Gala entry checklist for meet secretaries

Gala entries go wrong at the edges: a swimmer entered in an event they are too old for, a time in the wrong course, a withdrawal that never reached the host, a deadline missed by a day. This checklist follows a gala from the moment the meet pack arrives to the moment personal bests are updated. Print it, or better, build your club's process around it.

When the meet pack arrives

• Note the host's entry deadline and set your club's own deadline several days earlier.
• Check the course: short course (25m) or long course (50m).
• Note the age-up date. Swimmers compete in the age group they will be on that date.
• Note qualifying times: the lower limit to enter and any upper limit.
• Note maximum events per swimmer, per session and for the meet.
• Note entry fees and any per-swimmer surcharge.
• Note the withdrawal deadline and any fine for late withdrawals.
• Note the entry system: Hy-Tek or SportSystems.
• Note the host's requirements for coaches, team managers and officials.

Before you open entries

• Agree with the head coach which squads the gala is for and how events are chosen.
• Tell families: what the gala is, who it is for, the club deadline, fees and what happens if they withdraw.
• Ask for volunteers: officials and team managers the host requires, and gala duty helpers. See what gala duty involves.

While entries are open

• Answer questions in one place, not across several chats.
• Remind families once, a few days before the club deadline.

Closing entries

• Close entries on the club deadline.
• Review entries with the coach.
• Check every swimmer is eligible by age for every event.
• Check entry times are in the right course and not accidentally converted.
• Check membership numbers for every swimmer.
• Raise entry fees to families.

Sending the entry file

• Export the entry file and review the export report before sending.
• Send it to the host in the format and by the method the meet pack asks for.
• Ask the host to confirm receipt.
• If you send a revised file, send the complete entry, not only the changes.

When the host confirms

• Check accepted and rejected entries, and tell affected families.
• Handle withdrawals before the host's withdrawal deadline.
• Share session times, warm-up times and the programme when published.
• Confirm team managers and officials, and give the team manager what they need on the day.

After the meet

• Import the results so personal bests update.
• Share results with the club. First races and personal bests deserve a mention.
• Note anything that went wrong, so next time is easier.

How Olympus Swim helps

Olympus Swim builds most of this checklist into the gala itself. The meet secretary sets up the gala with its events, qualifying times, entry window and the squads it is open to. Age-group eligibility is a hard gate, so parents only see events their swimmer can enter. The meet secretary closes entries on the club's date, a Hy-Tek compatible entry file is produced for the host, and importing results updates personal bests automatically. SportSystems meet entries are supported alongside Hy-Tek. Read about gala entries and Hy-Tek meet files. The UK swimming glossary explains the terms.

Common questions

What is the age-up date in swimming? The date a meet uses to set each swimmer's age group. A swimmer competes in the age group they will be on that date, which the meet pack states.

Why set a club deadline before the host's deadline? It leaves time to check eligibility, entry times and fees, and to fix problems, before the file has to go.

What happens if a swimmer withdraws late? Many meets charge a fine for withdrawals after their deadline, because the club has already committed the entry. The meet pack says what applies.

Written by Joel Knight, swimming coach and founder of Olympus Swim (about).