Southeast Missouri Swim Conference: MM & TM Information
Here is some basic computer knowledge about the 2 programs we use.
TM (Team Manager) - A program designed to run your team. It keeps track of all the times, records, meets swam in, & swimmer information. The coaches use it to do all of their team's entries for a meet.
MM (Meet Manager) - A program designed to run a swim meet for you. It works hand in hand with TM accepting a computer file with the team's entries on the file.
We seem to change coaches and MM operators every year so to help....I'll post some basic info to cover the basics. First thing to do each year is to download the most recent update for your programs from Hy-Tek . Download and install updates for both TM and MM programs.
One stumbling block is that the two programs "think" a little differently, and this paragraph is just an overiview. Many times instead of "opening or closing" a file, you instead "backup or restore". Also- there are many data transfer steps between TM and MM and these involve "exporting" and "importing" data. For a meet to take place:
1) The host creates a meet in Meet Manager and then exports the events and e-mails it to the conference webmaster.
2) Coaches download the event file and import it into their Team Manager.
3) The coaches do entries and export their entries and e-mail the entries to the host team.
4) The meet host imports the entries from the coaches.
5) The morning of the meet, after last minute changes are made, the host runs the meet.
6) The host then generates several files 1) A full meet backup which is e-mailed to the conference webmaster and 2) Results export files for any coaches that request them
7) Coaches import the results export back into Team Manager so the swimmers have the latest seed times.
There are other variations, but as you can see- there were 3 Export ==> Import steps above that transferred data back and forth between Meet Manager and Team Manager for a typical meet. Now, on with specific instructions below.
TEAM MANAGER - TM - You want to start the year with your same database from years past. That way you can access and use times for any of your swimmers at any time. First thing to do is change your age up date to the new year. Your program will be set up for 6-1-(last year). Click Set-up... preferences.... system preferences....Change both the meet and system age up date to 6-1-(present year).
Now you need to age-up your swimmers.... Click Set-up.....Ageup Athletes
Now go to the Athlete screen.... There is a "Include In-Active" box on the top....check that. In-Active swimmers are swimmers that are no longer swimming with your team. You want to keep old swimmer's times so you can always go back and retrieve the data but you do not want to be looking at their names all summer. Check the In-Active box on the right of each swimmer's name if they are not swimming with the team this year. Once you are done change the inc inactive box on the top to remove their names from your team roster. If you ever want to include the old in-active swimmers anytime in the future...just check the box on top to display them.
Now.... it is time to add any new swimmers. I always take a little time and go back and look at my old ones. That reminds me how I keep the data (mom's name first, phone # listed in evening phone box, daytime # listed in emergency # box) not saying that you should do it all this way.....my point is enter the new swimmer's data in the same spots you have entered all the old swimmers. That way when you create a contact list...it will include all the same kind of info as your old swimmers.
When it is time to do entries, you will first import a meet events file for the meet that you will be attending. Go to the en website....download the Meet Event file....save that file somewhere that you can easily find it (on a floppy or in "My Documents"). Then on your TM...click file...Import...Meet Events. Import the file and you will then have the meet in your TM...ready for entries. Go to "Meets", click on events and look at what events are offered at the meet. Most are the same but some vary with the 6&under events. When you are ready to do your entries...from the meets screen..highlight the meet...click entries and then do the entry process. Once completed....export the entry file onto a floppy disc....attach that file to an e-mail and send it to the host MM operator. Take that floppy disc with you to the meet so you will have a back-up of the data you sent by e-mail.
This is all just basic info on the TM....it's amazing how many different types of reports the program it will generate for you. Spend some time playing around with the program to learn how much it helps you to be a better coach.
MEET MANAGER - MM - Before you generate a new meet, open the data-base of your last meet. Update your pool records by.....clicking.... events ....records .... update. Look at the report and remove the check from any record that you do not want updated. An example would be.... we don't keep 6 & under records at Sikeston because they are exhibition swims and the kids can not be disqualified for swimming the wrong stroke. Since I don't have 6 & under records ... I don't want all of last meets best 6 & under times as a new record. With the records updated....make a back-up file of the meet... Click File .... Back-up. Save the back-up on a floppy or somewhere easily found later.
Now click file ... open/new.... then type in your new meet file name (ie..SST6-12-04). Click open...then a box will appear. Put in the start and end date and course (yards or meters).. Don't worry about any other info at this time because we are going to overide all this info in a minute. It will then ask you for an age-up date...select 6-1-(current year).
Now.... to keep from having to put in all the events, records, and other data in your new meet that you just created we are going to restore the new meet's database with that back-up file that you saved form last year's meet. Click file ..... restore.... and restore your new meet with last year's data base. Then click File ... purge .... remove data selectively ..... Teams .... which when you check teams the remaining boxes in that area will also become checked ( Athletes, Entries/Results, Relays). Click OK and purge that data. That gets rid of all of last year's swimmers, teams and results.
Now....click set-up .... meet set-up and change the dates to the correct new date. Everything else on that screen should be correct... but now is the time to look it over and check it out. Now .... click Set-up .... Athlete/Relay Preferences ..... and change the date for computing ages to 6-1-(present year).
You might check your scoring to make sure the new meet is set-up correctly. An example of a reason it wouldn't be is ..... the meet last year you hosted and copied the database over for this year was a triangle meet. This year you have 4 teams at the meet. Scoring is done by USA rules. Get a rulebook then click ..... Set-up .... scoring set-up ... standard. Then enter the right data.
Now you have your new meet ready for the entries .... time to create a TM event file to post on the website for all the visiting teams. Click File .... Export ... Events for TM. If it asks you if you will allow converted times for your meet say YES. Then save that file on a floppy or an easy place to find it. Then attach that file to an e-mail and send it to the conference webmaster to be posted on the conference site.
Meet Information - Create your meet info in a Word file. Save it on your hard-drive that way next year all you have to do is edit the dates, times and teams to create your new meet info. Send the Word file to the conference webmaster so it can be uploaded to the conference website.
Be considerate of other teams and get your TM Event Files and Meet information sent in early.
Below are two generic meet backups that you also have the option of using. Select the right meet, based on your pools number of lanes. Follow the steps above, and then restore these files into Meet Manager- If you happen to have a yard pool, be sure to change the meet to yards after restoring the file.
SPECIAL NOTE- YOU MUST RIGHT CLICK ON THESE FILES, AND THEN DO "SAVE TARGET AS" (WHICH DOWNLOADS THEM TO YOUR COMPUTER). A normal left click will get you nowhere :-)
2009 SMSC 6-lane pool Meet Manager File Setup Meet Invitation Guide Team Manager "Cookbook" Meet Manager "Cookbook" Meet Manager Checklist Meet Manager Entries
