FAQ
Swim Team Volunteer FAQ
1) Do I have to volunteer?
a) Yes, we are run only by volunteers. There are over 30 jobs involved in putting on
a home meet, so we need EVERYONE to volunteer throughout the season.
b) We require families to volunteer 25 points (hours) a season.
2) How are points calculated?
a) When you sign up you will see how many points each job is worth. Most jobs the
number of points are equal to the number of hours you are working. There are a
few jobs that we will give more points than hours such as jobs that require
outside training or jobs that are harder for us to fill.
3) What if I can’t do the 25 points?
a) Reach out to the volunteer coordinator asap to discuss the situation. I can be reached at [email protected].
4) Can I sign up for more than 1 job at a meet?
a) Yes as long as the jobs do not overlap.
5) Can my child volunteer for me?
a) Children 16 years or older can volunteer for you. I am happy to sign volunteer
forms if needed. We understand that some children younger than 16 are capable
of doing some of the jobs but instead of making a case by case decision the
board has decided that 16 is the age requirement.
6) Why can’t I sign up for a job?
a) The jobs are not open yet for the meet. The job posting will open 2 weeks before
the meet.
b) It conflicts with another job you are signed up for.
7) What if something comes up and I can no longer do the job I signed up for?
a) If it is more than 24 hours before the meet you can simply remove yourself from
the sign up. If the sign up has closed, please email me at [email protected]
or text at 202-486-0552.
8) Can I sign up for a job without training?
a) The only jobs that require formal training are stroke and turn judges and meet
officials. All other jobs, we can give you quick instructions at the meet.
9) How do I know how many hours I have volunteered?
a) When you sign in to your Swimtopia account, the number of hours you have
signed up to volunteer will be listed.
10) Do you have any jobs not at a swim meet?
a) Yes we will have a few grill nights each season, there are also some volunteer
opportunities such as picking up food, setting up.
Swim Meet Volunteer Position Descriptions
Stroke and Turn Judge **requires ODSL training
It
is the job of this volunteer to observe the swimmers’ strokes and turns
and to disqualify, in a fair and consistent manner, those swimmers who
violate the current LCSL disqualification standards. All Stroke and Turn
Judges must complete the training offered by Parks and Recreation or
equivalent training.
The benefit of the doubt goes to the swimmer
Only the starter shall determine if a false start has occurred during an individual event or if the first swimmer in a relay event has false started. Swimmers shall be disqualified for more than one false start in a given event.
Relays shall be disqualified if any swimmer false starts during the relay.
Swimmers in age groups 9-10 and above shall be disqualified for stroke violations. Swim mers in the 7-8 and 6 and under age groups shall receive warnings only.
The purpose of the Stroke and Turn Judge is to ensure fair competition and not to demoralize any swimmer.
A complete list of rules can be found in the LCSL Rules for Competition.
Head clerk of course/Assistant Clerk of Course
It
is the duty of the above to line up the swimmers so that they are
ready to swim in the correct lane and heat in an efficient manner. Heats
can be combined if possible. These two volunteers are crucial in
keeping the meet running on a timely basis. They should be volunteers
that know many of the swimmers by name. They may wish to work with someone else prior to doing it on
their own.
Starter/Announcer **requires ODSL training
It
is the duty of the above to announce and start each race. To determine
false starts and keep the meet running smoothly. It is also the duty of
this person to set-up the starter system prior to the meet and to
properly box up the system at the end of the meet.
Head Timer
It is the duty of the above to assign lanes so that there is at least one timer from each
team in each lane, to review proper timing procedures with the timers
before the start of the meet, and to conduct a practice timing session.
They will alsoo take over for any timer whose watch fails to start or otherwise
malfunctions during a race.
Timers
It
is the duty of the above to arrive at the meet on time and be ready for
the Head Timers instructions prior to the start of the meet. Timers
should report to their team area to receive their watch and then to
listen for the announcement of where to report and when. They are to
start their watch when the bullhorn sounds and stop their watch when the
swimmer in their lane reaches the wall. If a watch malfunctions or
fails to start, that timer should raise their hand to notify the head
timer of the problem. Timers shall record all three times on the time
card and indicate the official time.
-
When three timers are timing per lane, the official time is the middle time of the three, unless two times are identical, in which case that time is the official time
-
When two timers are timing per lane the official time is the average of the two times. Each lane will have Heat Winner Ribbons that should be given out at each heat to the winner of the individual heat. One timer in each lane should designate himself or herself as the distributor of this ribbon
Relay Takeoff Judges
It is the duty of these judges to make sure that a relay swimmer does not take off prematurely.
Ribbon Writers
It
is the duty of these volunteers to receive the event cards from the
scorers table and to properly designate the ribbons for each swimmer.
Again with some teams being computerized you may not need as many
volunteers if you are using computer generated labels.
Runners
The
duty of these volunteers is to pick-up the event cards from timers and stroke/turn judges after each heat. After each race they are to pick-up the cards from the timers and
take them to the scorers table.
Meet Set-up Crew
It
is the duty of this group of volunteers to come early or set-up the
meet the night before. They will be provided a layout of the pool area
and should be familiar with where equipment is. They will set-up tables,
chairs, and backstroke flags and rearrange any pool furniture that
needs it a minimum of 45 minutes prior to warm-ups beginning.
Meet Clean-up Crew
It
is the duty of this group of volunteers to stay at the conclusion of
the meet to take down the backstroke flags, pick-up any trash that the
teams missed, put all tables and chairs away and return the pool
furniture to its proper places.
Age Group Coordinator
This position is responsible for working with an assigned age group (i.e. 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13 and up). *You will be given a meet sheet for your age group. You will need to make sure all the kids are sitting within their age group. You take roll at the beginning of the meet. You then will have kids lined up for their races during the meet. It helps if this person is familiar with many of the kids in the age group you are volunteering. You are required to stay until the end of the meet and/or until all the swimmers in your age group have finished. This position is required at both home and away meets. We need 6 to 7 age group coordinators per meet.
Concessions
Work at the concession stand during meets, grilling, and/or selling food. This position is run in shifts and we always make sure you are able to watch your child swim. This position is only required at home meets.
Food/Ice Pick-up:
You will be given items to pick up for the concessions table, such as ice, donuts, coffee, etc. You will purchase the items and then submit for reimbursement. Only needed for home meets.
Computer Operator
Season-long position to establish meet events in the computer systems and record/report results.
Establish each home meet per ODSL templates and post to platform. Coordinate invites to/from opposing team(s). Seed meets with swimmers and establish events and heats. Handle scratches, deck entries, and relay changes on meet-day. During meets enter event results/official times and enter disqualifications. Print ribbon labels at end of meet for ribbon writers. Score meets and send to coaches/opposing teams for review.
*Focused computer operator to sit near Starter and Referee to make sure timers reset after each heat. Works closely with the Team Manager. We need 2/3 people for this job. This position is only required at home meets and during the week for setup. Position requires in-house training.