Volunteer Information
Tips Did you know Middle School and High School swimmers and their siblings can earn SSL hours by volunteering at meets?  If you have a B meet swimmer and you volunteer to work during the A meets then all you have to do at the B meets is cheer for your swimmer! Does having small children make it hard for you to volunteer during a meet?  Some jobs can be done other times like shopping for concessions, buying senior gifts, trophies, working on banquet, doing hospitality or bringing the donuts each week! Our volunteer coordinator can keep track of your swimmer's SSL hours and she will provide an SSL form at the end of the season will all their accumulated hours.	We need you! Parent volunteers are critical to the success of the swim season.  Although most jobs are best suited to swim team parents and other adults, some jobs can be done by older swimmers; such as runner, ribbon writer,  verifier, clerk of course, and assistants to chair people.    New to swim team?  There are also a number of jobs require little or no experience, such as  timing, selling food, etc. Other jobs, such as referee, starter, and stroke and turn judge require certification.   The volunteer requirement per family is 5 obligations, each family MUST volunteer!!  Our volunteer coordinator will help you sign up and keep track of your volunteer sessions.  Failure to fulfill this mandatory obligation will result in a forfeiture of your child’s privilege to participate in meets.
Online Volunteer Sign Up Haven't been invited to join yet? Email susantarter524@gmail.com

Jobs, jobs, and more jobs, fun and interesting things to do at a swim meet!
As mentioned it takes between 45 and 60 parents to run a swim meet!!

Here are just some of the tasks those volunteers do during a meet.

• Meet Referee*
• Starter*
• Stroke and Turn Judge* (4 per meet – 2 from each team)
• Timers (18-24 per meet – ½ from each team)
• Head Timer and Assistant Head Timer
• Announcer
• Clerk of Course and Assistant Clerk of Course
• Computer operator
• Verifier
• Runner
• Ribbon writers

• Spirit wear coordinator

• Senior Gifts

• Banquet coordinator

• Donut coordinator

• Pool Party
• Pep Rally

•  

* Requires MCSL certification

Timers

The responsibilities of a timer are as follows:

·          First and foremost be comfortable with the stopwatch that is given to you and know how to start, stop, and clear the watch.

·          You are to start the watch when you see the strobe light flash on the front of the starting machine. Immediately after the start, you need to check your watch to make sure that it has started and is still running. If you miss seeing the strobe, or feel that you started your watch too early or late, or if your watch didn’t start, raise your hand and let the head timer or the assistant head timer know so they can give you a replacement watch.

·          You are to stop the watch when any part of the swimmers body comes in contact with the wall. It is not the timer’s job to determine if the touch is legal.

·          There are three timers in each lane. One of the timers is responsible for writing down the times on the event sheets. There is a place on the sheet for each timer’s time to be recorded. It is very important that under each time, you put the initials of the timer whose time was recorded on that line. We have found it best over the years if the person doing the writing puts their own time down first and then records the other two times in the same order for each event. This allows the timer who is doing the writing to go ahead and place the timer’s initials on the sheet for future events ahead of time.

·          Once the sheet has been recorded, it needs to be given to the head timer who makes sure that the sheets have been filled out correctly.

·          Do not clear the time off your watch until the head timer instructs you to do so, you will hear the command “Timers Clear Your Watches.” There is the possibility that a meet official would need to verify your time.                                                                                                               

·          It is common in B meets that there are many heats listed on one sheet. The sheet does not need to be turned in to the head timer until all the heats have been completed. If you do not have a swimmer in your lane for an event, you need to place a NS or no swimmer on the sheet and turn it in to the head timer.

·          It is also important for each timer to start his or her stopwatch in every event even if he/she does not have a swimmer

·          The last and certainly one of the most important jobs is to make sure that the swimmer that you are timing is the one that is listed on your sheet. If it is a 50-meter event or longer, you should ask the swimmer’s name as they are stepping up for the event. If it is a 25-meter event, ask the swimmer their name as they are getting out of the pool. You must let the head timer know if there is a discrepancy on your sheet.

The length of time it takes to complete a meet relies on how quickly the timers are able to record the times and turn the sheets into the head timer

Runner

Runners collect the time sheets from the head timer. They also pick up the DQ slips from the meet referee and clip them to the time sheets from that event. Those items are then taken immediately to the head scorer at the computer table. The runner’s job is essential to the timeliness in which a meet runs and results are posted.

The runner should stand near the referee at the start end of the pool during 50 and 100-meter events and near the timers during 25-meter events. After collecting the timing sheets the runner should then see if the referee has any DQ slips that also need to be submitted. The runner also collects record information from the head scorer/computer operator and takes those statistics to the announcer.

