Volunteers are the KEY to success of our swim team

  • It takes over 1500 volunteer hours to run the swim team from April to July.
  • Unlike other youth sports, where generally a handful of people can run the team, a swim program simply cannot be run without parental help and participation, and lots of it.
  • All families of Competition Team swimmers must fill out a Volunteer Registration Form; CHOOSE COMMITTEES here. If both the parents would like to volunteer, please submit one form per parent.
  • PreComp Team parents or Competition Team parents with 3 or more swimmers will sign up for Swim Team Gatewatch or Deck Cleaning shifts through Signup.com (link to sign up is here).  More information will be available by email.

PreCompetition Team

  • PreCompetition team parents are REQUIRED to complete 5 Gatewatch and/or Deck Cleaning sessions (75-90 minutes each); Please note that swim team gatewatch does not qualify for WCC membership gatewatch or vice versa
  • Hours due but not contributed will be billed to your account at the end of the season at the rate of $30 per unfilled hour.

Competition Team

  • Competition team parents are REQUIRED to volunteer a minimum of 15 hours for 1 child, 20 hours for 2 children, or 25 hours for 3 or more children over the course of the season.
  • Competition team parents of 3 or more swimmers can earn at most 12 hours doing Swim Team gatewatch as we need your help to run the swim meets
  • There are many ways in which this commitment may be met. COMMITTEE CHOICE LINK Hours due but not contributed will be billed to your account at the end of the season at the rate of $30 per unfilled hour.

Swim Meets

  • ALL families must help out at meets in which your child is swimming, with rare exception, such as both parents at work or out of town. It takes more than 100 individuals to set up, clean up, check in, officiate, line up kids, work snack bar, team store, time, write ribbons and enter and post results for a typical meet.
  • There are numerous other “behind the scenes” jobs, including pool set-up and take down, arranging team-bonding activities, Swimathon, locker room monitors, deck cleaning, fund raising.
  • Parents select a committee or position on which to serve during the season. Then they can sign up online for which shift they will work.
  • There are two shifts at a swim meet, approximately 3 hours per shift. Competition team parents of 3 or more swimmers can earn at most 12 hours doing Swim Team gatewatch.

Snack Bar Donation & Fundraising

  • All competition team families are required to donate 3 items to the snack bar during the season, 1 item per meet, or 3 items at 1 meet (only if you are absent at the other meets).
  • Items due but not contributed will be billed to your account at the end of the season at the rate of $10 per item.
  • Other fundraisers include the Annual Swimathon (see website) and Championship program ads

Swim Meet Officials & Other Volunteer Jobs

  • Director (1 per meet): chief official for each meet. They ensure that the meet is properly conducted within the League rules, and that swimmers have uniformly fair competitive conditions.
  • Starter (1 per shift): the only official with direct contact with swimmers. The starter makes sure that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start. The starter informs the swimmers of the stroke and distance to be swum. After all swimmers are ready and motionless, the starter starts the race.
  • Stroke & Turn Judges (4 per shift): Must attend Valley Aquatic League training each May. Must attend Judges meeting at 745am at each swim meet. Judges ensure that swimmers abide by the rules for the stroke that they are swimming, including the appropriate turn or finish designated for the event. If a stroke and turn judge observes improper technique, they may warn or disqualify (DQ) a swimmer in that event. All DQ’s are submitted to the scoring table. Warnings are given to 10 & unders at the first meet. 8 & unders are judged more leniently in Valley Aquatic League than in U. S. Swimming.
  • Head Timer (1 per meet): Holds the backup watch for any lane timer that misses a start. Runners: responsible for delivery of all official times to the computer table.
  • Timers (3 per lane): Responsible to record the times for the swimmers. By starting their watches at the direction of the Starter and stopping their watches when any part of the swimmer touches the wall, they record a swimmer’s official times. There are 3 timers per lane, and one lane timer records all 3 times. The middle or average time is the official time.
  • Clerk of the Course (2 per shift): Swimmers must check in with the clerks and may have a new lane assignment if a swimmer is absent.
  • Announcer (1 per shift): Announces the events and other information. Through close coordination with the Clerk of the Course, the Starter and the Meet Director, the Announcer controls the tempo of the meet.
  • Results Recorders: Enter the times, updates relay names on the computer and print labels for the ribbon writers. They post results periodically.
  • Ribbon Writers: Receive the labels, check for improved times, select the appropriate award and file the ribbons.
  • Snack bar (Home Meets Only*) Sets up snack bar area, prepares food, sells snacks, cleans up area
  • Team store: Sets up at 7:15am, sells swim gear, records sales, and cleans up 
  • Swimathon Lap Counters: Counts and records laps at Swimathon
  • Locker Room Monitors: Clean up bathrooms during practice or for home swim meets. Restocks supplies, monitors behavior in bathrooms for any safety issues during meets
  • Program sales (Champs): Sell programs at championship meet from 6:45 am to 8:45 am
  • Set Up Crew: Setup up canopies, tables, computers, etc. from 6:15am to 7:45am
  • Clean up crew: Disassemble canopies, return tables and chairs, pick up pool deck
  • Recycling: Collect bagged recycling items in storage bin next to dumpster, sort and transport them to the recycling center
  • Gatewatch (during swim practice): Monitor gate and check in swimmers. Only for families with 3 or more swimmers and PreCompetition team parents.

*Home Meets include a Practice Meet at the Westgate Cabana Club & Valley Christian High School where Gators host meets