Meet Volunteer Positions
Here is a list and brief description of the volunteer positions we need to be able to run a home meet as well as attend away meets.
Click the links at the end of the description to take the certification test online.
Roles that do not require any training or certification:
Pit Parents: These parents sit in the swimmer tent area (“The Pit”) with the swimmers. With the use of a heat sheet, pit parents gather swimmers for upcoming heats and send them to the clerk of course area. Since there is usually more than one tent parent, parents can go up on deck during their swimmers event to watch them swim. (No training or certification required)
Concessions: (HOME MEETS ONLY) This position will help do some minor preparation and selling of food and drinks during our home swim meets. (No training or certification required).
Hospitality: (HOME MEETS ONLY) This role involves delivering drinks to other volunteers during the home swim meets. (No training or certification required).
Parking (HOME MEETS ONLY):This role involves directing parents where to park at our home meets. (No training or certification required).Roles that require brief (around 5-10 minutes) online training and certification:
Timers: Each lane during a swim meet will have four timers, typically two from each team. Three of the four timers will use a stopwatch to time their swimmer based on the strobe light start and their swimmer touching the wall. One of these timers will be the “recorder” and sit at a small table at the lane to record the three times on the swimmer’s blue card. (Short online info and test).
Head Timer: This person will stand behind the timers and signal to the starter/referee when the timers are ready for the next heat to start. This position will also start a stopwatch in case a timer’s watch does not start. At away meets, our team’s head timer will serve as assistant head timer, working in conjunction with the hosting team’s head timer. (Short online info and test).
Runners: These parents will take blue cards from swimmers and deliver them to the correct timer during 25 meter events. For all events, a runner will collect blue cards from the recording timers and deliver them to the records area of the meet. (Short online info and test).
Records and Ribbons: These volunteers will take the blue cards from the runners and check them for accuracy before handing them off to the Team Computer Operator to enter the official times in the computer. (Short online info and test).Roles that require SAIL In-House Training and certification:
Clerk of Course: These volunteers line kids up on benches by event and heat give swimmers a blue card that will be given to the timer with the swimmer’s name and information. (Class training and certification required).
Stroke and Turn Judges: This position will use official rules learned during certification to ensure a swimmer’s stroke is legal. If a swimmer’s stroke in found to be non-legal, the stroke and turn judge will raise their hand and communicate with the referee regarding the possible disqualification of the swimmer. (Class training and certification required).
Referee: This person will oversee home meets and serve as assistant referee at away meets. This role has the responsibility of seeing that the meet is properly conducted and that rules are fairly enforced for all swimmers. (Class training and certification required.
Starter: This person will be “the voice” of the meet and start each heat using an electronic starting system when they assistant referee and head timer signal that swimmers are ready. (Class training and certification required).
