Service Hour Policy

The success of SAC is dependent on the participation of all families.  We host several meets each year as well as social events, all of which necessitate many hours of work.  We have a Service Hour Policy requiring families to take an active role in their child’s swimming, which means each family will be responsible for the operation of our swim club. WE NEED YOU TO PARTICIPATE! 
 

The service hour commitment is based on a set number of hours determined by a swimmer's practice group placement.  Both sign up for jobs and tracking of hours is done through the team website.  A family member must check-in prior to each session to receive credit for those hours.

Each family has a full calendar year to complete their required hours.  The year begins on September 1st and ends on August 31st.  The billing rate is $33 per hour for any time “owed” to the team as of August 31st of each season, and hours are billed on September 1st along with other outstanding fees.  If the family requirement is fulfill, then no additional dollars are “owed” to the team.  Excess hours are not carried over to the following year.  

For swim meet operations, hours credited are for home meets only unless the team is assigned timing jobs for away meets. Officials do received credit for hours worked at away meets as well.  Parents are expected to help with timing, officiating, and general swim meet operations at home meets. 

How Can My Family Earn Service Hours?

There are two main ways a family can earn their service hours:  1) volunteering at SAC hosted swim meets and 2) volunteering for a position on an event committee or as a meet operation coordinator.

Swim Meet Volunteer Positions

Job opportunities for home swim meets are advertised on the team website several weeks prior to the beginning of each meet.  The number of hours per position varies based on the size and level of each swim meet.  The hours indicated on the job sign up are an estimate and may be adjusted once the meet timeline has been determined or following the meet if there is a significant difference in the length of a sessions (shorter or longer than anticipated).

SAC does host a variety of meets ranging from short, intrasquad meets to multi-day invitationals.  Splash Meets require the least amount of volunteer support as these meets are less formal and are designed to be short in duration as introductory meets for new swimmers.  Large invitationals like SAC Winter Invite, AZ Swimming championship meets (JO Champs), SAC Blue & Gold, and particularly Cactus Classic require an "All Hands on Deck" approach to run smoothly and successfully.
 

Club Operations & Committee Positions

Many of the positions require a year-long commitment or are more time intensive.  These positions include Swim-A-Thon Chairperson, Hospitality Coordinator, Concessions Coordinator, Swimmer 6 Coordinator, and Spring Banquet Chairperson as well as other positions.  Individuals who volunteer for one of the year-long, annual positions typically meet their family service hour requirement following the completion of their position.

Other positions that support these main positions are also credited at an hourly rate. For example, a Banquet Assistant is credited at an hourly rate as are Special Events helpers, Swim-a-thon helpers, etc.  Emails will be sent to membership regarding available positions as openings occur.  As a staff, we continue to look for new ways to improve existing events and involve new individuals to assist with areas of need. 

The success of SAC is dependent on the participation of all families.  Each family's time and efforts is essential to the team's ability to host a variety of meets and events each season.  There are ample opportunities to volunteer throughout the year in a variety of ways so no family should owe hours at the end of the season.   If you have questions regarding the service hour commitment, please contact Courtney in the SAC office to discuss further.