Staging A Speedskating Event

By Ashley Wright

Organizing a speedskating event can be stressful, according to Chris Weaver, sports development and event coordinator for US Speedskating, but good planning can help alleviate anxiety, he said. Weaver outlined these areas for speedskating association or club organizers to consider to help ensure a successful event:

Set goals: Figure out what you want to achieve and how you're going to do it. Not every event is going to be the same. Organizers of local meets with young skaters should focus on things like fun exhibition races, giveaways, short breaks and access for parents. Local meets should be a fun learning experience for everyone involved.

Organizers of regional meets for elite-level skaters should focus on things like the level of officiating, ice conditions, the skaters' food and promotion. Participants in these meets are looking for a high level of competition and a chance to skate fast times. Start early and make a plan: Putting together an organized plan early on will make things much less overwhelming later. Figure out who is going to do what, and then figure out what you will do if none of that works out.

Things won't always go as planned. Registrations will come in at the last second; volunteers may abandon their post; ice may take a turn for the worse; the schedule may fall behind. If you anticipate these situations and have a plan in place for when they arise, you will sleep better. Volunteers: Planning an event requires all hands on deck. Everyone in the club should either be racing or helping, or both. Who's going to work the heat box, collect registrations, pour the buckets and chase blocks, put up the pads, call the newspapers? Everyone should have a job. There has never been a speedskating meet with too many volunteers. Pull some people out of the woodwork, contact local community groups, do whatever you have to do to get as many helpful bodies involved as you can. For a comprehensive list of volunteer job descriptions, contact me at cweaver@usspeedskating.org.

Work together: Put feelings aside and work together. You're all there to help create and experience a great event.

Raise money: Pound the pavement for potential sponsors and advertisers. Your event is an opportunity for businesses in your community to advertiseÑfrom the pads to the program to giveaways and whatever else you can think of to raise money. It doesn't always take a lot. A couple hundred dollars can make a big difference at a local meet. Be persistent. The worst thing you can do is not ask.

Club parents are a great resource, but you also need to venture out into the community. Try to think of businesses that would appeal to speedskaters. A local bike shop, the place around the corner where people will stop in for lunch, or the hotel where the out-of-town skaters will stay are all good examples. Also, reach out to the chamber of commerce or other similar organizations. They can be a great resource for contacts and can even provide volunteers.

Promote: Get the word out. Contact US Speedskating with your meet details so we can post it on the event schedule. Put posters up in the rink and around town. Contact every media outlet in your area. Use the Internet and social networking sites. Contact the local sports commission. Use every contact you can identify. As speedskaters, we all know nothing brings more excitement to an ice rink than our sport, but don't assume that everyone else knows this. Never underestimate enthusiasm.

Delegate: Every event needs a fearless leader, but a meet director also needs support. Too often, the meet director ends up doing everything. It's the director's job to entrust others to certain tasks, and the volunteers' job to step up and help as needed.

As a meet director, the mentality of, "If I don't do it, it won't get done right," will end up coming back to haunt you in the end. There just aren't enough hours in the day for you to do everything yourself. If you try, you will end up with a serious case of insomnia in the weeks leading up to the event and will have a miserable time during the event. Rely on your volunteers and staff, and don't fret if they don't do something exactly as you would. Be open to their ideas and appreciative of their efforts so they will continue to be willing to help.

Enjoy the event: After the preparations are complete, the volunteers are in place and the event is under way, take a minute to appreciate what you've accomplished. Putting an event together is a lot of work, but if you prepare you should be able to take time and have fun watching the races.