteer coordinator on volunteer training……. ..page 10

Aquatics director’s items………………………………………………...pages 11-12

Friday, coaches meeting…………………………………………………page 13

Competition day(s) of event job descriptions……………………………pages 14-17

Sample of Aquatics Venue Schedule……………………………………page 18

Crisis communication plan………………………………………………page 19

Incident report form……………………………………………………...page 20

AQUATICS VENUE DIRECTOR GUIDE CHECKLIST

Things to do days prior to the event

Make sure:

  • You select a volunteer coordinator that you can depend on
  • You select an awards captain that you can depend on
  • Contact your rules captain and introduce yourself
  • Find out who your contact person at the venue is, so you can coordinate your schedule with the appropriate people for meetings, pool openings, etc.
  • Meet with SOGA staff to do a venue walk through and determine what your needs are
  • Provide SOGA with a list of signs needed
  • Provide SOGA with a list of items needed for the venue
  • You work with your volunteer coordinator so volunteers can be scheduled accordingly to make the venue runs as smooth as possible
  • Work with your volunteer coordinator and SOGA staff on scheduling a volunteer training session, 1-2 weeks prior to the event
  • Go over volunteer job descriptions with your coordinator and answer any questions on the duties of that job
  • Make sure volunteer coordinator has copies of the job descriptions to be passed out to their volunteers
  • Make sure the awards captain knows how to properly distribute the awards, if not make sure they watch the video
  • Go over the crisis communication plan with SOGA in case of an emergency such as weather, fire, a sick or injured player, etc.
  • Confirm venue schedule of events with SOGA, local games director, and venue contact person
  • Make sure pool and pool area is clean and in safe competition condition
  • Make sure venue is set up and ready for competition
  • Make sure the proper chemicals have been placed in the pool
  • You have equipment to run the event
  • You have enough water coolers and an ice supply
  • You contact someone to open the concession stand if available
  • You schedule officials and give them a copy of the SOGA rules
  • You contact medical staff to be onsite during the games
  • You have enough equipment for the whole competition
  • You have enough tents for athlete check-in, volunteer check-in, and for the medical staff
  • You have proper supplies for the bathrooms and locker rooms
  • If lighting is available for the pool that it is in working condition
  • You have enough trash cans for the pool area and spectator area
  • You have a volunteer coordinator and coordinate with them about how many volunteers that you will need to make the event run smoothly
  • If you have more than one venue at a location, make sure you schedule games in a safe manner.
  • Score boards and timing systems are in working condition and have appropriate individuals to run the systems if available
  • Make sure the divisions are set where every delegation has a chance to go and eat lunch
  • You familiarize yourself with SOGA and SOI rules and regulations
  • Make sure you have a place to display the divisions so the public can view them
  • Have copies of the divisions to hand out to the coaches during preliminaries and at the coaches meeting on Friday
  • Have a list of items or issues to discuss at the coaches meeting on Friday
  • Have volunteers in place before the athletes are scheduled to arrive for registration
  • Make sure you get with SOGA staff and get someone to post signs on the road on how to get to your venue and in the venue

Venue Check list

aquatics check list 2004
get copies of entry forms / terry / complete
write schedule / complete
initial meeting w/Emory on facilities / Complete 4/15
Lunches... How many / terry
Lunches …. What time delivered / terry
get heat sheet completion date / terry / 5/14
cross reference heat sheets and entry forms
finalize heat sheets
Confirm date available? / 5/20
28 sets of Heat sheets / terry
cover Page for Heat sheets
notes for coaches meeting / Barb / complete
Lifeguards confirmed? / terry / yes
Bruce/terry / 4/15
confirm bulkhead moved / Bruce/Emory
16 starting blocks / Bruce/Emory
rope off stairs / Bruce
rope off diving boards / Emory
Water Set up confirmed? / Bruce
Medical confirmed? / terry
Colorado timing system / Bruce/terry
CTS set up /when and where / terry
CTS manned by whom... / terry
confirm signs / Bruce
tables / Bruce
chairs / Bruce
sound equipment 4 speakers /1 upstairs / Bruce/terry
bullhorn / GSO
talk-a-bouts / tom
confirm awards stands placement / Bruce
ribbons
bullpen 2 people / Dan and George
bullpen assistant located upstairs / e-mail to Louise
announcer / e-mail to mike
announcer's assistant / Roxanne pending
head timer / John
official / email to Rick
volunteer coordinator / Sheryl
"deck captains" / Kristy

