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

A FEW OTHER NOTES TO KEEP IN MIND ABOUT DIVING MEET TIME LINES

1. Most Diving Meet Computer Programs have built in event time line calculators so if using one of these, your work to create a time line just became much easier.


2. Be sure to clearly state that your time line is an ESTIMATED TIME LINE ONLY!


3. Post your time line on your team or league website a few days in advance of the Meet so that coaches, divers and parents can log on and check it out.


4. Post your time line at various places around the pool deck including the registration table, the score table, on the wall behind the diving boards, in the hospitality room and in the spectator seating area.


5. Be sure to add one of the following “disclaimers” to your time line: Option 1: This time line is an ESTIMATE ONLY. If an event ends sooner than predicted we will NOT wait or slow down to in order to stick to the time line. It is the responsibility of the diver to arrive at the pool on time for the start of their event. We suggest you arrive AT LEAST ONE-HOUR BEFORE YOUR EVENT IS ESTIMATED TO BEGIN. Option 2: This time line is an ESTIMATE ONLY, however, we plan to stick to the time line. If an event ends sooner than expected, we will NOT begin the next event earlier than posted on this time line. Divers are responsible for arriving on time for their event.


6. You may want to provide a cell phone number for divers, coaches and parents to call in order to check on the progress of the meet.


7. You may be able to update the time line on your website as the meet progresses which would allow divers, coaches and parents to log on to check the progress.
   
   Whatever way you decide to go, creating and sticking to a time line for your diving meet will earn favorable reviews from the coaches, divers and parents – and this is always a good thing.
   
   As Always, Best Wishes for a Safe and Successful Diving Season!

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.

How To Create A Diving Meet "Time Line" (Part 1 of 3)

If your team will be hosting a diving invitational, you should know how to create an estimated time line for the events. Coaches and parents always want to know what time “their kid” will be diving. Creating a diving meet time line is relatively easy and your efforts will be very much appreciated – especially if you and your staff are able to run the meet close to the schedule you created. Here is how to do it:

To create an approximate time line for your diving meet based on a "speed" of TWO DIVES PER MINUTE (about normal), apply the following formula to EACH EVENT:

(Number of Divers in the Event) x (Number of Dives to be Performed Before the Cuts) / 2 DPM (Dives Per Minute) = (Number of Minutes to Complete the Prelims)
Then add 5-10 minutes to allow the score table workers to make "cuts" (if applicable)
Finally, (Number of Divers Remaining After Cuts) x (Number of Dives to be Performed in the Finals) / 2 DPM (Dives Per Minute) = (Number of Minutes to Complete Finals)

EXAMPLE from a local Summer League Champ Meet:

EVENT #6 -- 11-12 Girls 1 Meter – All Divers will do THREE dives and then a “Cut” will be made to the Top 12 Divers who will then perform TWO more dives. Let’s say that there are 28 Divers entered in this event.

(28 Divers in the Event) x (3 Dives BEFORE “Cuts”) = (84 Dives) / 2 DPM (2 Dives Per Minute) = (42 Minutes to Complete the Preliminaries).

If Event #6 is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m., the Pre-lims should end at 1:42 p.m. (that is 42 minutes after it started)

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 DPM (2 Dives Per Minute) = (12 Minutes to Complete the Finals).

Here is what your time line will look like for Event #6:

1:00 p.m. – 11-12 Girls Preliminaries Begin
1:42 p.m. – Prelims End / Score Table makes “Cuts” to Top 12 Divers
1:52 p.m. – 11-12 Girls Finals Begins
2:04 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.
2:24 a.m. – Next Event Begins

REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR EACH EVENT AND THEN POST A SPREADSHEET THAT SHOWS THE EVENT TIME LINE.

Check back soon to see what happens when you are able to even slightly increase the speed at which you run each event -- WOW!!

BE PREPARED!!

"Be Prepared" is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America but is should also be the motto of any diving meet director.

During the 2008 AAU National Diving Championships at The Coral Springs Aquatic Center in Florida, there were a number of things that occurred that COULD have severely interrupted the diving meet but because the meet directors were prepared, the meet continued to run on schedule (weather delays the exception). Here are a few examples:

1) Knowing that it usually storms nearly every afternoon in Florida, the event schedule was set-up so events took place in the morning and late afternoon. This was good planning because almost every day during the mid-afternoon, there was inclement weather that closed the pool for 1-2 hours but it rarely affected the meet because only warm-ups were scheduled for that time period.

2) Each score table had a supply of plastic tarps and plastic bags that could quickly be used to cover the score tables, computers, printers and speakers.

3) They had handheld diving score cards available in the event that one or more of the computers went down during an event (which did occur). They simply continued the meet using handheld scorecards and paper sheets while the computer personnel addressed the computer issues.

4) There were plenty of areas under cover if divers or parents wanted to get out of the sun or rain.

So the next time you host a diving meet, make sure that you spend a little time beforehand planning for things that could go wrong and BE PREPARED!