Organizing and keeping a swim team going takes many volunteers. Home meets require more than 100 workers and away meets require about half that number. It is the responsibility of every parent of a swimmer to help out in these positions. You will get a front row seat as a vital part of the process, and the kids will notice too! Please pitch in to make this a great season for our swimmers! Swim meet volunteer positions are divided into two shifts: first half and second half. This means that you do not have to volunteer for the entire meet. You can volunteer for the first half and/or the second half. The choice is yours. In order to run a successful meet, all families will be required to volunteer for at least a half of each meet that your swimmer attends. Below are descriptions of each volunteer position.

Volunteer Position Descriptions

Strokes and Turn Judges - This position is responsible for ensuring a level playingfield (pool) for all swimmers. They judge whether the swimmers have completed therace legally. If the observe infractions they raise their hand a fill out a disqualificationslip. Please do not give any official a hard time. Disqualifications (DQ) are actually nota bad thing. First, coaches use the DQs to work with swimmers on specific skills whenthey get back to practice. Without the DQ we may lose that opportunity to correctsomething early. Second, if we don’t DQ swimmers that are not completing the stroke ina legal manner they may be getting a competitive advantage over another swimmer thatperformed the stroke perfectly.

Table worker – There are multiple table worker positions. The computer operatormakes sure that the times from the Dolphin system are placed correctly in the computerprogram used to score the meet. The other folks at the Tables assist the computeroperator by verifying that the times in the computer match the times on the timersclipboard sheets and ensuring the DQs are appropriately noted.

Timer – Each lane will have three timers (two from one team and one from the other). All three will have a special watch (the Dolphin system) that is wirelessly connected toboth the starter and a computer that records the times. Two of the three will also have amanual stop watch while the third person will have a clipboard that has sheets of paperlisting every event, heat and swimmer that will be in that lane during the meet. The timers’ job is simply to get the times for the swimmers. The Dolphin stopwatch will startautomatically when the starter starts the race. When the swimmer touches the wall at thefinish, all three timers will stop their Dolphin watch. The two with manual watch timerswill need to manually start the watch at the start and stop it at the finish. The person withthe clipboard will record the times in the appropriate slot next to the swimmers name. This is the best volunteer position because you have perfect view of the races. It is alsothe most important because ultimately the kids are competing for times. Feel free tocheer swimmers on as they swim.

Runners – The runners are responsible for bringing DQ slips from the Judges to theReferee and then from the Referee to the Table workers. They also collect the timersheets at the end of each event and bring them to the table workers.

Concessions – Responsible for working the concession stand. First half will assist with set up, second half with break down.

Hospitality – Prior to each meet we fill large jugs with water and lemonade. Periodically during the meet, the Hospitality workers will bring cups of water andlemonade around to the volunteers.