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Meet Preparation Guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for GPSA Representatives and scorekeepers to prepare for a dual meet, from merging entries to creating all required materials.

Quick Reference

  • Entry deadline: 12:00 PM day of meet
  • Merge deadline: 12:00 PM day of meet (home team)
  • Home team responsibilities: Merge, heat sheets, place judge forms, referee materials, relay takeoff sheets
  • Visiting team responsibilities: Heat sheets, backup scorekeeper materials

Timeline

12:00 PM - Entry Deadline

Both teams must mark themselves as “Ready to Merge” in SwimTopia by 12:00 PM on the day of the meet.

How to mark Ready to Merge:

  1. Select your meet from the Schedule
  2. Click the Merge/Export tab
  3. Click the slider beside your team’s name

See SwimTopia Guidelines - Merge Entries for detailed instructions.

12:00 PM - Meet Merge (Home Team)

The home team GPSA Representative merges the entries and builds the meet in Meet Maestro.

How to merge:

  1. Navigate to the Merge/Export tab
  2. Verify both teams show as “Ready”
  3. Click the merge button
  4. SwimTopia will automatically build and seed the meet

Home Team Preparation Checklist

After merging the meet, the home GPSA Representative should prepare the following materials:

1. Heat Sheets

Purpose: Provide each official with a complete list of swimmers, events, and heats.

Recommended settings:

  • Include all events
  • Include both teams
  • Show lane assignments
  • Include exhibition swimmers

Distribution:

  • Referee
  • Starter
  • Head Timer
  • Each Scorekeeper (2)
  • Announcer
  • Each Stroke & Turn official
  • Extras for runners/officials

See SwimTopia Guidelines - Creating Heat Sheets for detailed instructions.

2. Place Judge Forms

Purpose: Allow sweep judges to record the official order of finish for each scoring heat.

What to generate:

  • One form for each heat of Heat 1 of all scored events (events 1-56)
  • Do NOT generate for Heat 2+ (only Heat 1 scores)
  • Do NOT generate for relay events (different process)

How to generate in Meet Maestro:

  1. Navigate to Reports in Meet Maestro settings
  2. Select Place Judge Form
  3. Filter to Heat 1 only
  4. Filter to events 1-56
  5. Print one form per heat

Forms needed: Approximately 56 forms (one per event, Heat 1 only)

What the form includes:

  • Event number and name
  • Lane assignments for Heat 1
  • Swimmer names and teams
  • Blank spaces for place (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)

3. Sweep Judge Sheet

Purpose: Master tracking sheet for the home sweep judge to record order of finish across all heats.

How to generate:

  1. In Meet Maestro Settings → Reports
  2. Select Sweep Judge Sheet
  3. Print for home team

Number needed: 1 (for home sweep judge)

4. Meet Referee Sheet

Purpose: Comprehensive event listing for the referee to track meet progress and DQs.

How to generate:

  1. In Meet Maestro Settings → Reports
  2. Select Meet Referee Sheet
  3. Print

Number needed: 1

What it includes:

  • All events in order
  • Space for notes and DQ codes
  • Swimmer names and lanes

5. Meet Referee Verification of Scores

Purpose: Final sign-off sheet for the referee to verify meet results before official completion.

How to generate:

  1. In Meet Maestro Settings → Reports
  2. Select Referee Verification of Scores
  3. Print

Number needed: 1

When used: After all events are complete, before results are finalized.

6. Relay Takeoff Sheet

Purpose: Track relay swimmers and verify legal exchanges.

How to generate:

  1. In Meet Maestro Settings → Reports
  2. Select Relay Takeoff Sheet
  3. Print

Number needed: 1 per relay event (or combined sheet if available)

Events covered:

  • Event 0: Mixed 8&U 100M Free Relay
  • All A/B relay events throughout meet

Visiting Team Preparation Checklist

While the home team handles most materials, the visiting team should prepare:

1. Heat Sheets (Backup)

Generate at least 2-3 heat sheets for:

  • Visiting scorekeeper
  • Visiting team coach
  • Visiting GPSA Representative

Note: The home team is responsible for providing official heat sheets, but having backups ensures your team has copies if needed.

