SWIM SEASON LINKS
More Info
Swim lessons are $20 for 20 minutes for one swimmer. Come to the lesson with ideas you want to work on or talk with Coach Katie before the lesson to have some ideas.
Please sign up for only one spot each week (unless it is the day of and there is a spot open).
Pay by Venmo (@katie-mcwilliams-25), cash or check. If unable to make the lesson, please cancel 24 hours in advance.
VOLUNTEER
Team work makes the dream work! Summer swim season is made possible by a huge team of parent and family volunteers. Each family should consider volunteering for at least one job per meet, if you have a swimmer in the meet. Not sure what job is right for you? Check out the descriptions below to learn more. Thank you for being an integral part of making this a successful season!
What’s with the blue and white? All on-deck volunteers are asked to wear navy blue bottoms and plain white shirts. This is a quick way to let everyone know who is volunteering and allowed to be on the deck. All teams across the NVSL adhere to this request.
Swim Meet Volunteer Position Descriptions:
Not sure what you should sign up for? Check out these descriptions to find the right fit for you.
No Training Needed
These are great beginner positions or someone looking for a low key job. Just jump right in!
Pre-Meet Set-Up
It’s just like it sounds! We try to setup for a Saturday morning A Meet on the Friday evening prior around 7:30 PM. You will be moving lounge chairs and shifting picnic tables and umbrellas, setting up pop up tents. For Monday B meets, this happens around 4:30 PM and is a rush job.
Concessions Team
Food runner – This volunteer picks up the pre-ordered food (like donuts ) and deliver it before the meet starts. This can be on the early morning side for A Meets, but once you’ve dropped off your food, you are done!
Sales – This volunteer is at the concessions table selling drinks and snacks. Sales volunteers help each other out, so that everyone has a chance to step away and watch your swimmer in their races. Do not be shy about doing so, if everyone helps, everyone benefits!
Concession Pre-Meet set-up – This volunteer helps set up the concessions area on Friday evening or Monday afternoon. If you have several kids swimming in a meet, this might be a great option for you.
50/50 Raffle Sales
Organize and oversee the raffle sales at the concession table. Perhaps enlist some cute sale-kids sent to drum up sales among the spectators.
DQ Runner
This position is primarily needed during Time Trials and B Meets. Get your steps in by fast walking the DQ slips between the Referee and the data/ribbons table. This job helps keep the meet moving and can be done by an adult or responsible teen. For A Meets, this is usually handled by one of the marshals.
Team Chaperone
This volunteer is stationed in the team area and is tasked with keeping the swimmers quiet during starts and encouraging them to stay in the team area so they don’t miss their event. This is a great way to get to know the swimmers on the team, keep a close eye on your own swimmer (if they are anxious), and see the magic of the meet close up. It can feel like herding cats at times, so a friendly, but firm hand is desired!
On The Job Training
Get in the action and level up your volunteer experience. Just show up and we will show you what to do!
Announcer
The announcer is seated on deck, reads the opening statement, announces the next event, announces the results, any raffle winners, maintains the pace of the meet. Liven things up by playing music in the intervals. Our current announcer, Abram Ellis, is sometimes unavailable. Let us know if you and are music jams are available for subbing.
Chief Timer
This position is often done by a veteran timer.
Along with the Assistant Chief Timer (usually provided by the visiting team), the Chief Timer works with the Referee. If the Referee is ready, the Chief Timer tells all timers to “clear their watches” at the start of the next event. At the end of the event, the Chief Timer collects the time cards from each lane, scans them for accuracy and delivers the batch to the Table.
Clerk of Course
Along with the Clerk of Course (CoC) from the other team, you will manage the staging area benches where swimmers come to check in for their event. You will have a copy of the meet sheet and you confirm names and lane assignments. This is an great way to learn the names of the swimmers on the Tidal Wave and the last person to slap some high-fives before they hit the starting blocks.
Deck Assistant
This volunteer(s) helps the Clerk of Course get swimmers into their heats and escort them to the correct lanes. This is mainly a B Meet volunteer position due to the number of swimmers. We will need several at every B meet. This is a great way to encourage and pump up all the swimmers on the Tidal Wave during B Meets!
Data Table Team
Data Coordinator
There is usually someone trained specifically for this role.
This volunteer prepares the meet sheet in advance of the upcoming A Meet, when hosting the meet, will merge the other teams’ swimmers using Meet Manager and print time cards. During the meet, the Data Coordinator has the laptop and records the times as they come in from the Chief Timer and post meet produces reports showing all the results.
Table Workers
Volunteer for the great swim meet assembly line as a table worker! The time cards from the timers and any DQ slips go to the Table Workers who determine the order of finish for each event, score the meet, and prepare ribbons for the participants. Several people from each team perform these functions to ensure that errors are caught before the results are announced. Prior training is not required, your fellow table workers will get you up to speed. Ribbons and Verifier are two sub-categories of table workers.
The whole Data Table Team works together to pause when their swimmers are getting ready to swim, so you won’t miss all the action. Plus, you’ll get to see the official times hot off the press!
Marshals
Marshals are responsible for ensuring that the pre-meet warm-ups are conducted safely and that order is maintained. Marshals remain on deck during the meet assisting with the flow of swimmers on deck and reminding people to be quiet for the start. Prior training is not required for this position, you will be briefed by the Referee before the meet on your duties for that day.
Relay Take-Off Judges
Get a front row seat to the most exciting part of the meet! During relays, you’ll see four Relay Take-off Judges at each end of the pool (two per lane). Their job is to ensure that each swimmer touches the wall prior to the next swimmer in the relay leaving the deck. Each Judge notes on a slip of paper whether each swimmer in his lane left before or after the swimmer in the water touched the wall. Prior training is not required for this position, you will be briefed by the Referee before the meet on your duties for that day.
Timers
Timers are a key position and newcomers are welcome to start here. 18 timers are needed for every meet, 9 from each team and stopwatches are provided by your team. If you can start and stop a stopwatch, and follow directions, you can be a timer! Volunteers must be able to stand for significant periods of time.
Timers start their watches on the strobe light from the Colorado starter system and stop their watches when the swimmer touches the wall. There are three timers per lane and all three times are recorded. The middle time is the official time. Prior training is not required for this position, you will be briefed by the Chief Timer and Referee before the meet on your duties for that day.
Volunteer Coordinator
The Volunteer Coordinator shows up before the meet starts to check in volunteers, checks on volunteers during the meet, and passes out water from the cooler as needed. Occasionally, the Volunteer Coordinator subs in for a few moments if a timer or marshal needs a bathroom break.
Training Required
Help the Tidal Wave build their depth of these essential volunteers by getting trained!
Referee
The Referee is the chief official for each swim meet and is usually provided by the host team. The referee is responsible for the conduct of the meets and is the final authority on the interpretation and enforcement of all swimming rules. This position does require training prior to the season.
Starter
The Starter is responsible for insuring that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start and is usually provided by the host team. The starter will instruct the swimmers to “Take your mark”. After all swimmers are ready and still, the starter will start the race, using a Colorado Starter System. This system consists of a public address system, a horn, and a strobe light. This position does require training prior to the season.
Stroke and Turn Judges
Once the race has started, the Stroke & Turn Judges are responsible for insuring that all swimmers obey all the rules for the stroke that they are swimming. Each team in a dual meet provides two Stroke & Turn judges for a total of four. One judge from each team is stationed at the turn end of the pool and the other two judges are stationed at the start/finish side of the pool. This position does require training prior to the first dual “A” meet.
HELPFUL DOCUMENTS