Florida Swimming, Inc. - Meet Manager Info.

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The following is intended as a “checklist” to assist Meet Managers in making preparations for a well organized meet for the benefit of all participants (Please refer to Florida Swimming Articles 23-25).

The USA Swimming Meet Director's Handbook was originally written as a guideline for anyone hosting a national-level competition. It does, however, have a lot of good material in it that may apply to swim meets run at the local level.

USA-S Meet Director's Handbook (Download .pdf)

USA-S Online Meet Entry System Information

The existing Online Meet Entry system has recently undergone a major redesign and we are excited to unveil the new system to all users this summer!

The new OME completed a successful live test run of five meets during the Spring of 2006 and now we would like to expand Online Meet Entry to even more meets this summer! If you are interested, I have attached an FAQ on the updated system for your review. If you have used the ‘old’ version of OME for national meet entry in the past, you will find that this new system is very similar with updates to make it more user friendly and to allow a meet host to run meet entry using the system without the direct assistance of USA Swimming staff.

OME is a great tool for handling the entries for Senior or Age Group championship meet or an Invitational.

You can check out the new system at www.usaswimming.org/ome. If you have any questions or would like a demo of how the new OME works, please feel free to contact Susan Woessner (swoessner@usaswimming.org / 719 866-3589) at USA Swimming.

USA-S OME Frequently Asked Questions (Download .pdf)

Free Real Time Results through SwimmingWorld.com for any Competition

Meet Directors can now utilize SwimmingWorldMagazine.com's FTP site to host Real Time Results with a simple push of the button. As part of Swimming World Magazine's relationship with Hy-Tek Meet Manager 2.0E software, results can be uploaded after each event by utilizing the Swimming World Magazine's Upload Feature built into the software.

SwimmingWorldMagazine.com will provide a central site for all meet results exported from Hy-Tek Meet Manager 2.0E enabling anyone to go to the Swimming World Magazine Meet Results page to view the results of the latest competition and to scan for previously completed meets. Meet Directors who update after each event will essentially be providing real time results after each event. Just post the link on your site to where Swimming World is hosting your meet results and viewers can view the updates directly from your home page.

Ask your Meet Director to update to Hy-Tek's MEET MANAGER 2.0E today. All you need is an Internet connection for your meet to be available for everyone to find and view.

Meet Directors can contact Swimming World Magazine for more information by Clicking Here.

Swimming World Magazine (Click Here)

Florida Swimming Standing Rules & Regulations

The Florida Swimming Standing Rules & Regulations Ver. 20061225 in .pdf format.

FL-S Rules & Regulations (Download .pdf)

USA Swimming Rules & Regulations

The USA Swimming Rules & Regulations book in downloadable .pdf format.

USA-S Rules & Regulations (Download .pdf)

What is a Certified Pool

A certified pool has been measured by a registered surveyor or registered engineer. A notarized copy of the USA Swimming official certification form is on file at USA Swimming. Competitors, officials, coaches and swimming enthusiasts all want racing courses to be accurate and consistent. It should be standard practice when a pool is built and commissioned that the length, width, and depth are checked and certified to be in compliance with USA Swimming rules.

Sanctioning Process Information For Meets With International Athletes

USA Swimming/FINA requires that an LSC, in addition to granting the standard sanction, report to USA Swimming headquarters when athletes who have a foreign sport nationality compete in the U.S. representing their sport nationality or other FINA Continental organizations.

Procedures for Sanctioning a Meet with International Athletes (Download .pdf)

National Time Verification Handbook

This handbook contains guidelines, information, and forms to be used in the operation of the USA Swimming, Inc. National Times Database system, as provided in USA Swimming Rules and Regulations, 207.11 and Appendix 2-A, STARS.

National Time Verification Handbook (Download .pdf)

Link to: USA Swimming's Swim Meet Operation Page

Model Meet Information Letters - Florida Swimming has published a Model Meet Information Letter to be used as a guide for all Florida Swimming Clubs when applying for a meet sanction. The Letter is available for download in six different word processor formats.

You can check your clubs USA Swimming roster for the status of athletes, coaches, officials and others below. Remember, it is the responsibility of both the Club entering a meet and the host Club to ensure that all athletes are current USA Swimming Members. Host Clubs are also responsible for making sure that all Coaches and Officials are current USA Swimming Members. The rosters will be updated every first and third Tuesday of the month. Florida Swimming will no longer be mailing out individual team rosters at the end of each month. Teams will have to check registrations below.

