New Parent FAQ
1. I am new to the Damascus Swim Team. How do I get an account? Go to Damascusdolphins.org and click on “2025 Registration”. Follow the steps and remember to it submit at the end of the process.
2. Do we have to be pool members for my swimmers to participate on the swim team? Yes, in order to join the swim team, you and your children must be members of the pool.
3. When does the swim season begin and end? Practices for Dolphin swimmers begin on MAY 27 at 3:30pm. Please check the website for times for the different age groups. This can be found on the practice schedule menu. For Porpoise swimmers, tryouts are on JUNE 2 at 6:00pm and porpoise practice starts on JUNE 19 at 10:45am. If you can’t make the date for Porpoise tryouts, please contact the Head Coach to set up a time for your swimmer to be evaluated. The last day for Porpoise swimmers is 7/16/25 and for the team the last day for most swimmers is 7/16/25 and for all star swimmers 7/27/24. The calendar on the website is fully updated with times and dates.
4. How many obligation sign up sites are there? There are two sign ups on Signup Genius for obligations. One is for the snack bar and one is for meet obligations. Our Volunteer Coordinator, Leanne Regan will send out these links the 3rd week of May for you to sign up. She will also send out an email in early May explaining the process and the requirements. The spots are first come first serve.
5. Do I need to create a Signup Genius account to sign up for these obligations? Yes, you will need an account to sign up.
6. How do I declare if my swimmer is available? This is done through the team website. For A meets go to Damascusdolphins.org and go to the “events” tab. Click on each meet and you can check “yes” or “no” if your swimmer(s) are available. They can commit any time between registration and the Wednesday before the Saturday “A” Meet. If you are going to miss a meet(s), please also let the coach know via email or in person. For “B” meets, the swimmers pick the events they wish to swim (Not just a yes or no)….. B meets are NOT open for committing until after the previous weeks A meet and the commitment must be done by Tuesday at noon.
7. When are time trials and what are time trials? Time trials is basically a practice meet at the start of the swim season. All swimmers (with the exception of Porpoises) swim this meet. It will be held on 6/7/25 at 8:00am. Swimmers are advised to arrive by 7:10am. The team handbook page also has a ton of general information.
8. Who determines which meets my swimmer(s) will swim in? The coaches decide (based on times and evaluations) who will be swimming in the “A” meets on Saturday morning and in the “B” meets on Wednesday evening. The coach will email the lineups out for Saturday and Wednesday meets a couple of days prior to.
9. What is the difference between a Refreshment Stand Worker and a Daily Snack Bar obligation? If you work at the snack bar during a meet, you are considered a Refreshment Stand Worker and this will satisfy one of your obligations, but does not count towards your mandatory snack bar shift requirement. You are still required to work a snack bar shift during non-meet hours.
10. How long are the volunteer shifts? It is dependent on the job and usually is anywhere from 1-4 hours.
11. How many volunteers are needed per event? Again, this is dependent on the event. For a swim meet it is anywhere from 25-30 people. For the pasta dinner it could be 5. It varies per event.
12. What are the positions? What kind of experience do I need? Our Volunteer Coordinator sends out an email prior to sign up detailing what positions are available. Examples of some are timers, parking attendants, grilling helpers, ribbon writer, etc. The only ones that need experience are the officials spots, which require actual training.
13. What happens if I can’t make it to the first meeting? The link to sign up for obligations is sent to everyone at the same time and it is first come first serve. If you miss the general meeting, we might have a new parent orientation depending on demand.
14. How much are the swimming suits? Our pricing will be listed on the website.
15. Does everyone need the suit and cap? We do not require everyone buy the same suit and cap but we do ask the suit be in line with the team colors. We take orders at the general meeting for the suit the team is offering. Usually the same suit can be bought online. At the general meeting we help size suits for the kids and they can add the option to have the logo put on the suit.
