Please take some time to read the volunteer job descriptions for each job that you will be doing at a meet so you can familiarize yourself with its respective responsibilities and duties.
Each family will be required to fulfill their required points (which can be found in the parent hand book) at our regular season dual meets. Please note, some jobs are worth a half point and some are full points - you must earn your total points! In addition, each family that attends the Meet of Champs (MOC) and the All-Star Meet (ASM) must also fulfill a volunteer position at these meets.
Volunteer sign-ups for all meets will open May 1st, with the exception of Meet of Champs & the All-Stars Meet. Volunteer sign-ups will close 3 days before each swim meet. If you are unable to fulfill your volunteer requirements for a particular meet after the close date, it will be your responsibility to find a replacement by switching with another person. Once you have found your replacement, notify the Volunteer Coordinator by clicking here.
Runner
Collect event timer sheets from each lane at the end of each event and deliver them to the console operators.
Bench Boss
Check in with Volunteer Coordinator for Lane assignment. Is assigned to a specific lane for the duration of the shift. Receives the line of swimmers from ready bench parents. Verifies that swimmers are in the correct event/heat/lane according to the heat sheet and that no substitutions or changes have been made. Moves to opposite end of pool when events switch from 25 yd to 50/100 yd to be stationed at the end where starts are taking place.
Ready Bench Parents
Checks in with Ready Bench Coordinator to get heat sheet and swimmer roster. Checks attendance for the age group assigned and writes swimmer ID on the top of the right hand with a sharpie. Stays with assigned age group under the ez-up tents, keeping the swimmers from wandering off. Gets swimmers to their ready bench on time and in their correct lanes according to the heat sheet.
Responsibilities:
- keeps watch to what event is swimming (locate flip chart).
- lines up swimmers in a single file line according to the heat sheet.
- for relays, lines up swimmers in 2 lines, swimmers 1 & 3 in one line (pool side with timers) and swimmers 2 & 4 in another line (pool side with benches).
- swimmers 10 & under start their individual races at the ready bench side.
- swimmers 11 & over start their individual races on the finishing side (pool side with timers).
- individual medley (IM) races start on the finishing side (pool side with timers).
- swimmers 6 & under will only swim freestyle and backstroke.
Notify head coach if any swimmer is missing, no swimmer will swim in that lane. Heat Sheets cannot be adjusted. If a swimmer shows up but is not on the heat sheet, that swimmer will be allowed to swim in the last heat, in an empty lane.
Stroke and Touch/Turn Judges
Watches swimmers' strokes or touch & turns for infractions and promptly reports those to Referee.
**Must attend WHALe Certification Clinic
Floater
Assists where needed or fills in for an absent volunteer. Helps volunteer coordinator with volunteer check-in. Provides other volunteers with restroom breaks.
Set-up and Take-down
Prepare the pool area for the meet (6:30am Saturday meets or 4:30pm weekday meets) and restores area back to pre-meet conditions after each meet. Will be responsible for setting up ez-ups for each ready bench area, caution barriers around wading pool, trash bags/cans around ready benches, yellow lane towels, tables/umbrellas and chairs for ribbons, scoring, starter and flip chart. Will report to Equipment Manager for instructions and set up equipment.
Timers
Use the Dolphin Wireless timer or manual stopwatch to time swimmers. There will be 2 timers per lane. The new wireless timers start automatically, but will need to be stopped by volunteer once swimmer reaches the wall. The digital timer will need to be started at the starter's signal and will stop the timer when the swimmer reaches the wall and will record swimmer's time on timing sheet after each heat. This timing sheet will be handed to the Runner at the end of each event.
Hospitality
Helps ensure the visiting team is greeted and welcomed. They will distribute water to volunteers from both teams. Ensures the coolers are filled with ice and water and clean up after the meet. Hospitality also places food orders for coaches from both teams before the break (Home meets only).
