Family Participation Requirements

Fall 2025-26 Season

Volunteer Policy

As many of you know, volunteers are crucial to keeping any athletic organization running smoothly. We appreciate ALL of our parent volunteers and we recognize that without their valuable time contributions, PSL wouldn’t be the team that we are today.

We’ve all been to THAT swim meet. You know the one. It seems like everything went wrong. Swim meets fail for one main reason. Not enough volunteers! We work hard at Prattville Swim League to put on a swim meet that makes other teams want to come back year after year. That’s where YOU come in!

Volunteers run swim meets, and it takes EVERYONE to make a swim meet run smoothly. Prattville Swim League will host several meets each year. Traditionally we host 3-4 meets during the short course season and 3-4 meets during the summer season (volunteer requirements are different for each swim season). It can take up to 75 volunteers to make a single, one-day meet run smoothly! Not all of these volunteers need to stand up and time, there are lots of positions that need to be filled for each meet.

Organizing enough volunteers for a meet can be demanding and is crucial to the success of the meet. We have researched the volunteer requirements of other swim teams, as well as other children’s sports. Through this research, we have put in place the following volunteer requirement policy. We feel, in comparison, this is a very friendly requirement, but one needed in order to fill the need of volunteers necessary to run our meets. Volunteer positions require very little training and if a volunteer is unsure about a position, please contact Andrea Bindewald, our Volunteer Coordinator, for any questions.

Volunteer Requirement
The following volunteer policy applies to the parents of ALL registered PSL swimmers.

If your child (or children) is a registered PSL swimmer, you are required to earn 11 volunteer points (per swim family) by the end of the Summer season (May-August) and 21 points by the end of the Fall season (August-May). Each swim family can earn points by volunteering and donating items the team needs.

Even if you withdraw from the program early, you are still responsible for your Service Points obligation. Points will be pro-rated for each month that you were a part of the program. Please email Andrea, our volunteer coordinator regarding prorated points. Service points must be completed by the deadline, or your account will automatically be drafted in the amount of $20 for every point you did not complete. 

Job signups will be made available as soon as possible for each PSL-hosted meet or other event. Job signups will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The earlier you sign up, the greater the variety of jobs that will be available. Signups will ONLY be available online. If you sign up for a job but do not work that job, not only will you not receive your points, you will be penalized the points equal to that job. When you sign up for a job but don’t work it, you keep other families from having the opportunity to earn those hours.

To register for your job commitment:

Step 1: Prior to the Meet/Event: Volunteers must sign up online prior to the event! Team Unify has a system for keeping up with your volunteer hours. You must sign up for your volunteer position under “Job Signup” by midnight prior to the start of the event. The jobs are on a first come, first serve basis, so please signup quickly.

Step 2: At the Meet/Event: Volunteers must also sign the volunteer check-in sheet located at the Meet Director’s table to receive credit for their participation. It is the volunteer’s responsibility to sign in! Unless excused by the Meet Director/Volunteer Coordinator, the volunteer must remain during the ENTIRE length of the session he/she is working, regardless of when your swimmers’ races are completed. If you are donating food for hospitality/concessions, all donations must be received by the Volunteer Coordinator before the posted deadline. The Volunteer Coordinator will be available on the pool deck to sign in donations at the time they are due.

Service Points

PSL uses a system called Service Points. Each swim family can earn points by volunteering and donating items that the team needs. We need LOTS of parent participation in BOTH categories. You must have 21 service points (per swim family) by the end of the fall season. If you fail to meet your Service Points Obligation, you will be charged a fee of $20 for each point you failed to meet. WE DO NOT WANT YOUR MONEY . . . WE NEED YOUR HELP! A list of needed donation items will be provided (in the job signup area of the event) for each event. All donation items have been priced at SAM’S CLUB or Walmart and range from $8 - $12 per request/per point.

SERVICE POINTS MENU

Volunteer Points
Lane Timer (one timing session) - 2-3 pts
Lane Timer (two timing sessions) - 4-6 pts 

Head Timer - (one timing session) - 3 pts
Clerk of Course/Bull Pen - 3 pts
Awards - 3 pts
Hospitality - 3 pts
Concessions - 3 pts
Runner - 3 pts
Drive another swimmer to a meet/event - 1 pt Others - TBD

Donations
Wacky Wednesday Snacks - 1 pt
Concessions - 1 pt (some items may cost more and will be worth more points)

Hospitality - 1 pt
Swim Party - 1 pt

You may also visit our Amazon Wishlist and purchase items there. Please be sure to send Martie Brown and the volunteer coordinator an email if you purchase something off the wishlist because not all items ship with a gift receipt. We want to make sure your volunteer point balance is adjusted for these items ordered. 

*** We reserve the right to make changes to the Volunteer Participation Requirements mid-season if the needs of the team have changed. If changes to the requirements are made during the season, you will be informed of any changes via an email to your TU account. *** (If a meet is cancelled or added to the meet schedule at the last minute)