Gator Volunteers!
Volunteers are Vital to Our Program!
Running a swim meet requires many volunteers. At least one parent is required to work each swim meet in which your child participates. We try to accommodate requests, but we ask for your understanding if you are reassigned to another area.
Announcer: Announces upcoming events using the PA system. This job requires prior experience and is only for home swim meets.
Starter: Works with the announcer and referee to start all of the races. Attention to the races is critical. Prior experience is preferred. This job is only for home swim meets.
Deck Worker: This is a fun, in the heat of the battle job. These volunteers work right behind the starting block and, with the aid of a heat sheet, make sure the correct children are ready to swim the next event. Enthusiasm and child psychology (for the occasional nervous 6 & under swimmer) are good characteristics to have for this job.
Concessions: If you get claustrophobic around the pool, the concessions job is a great way to give yourself a little room. Basic math skills help, as do great people skills. Parents get to watch their kids swim but are asked to come back to help as soon as your child’s event is over. The first shift will need to come early at 4:00pm for set up. This job is only for home swim meets.
Line/Place Judge: This is a good job for someone who needs to be seated. Attention to the races is important and good teamwork/people skills are helpful in doing this job, as you work alongside a judge from the other team.
Runner: There are several runners that collect the timer and place judges’ sheets and turn them into the score keeper. This is a very mobile job.
Score Keeper: The score keeper gets to do some basic math (adding the numbers 1 through 5 to a running total), and working with a scorekeeper from the other team to keep track of the official score. This is a job where you are seated in the shade or inside, and requires some attention to detail.
Timer: The timer starts a stopwatch on the starters signal, stops it when the swimmer touches the end line, and records the result on the event sheet. This is a very “hands-on” job that doesn’t work well if you are solo parenting with young kids in tow.
Ribbons: This is a good job for parents of younger children (in tow). You are seated (in the shade, if there is some), and split second attention is not important. You may be required to enter swimmer’s times into a computer. Good penmanship is helpful, as well an ability to file ribbons alphabetically.
Event Counter: This is a good job for parents with kids who will stay in one place or for those with younger swimmers (they always know where to find you). This person keeps the event board up-to-date. This is a semi-seated job. This job is only for home swim meets.
During-The-Meet-Relay Assistance: You may be asked to help round up a relay team and get them to the starting area several events before their swim heat. During these relays we ask your help on both ends of the pool, especially for the younger swimmers, to ensure that all swimmers are where they need to be (proper end of the pool and in the right order) for their relays.
