Volunteering

Parents play a vital role in our organization. There are many ways parents can become involved as a volunteer. Hosting meets and fundraising requires the support of all the swimmers and their parents. We encourage each of our parents to find a way to become involved. Each family who has a swimmer competing in our (4) Velocity Swimming hosted swim meets is required to sign up for volunteer duties sometime during the meet.  Being one of two timers assigned to a swim lane is a good way to start helping at swim meets. For many swim meets, including out-of-town IES meets, VELOCITY swimmers may be asked to provide volunteer timers. Our parents also should consider becoming an official. Watch for officials’ training clinics during the year. When you are approached to help with a team function or at a swim meet, please consider any special talents you may have, such as computer knowledge, organizational experience, etc. Helping the team is fun and a good way to get to know other families on the team. Volunteering helps both your swimmer and the whole team!!

 

Important Volunteer Reminders

● Sign-ups for jobs at meets will be posted online on our team website, www.velocity-swimming.com and
you will be notified by email to go on and sign-up for shifts.
● You may not sign-up or write-in shifts that do not exist.
● If a shift in a particular area is filled, you may not earn hours for working there during that shift.
● If you sign-up for a shift and are unable to work that shift, it is your responsibility to find a replacement
and notify the volunteer coordinator prior to the first day of the meet. Failure to show up for an assigned
shift will be charged a no-show fee of $25 per hour.
● Unworked hours will be billed to your account at a rate of $25 per hour
● Any questions regarding volunteer hours for a specific meet should be directed to our volunteer
coordinator at [email protected]

2023-2024 Volunteer Requirements (Both Short and Long Course)

Away Meets

When attending away meets, parents are not required but encouraged to volunteer. However, we as a team have
requirements to supply timers for one or more lanes throughout the meet. If a parent has completed the required
training to be an official, we encourage you to officiate at any away meets. Both of these volunteer
opportunities are great ways to support our team and to get a front row seat to all the action.

 

Volunteer Positions Defined

Meet Setup and Tear Down

Meet Setup: Meet setup often takes place the night before a meet, OR as soon as we can get access to the pool area.  Setup consists of, but is not limited to setting up the pool deck, tents, and coaching tables.

• Duties: Setup consists of but is not limited to setting up the pool deck, tents, and tables
• Experience: No Experience Required - All Velocity families are expected to help out.
• Time Commitment: Varies, expect 2 to 4 hours for each home meet

Meet Tear Down:  Meet take down happens immediately after the final heat of the final event on the last day of the meet.  

• Duties: Take down and store tents, tables, chairs, pool equipment, etc.
• Experience: No Experience Required - All Velocity families are expected to help out.
• Time Commitment: Varies, expect 1 to 3 hours for each home meet

All Velocity families are expected to help out.  Bring your good attitudes!!

Meet Director

The meet director is responsible for the overall running and management of the meet.  

• Duties:  Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to: preparing the facility , arranging for personnel, equipment and supplies necessary for meet operation, processing of entries, printing of heat sheets, and preparing and distributing meet results.
• Experience: LOTS -- If you want to learn more about the Meet Director position, please speak with our meet director, David Cutter
• Time Commitment: Many, many, hours

Officials 

All official positions require training and certification

Meet Referee

• Duties: Has overall authority and control of the competition; ensures that all the rules are followed;  assigns and instructs all officials; reviews all disqualifications; decides all questions related to the conduct of the meet.

Deck Referee

• Duties: Controls the flow of the heats and supervises/directs the starter and stroke and turn officials

Starter

• Duties:Ensures all swimmers receive a fair and equitable start; assumes control of the swimmers from the Referee, directs them to "take your mark", and sees to it that no swimmer is in motion prior to giving the starting signal; in conjunction with the Referee, determines when a false start has occurred.

Stroke & Turn

• Duties: Observes the swimmers from the sides/ends of the pool to ensure the rules relating to the mechanics of each stroke are being followed and to ensure the starts, turns and finishes comply with the rules applicable to each stroke.

Announcer

The announcer is the voice of the swim meet.  

