Lessons Learned - Jefferson Shelby Swim Council

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Thanks to our teams for sharing Lessons Learned related to swim meets and our new Technology for the 2026 season.

Please send additional items to JSSC Lessons Learned for future updates.

(Version 6/25/2026)

1) Printed Materials & Meet Files

From VSA: Print heat sheets with relay swimmer names
- Helps in multiple areas, including helping coaches gather the correct swimmers for relays
- Names also available in the SwimTopia app when published, but paper is fastest on deck
From JSSC: Each team attaches the heat sheet PDF into the meet (in Files) in SwimTopia
- Allows parents to click into the meet on the team website and access the heat sheet
- Also include the link to host team's pool information in Meet Details
  - You'll find this via team sites: Teams - Jefferson Shelby Swim Council

2) DQ Process & Stroke/Turn Workflow

From JSSC: Print plenty of DQ slips ahead of time (cut in half)
- Use shorthand on heat sheet to record DQs during busy events, complete slips after
- Mark the primary violation clearly (system records one reason); can include other violations for learning
- Collect slips throughout the meet
From RCC: Optional enhancement — additional tablet for DQ entry
- Referee still reviews and approves DQ slips as usual
- Instead of sending slips back to scoring table, someone nearby enters the DQ into the system right away on a tablet/laptop
- Helps reduce back-and-forth and keeps scoring moving
- Additional tablet is only a helper — it does not replace the main Windows scoring laptop or the Android timing tablet

3) Place Judges

From PTCC: Place judge work is critical
- If a time is missing, order of finish needed and used
  - Not common, but must be prepared

4) Meet Referee & Communication

From JSSC: Referee must be involved in
- combining events
- event order changes
- deck changes
From BHRC: Communication must be immediate and clear
- Any changes (swimmer moves, missing swimmers, combinations) must be communicated to:
  - scoring, clerk, starter, referee, stroke & turn, place judges

5) Combining Events & Deck Changes

From JSSC: Combining events works cleanly with Time Drops and Meet Maestro
- Example: Two events (e.g., 12/13) are combined
  - Keep these as separate events in Meet Maestro but adjust lane assignments in each respective event
  - Assign lanes (e.g., put girls in lanes 1–3 in their event #, boys in lanes 4–6 in their event #)
  - Time Drops will treat it as a single race (effectively combining events like 12/13)
  - Once the race is complete, the system will automatically load times back into the correct individual events

From BHRC: When combining or making changes
- Communicate before the race
- Avoid unnecessary changes once the meet is running
- Be careful with last-minute changes
- Dropping swimmers in randomly creates scoring issues
From VCC: Coaches should agree on relay order (start vs end) and ensure both teams’ meet setup/template matches before entries/merge
- If relay order changes, both teams must update their meet/template (one team’s changes do not automatically update the other)
- If entries do not merge correctly, stop, have both teams confirm templates match, then re-merge

6) Relays

From VSA: Allow a little extra time to assure swimmers are in place before starting the first event
- There may be multiple things in motion (e.g., wrapping up assigned warm-up immediately preceding, coaches staging swimmers, coaches also swimming in the first event)
From JSSC: Relay age flexibility
- Must have at least one swimmer in the relay age group
- Younger swimmers can fill in, but be mindful of timeline impact if entry times are significantly slower
- (Senior County is different — can swim up 2 age-groups max)

7) Timers & Timing Setup

From JSSC: Timer setup must match across systems
- In Meet Maestro, set the Expected number of Timers per lane correctly
- In Time Drops, under Meet, confirm the number of buttons per lane is set correctly
- If these do not match what you are actually using, timing/scoring issues can follow

From JSSC: Timers should have heat sheets or timer sheets to verify swimmers in each lane, write down name if missing
- Also provides a backup place to record times if needed
- Have manual watches available (1 per lane plus 1 for head timer); if tech issues, meet can continue
From BHRC: Optional enhancement — additional backup timing
- Example approach: 2 buttons + 1 stopwatch per lane
- Provides fallback if a button does not capture a finish
- (Core requirement is one timing input per lane; additional backup timing is optional and benefit provided above)

8) Scoring Table Workflow

From BHRC and RCC: Multi-person scoring improves flow
- One person on timing tablet
- One person on main laptop
- One person handling paper / DQs / corrections
  - Helps keep main scoring device focused
From BHRC: Paper flow must be organized
- Assign a person to organize/read paperwork
- Use a runner to move papers continuously

9) Event Status & Scoring Completion

From BHRC: Use event status in Meet Maestro to ensure scoring is complete
- Green = complete; Yellow = incomplete
- Common issues:
  - Missing NS (no show)
  - Missing timing data
- Before finishing the meet, confirm all events show green (complete)

10) Time Drops, Equipment & Network

From JSSC: Test all buttons before the meet (“Manage Buttons” option in Time Drops app)
- Have backup buttons available
- Batteries may need to be changed (size CR2032) if button does not register
From Team: Stable network is critical
- Hardwiring the router to the laptop improved reliability
From JSSC: Network setup
- Closed meet network must only run on 2.4 GHz (connects Windows laptop, Android tablet, and blue Time Drops controller)
- For internet: Pool Wi‑Fi or mobile hotspot may require 5 GHz to bring internet into router in the ‘repeater’ section (so turn on 5 GHz wireless in router setup but don’t link above meet devices to it)
From JSSC: End-of-meet timing equipment shutdown to avoid running down batteries
- Turn off the Time Drops controller (blue box) – hold the power button for a couple seconds and watch for red/blue flashing lights to stop
- Disconnect all parts of the start adapter or mini starter
- Time Drops components will then automatically turn off within approximately 5 minutes
From MBC: Meet Maestro desktop version not showing seeded meet
- Meet Maestro opened, but the meet did not appear in the selection list
- Trying to reinstall Meet Maestro tipped us off to the issue
  - Windows Security messages came up, Windows Security was blocking Meet Maestro from functioning correctly
- Fix:
  - Windows Security → App & Browser Control → Reputation-Based Protection
  - Turn off reputation-based protection settings
  - Reopen Meet Maestro
  - Meet immediately appeared for selection
- SwimTopia also offers an after-hours support line for meet-day technology issues: 877-856-2940, Option 6

11) Meet Closeout & Ribbons

From BHRC: Printing ribbon labels during the meet works well out of Meet Maestro
- Allowed ribbons to be ready immediately
From JSSC: Close out meet properly in Meet Maestro
- Ensure all events are complete before exporting
- Lock meet / transfer results

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