BCSC Volunteer Policy and Jobs Descriptions

 

The Burke Centre Swim Club has a mandatory volunteer requirement. All BCSC families must either work 8 jobs (we ask that a MINIMUM OF 5 BE MEET RELATED) during the swim season for their respective team or pay a volunteer fee of $300. With regard to the volunteer fee, families have two options from which to choose:

1.  As part of the online registration, your family can opt-out of the requirement and pay the $300 as part of your registration fee.

                        OR     

2.  If your family wishes to fulfill the volunteer requirement, you must submit a check for $300 payable to the BURKE CENTRE PENGUINS to the team volunteer coordinator by Friday, June 9. Checks can be submitted to the "Volunteer Check" folder with the team family folders at the pool.  Your $300 check will be held as a “security deposit” and will be returned once your family has met the volunteer requirements. Checks will only be cashed if volunteer requirements are not met by the last scheduled team activity.  In 2023, the final regular season meet is July 15.  The final volunteer activity is the Burke Centre Festival on September 9 and 10.

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Volunteers are an essential part of the success of our Penguin summer team. Every family on the team is asked to volunteer, in some way, to ensure that the responsibilities do not fall to only a few. We understand that everyone has busy schedules and limited time, but there are many job opportunities and they all must be filled. Please consider the various Volunteer Job Descriptions (see below) and help as often as possible to ensure your child has a fun and positive swim team experience. Please feel free to contact Volunteer Coordinators Crystal Taets and Kriszti Fulwiler at [email protected] with any questions and/or concerns.

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PAYMENT OF VOLUNTEER FEES:
If you plan to volunteer during the season, you have until June 9, 2023, to submit a check in the amount of $300 made out to the BURKE CENTRE PENGUINS. A table will be set up at swim practices from Tuesday, May 30, through Friday, June 9, where payments may be made. A folder marked, “Volunteer Fee Payments” will also be in the family folder box when no one is available to collect checks. Checks not received by June 9, 2023, will result in your child’s suspension from all swim team activities – including practices and Time Trials – until payment has been received. If you do not fulfill your volunteer requirements, your $300 check will be cashed after the Burke Centre Festival in early September. Checks will be returned to families after they fulfill the volunteer requirement.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES! (see below for descriptions)
Please help us make summer swim team a fun, positive experience for the swimmers. Each family needs to sign up for at least 8 volunteer positions this summer. NOTE: the minimum requirement is eight (8) jobs per family if everyone fulfills that minimum. Of course, some people will go over and above what is required and, for that, we are always grateful!

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VOLUNTEER EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY:
If the event a volunteer has signed up for is canceled for any reason, the volunteer will still be responsible for working that event if it is rescheduled. The event date will be changed in the system so there is no confusion about the new date. If the event is not rescheduled, the volunteers will not be expected to sign up for something else. IMPORTANT: if you are signed up for an event and it is raining, you are still expected to be there. Some events will still take place in rainy conditions and we will need our volunteers.

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VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONS

GENERAL VOLUNTEER JOBS
These duties satisfy the volunteer 8-job commitment during the season and are available during each meet. 

CARD RUNNERS: This job is on the pool deck and, if you’re looking to get a little exercise, this is the job for you! Just let us know if you’ve not done this before and we’ll certainly explain everything and/or walk you thru it. There are two parts to this job:

1) 8&U – You will be responsible for getting cards from the 8 and under swimmers at the Clerk of Course to the timers. (We’ll walk you thru this the first few times!) 

2) Over 9 – You’ll carry cards from the timers and DQ slips from the referee to the computer operator (via the bucket dangling from the community center above).

HEAT WINNER RIBBONS: If you like to make kids smile, this job is for you! We pass out heat winner ribbons for each heat of the night during our Wednesday meets at the Commons (our home meets). We’ll make sure you’ve got a big stack of ribbons at the beginning of the meet and point you in the right direction!

LANE TIMERS: We need 9-18 timers for every meet, whether we’re home or away. Please don’t worry if you’ve never timed before; it’s easy! Prior to each meet, the Head Timer convenes all timers to review exactly what you need to do. There are two buttons on the stopwatch: you press it one when the race starts and again when the swimmer in your lane touches the wall; press the second button to clear the watch for the next race. There are three timers per lane and a Head Timer operating extra watches in case you make a mistake or miss getting someone’s time, so you have backup!
      *** When signing up to time, please note there are two time slots for Wednesday Developmental B meets: 5:45-7:45pm and 7:45-9:30pm. These times are approximate.  We will switch shifts at the break after the first 2 strokes.  If your children plan to swim breaststroke, butterfly and/or IM, please consider working during the second shift because you’ll be there anyway!

CLERK OF COURSE: Help in the Clerk of Course area is needed for both home and away meets. We usually only need one volunteer at the away meets to help assist in the opposing team’s clerk of course area, but more people are needed at the home meets because we’re responsible for this area. This job requires a little patience in working with the kids to make sure they get to the right place at the right time to swim their events. No experience is required; we just need help!