Verifier
The verifiers may read the times to the computer operator and check the results printed from the computer after each event against the timer sheets to be sure the times were entered accurately. They should also maintain a DQ log for each team, copying the event, heat, lane number, and reason exactly as written on the DQ card for any disqualifications. The key is to have checks at each point—timer sheets, computer, and print out—so that the data is correct. When the computer table is finished with the timer sheets, the sheets and event results are handed to the awards table.

Computer Operator

The computer operator types the times into the computer as the assistant computer operator reads them. He or she operates the program during the meet. For example, making the data changes to reflect the scratch meeting, and printing the results and the ribbon labels. At the conclusion of the meet the computer operator produces all the disks for the league, home team, visiting team, printed copies of the meet results and prepares the package to go to the division automation liaison.

Ribbon Writers

The awards or ribbon table should be set up next to or near the computer operations table to make the exchange of reports easy. This is a fun and easy task, especially if the team is using a computer to run the meet. The ribbon writer should make sure they have a box to sort their team’s ribbons. Before the meets make sure the ribbons have been sorted by event. The ribbon writers will receive the ribbon labels from the computer operations table, place the label on the ribbons and then sort them by team. Some teams further sort them by event or swimmer’s name.

Clerk of Course

The clerk works with the announcer to control the flow of swimmers to the clerk’s table. (TIP- it usually works well to call swimmers to the clerk two events ahead of the event they are to swim.) At each meet there is usually a clerk of course (home team) and an assistant clerk of course (visiting team). Each clerk can check in the swimmers from his/her own team, or the clerks can divide the duties in whatever method works for them.

The clerk should check the swimmers in, tell them their lanes, and have them wait in the designated area until it is time for them to go to the starting area. If a race is starting at the other end of the pool, especially 8 and under 25 meter events, it is helpful to have runners take the swimmers to the starting end and place them in their lanes. The clerk can also determine whether the backstroke swimmers have brought their “legs” with them.

When the medley and freestyle relays arrive at the clerk, the clerk should check the relay cards to see that the swimmers’ names are filled out in the order of swim and, for the graduated free relay, and if there are any swim ups. Relays with swim ups must be entered on a yellow relay card and are not eligible for the All-Star Relay meet.

The clerk then enters each swimmer’s meet ID number from the meet roster in the space provided on the relay card. Please note: this ID number comes from the meet roster, NOT the team roster. The meet roster is generated by the automation set up person each Friday for that particular meet. The team roster is a document that remains relatively constant throughout the season. The ID numbers are not the same.

Announcer

The announcer should be aware of each event as it is swum. He or she can begin announcing the next event shortly after the last swimmer in the previous event has touched the wall. The announcer also announces the score, All-Star qualifying times, and records.

The announcer should also know how to set up the sound equipment, and call the timers and other meet officials to the clerks’ area for various pre-meet meetings. Appropriate music can be played as long as the county noise restrictions are properly adhered to.

Hospitality Worker:
Hospitality workers are responsible for serving drinks/snacks to officials during meets. The two workers are responsible for setting up a table with drinks and snacks for officials to visit at half time. They are also responsible for delivering drinks to officials working on the pool deck at our home events. Specifically workers would be responsible for:

-Gathering fruit and other snacks from concessions to offer to the officials and timers during half time. Purchasing the food and drinks is done by other volunteers.
-Setting up the table, with tablecloth, platters, napkins etc...to put snacks on.
-Filling the orange Gatorade coolers with water to set up on the pool deck.
-Periodically during the meet, offering cups with water on trays to officials/timers who cannot leave their stations.

Donut Coordinator:
One morning each week, donuts are sold at the end of each practice to swimmers for $.50 each. The Donut Coordinator would be responsible for:

-Ordering the donuts. Giant food in Flower Hill, contact is Elena in the Bakery. Favorite flavors are: vanilla sprinkle, chocolate sprinkle, and glazed. Buy 6 dozen per week to start but adjust as needed based on sales. Keep extra donuts in air conditioned lifeguard office so they don’t melt on hot days. Reserve a variety of sprinkle donuts for the later practice for 8&U’s.
-Picking them up one morning each week.
-The volunteer needs to be at the pool from 8:50-11:15 each week. This captures the older swimmers (7:30-9 practice) and the youngest (10-11).
-Collecting the money, making up a deposit to give to our Treasurer.
-Making a sign for the table.

*Note: Donuts are first for swimmers and second for siblings and parents. You can sell to those groups but hold back enough donuts for the 8&U crowd for when they finish their practice at 11.

