The Amherst Summer Swim Team exists to provide a successful swim team experience, including competition to its member swimmers. This requires parent/guardian volunteers to complete four (4) volunteer obligations during the season. Remember, it is the participation of families at the meets and all other aspects of the Amherst Swim Team that make the program successful. Without your assistance the program would surely grind to a halt!
Volunteer opportunties include many tasks, such as timing, setting up for a home meet, parking, running, and concession stand just to name a few. DON’T WORRY! Parents get “on the job” training for both operational and support activities; previous experience is NOT required for most positions!
It will be the obligation of the parent/guardian to check in with the Volunteer Coordinator during the swim meet or event that you have signed up for to work. If you do not check in with the Volunteer Coordinator and receive a lanyard from her, you will NOT receive credit for working that particular meet or event. You will NOT receive credit for shifts not secured through Sign Up Genius or directly through the Volunteer Coordinator.
The Volunteer Coordinator will keep a current record of what has been completed. It is the obligation of the parent/guardian to make sure that the record of participation is current and accurate. Those who have not met the obligations at the end of the season will be charged $25 per obligation not met, and cannot register during early bird until this has been paid.
Those families who volunteer to chair a committee or to serve on the Executive Board are EXEMPT from the operational assignments of any meet or event.
These are some of the volunteer jobs that may be available for you to do.
ANNOUNCER
Located at a shaded table next to the lanes, this post has a “bird’s eye” view.
Must feel comfortable with a microphone.
Announce staging and meet/race information.
Work with the scoring chair and officials to ensure a smooth meet.
Knowledge of how a swim meet runs is required as they impact the tone and operation of the meet.
RIBBONS
The job begins once the scorer has had an opportunity to tabulate event winners. Please report to the Ribbons table at the start of Event 19.
Collect results from scorer table.
Place labels on ribbons and place them in mailbox folders.
DO NOT allow swimmers to collect their ribbons during the meet. They can pick them up at the next practice.
CLERK OF COURSE
Clerk of Course is the staging area for swimmers. Here swimmers are sorted into the correct heats and lanes prior to their event.
Clerks are responsible for reviewing the heat sheet and placing swimmers in chairs according to event, heat, and lane.
Clerks escort swimmers one heat at a time to the blocks for their races. To maintain the correct order, 8 and under swimmers need to hold hands as they walk.
This job is best suited for a calm and patient individual who can stay organized under pressure.
CONCESSIONS
Feed the masses!
Concessions is broken into two shifts. The early shift helps with setting up and the later shift helps with taking down.
Both shifts spend time doing sales during the meet.
Volunteers will help replenish snacks and serve pizza.
Volunteers should be comfortable handling money and making change.
TIMER
Get right on the edge of the pool and press the button on your stopwatch. It’s that easy.
Prior to the meet, Timers meet with the Official by the scorer’s table for instructions.
There are two timers per lane.
Their job is to time the swimmer in their lane each race (or heat).
Check the name of the swimmer with the name on the card.
Both timers record their time on the swimmer’s card, which is taken by the runner. It’s essentially starting a watch on the flash and the beep of the starting system and stopping it when the swimmer in your lane touches the wall.
RUNNER
Runners, a fairly straightforward position, are required to “run” information from the timers to the scoring table.
Runners pass out the swimmer’s cards to the correct lane timer.
After each event, the runner collects cards from the Timers and takes them to the scorer.
Runners also help find "missing" swimmers who are not at the clerk of course for their events.
Runners must work quickly and efficiently.
SET UP
The set up crew arrives early to ensure that everything is in place for the meet.
Arrive at 4:00 p.m. the day of the meet
Assist scorer with unloading car and setting up table, canopy, sound system, and starter.
Take out white plastic chairs from shed and set up Clerk of Course.
Assist concessions setting up tables, canopy, and taking out coolers from the shed.
Set up table and canopy for Ribbons crews.
TEAR DOWN
This crew stays after the meet to ensure that everything is cleaned up.
Break down canopies and tables.
Put coolers and Clerk of Chairs back in the shed.
Patrol pool deck and grass area for trash/lost and found items.
Assist scorer with loading gear into car.
PARKING
The parking crew works to ensure that the overflow lot is organized and directs traffic.
Please wear neon vest found in the shed.
Work as a team to direct cars into overflow lot and maximize parking space.