Bring a laptop or tablet with SwimTopia access for your scorekeeper to:

  • Enter times in real-time
  • Cross-check entries with home scorekeeper
  • Have backup access if needed

See SwimTopia Guidelines - Using Meet Maestro as Scorekeeper.

3. Team Roster Print (Optional)

Print a current team roster for reference in case of last-minute substitutions or questions.

Pre-Meet Materials Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure all materials are prepared before warm-ups begin:

Home Team Checklist

  • Meet merged at 12:00 PM
  • Heat sheets printed (6+ copies)
  • Place judge forms printed (56 forms for Heat 1 of events 1-56)
  • Sweep judge sheet printed (1 copy)
  • Meet referee sheet printed (1 copy)
  • Referee verification of scores printed (1 copy)
  • Relay takeoff sheet printed
  • Lane slips prepared (if using manual timing)
  • DQ slips available for stroke & turn judges
  • Stopwatches distributed and tested
  • Meet Maestro launched and ready
  • Scorekeepers have access to Meet Maestro

Visiting Team Checklist

  • Team marked “Ready to Merge” by 12:00 PM
  • Heat sheets printed (2-3 backup copies)
  • Scorekeeper has laptop/tablet with SwimTopia access (recommended)
  • Stopwatches brought for assigned lanes
  • Stand-by starting horn/whistle available

Meet Maestro Access

Launching Meet Maestro

  1. Log in to SwimTopia
  2. Navigate to Schedule
  3. Select the meet
  4. Click the Meet Maestro button (appears after merge)

Configuring Meet Maestro Settings

Before the meet begins, verify these settings:

Score Display (Blind Scoring):

  1. Click Settings gear → Mobile App
  2. Turn OFF all score displays (Combined/Men/Women)
  3. This prevents scores from appearing on mobile app per GPSA rules

Pool Configuration:

  1. Click Settings gear → Meet Setup
  2. Verify correct number of lanes (4, 5, 6, or 8)
  3. Verify scoring lanes match pool configuration

Record Books and Benchmarks:

  1. Add Team and Pool records
  2. Add City Meet Qualifying Times
  3. See SwimTopia Guidelines

Troubleshooting

Meet Won’t Merge

Problem: Merge button is disabled or greyed out.

Solutions:

  • Verify both teams marked “Ready to Merge”
  • Check that meet is properly linked between teams
  • Ensure entries are complete (no errors in Meet Maestro)
  • Contact SwimTopia support if issue persists

Place Judge Forms Not Generating

Problem: Place judge forms are blank or missing events.

Solutions:

  • Ensure meet is fully merged
  • Verify filter is set to Heat 1 only
  • Check that events 1-56 are included
  • Refresh Meet Maestro and try again

Missing Swimmers in Heat Sheets

Problem: Heat sheets don’t show all entered swimmers.

Solutions:

  • Verify entries were saved before marking “Ready to Merge”
  • Re-merge the meet if entries were added after initial merge
  • Check exhibition settings (may filter out exhibition swimmers)

Scorekeeper Can’t Access Meet Maestro

Problem: Scorekeeper doesn’t see Meet Maestro button or gets access error.

Solutions:

  • Verify scorekeeper has proper SwimTopia permissions
  • Ensure they’re logged in with correct team account
  • Refresh page and try again
  • Use backup scorekeeper account if needed

Additional Resources

Time-Saving Tips

  1. Print early: Generate materials as soon as merge is complete to avoid last-minute rush
  2. Double-check quantities: Always print extras (heat sheets get lost or damaged)
  3. Test equipment: Verify stopwatches, computers, printers before meet day
  4. Share responsibilities: Have assistant coaches or team parents help with materials prep

Questions?

Contact your division representative or the GPSA webmaster for assistance with meet preparation.

Last updated: January 2025