Time Trials Breakfast Coordinator:
We offer a free continental breakfast to our swimmers and their families during Time Trials. The menu is a variety of prepared items but at a minimum would include:

Bagels
Cream Cheese
Power bars
Water and Gatorade in big orange coolers
Starbucks coffee

Headcount varies but there are approximately 150-175 swimmers and 100 families. After they take their breakfast item, we mark their hand with a sharpie.

So that would mean:

-Soliciting Panera or whichever business to donate bagels for time trials. We have a solicitation form.
-Buying power bars or cereal bars to supplement the bagels.
-Buying Gatorade powder
-Arriving at 6:30am to set up concessions area
-Working breakfast with 1 or 2 volunteers.
-Cleaning up afterwards.

Pasta Potluck: 6-8pm (set up at 5pm):
-Post an Evite invitation to the swim team google group about the upcoming event. Evite should include details about what each family should bring and what the team will be providing. Families bring a pasta dish, salad or bread/dessert based on their last name. If the family’s last name begins with A-L they should bring a side or salad and a pasta dish. Last names starting with M-Z should bring a dessert and a pasta dish! The team will provide water and lemonade for drinks.

- Contact concessions coordinator to determine the utensil and paper good needs.

-Set up for the event. Fill orange Gatorade coolers with water and lemonade for event, put up tables, put out paper goods.

-Break down after event.

Pool Party Social: 6-8pm (set up at 5pm):
-Meet with reps to discuss ideas for this event. Decide on food offerings and how much to charge for items. Confirm with reps that coaches have approved date of event.

-Create an Evite invitation about the upcoming event. Ensure the Evite has all pertinent details about the event, date, start/end time, location, food and drink offerings (including Carmen’s) and estimated prices if selling them. Track rsvp’s on Evite to get an idea of headcount.

-Schedule Carmen’s shaved ice cart and pretzel cart for the event. We get 20% of total sales.

-Ensure that life guards are scheduled for event date.

-Get change and cash box from Treasurer for food sales, $50 in change and $1 bills.

-Check with concessions coordinators to determine if the team has enough candy, drinks, popcorn or if more should be purchased.

-Set up for the event. Fill orange Gatorade coolers with water and lemonade for event, put up tables, put out paper goods.

-Set up the team sound system with appropriate music to play during the social.

-Break down after event.

Concessions Coordinator – B Meets:
This person sets up, sells and supervises volunteer workers for concessions during home meets. Specifically this person would:

-Do an inventory of supplies, during Mon practice, before B meets and make a list of needed items.

-Meet with the Volunteer shopper to review the list. Shopper will buy for both A and B concessions.

-Ask Treasurer for a startup cash bank for the cashier. We will have a form for this. You likely don't need much but need coin change and ones.

-Coordinate and oversee the volunteers at the B events. We are scheduling 6 workers for the first half (4pm sharp-7:30) and 4 for 2nd half 7:30-10:30. First half workers do set up and 2nd half workers do break down.

-Set up tables for concessions items near concessions counter. Pool setup people will do any tents needed.

-Fill out Event Sheet that details, who we hosted, approximately how many swimmers, total sales, what you ran out of, didn't sell much of etc... to help us with planning next year.

-Prepare a deposit by event for the Treasurer. We have a form for this. We want to track concessions sales by event.

Concessions Coordinator – A Meets:
This person sets up, sells and supervises volunteer workers for concessions during home meets. Specifically this person would:

-Do an inventory of supplies, during Thursday practice, before B meets and make a list of needed items.

-Meet with the Volunteer shopper to review the list. Shopper will buy for both A and B concessions.

-Ask Treasurer for a startup cash bank for the cashier. We will have a form for this. You likely don't need much but need coin change and ones.

-Coordinate and oversee the volunteers at the A events. We are scheduling 2 at the counter, 1 at the tables with the drinks etc..., 1 as cashier at the exit. They start with set up and stay for break down.

-Set up tables for concessions. Pool setup people will do any tents needed.

-Fill out Event Sheet that details, who we hosted, approximately how many swimmers, total sales, what you ran out of, didn't sell much of etc... to help us with planning next year.

-Prepare a deposit by event for the Treasurer. We have a form for this. We want to track concessions sales by event.

Senior Gifts Coordinator:
At the last home meet of each season (for A and B meets), Upper County honors swimmers who are graduating seniors from high school with a token gift. Parents are asked to make up a picture poster board showing the swimmer through the years on UC and to write up a summary of their time and accomplishments and memories of the team. The presentation is usually done at half time during the last home meet of the summer season. The coordinator will:

At the beginning of the Season - check last year’s roster and email parents of kids who are 17 years old to see if they graduate this season. Ask the parents to write a short bio of their graduating senior that includes swim team history, special accomplishments and future plans. Also ask them to do a poster or picture board.

