FALFINS PARENTS MEET VOLUNTEERS – YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Falfins Swimming is proud to be known for running exceptional swim meets. We work hard to ensure that our meets start and end on time, results are posted promptly, and delays are kept to a minimum. The biggest beneficiaries of well-run meets are your children—our swimmers. To maintain this tradition of excellence, we rely on our parents to VOLUNTEER!
Meet Volunteer Questions – Everything You Need to Know
Who?
You! Meet volunteers are Falfins parents and guardians—our greatest asset in making meets successful.
What?
Volunteers help ensure that all Falfins-hosted meets are fully staffed and run smoothly.
When?
Volunteer requirements are fulfilled by working at Falfins-hosted meets held from September through
August each swim year.
Where
Most Falfins-hosted meets take place at:
Why?
The volunteer program creates a fair and balanced participation structure for all families, while
supporting a high-quality meet experience for our swimmers.
How?
Families will receive email notifications when volunteer positions open. To sign up:
- Log into your SportsEngine Motion (formerly TeamUnify) account
- Click on the Events tab
- Select the desired meet
- Click Job Signup to choose your role
Once you complete the job you signed up for, you will receive credit for the session—typically 1 credit, or as specified in the job listing—toward your required volunteer commitment.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS can be emailed to [email protected].
JOB DESCRIPTONS (Updated 05.06.25)
Most positions offer on-the-job training at the meet, so you can learn as you go. The only exception is officiating, which requires formal certification.
If you're curious about any volunteer role or want to get more involved, please reach out to us at
[email protected].
ANNOUNCER: Age Requirement – 18 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 15 minutes prior to warm-ups or indicated by the Meet Director
- Announce event, heat, swimmer’s names, results, and any information needed to be given to swimmers, parents, and coaches
- Play appropriate music
CLERK OF COURSE: Age Requirement – 18 & over
Responsibilities:
- Must arrive 30 minutes prior to warm-ups or as indicated by the Meet Director
- Prepare timing clipboards
- Oversee positive check-in, coaches’ check-in, and volunteer check-in
- Collect meet entry fees
- Distribute heat sheets and relay entry cards to coaches
- Prepare timing paperwork and heat sheets for additional sessions
- Keep timeline of meet
- Put labels on ribbons and sort them by team
HEAD TIMER: Age Requirement – 18 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 45 minutes prior to start of meet
- Start extra stopwatches at the beginning of every heat as a backup in case a timer misses the start of a race
- Collect supplies and forms, return them to Clerk of Course, and organize the equipment.
- Attend the timer meeting approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet. Instructions will be issued, and timing equipment will be handed out.
TIMER: Age Requirement – 14 & up
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 45 minutes prior to start of mee
- Use a stopwatch to time the swimmers during their event
- Record swimmer’s time from each stopwatch on paper
- Attend the timer meeting approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet. Instructions will be issued, and timing equipment will be handed out
HOSPITALITY DIRECTOR: Age Requirement – 18 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to warm-ups
- Work with the Meet Director to plan and prepare menus and logistics of serving food
- Purchase food and drinks for meet (will be reimbursed)
- Work with and supervise Hospitality Volunteers
- Set up food and drinks
- Maintain hospitality area and deliver drinks and snacks to officials, coaches, and meet workers
- Help transition new hospitality volunteers when sessions end
HOSPITALITY: Age Requirement – 16 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to warm-ups
- Set up the Hospitality Room
- Serve coaches and officials
- Deliver drinks and snacks to officials, coaches and meet workers at designated intervals during the meet
- Clean eating space regularly; replenish food when needed
- Assist in clean up and breakdown of the hospitality room at the end of the meet
SYSTEM 6 / DAKTRONICS: Age Requirement – 18 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 15 minutes prior to start of meet
- Run the timing system for each event and race
OFFICIAL: (Requires certification and training) Age Requirement – 18 & over
- Please refer to VOLUNTEERS - TO BE AN OFFICIAL for more information
RUNNER: Age Requirement –14 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to start of meet
- Post Heat Sheets on the wall for each session and as positive check in is seeded
- Collect timing sheets at the end of each event and deliver to Administrative Official
- Post results
- As needed, deliver DQ slips to teams (at the discretion of the Meet Ref)
- Deliver heat sheets to Clerk of Course
- Take down all results and heat sheets at the end of the meet
SAFETY MARSHALL: Age Requirement – 18 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 15 minutes prior to warmups
- Wear a safety vest
- Watch pool during warm-up. Watch warm-up/down lanes during meet (to be general warm-up
- only) – observe same as above.
- Roam pool venue. Check your gender specific locker room periodically for safe behavior.
- Remind spectators, if needed, to stay in appropriate areas. Maintain clear areas on stairways and in front of exit doors at all times. Remove spectators who are camped in areas posted with “No Seating” signs. If crowd control becomes a problem, let the Meet Director or Meet Referee know.
- Monitor use of cameras, cell phones or recording devices when athletes are in a starting position or exiting the water.
SECURITY (USAFA only): Age Requirement – 18 & over
Responsibilities:
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to warm-ups
- Monitor entryway doors and hallways throughout the meet
- Communicate with Meet Director concerning any facility issues (e.g. slippery floors, restroom issues, etc.)
- Correct unsafe behavior of participants and spectators
- Wear a safety vest
