Arkansas Dolphins Needs You!

Steve Hall

Dear Arkansas Dolphins Family,

We have an exciting opportunity for YOU to make a real impact on our team and every swimmer’s experience — become a USA Swimming Official!

Every swim meet we host or attend depends on certified officials to run smoothly and fairly. Without them, swim meets simply can’t happen. 

That’s where you come in!

Becoming an official is a fantastic way to:
Get Involved — Stay close to the action and play a key role in each meet.

Build Community — Join a dedicated group of parents, volunteers, and swim enthusiasts who keep the sport thriving.

Contribute to Growth — Support every Arkansas Dolphin swimmer as they chase their goals and achieve new milestones.

Our need is immediate! Many of our current officials have swimmers who have graduated or will graduate this spring, so we’re looking for the next wave of volunteers to step up and keep our meets running strong.

No swim experience? No problem!
Full training is provided — all you need is a rule-oriented, technical mindset and the enthusiasm to help.
Even better — the Arkansas Dolphins cover all fees associated with obtaining your USA Swimming Officials certification!

There are two main types of officials:

💻 “Dry” Officials (Behind the Desk)

These key volunteers keep the meet organized, timed, and accurate:

  • Meet Director: The organizational leader of the meet — responsible for planning, logistics, safety, volunteers, and ensuring the event runs smoothly from start to finish.

  • Administrative Official (AO): A certified USA Swimming official who verifies results, checks times, processes disqualifications, and ensures all data is accurate and official.

  • Computer Operator: Runs the meet management software (like Meet Manager) to seed events, enter times, and produce results throughout the meet. We can train you to do this on Saturday!!!

  • Colorado Operator: Controls the automatic timing system (touchpads, start signal, and scoreboard) to ensure accurate race timing and synchronization with the computer system.  We can train you to do this on Saturday!!!

🏊‍♀️ On-Deck Officials (Around the Pool)

These are the officials you see in white shirts — starting races, judging strokes and turns, and ensuring fair, consistent competition for every swimmer.

🍽️ Bonus Perk — Hospitality!

Officials enjoy access to our Hospitality Room, where special meals, drinks, and snacks are provided throughout the meet — a well-deserved thank-you for your time and dedication!

It’s rewarding, fun, and essential to the success of our team.

If you’re ready to dive in and make a difference, here are the instructions- you can do this at your own pace, on your own time.  

Let’s keep our meets running strong and our community growing — together.