Swim team parent duties

 Volunteers are the KEY to success of our swim team. Unlike other youth sports, where generally a handful of people can run the team, a swim program simply can not be run without parental help and participation, and lots of it. It takes over 1500 volunteer hours from April to July.  PreComp team parents are required to do 5 Gatewatch or Deck Cleaning sessions (75-90 minutes each). Competition team parents of 3 or more swimmers can earn at most 12 hours doing Swim Team gatewatch.

 Competition team parents are REQUIRED to volunteer a minimum of 15 hours for 1 child, 20 hours for 2 children, or 25 hours for 3 or more children over the course of the season. There are many ways in which this commitment may be met. COMMITTEE CHOICE LINK Hours due but not contributed will be billed to your account at the end of the season at the rate of $25 per unfilled hour. 

ALL families must help out at meets in which your child is swimming, with rare exception, such as both parents at work or out of town. It takes more than 100 individuals to set up, clean up, check in, officiate, line up kids, work snack bar, team store, time, write ribbons and enter and post results for a typical meet. There are numerous other “behind the scenes” jobs, including pool set-up and take down, arranging team-bonding activities, Swimathon, locker room monitors, deck cleaning, fund raising. Parents select a committee or position on which to serve during the season. Then they can sign up online for which shift they will work. There are two shifts at a swim meet, approximately 3 hours per shift.  Competition team parents of 3 or more swimmers can earn at most 12 hours doing Swim Team gatewatch. 

 FUNDRAISING All competition team families are required to donate 3 items to the snack bar during the season, 1 item per meet, or 3 items at 1 meet (only if you are absent at the other meets).  Other fundraisers are the Annual Swimathon (see website), Championship program ads

Director (1 per meet):  chief official for each meet.  They ensure that the meet is properly conducted within the League rules, and that swimmers have uniformly fair competitive conditions.   

Starter (1 per shift): the only official with direct contact with swimmers.  The starter makes sure that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start.  The starter informs the swimmers of the stroke and distance to be swum.  After all swimmers are ready and motionless, the starter starts the race. • Stroke and turn judges (4 per shift):  ensure that swimmers abide by the rules for the stroke that they are swimming, including the appropriate turn or finish designated for the event.  If a stroke and turn judge observes improper technique, they may warn or disqualify (DQ) a swimmer in that event.  All DQ’s are submitted to the scoring table.  Warnings are given to 10 & unders at the first meet. 8 & unders are judged more leniently in Valley Aquatic League than in U. S. Swimming. 

Head Timer (1 per meet):  holds the backup watch for any lane timer that misses a start.  Runners: responsible for delivery of all official times to the computer table.

Timers (3 per lane): responsible to record the times for the swimmers.  By starting their watches at the direction of the Starter and stopping their watches when any part of the swimmer touches the wall, they record a swimmer’s official times.  There are 3 timers per lane, and one lane timer records all 3 times.  The middle or average time is the official time.  

Clerk of the Course (2):   Swimmers must check in with the clerks and may have a new lane assignment if a swimmer is absent. • Announcer (1):  announces the events and other information. Through close coordination with the Clerk of the Course, the Starter and the Meet Director, the Announcer controls the tempo of the meet.   • Results Recorders: enter the times, updates relay names on the computer and print labels for the ribbon writers. They post results periodically.

Ribbon Writers: receive the labels, check for improved times, select the appropriate award and file the ribbons.  

Snack bar workers, team store, name tags, swimathon lap counters, locker room monitors, heat winner awards (Champs), program sales (Champs) set up, clean up, recycling, etc.  are other volunteer opportunities.  

Gatewatch during swim practice:  for parents with 3 or more swimmers