• Duties: Announce the start of races, race results and other official announcements over the PA system
• Experience/Requirements: Must be able to read aloud and stay organized under pressure.
• Time Commitment: Typical shift is 4 hours

Announcer Script

Deck Computer Operator

The deck computer operator manages the on-deck computer timing system.

• Duties: Run the on-deck computer timing system
• Experience: Competent with timing system mainframe and hy-tek.
• Time Commitment: Typical shift is 4 hours

Head Timer

The head timer is responsible for supervising/recruiting lane timers and meet runner/s.

• Duties: Make sure that all timers have stop watches and that the watches are functioning properly, replace timers and/or watches when necessary.  The head timer also starts two watches at the start of each heat and uses those watches to replace any lane timer's watch that has malfunctioned or did not start at the beginning of the heat.
• Experience: Previous experience as a lane timer is preferred.
• Time Commitment: Typical shift can be anywhere from 1 to 4 hours

Timers

Timing is a great place to start your volunteer commitment.  There is no experience required, you get a great front-row seat to the swim meet, the shifts rarely last more than two hours, and timing is fast-paced and fun!

• Duties: Call the swimmer to the block, time the race, write the results down, get ready to time the next race.
• Experience: No experience needed
• Time Commitment: Typical shift can be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours

Meet Runner

The meet runner reports to the head timer and is responsible for collecting and distributing meet paperwork (timing sheets, heat results, DQ slips, etc)

• Duties: Assist with picking up timing sheets and posting results and other tasks as needed.
• Experience: No experience needed.  Kids are encouraged to sign up for this position if they are not swimming
• Time Commitment: Typical shift is 2 hours

Deck Marshall

Stand on deck during swimmer warm-up to make sure pool rules are observed.

• Duties: Wear an orange vest and stand on deck during swimmer warm-up to make sure swimmers are adhering to pool deck rules (feet first entry into the pool, no entry into the pool at the turn end of the pool, etc)
• Experience: No experience needed.
• Time Commitment: Typical shift is 1 hour

Hospitality

Serve refreshments (food and drink) to meet workers throughout the meet.  

• Duties: Serve coaches, officials, and timers throughout the meet.
• Experience: No experience needed.
• Time Commitment: 4-5 hours

Concessions

Operate the "Velocity Cafe" during the meet.  Sell soft drinks, coffee, bottled water, snacks, and meals.

• Duties: Take orders, work with grill staff,  and keep concessions area tidy and well stocked with items for sale.  
• Experience: Organized, friendly personality, basic money skills, food handler's card preferred
• Time Commitment: 2-3 hours

Grill

The grill operators are responsible for grilling the food to be sold at the Velocity Cafe.

• Duties: Grill breakfast (pancakes, etc), Lunch and Dinner (hamburgers, chicken, garden burgers, etc)
• Experience: Friendly personality, food handlers card preferred
• Time Commitment: 3-4 hours

Garbage Patrol

Report to the concessions chair.  Responsible for picking up garbage and emptying all garbage cans around the pool deck and during summer meets, the garbage cans in the park.

• Duties: Pick up garbage on the ground, empty garbage cans as they become full, replace garbage bags in cans, patrol the park for garbage and empty park garbage cans as necessary.
• Experience: None required.  Bring your good attitude!
• Time Commitment: 2-3 hours

Water Patrol

Report to the concessions chair.  Make sure that the 5 gallon water jugs placed around the pool deck remain filled with water/ice.  Replace paper cups attached to the jugs as necessary

• Duties: Fill, refill water jugs placed around pool deck
• Experience: None required
• Time Commitment: 1 hour

Clerk of Course

The Clerk of Course serves as the first point of contact for swimmers/families entering the swim meet.  

• Duties: Sell heat sheets, hand out heat winner prizes, serve as "lost and found", provide basic first aid items (band aids, etc), serve as check-in point for team volunteers, post positive check-in sheets, etc.
• Experience: Friendly personality and basic money skills
• Time Commitment: 3-4 hours

Awards

The awards committee is responsible for organizing and distributing the meet awards.

• Duties: Obtain labels from office and assemble with medals/ribbons.  Sort medals/ribbons and trophies by team and ensure that they are ready for team pick-up.
• Experience: Must be organized
• Time Commitment: 3-4 hours