RACE Service Hour Policy – 02/05/2026
Purpose
RACE is a member of USA Swimming and is a non-for-profit organization. RACE relies on coaches and required family service participation to operate efficiently and to host high-quality swim meets and team events. This participation helps keep monthly fees lower and ensures consistent support for our athletes and families.
Our goal is for every family to contribute to the continued success of the RACE team. This success is only possible through consistent parent participation throughout the season.
Service Requirement
Annual Service Requirement:
Each family is required to complete 20 hours of service work per fiscal year (August–July).
If a family does not complete the required hours, a fee of $20 per unmet hour will be assessed. For example, a family completing 15 of the required 20 hours will be assessed a $100 fee.
Service hours are required regardless of meet participation. RACE is a competitive swim team, and we expect swimmers to compete.
Viewing Your Service Hour Balance
Families may view their service hour balance through the RACE website:
- Navigate to Events & Competition
- Select Job Signup Report for My Account
- Click Service Hours Forecast My Account
- Enter dates 08/01 – 07/31 for the applicable season
A negative number indicates hours completed beyond the requirement.
If hours are missing, email [email protected] with the dates and positions worked. The most accurate way to ensure hours are recorded is to sign up online, as hours are automatically credited once attendance is verified.
How Service Hours Are Earned
Service hours may be earned by:
- Working RACE-hosted swim meets
- Working other RACE-sponsored events
- Participating in required service roles tied to meet participation (see Non‑RACE Hosted Events below)
Signing Up for Service Roles
- Navigate to Events & Competition > Team Events
- Select the event and click Job Signup
- Select available positions (avoid time conflicts)
- Click Signup
- Enter contact information if prompted
Families may remove themselves from a position up until the job signup deadline listed for the event.
Prorated Service Hours for New Families
Service hours are prorated based on the month a family joins the team:
- August–November: 20 hours
- December–February: 10 hours
- March–April: 8 hours
- May: 4 hours
- June–July: No service hour requirement
Leave of Absence
If a family is active for only part of the year due to medical leave or another approved reason, the service requirement is based on the original join date.
If a family leaves and returns during the same calendar year, remaining hours are still owed and are not prorated. If a family leaves owing hours and returns within six months of a new fiscal year, the account will be assessed the full $400 service fee.
Important Service Guidelines
- Service hours are based on a fiscal year (August–July) and reset on July 31.
- Hours are per family, not per swimmer.
- Eligible family members (age 13+) may fulfill service roles. Members under 13 require prior approval.
- Service hours may not be transferred to another family.
- Hours do not carry over to future years.
- Late arrivals may forfeit their assigned role at the discretion of the Meet Director.
No‑Show Policy
Families who commit to a service role are expected to fulfill that obligation.
RACE enforces a two‑strike policy:
- After two no‑shows in a season, the family will be limited to signing up for one service position per meet.
Valid emergencies will not be penalized. To avoid a strike, families must email [email protected] at least one hour prior to the start of their assigned role. Repeated emergency claims may still result in penalties at RACE’s discretion.
Credit for Non‑RACE Hosted Events
Service credit for non‑RACE hosted events will be awarded only under the following conditions:
- The event is a USA Swimming (non‑high school) meet
- The meet host requires a specific number of workers from RACE as a condition of participation, or
- The event is hosted by COR, with whom RACE maintains a reciprocal service agreement
Service credit will not be awarded for non‑RACE hosted events unless one of the above conditions is met.
To request credit, families must email [email protected] with:
- Name on the RACE account
- Name of the individual who worked
- Position worked
- Actual hours worked
- Photo documentation (sign‑in sheet, badge, timers’ sheet, or equivalent proof)
RACE reserves the right to verify hours with the meet host. Any dishonesty will result in removal of credited hours and restriction to RACE‑hosted service roles only.
Policy Enforcement
RACE reserves the right to update, interpret, and enforce this policy as needed to ensure fair participation and adequate staffing for team operations and events.
RACE further reserves the right to modify service credit eligibility at any time to ensure adequate staffing of team operations and RACE‑hosted events.
