Volunteers

For those of you who are new to our swim team there is a volunteer requirement. We try to make accommodations for each family and allow you to choose the meet and the meet half you prefer.  There requirements for each family is as follows:

Expect to work at least one half of every meet your child is swimming in.

 

We can only host or hold a meet with a volunteer staff.  That means that we must staff approximately 65 positions during the meet.  There is no way to pay volunteers to do this, but it is the greatest way for you to be involved with your child/children in a sport they enjoy.   

Beginning on Thursday May 5, we will assign positions and meet dates.  Once we e-mail the duties, take a minute – email us your preference of jobs, dates and meet half.  We will make every effort to accommodate your request.  Requests will be honored on a first come first served basis.

 

Here’s a brief description of the Volunteer Positions. 

Please understand that it takes approximately 65 volunteers to host a meet.  Without the volunteer support of parents we would be unable to hold or attend meets.  For those of you who are veteran swim team parents this is nothing new.  For “rookie parents” this may seem like a large commitment.  Yes, it does take effort on your part.  Swimming is one sport in which parents take an active role in their child’s sport.  Imagine being at the end of the lane as a timer as your child exits the pool after swimming the 50 butterfly.  What a great position to be in!

 

Many of the other swim teams in the area require a parent to volunteer at every meet, no exceptions.  We understand there are smaller children and/or travel and work schedules.  We allow you to work around your schedule and will make every effort to give you the position you desire.

 This year we will be setting up the scheduling on line.  We will fill positions via e-mail on a first come, first sign up basis.  This is fair to everyone involved.  No more sign up books at the pool.  We will make every effort to work with your schedule and requests for jobs.  Please remember it is your responsibility to either notify us if you will not be working your scheduled meet and/or arrange for a replacement.  Those parents who habitually neglect their meet duties will affect the ability of their child to swim.  To put it clearly, no matter how fast your child swims, if you don’t work, he/she does not swim, period! 

Requirements per family for 2011 are as follows:

 EXPECT TO WORK ONE HALF OF EVERY MEET YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN SWIM IN.

 

1. Lane Managers(5)—each lane (ours) has a lane manager.  This person is responsible for making sure swimmers are lined up to swim.  If a swimmer is missing this person will notify a coach and/or coordinator and we can locate the swimmer. (HOME & AWAY)

2. Timers (6)—Each team supplies the timers for their swimmers.  They are positioned at the ends of the pool & start & stop the stopwatches to supply our swimmers & coaches with the race times.  And since some races are one-lap races & some are 2-lap races, we need timers at both ends of the pool.(HOME & AWAY)

3. Place Judges (4)—Each team supplies a finish judge, one at each end of the pool.  They record the order in which the swimmers finish each race.  (Lane 4 came in 1st, Lane 2  - 2nd, etc.) (HOME & AWAY)

4. Runners(1)— They “run” the time sheets & finish order cards over to the scorekeepers table.(HOME & AWAY)

5. Scorekeepers—1 or 2 people from each team who keep score.  An assistant is helpful in putting the time sheets & finish judges sheets in order for the person actually doing the scoring. (HOME & AWAY)

8. Heat Board(home meet only)—At each meet, there will be a flip-chart of numbers to let the spectators know what event is currently being raced.

9.  Concessions Workers—Set up, operate & clean-up the concessions stand at home meets.  (Please, no children behind the concessions stand.)

Some of these positions only require 1 person, while others will require 5 or more.  We will do our best to schedule enough volunteers so that you will only need to serve for half  the meet.  

 

12.  Set up  - This is for home meets.  We need people to set up chairs, flags, tables.  Set up personnel must be at the home meets no later than 4:00 p.m.  You must show up to get credit for helping or you will have to work another meet half.  This is a great job if you have smaller children (toddlers) and need to keep an eye on them during the meet.

 

13.  Computer Parents – we are looking for parents who are willing to enter information into our computer program.  You  would be required to enter times into the program during the meets and print out the labels for ribbons.

 

 

 The Swim  meets are:

email your preferences to legacyparksharks@yahoo.com