Second Week of Season – get current roster and check to see if there are any new seniors. Add them to your list if needed.

One Week before Last Home A and B Meets - the seniors are honored at the last home B meet and the last home A meet of the season. Check to see where the senior is signed up to swim and the week before do a reminder email to the parents letting them know their swimmer is being honored and to get their bios in and posters completed. Speak to Coach Jen about who is graduating and get her the bios to read at the ceremonies.

During the Season – shop for large gift bags that can handle the duffle bags that are already purchased for the 2010 season. I also got water bottles from the dollar store and filled with candy to act as balloon anchors.

Day before Home Meets – purchase the balloons. Edit bios and sort between the A and B meets. Put the duffle bags in the gift bags.

Day of Meet – display posters; give the announcer the bios to read at half time break. Bring gifts down to the announcers table.

Movie Day at the Theater:
For Movie day, the coordinator would:
-Pick a family friendly movie for the swimmers to attend.
-Create an Evite invitation for the movie with details re: date/time/location of event. It should give info on ticket prices but note that each swimmer pays their own way.
-Insert a flyer into the poster board created for Movie Day and set it out at practices to advertise the event.
-Call the theater if a large group is attending.

Six Flags Coordinator:
For Six Flags day, the coordinator will:

-Monitor MCSL website for information on Six Flags event. Info usually available in June.

-Make order form with prices and due dates. Place copy of forms in team box and notify parents and swimmers that forms are available. Send out an Evite and also ask the coach make announcements at all swim practices about the upcoming event.

-Check with team treasurer to determine if coach’s tickets will be purchased by the team or if they will have to pay for their own tickets.

-Collect completed forms and money from team. People should place their completed forms in a folder marked “Six Flags” in the team box. Collected money should be given to team treasurer.

-Fill out one order form for the team’s ticket purchase and obtain one check from team treasurer. This form and check will be given to the MCSL Six Flags event coordinator to obtain tickets.

-Distribute Six Flags tickets to all purchasers.

2009 Six Flags Tickets Purchased:
Admissions tickets – 25
Parking passes – 5
Meal vouchers - 0

Spirit Wear Coordinator:
This person would coordinate fundraising efforts for the team by selling spirit wear. Depending on the year, and whether we decide to set up a Spirit Wear store, the duties will differ. If we use Action Accents and receive bulk spirit wear, the chairperson would be responsible for:

-Ordering the inventory, sorting it and reviewing the inventory sheet when received.
-Setting up a booth with a tent at home events deemed the most profitable by the team reps and chair.
-Selling at the booth, tracking inventory sold, and reconciling the remainder to return to Action Accents.
-Preparing the deposit and calculating the amount owed to Action Accents.

If the team opts not to set up the store, then the spirit wear chair is responsible for team spirit wear sales only. Duties would include:
-Setting up a table with team magnets, shirts, etc… at the pre- season Parent Meeting, time trials and pep rallies.
-Contacting Aardvark Swim and Sport to decide what variety of shirts, sweatshirts or other items to offer.
-Preparing an email to the google group that includes what we are offering for sale, prices, due date of order. The coordinator would then receive orders, place the order, pick it up and distribute items to swimmers.
-Scheduling Aardvark to display and have available team swim suits at the May parent meeting at 7pm.

Movie Night at Upper County Pool:
This is a fun filled night for families to watch a family friendly movie outside at the pool. Its success is highly dependent on our friends from Quail Valley pool lending us their movie equipment and screen. This team of two people would be responsible for:

-Scheduling a Sunday night for the event with our team and with Quail Valley for availability of equipment.
-Choosing a family friendly movie, review title with reps. Prepare an Evite invitation to advertise event and get a headcount. Insert flyer into poster board to advertise at practices.
-Coordinating set up of equipment and pool set up for event.
-Decide what items to sell at concessions-usually popcorn, candy and drinks.

Mini Meet Coordinator:
We need someone who has young, 8&U, swimmer(s) to coordinate our attendance at the Quail Valley mini meet each summer. This person would:

-Check with Quail Valley on their website or with their Team Rep re: when the mini meet is, what volunteers we are required to bring. We will have a pre team coach designated to attend with us

-Create an email to the google group advertising the meet and listing details including date, time, and cost of event.

-Communicate to Q.V. how many of our swimmers will attend.

-Recruit volunteer(s) if needed.