Volunteer Role Description
What Am I Signing Up For?
Avalon Gators Swim Team
When you register your child/children for the Swim Team remember the volunteer requirement is 3 shifts per family. The first two questions that are often asked are:
- Why do I have to volunteer? The reason that we ask parents to be involved is that swim team is fun and we would like you to experience it with your child. The team and the meets are run entirely by parents, just like you, and we couldn’t make it work without you.
- Am I able to do the job? The jobs are not difficult and you will receive clear instruction on how to do them.
Volunteer Job Descriptions
Announcer - Be loud, clear, and enthusiastic in communicating events during the meet. Responsible for selecting music for hot heats and ensuring swimmers report to Clerk of Course in a timely manner.
Clerk of Course - MUST ATTEND JRAC TRAINING This volunteer position requires arrival prior to the meet starting to handle coaches changes. Clerk of course is responsible for ensuring all swimmer changes by coaches are documented and communicated to both Computer Entry and Starter/Referee. Will oversee the swimmer line up volunteers. Should have good patience and people skills.
Computer Entry – MUST ATTEND JRAC TRAINING This person will enter all data from the swim meet into the computer program. Job location is in the room above the office in an air-conditioned space.
Floater – This person will need to be flexible and be willing to fill in where needed. Examples could be: Timer, Runner, Swimmer Line Up, Table Worker, Refreshments. Duties will be assigned at the meet by either the volunteer coordinator or Referee.
Hand Airheads to Heat Winners - This position will hand out heat winner ribbons and airheads. Requires attention to detail and enthusiasm in supporting our swimmers.
Head Table - MUST ATTEND JRAC TRAINING This position requires attention to detail. The position is responsible for handling times, disqualification slips, and organizing heats and events. This position is located above the office in an air conditioned room.
Head Timer - MUST ATTEND ONLINE JRAC TRAINING This position will hold the timers meeting before the meet starts and ensure that all swimmers get an accurate time by providing backup watches.
Hospitality – This position includes helping the Hospitality Leader put together goody bags for the visiting coaches, make Good Luck sign for the visiting team, assign parking spots for the visiting coaches, etc. Most of the work will take place before the meet. This position may also include working the bake sale table at home meets.
Referee - MUST ATTEND JRAC TRAINING This position requires at least one year of Strokes and Turns judge experience. Responsible for handling the Strokes and Turns meeting prior to the start of the meet, ensuring that all S&T judges are in place, disqualifications are correctly observed and reported to the Head Table, and handles any challenges/inquiries by coaches. This position requires excellent people skills and knowledge of both JRAC and USA swimming rules and regulations.
Runner – One person will collect cards from the Timers and Strokes and Turns judges after each heat, another person will take the cards to the bucket next to the office and a third person will transfer heat sheets from Clerk of Course to the Announcer.
Starter - MUST ATTEND JRAC TRAINING This position is responsible for ensuring that all swimmers receive a fair start.
Swimmer Check In – This position will sit at a table near the entrance and check in swimmers as they arrive. If needed, they will mark a child’s event(s) on their arm. This job is over once all swimmers have been accounted for and the Head Coach has been updated with any missing swimmers.
Swimmer Line Up – These people will work in the baby pool area getting swimmers lined up and ready for their heat. One person will call names using the bullhorn to get them lined up, another person will monitor the benches to make sure they are seated in the correct order and another person will help swimmers move from their last stop to the pool deck as spaces open up. This area is a crucial part in making sure we have swimmers in the water at all times and the meet is running smoothly.
Timer – This person stands at the end of the swim lane and uses a stopwatch to record the swimmer’s time. (Each lane has 3 timers made up on Home and Away volunteers.) One timer in each lane will record the times on the swimmer’s card and hand it to the runner for collection.
Verifier – This person checks, sorts lane/timer sheets and verifies event results. Job location is in the room above the office in an air-conditioned space.