Athletes/ cross reference and time table

athlete / county / 25 free / 50 free / 25 back / 50 back / 100 Back / 25 brst / 50 brst / 25 fly / 50 fly1 / im / 200 free / 100 free / relay
TOTAL / 109 / 112 / 31 / 28 / 1 / 7 / 13 / 5 / 5 / 8 / 6 / 17 / 36
HEATS / 24 / 25 / 7 / 6 / 0 / 2 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 4 / 8
TIME /MIN / 73 / 124 / 21 / 31 / 10 / 5 / 14 / 3 / 6 / 10 / 13 / 38 / 80

Aquatics Venue Items Needed

  • Tents for athlete check-in, volunteer check-in, and medical staff
  • Water coolers, cups, and an ice supply
  • Scorecards or heat sheets, clipboardsand pencils
  • Stopwatches (enough for each competition lane plus extras)
  • Officials
  • Medical Staff
  • Awards area with background and correct music
  • Whistles
  • Volunteers
  • Trashcans
  • Lining and dragging equipment
  • Divisions displayed
  • Bullpen set up
  • Bullhorn
  • Phone or radio to communicate with SOGA staff and medical staff
  • Tables and Chairs

Chairs105 chairs plus 30 for awards

5 rows of 6 for staging /”25’s”

3 rows behind starting blocks/25’s

5 rows of 6 for staging/”50’s

2 rows of 6 behind starting blocks

2 chairs per lane for timers

5 rows of 6 for awards

2 chairs for announcers table

Tables9 Tables

Announcers table

2 tables for sound system

2 tables in front of glass doors upstairs

1 table in bleachers for Staging/bleachers

2 tables for awards

1 table in hallway for volunteer check in

1 misc.

Specific Equipment Needs:

SOGA supplies ….

Sound system and speakers

15 stopwatches

4 headsets (Better if you can bring your own more powerful talk-a-bouts)

Bullhorn

Whistle

Clipboards

Pens and pencils

Yellow and Red Wristbands

Lunches …. Friday only

Signs

Emory supplies ….

Flags and cones to rope off section

Colorado Timing System Sat. Only

18 starting blocks

Ladders

Lifeguards

Podium

“Lift”

Pool

Ladders placed

12 starting blocks

Starter’s podium

1st lane empty

Bulkhead shifted

Water temperature

Lift available for Saturday?

4 lanes in for Level A

Deck

Water and ice delivered to pool prior to competition

Water and ice upstairs and on deck

Signs picked up and placed Thursday night

Sound system ready Thursday night

All miscellaneous items removed from deck

Move benches to staging area

Colorado Timing System set up

Awards set up Thursday night

Rope off stairs

Misc.

Equipment in back hall moved

Flags and cones outside glass doors

Volunteer Pre-Event Training

  • Set date and time and notify volunteers of pre-event orientation meeting

SOGA will send a list of the volunteers assigned to the aquatics venue

Coordinate the meeting with volunteer contact at SOGA

SOGA will send out notices to the volunteers about the meeting

  • Explain what will happen on Friday and Saturday
  • Upon arrival each county will check in at the athlete registration tent or table and register.
  • Upon arrival each volunteer should check-in and they will be assigned a job duty
  • Explain to the volunteers what they will need to bring and what time to be there.
  • Make sure all of your volunteers know their responsibilities and they know where things are such as: athletes check-in, volunteer check-in, medical tent or table, and restrooms in case they are asked.
  • Make sure that they know the aquatics rules that SOGA abides by.
  • Make sure they contact you if there is a problem.
  • Volunteer Needs:

