Teamwork makes the dream work!! RSTA is a completely volunteer-run league, aside from our coaches. In addition to benefiting the swimmers, volunteering allows you to meet other families and members of the community, get an up-close view of the action, and pass the time more actively at our meets! There are plenty of jobs from which to choose to fit your interests, preferences, and levels of expertise. We appreciate the participation of all Lake Audubon families in earning at least 3 team volunteer credits to effectively run our meets and season overall.
Volunteer positions with no formal training required and an excellent fit for families new to swimming / swim meets:
Timer: Want the BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE? That’s right…you’ll be the VIP with the front row seat to all the action. If you’re lucky, you may even get splashed! No formal training is required; just attend the timer briefing right before the meet starts to get directions, and you are set!
Chief Timer Assistant: Help the Chief Timer keep the timers focused. You get two stop watches and can help any timers who inadvertently miss a start (which, of course, never happens).
Time Sheet Runners: Get your early morning workout in! Bring time sheets to timers before the events change to a new stroke. Collect time sheets and DQ slips at the completion of each event. Check in with scorers at the beginning of the meet to determine a good cadence for turning in the sheets.
8 & Under Aides: Using the lane list provided by the managers, aides make sure that the 8 & Under swimmers are lined up in the correct order for their events/heats by the Clerk of Course, then walk them together to their lanes before each event begins and line them up accordingly behind each lane. The 8 & Under Aides then wait by the lanes to ensure the 8 & Under swimmers stay in the correct order in the correct lanes and step up to start at the correct time. Tip: Help the swimmer remember what stroke to swim by asking, “What event are you swimming now?” right before he or she steps up to race!
Snack Shack (concessions): Prefer the shade and making change? Take a shift here. Concessions volunteers will cover for each other when one of their kids is swimming, so that you don’t have to miss seeing your swimmer race!
Assistants to Clerk-of Course: Help the Clerk-of-Course check in swimmers for their races, from a shaded picnic table! See more details below under Clerk-of-Course.
Assistant Scorer and Assistant Chief Scorer: Love numbers? Want some shade and a little peace and quiet? This is the job for you! The Assistant Scorer checks the official time for each swimmer on the time sheet and passes it to the Chief Scorer for data entry. The Assistant Chief Scorer assists the Chief Scorer in checking times, entering results, checking data entry, and posting results. (No formal training is required for assistants.)
We recommend that more experienced volunteers consider the positions below:
Chief Timer: Keep the timers focused, and make sure there are always a few back up stopwatches. Remember to gather timers before the meet to provide guidance and pass out watches. We have a Timer Briefing script to help you! (No formal training is required but previous experience as a time is preferred.)
Meet Marshal: Able to get to a meet EARLY but not keen on the idea of 4 hours of intense volunteering? This job is easy as long as you can keep track of a few key things. The meet depends on your attendance; no marshal = no meet. We'll need you at the meet 20 minutes before warmups begin. The Meet Marshals will supervise the warmup period and serve as a relay take-off judge during age group relays (events 21-30) and the mixed-age relays (events 51 and 52). More details can be found in the RSTA Handbook. (No formal training is required.)
Clerk-of-Course: Enjoy getting to know the names and faces of all the swimmers? Can you keep calm in the eye of the storm? The responsibility of the Clerk-of-Course is to check in swimmers (mark them off on a paper that’s given to you) and direct them to their proper locations for the start of each heat (remind them of their heat and lane and point them where to go). (No formal training is required.)
Announcer: It is the responsibility of the Announcer to call the swimmers for each event so that the swimmers are in place before the event, thus avoiding unnecessary delays. The Announcer should be alert to excessive spectator noise during the start of the events and then remind the spectators that quiet is necessary for every start. The Announcer should also announce the score of the meet after the completion of each series of events of a single stroke. More details can be found in the RSTA Officials Handbook. (No formal training required).
Meet Officials (Training session required for each of the positions below)
Stroke & Turn Judge: Stroke and Turn Judges ensure safe, fair, and equitable conditions for the competitions. Stroke and Turn Judges will be positioned at the turn and start ends of the pool with three lanes each as their jurisdiction, observing half the pool for assigned lanes. (Stroke and Turn training required)
Starter: The Starter, in conjunction with the Referee, determines the fairness of the beginning of each heat. The Starter is the official in complete control from the time the Referee signals with outstretched arm until the swimmers start the competition or event. (Stroke and Turn training required)
Referee: The Referee has full authority over all officials. The Referee shall enforce all of the rules and decisions of RSTA and shall decide all questions relating to the actual conduct of the meet. On any point where the opinions of other officials differ, the Referee shall give a decision. The Referee has the authority to intercede in a competition at any stage to ensure the maintenance of fair and equal conditions for all swimmers. (Stroke and Turn training required)
Chief Scorer: The Chief Scorer is in charge of scoring the meet. It is the responsibility of the Chief Scorer to preview the entries for each event, ensure deck changes are logged, record swimmer’s official times, match disqualification slips to the appropriate swimmer’s event/heat/lane, and call any discrepancies to the host Manager or other appropriate official. The Chief Scorer will record results using the Hy-tek Meet Manager software provided by RSTA. (Scorer and Hy-Tek Meet Manager training required)
Positions that include some support both at and outside of the meets:
Computer coordinator: Under guidance of RSTA League Computer Coordinator, the team Computer Coordinator operates the team computer and meet software, enters meet entries (from coaches), and produces meet programs and timer sheets for home meets. (RSTA training session required)
Equipment manager: The team equipment manager stores meet equipment during the summer season that cannot be left at the pool, transports the equipment to and from the pool for home meets, and sets up and takes down the equipment on the pool deck on meet days.
Snack Shack (concessions) coordinator: Do you love food, shopping, and shade? Then this is the job for you! Help support the Barracudas by planning for and executing concession sales at our home meets. (All proceeds raised help to fund the end-of-season party, coach gifts, and new equipment purchases!) Additional concessions volunteers will assist you to set up, operate, and clean up the concession stand at each of our three home meets.