SNACK BAR: Join our “The Watering Hole Crew” at every home meet. This volunteer position offers time in the shade and the opportunity to step away to watch your child(ren) swim their event(s).
      We’ve also added an “ice” duty for each home meet that the Penguins are responsible for the snack bar. This will entail purchasing bags of ice, loading the coolers with drinks and ice and then complete your time helping with the snack bar set up.

SNACK BAR DONATIONS: ** This opportunity is limited to one (1) sign up per family. ** Please help stock our snack bar for the summer season with specific drink requests.

POOL SET-UP: Volunteers will work with the set-up/clean-up coordinator to assist in setting up the pool to prepare for home meets. This includes, but might not be limited to, setting up lane lines, putting up backstroke flags, reserving parking spaces for key volunteers, and moving furniture. Set up can be accomplished very quickly with many participants. This is a great opportunity for parents who have younger children who prefer not to work during the meets.

POOL TAKE-DOWN & CLEAN-UP: Volunteers will work with the Set-Up/Take-Down Coordinator after home meets. This includes, but might not be limited to, removing lane lines and backstroke flags, moving tables and chairs back to original placement for public pool usage, and cleaning pool area by picking up trash, emptying trash cans and straightening the clubhouse. This job does not require the individual to be present at the meet, only at the end of the meet when clean up occurs. This is a great opportunity for parents who have younger children and prefer not to work during the meet so they can supervise their children.

DROP-OFF ASSISTANCE: During afternoon practices we recommend parents drop their kids off before parking. Volunteers will help kids out of the car, escort them to the front desk, help with pool passes and make sure they are directed to the pool area.

PARKING LOT ATTENDANT: During home meets, we are not allowed to park in the Commons parking lot as that is reserved for the visiting team. We need someone to stand at the opening of the Commons parking lot to direct traffic. Penguin parents sometimes need to be reminded that they cannot park in the lot and the visiting team will need to be directed to the VRE lot as well once the Commons lot is full.

VOLUNTEER BACK-UP AND CHECK-IN:
Whatever you’d like to do just as long as you’re back in time to check in the second shift of workers. The detail on when you need to be there is in the column titled "Available Slot".

1) Back-Up: Each swim meet will also have "floaters" that are on standby to fill in for any volunteers who don’t show up at the last minute or need a break for any reason during the meet. Please keep in mind this could end up being any job at the meet – within reason, of course! These people may end up doing nothing or they could end up doing something they’ve never done before. You will receive volunteer credit if you are asked to step into any role at the meet. Recommended for those who are flexible and willing to possibly try something new!

2) Check-In: We need people at the swim meets to check in volunteers and to help with nametags. On Wednesdays, this person will need to check in both shifts of volunteers, so the shift will be 5:00-6:00pm and again from 7:00-8:00pm. In between the two 1-hour shifts, you’re free to do whatever you’d like, just as long as you’re back in time to check in the second shift of workers­.

FUN FRIDAY: Please sign up to assist with our Fun Friday festivities. This involves helping the kids as they work through the breakfast line as well as helping with set up, clean up and whatever else is needed in between to keep the buffet line moving!

SOCIAL EVENTS: The Penguins host a lot of social events during the swim season and we need help. Volunteer opportunities include helping with our ice cream social, popsicles after practice, a special donut breakfast on the first day of morning practice to celebrate school being out, and various outings planned throughout the season. Social activities vary from season to season, but this job involves helping the kids have fun with their teammates!

SWIM-A-THON: The Swim-a-thon is an annual charity event we do with the Burke Centre Stingers. There's swimming and dancing and eating and raffles and silent auctions and just a whole lot of fun for both the kids and adults! Of course, we need a lot of help making this happen, so please think about signing up to volunteer while you're there enjoying the festivities!

END OF SEASON PARTY: Some assistance is needed before and during our Penguin end of season party. See the sign up for specific tasks and help where you can!

STARTERS AND REFEREES: The Starter is responsible for announcing the event and start of each race. The Referee is responsible for making the final decision on a possible infraction by a swimmer or team. Referees must be Starter and Stroke and Turn certified. Starters must be Stroke and Turn certified. Requires training at an Officials Clinic offered by The Colonial Swim League. 

STROKE AND TURN JUDGES: These individuals are responsible for monitoring the swimmer’s strokes and recording a possible disqualification (DQ) during a meet. Requires training at an Officials Clinic offered by the Colonial Swim League. A

TEAM REPRESENTATIVE: The individual shall act on behalf of the team Board of Officers. The Team Rep. participates in League meetings and is the spokesperson for his/her respective team at these meetings. They act as the meet manager for home meets, and are responsible for the smooth running of all meets. They coordinate meet dates and locations. The Team Rep. will also act as the liaison between the referee at a swim meet and any party with a dispute over a referee’s decisions regarding any swimmer’s performance.