This Code of Conduct will be added to all heat sheets of swim meets sanctioned by Florida Swimming and the Pre-meet Announcement will be read prior to each session of all swim meets sanctioned by Florida Swimming.

Member's Insurance Coverages and Most Frequently Asked Questions...

One of the most frequently asked questions by USA Swimming members is, "What coverage do I have under the USA Swimming Insurance Program?" The following should help to clarify the matter of coverage provided for the various types of membership. Click Here for information on the following:

* Insurance Summary (Description of Insurance Coverages/policy limits)

* Insurance Coverages Booklet/"Most Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs about insurance policies stated coverages and situations requiring insurance considerations/liability issues)

* How to file the Report of Occurrence form (below)

* Report of Occurrence Form (Incident report form to be filed following an injury or other liability issue during a scheduled USA Swimming practice or event)

* Optional Insurance Coverage Considerations for Clubs

* Legal Issues for USA Swimming Clubs

Additional Insured Endorsements

Additional Insured Endorsements are NOT automatically renewed each year. If your club’s contract with a facility requires that the facility be named on the policy as an additional insured you may request the Additional Insured Endorsement in any one of the following ways... Read more... * Certificates Now! online step-by-step instructions for requesting the Additional Insured Endorsement.

Workers Compensation

Many states, by law, require this form of insurance. This insurance is not provided by USA Swimming. Please check with a local insurance agent to purchase this type of coverage. Many clubs are unwittingly breaking the law because they do not know that this form of insurance is oftentimes mandatory. The premium is normally based on the number of employees. Read more...

Risk Management and Your Club

Insurance and risk management is a major area of concern for swim clubs. The need for vigilance goes beyond merely depending on USA Swimming insurance. This section contains a series of articles from the Safety Quarterly. Included are a variety of topics such as common insurance concerns, facility safety audits, swim meet risk managment and emergency plans. Also included are articles on unusual situations a club may face such as training in a lake, tornadoes and toddlers on the pool deck. Click here to more about about USA Swimming Insurance. * USA Swimming's Risk Management Web Page

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Safety Information

Did You Know?... USA Swimming Carry's No Insurance Coverage for Independent Contractors

USA Swimming Headquarters receives questions regarding independent contractors that perform services on a fee for service basis, i.e., an individual that provides timing services for swimming competitions on a fee for service basis. USA Swimming provides no insurance coverage for an individual or entity that provides services on a fee for service basis. The individual/or entity should provide liability and property insurance for their business pursuits and should be requested to provide evidence of such insurance to the USA Swimming organization that is utilizing the services of the independent contractor. The fact that an individual is a member of USA Swimming does not alter the no insurance coverage situation.

The second example is a swim coach who, during meets when he/she was not coaching, sells merchandise at the venue for his/her personal financial benefit. Again, the USA Swimming insurance will not provide any insurance coverage for the swim coach for her business pursuits.

More Safety Issues: Planning for meet safety * Being a safety marshall at a swim meet

Safety Announcements for Swim Meets

Please make these and other safety-related announcements during the course of the meet:

1. "Safety of athletes, officials, coaches and volunteers is of paramount importance to USA Swimming. Please use safe procedures in and out of the pool."

2. "USA Swimming reminds all athletes and coaches: Have a successful and safe meet."

3. "Please cooperate with safety marshals and officials. They are here for your safety and protection."

4. "Please avoid the television camera track and surrounding area (…or whatever area of your facility can be dangerous). Serious injuries due to this equipment are possible."

5. Announce the location of the first aid room and trainers.

6. Announce warm-up procedures, lane assignments, etc. "Please enter the water feet first. No racing starts or dives during the warm-up period."

Safety Issues for Your Club

Safety should be a primary concern for coaches, athletes and volunteers. Awareness is the first step toward a safer environment.

All clubs need to develop a Safety Action Plan for each of their facilities. This should include facilities that you don't normally train in but use for swim meets. You can look at a number of examples of Safety Action Plans courtesy of the University of Minnesota. * USA Swimming's Safety Issues Page

What happens if someone gets hurt at a swim meet?

At the Clearwater Sectional meet, Sunday, January 18th, 2004, the officials had the good fortune to have Wells O'Brien talk to us about insurance and how we are protected as certified officials and members of USA Swimming. Wells is the General Council of USA Swimming and one of our officials in Area 5. He has graciously provided these answers that have been reviewed by our risk management people. It is highly recommended that you read it - it is not technical or hard to understand, but it does direct us what to do and gives us valuable information. (Download .pdf)

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