Tuesday, February 17, 2009

How To Create A Diving Meet "Time Line" (Part 2 of 3)

WATCH WHAT HAPPENS IF THE MEET IS RUN AT 2.5 DPM (Dives per Minute):

(28 Divers in the Event) x (3 Dives BEFORE “Cuts”) = (84 Dives) / 2.5 DPM (2.5 Dives Per Minute) = (34 Minutes to Complete the Preliminaries).

Now, add 10 minutes to your time line to allow the score table workers to “reduce the field to the Top 12 Divers” (aka Make “Cuts”)

Next, repeat the formula from above to calculate the time line for The Finals.

(12 Divers in the Finals) x (2 Dives AFTER “Cuts”) = (24 Dives) / 2.5 DPM (2.5 Dives Per Minute) = (10 Minutes to Complete the Finals).

Here is what your NEW Time Line will look like for this event:

1:00 p.m. – 11-12,Girls Preliminaries Begin
1:34 p.m. – Prelims End / Score Table makes “Cuts” to Top 12 Divers
1:44 p.m. – 11-12 Girls Finals Begins
1:54 p.m. – Finals Ends / 20 Minute Warm-up for Event #7 Begins Now /
11-12 Girls Final Scores are calculated and then the Awards Presentation takes place.
2:14 a.m. – Next Event Begins

This illustration shows that by keeping a pace of 2.5 DPM, the event would end about 10 minutes sooner than the event would end running at 2 DPM. Now extrapolate this time saving over the entire day or even the entire WEEKEND (for a large invitational) and you can see where there would be a HUGE time savings.

Before you get all excited about running your diving meet at a blistering pace of 4 DPM, keep in mind that running a meet at 2.5 DPM requires a GOOD Announcer, an EXPERIENCED Group of Score Table Workers as well as an ATTENTIVE Group of Divers AND finally – Diving Board Fulcrums that MOVE EASILY. A pace of 2.5 DPM means that a dive is announced, performed, judged and scores recorded every 24 seconds all day long with no problems or errors – this is really moving!!

Now imagine the nightmare scenario if there were errors or problems at the Score Table, or the dive sheets get out of order, or the microphone stops working or the fulcrums do not move easily or the announcer is a slow reader or you have an inexperienced group of table workers. Any one of these common situations could cause an event to run at an abysmal pace of 1 DPM. Go back and re-calculate your time line using 1 DPM and you will find that your diving meet could last ALL DAY LONG with a bunch of unhappy parents, coaches and divers.


Check back later for some final thoughts and notes.

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