Friday AM 35

Friday PM 35

Sat. am 35

Sat. am 35

Need additional 5 volunteers on Saturday for awards

AQUATICS VENUE

Director’s Items

PRIOR TO THE EVENT

  1. Venue director should select people who are knowledgeable in the are they are selected for or given training to fill the following positions:
  2. volunteer coordinator
  3. awards captain
  4. rules captain
  5. If possible have an assistant to be prepared to take over in case something prevented the venue director from making the games
  6. If possible, try to get people that are knowledgeable about aquatics to sign up for volunteer positions.
  7. Venue director should have a copy of SOGA aquatics rules on hand
  8. Venue director should do a walk through of the venue and make a checklist to determine how the venue will be set up, what materials, signs, etc. will be needed and provide SOGA staff with a list.
  9. After the event registration deadline, SOGA should provide the Venue Director will a list of the delegations and athletes that scratched so the divisions can be prepared and updated. When preparing the divisions be sure to allow each delegation enough time to get lunch.
  10. Provide SOGA with the schedule of events so this can be passed out to the coaches, media, programs, etc.
  11. Work with volunteer coordinator in preparing an itinerary for volunteers on what time each shift should arrive.
  12. Work with volunteer coordinator in preparing volunteer training prior to the games.
  13. Be available prior to and throughout the games to answer any questions that may arise.
  14. Check throughout the venue to be sure that everything is ok and safe, address any issues that may arise.

VOLUNTEER TRAINING

  1. Be able to assist volunteer coordinator in training the volunteers assigned to the aquatics venue.
  2. Make sure you cover the basic rules of aquatics, and let them know how important it is to be on time because once you get behind it messes up the whole day.

AWARDS CAPTAIN

  1. If they have never done this before, make sure awards captain watches the video, and answer any questions that he/she may have.
  2. It is helpful to have someone that is not shy and that will talk in the microphone and tell a little something about each athlete. The athletes really enjoy that.

RULES CAPTAIN

  1. Meet with your rules captain and go over any questions that either of you may have. If you can not do this prior to the day of the event, try to do so about an hour before the competition.
  2. Make sure they have a copy of the rules for the event that SOGA has provided you with.

COACHES MEETING

  • Check for any additional scratches
  • Go over the schedule and divisions for the day
  • Explain where the medical staff, rules judge, etc. will be located.
  • Go over parking if necessary
  • Remind the coaches that water will be available for the athletes and where it will be set up
  • Ask for any questions

Competition Day

On game day you should arrive 2 hours before the competition starts to make sure of the following:

  • All the lanes are divided by ropes and are the proper distances as noted in the SOGA aquatics rules.
  • Pool is in good condition with no safety hazards
  • Enough water coolers and cups
  • Restrooms are in good working condition, clean, and have proper supplies (toilet paper, paper towels, and soap)
  • You have enough officials for all of the lanes and they know the proper rules for each division competing
  • Introduce yourself and let people know who you are
  • You have communication such as a phone or radio for any kind of needs or an emergency
  • You have a score keeper and score system operator and they use the score board if available
  • You have pencils, clipboards and heat sheets
  • All of your tents and tables are up and visibly marked
  • All of your volunteers know where things are located
  • Volunteers know their responsibilities
  • Designate an area for souvenir sales if appropriate
  • Designate an awards area. Make sure you have the background and proper music.
  • Designate a visible area for the divisions to be posted
  • Start the competition on time so everything will run smoothly and on time.

During the competition

You should:

  • Keep the divisions updated after each and every competition
  • Keep a check on the water coolers and cup supply periodically
  • Check bathrooms periodically for cleanliness, toilet paper, paper towels, and soap
  • Make sure the athletes are not warming up at wrong times
  • Check on your officials and volunteers to make sure that they don’t need anything
  • Keep officials supplied with their needs throughout the day
  • Check trash cans around the pool area periodically
  • Get volunteers to keep around the bleacher areas and venue clean
  • Be available for any questioning on rules or plays
  • Let your volunteers know that you really appreciate them so they will come back to help out in the future
  • Check on your score keepers and timersto see if they need some kind of bathroom break, etc.
  • Make sure that every delegation gets a chance to go and eat lunch and if not, make sure their lunches makes it to the venue

End of the competition

  • Make sure you thank all of your volunteers so they will know that they are appreciated and let them know that we need them again in the future.
  • Help roundup all coolers and other equipment and get it to the owners or to its place
  • Pick up all trash and make sure the pool area and bleacher area are clean
  • Make sure bathrooms are cleaned up
  • Make sure trash cans are emptied and trash is hauled off
  • Make sure all doors are locked up
  • If lights were needed for competition, make sure they are turned off.

SAMPLE COMPETITION DAYS

Friday MORNING – 1st day of competition

All Key volunteers should arrive and hour prior to warm ups

Volunteers should arrive 1 hour prior to competition

Lifeguards should arrive 15 minutes prior to warm ups

Volunteers

The Volunteers will be allocated by the Volunteer coordinator

The majority of them will go to the Bullpen as escorts or on deck as timers.

The volunteer coordinator will introduce them to the Bullpen Captain or the head timer for instruction.

Volunteer coordinator will assign 2 runners. They will report to head official for instruction.

Pass out Heat Sheets.

Announce to coaches that there will be a meeting in the hallway during warm ups.

. Coaches meeting

Example of prior coaches notes

Coaches notes -2006

  • There will be an informal coaches meeting towards the end of warm ups in the hallway upstairs by the glass doors. I will make an announcement. ( This will NOT include Level A information)
  • We have an additional 70 swimmers this year.
  • Please help things run smoothly by having athletes in bullpen on time
  • Heat sheets: they are out of order. Please pick up a copy of the schedule.
  • Changes will be made in the bullpen to combine heats.
  • We will be using up to 8 lanes for preliminaries.
  • Preliminaries will be reshuffled for more efficient heats for Saturday’s finals.
  • We ask that parents and coaches stay off the pool deck during individual events.
  • You do not need to see me for changes in relays.
  • There must be one coach per relay team.
  • Do not discard relay cards. They will be attached to the heat sheet.
  • Red wrist bands … start in water
  • Yellow wrist bands... start on deck
  • No wrist band … starts on block
  • Heats will be combined for Saturday’s finals with a lane in between. Awards however will be handed out separately.
  • The swimmers attending nationals will be “presented” to the fans on Saturday followed by an exhibition race.

Example of list passed out to Bullpen volunteers

Escort Responsibilities

  • Report to Staging Area (Tom runs the bullpen)
  • You will be assigned a heat
  • Move from staging area in the back to pool deck
  • 25-meter races start on “spectator” side
  • 50-meter races start on timer’s side
  • Arrange athletes in chairs according to Lanes
  • Move up as races are run
  • Make sure athletes get on correct blocks/Lanes

Lane #2 is located next to the bulkhead

  • Check wristbands
  • Red … starts in water

Yellow starts on deck

  • Collect all towels, glasses etc.
  • Move to or stay at the finish line..... Depends on length of race as to which side
  • Stay with your heat while getting awards
  • Escort heat out glass doors and back steps
  • Be sure all athletes are back with coach/team
  • Return to staging

Please …. When walking to the other side of the pool

DO NOT WALK ACROSS THE BULKHEAD

Sat MORNING – 2nd day of competition

All Key volunteers should arrive and hour prior to warm ups

Volunteers should arrive 1 hour prior to competition

Lifeguards should arrive 15 minutes prior to warm ups

Awards should arrive 1 hour before warm ups

Volunteers

The Volunteers will be allocated by the Volunteer coordinator