Swim team sound system (Read 338 times)

Anyone have experience with this?  Our team has a crappy sound system that people can't hear well over the crowd, so calling the kids to the clerk of course is more difficult than it needs to be.  The teams that have good, clear sound have sound systems that are permanently installed. That isn't an option for us.  Does anyone know what the specs would be for system that could be heard in the area around a swimming pool?  Looking on line, there is quite a range.  What we have now is this:  http://www.ampli.com/portable-pa-system/Half-Mile-Hailer-Kits.aspx 

It sounds like the conductor on a NYC subway train.  If you're not standing right under the speaker, you know someone is trying to say something ... unless you're a 9-10 girl being called for your event, in which case you only know that there is HIGH DRAMA going on unrelated to swimming until some parent hooks you by the elbow and drags you to the clerk ....

My son swims on a team, and we've been to a number of races at many locations.  Within a pool environment, vision is better than hearing. 

 

For our races, we focus on ensuring the visibility of the races that are being staged and the races being raced.

So, if my son is racing in races 10, 22, 45, and 67, we sharpie those numbers on his forearm, and then he's responsible for looking for the numbers on the giant white board and knowing what race is racing by reading what race is racing.  (We are his back up and make sure he gets there too).

 

During the staging process, the stage volunteers and helpers hold signs that show the race number that they're staging.

 

In other words, rather than the expenses of an audio system (that will be mediocre at best), maybe you should focus on visual aids.

 

My role within the races is the final stager.  So, when the stagers get the kids accounted for and ready, it's my role to bring them to the starting blocks.  The only audio we hear is the starter going through the "racers ready.... go" through an automated "go" system.  That system is never saying "race #45 is now staging... please report to the staging area now."

Cheers,
Brian

 
We do some of all of that, but in our summer league, we always call the kids to to clerk for staging.  All the teams expect it. It works well in locations where one can hear the damn system, at least for dual meets.  When we get into the championship meet, it's a whole 'nuther thing of course.  Most of the parents are working most of the meet in some capacity, so we can't always rely on the parents to drag their own kids around. In our case, for example, my husband is meet director and I'm usually directing the volunteers -- getting everyone checked in, filling in jobs people don't show up for, answering questions, etc.  So my kids (8 and 11) are usually on their own, though I try to keep an ear out for what events are up.