BCSC REGISTRAR: Receives all official swimmer registration and provides each team with a roster of current members. The registrar forwards all registration fees to the BCSC treasurer.

SCORING/COMPUTER OPERATOR: The team Computer Operator uses HyTek Meet Manager to organize the meet, enter each swimmer’s time, and manage the meet to include scores, records, reports and ribbon labels. Files are transported electronically to HyTek Team Manager for record keeping and data management to help run the team. Coaches use this data to keep track of a swimmers progress throughout the season and to help in meet placement. This position requires attending at least one training session sponsored by the Colonial Swim League.

ANNOUNCER: Home meets only. Sets-up, takes down and manages the PA system during meets.

POOL SET-UP & TAKE-DOWN COORDINATOR: This individual is the coordinator for preparing the pool for a Home swim meet. The coordinator will direct and assist volunteers in set-up activities, including setting up lane lines, putting up backstroke flags, reserving parking spaces for key volunteers, and moving furniture. Set up can be accomplished very quickly with many participants. This is a great opportunity for parents who have younger children and prefer not to work during the meet so they can supervise their children.

RIBBONS & TIME CARDS: This volunteer position is often in an air-conditioned or shaded area so many find this appealing for that reason! This job has many "busy-work" tasks, including labeling and sorting timecards before the meet begins, posting results, labeling ribbons, etc. There will always be at least one other person with experience working with you so you’ll have someone around to ask for help. We need volunteers to do this at both home and away meets.

CLERK OF COURSE COORDINATOR: This job involves coordinating heat and lane assignments for swimmers during meets. During A meets, heats and lanes are pre-assigned, and during B home meets, the C-of-C manages the swimmers time cards to assign heats and lanes. This job is typically filled by 2 individuals to provide the best availability and coverage for both A and B meets.

HEAD TIMER: This individual is someone likely (or willing) to attend Saturday (A) and Wednesday (B) meets to organize/supervise the Penguin volunteer timers. During home meets, duties involve conducting a pre-meet briefing with the timers from both teams to highlight the rules and timing procedures, running backup watches during each heat, and coordinating with the starter and referee to keep timers ready and the meet moving. The team owns a collection of stopwatches, which you maintain during the season.

COMMUNICATIONS: This job is (mostly) performed in the comfort of your home in front of your computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone! This person works with the team president to compose and send out information to the team via email and Facebook, as well as keeps the team website up-to-date. Team members receive current information regarding meets, social activities, weather-related cancellations, and other pertinent news that relates to the operation of the team.

SNACK BAR COORDINATOR: The “Watering Hole”, our snack bar, plays a vital part of every home meet in keeping our swimmers and their families fed and hydrated. Responsibilities include: arranging food purchases from local vendors, shopping for snacks, the cash drawer, setting up before each meet and packing up afterward.

FUN FRIDAY COORDINATOR: Each Friday, practices are a little shorter to allow time for costume judging and a breakfast buffet with food contributions provided by each swimmer’s family. The coordinator for Fun Friday will determine the costume theme for each week, as well as purchase (using funds from the Penguins budget) prizes for the winner of the costume contest from each practice group. This person also oversees the sign-ups for food contributions.

SOCIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR: The Penguins have a lot of social events during the swim season and we need a coordinator arrange them. These can include an ice cream social and car decorating, movie and lunch, water park, laser tag, glow golf and other fun activities throughout the season… this position gives you a chance to use your imagination!

SWIM-A-THON & SILENT AUCTION COORDINATORS: The Swim-a-thon is an annual charity event that we host with the Burke Centre Stingers. The proceeds from this evening benefit local charities, which vary each season. Each team provides coordinators and they work together to organize and orchestrate the event (lap swimming, dancing, food, cake walk, etc.). In addition to the silent auction, the event is packed with fun and frolicking for every age!

WINTER SWIM COORDINATOR: The Penguins offer a one-hour per week opportunity on Sunday nights for swimmers to practice with coaches during the off-season. From September through May, practices are held at the South Run REC Center. The coordinator takes direction from the Penguins head coach regarding coaching assignments. Additionally, this person handles registration and contracts with Fairfax County Park Authority to rent the lanes, submits monthly payroll requests to our treasurer, serves as the liaison between the facility and the team, and is on deck to ensure each practice runs smoothly. (The practices take place at either Audrey Moore or South Run RECs.)

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VOLUNTEER REPORTS

Please Confirm Your Job Counts:
In order to keep track of your job count throughout the season, please follow these steps:

1) At the top of the TeamUnify page, click the 'Events' tab found at the top of the page.
2) Next choose the 'Reports' tab that pops up under 'Events'
3) Choose the top option: “Job Signup Report for My Account”.
4) This should pull up your account name and asks for a date range. In order to capture the entire season, enter 5/01/2023 thru 9/30/2023, and click on the “search” button.

Volunteer Coordinators will also monitor job counts and return checks when all are completed.