3. Assistants Training - How to Clipboard Like a Pro!
🗂️ Types of Reports You'll Handle
Assistants often help distribute or carry important printed documents. Here's what each one is, what it’s for, and who needs it:
🏃♂️ 1. Meet Program (Heat Sheets)
What it is: A full event schedule with athletes listed by heat and lane.
Who uses it: Coaches, athletes, announcers, and timers.
What to do:
- Use it to verify who is running each event.
- Let athletes know what heat they’re in when they ask.
- Note of any combined events.
- Write on this as much as possible. It’s usually for reference to what's actively going on, and write changes/DNS/FS/DNF to help relay this information back to the Timer as needed. You can also write finishing orders to help identify hard to see athletes in the image. Example: "Who came after number 7?", "Who is the leader?", "Was there a 4 in that race?" etc.
🧾 2. Session Reports
What it is: A list of all events in order, with start times, event names, number of heats, and number of entries
Who uses it: Starters and clerk will usually want a copy.
What to do:
- Use this as a quick progress tracker for what’s complete.
- Check off events as they’re run.
- Confirm you're at the right event in the timeline and that events are moving on schedule.
✅ 3. Athlete Check-In Lists
What it is: A sign-in sheet for athletes in a specific event or heat.
Who uses it: Meet volunteers at the start line or check-in area.
What to do:
- Typically you will hand these off to the Check-in or Stager along with your Hip Number portfolio.
- Remember to get your Hip Numbers back! Do not let your Timer leave without them!
📊 4. Field Event Score Sheets
What it is: A printed results sheet for field events to record attempts (Shot Put, High Jump, etc.)
Who uses it: Field officials and assistants.
What to do:
- Separate Score sheets onto clipboards, provide pencils.
- Each event should be on it's own clipboard, both genders.
- If a venue has multiple jump pits, then you may be asked to separate the genders onto different clipboards.
- Be mindful of where these clipboards and events are being held.
- Make sure the Field Event staff gets clear instructions on bringing the events back as each page is complete. If they do not have someone to run the paper back, you may need to walk out to these events and get them yourself.
- Provide the proper Field Event Tablet with each clipboard (if using Live Field!)
✏️5. Scratch Paper!
What it is: A blank sheet you keep with you to jot things down fast.
Who uses it: You — when no other sheet has a place for what’s happening.
Why it matters: Meets move fast. Scratch paper gives you a way to capture:
- Athlete/Coach questions you can’t answer yet
- Lap counting athletes to assist the timer.
- Any discrepancies that need to be double-check before finalizing.
- Timing notes (like “Gun fired twice”, “athlete didn’t finish”, "decided to combine heats 7 and 8", etc)
🔗 Next Steps
Check out these starter materials:
