Families sign up to volunteer for each meet through the "Job Sign Up" button on the Meets & Events page.

All swim meets are run by family volunteers, and many volunteers are needed to run each and every meet. Swim meets normally require up to 50 adults to handle all the roles of timekeepers, officials, concessions workers, etc. To ensure that we have adequate coverage for every meet, each swim family is obligated to volunteer at least one family representative to help at meets their swimmer(s) participate(s) in. This does not mean you will have to work every meet, but you will have to work most meets. Other than "Official" spots for which volunteers must be certified, everything else is easy to do, can be learned in a few minutes, and there is a job to fit every need.

Volunteering is also how many friendships are made! It takes a tremendous number of volunteers to put on a swim meet, and it takes every family doing their share to ensure a great summer swim season for all!

Time Trials: All main team families are expected to volunteer at the Barracuda Time Trials. This is our first "meet" of the year in which the whole team participates so the swimmers can get their starting/seed/qualifying times. This meet requires more volunteers than others since there is no opposing team to share the workload. Time Trials is a great time to try new volunteer roles and to meet other parents.

Pre-Team: Pre-team swimmers are part of the team and attend all team activities. However, families are only expected to volunteer at team events they attend and if their swimmer competes in the mini meet. When pre-team swimmers move up to the main team, family volunteer commitment increases to that of the main team.

Officials Roles: The positions of Referee, Starter, and Stroke and Turn judge require certification training by MCSL, but are also performed by swim family volunteers. The team is always in need of more Officials, and the training is short and easy. If you are interested in training as an Official, please see the MCSL page on Officials and/or contact us.

Main Job Descriptions

There are many different jobs to be performed, with varying levels of time commitment and difficulty. There is also a job to suit every need and personality! Below are some quick job descriptions:

Jobs Requiring No Certification or Training:

• Announcer: Works all home meets to announce events, swimmers and sponsors. Works closely with the Referee & Starter to keep the meet running on schedule.

• Automation Reader: Reads times to computer operator.

• Automation/Score Verifier: Verifies times as produced by automation against the lane/timer sheets.

• Clerk of Course: Works during meets to control flow of swimmers to holding benches, checks in the swimmers and tells them their lanes. All swimmers report to the Clerk of Course for their event. 

• Concessions Manager: Purchases all groceries necessary for concessions, keeps an inventory of the concessions stock, and helps manage concessions sales during meets. 

• Donut Delivery: Pick up donuts on Fridays for Barracuda Challenge, and donuts/bagels on Saturdays for meet concessions.

• Head Timer/Asst. Head Timer: Assists referee by coordinating the timers, providing a back-up watch for timers as needed.

• Lane Timer: Works during meets operating a stopwatch as 1 of 3 timers in a lane.

• Runner: Deliver heat/event lane timer sheets to automation (can be teen or adult).

• Ribbon Writer: Works during meets to affix labels to swimmers’ ribbons. This job starts half hour after the meet starts and may run a half hour after the meet ends.

• Set-Up/Break-Down: Set-up pool area 1 hour before warm-up for home meets, or clean up and restore pool area at the conclusion of home meets.

• Socials Host: Organizes and manages the Friday night socials.​

• Runner: Deliver heat/event lane timer sheets to automation (can be teens or adults).

• Take Off Judge: Monitors swimmers' take offs during relays. 

Jobs Requiring MCSL Certification:

• Referee: Official responsible for compliance of swimmers and other officials during the meet.

• Starter: Official responsible for ensuring fair starts by swimmers.

• Stroke and Turn Judge: Official responsible for ensuring stroke rules are observed. 

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