Don't worry—you will never be expected to miss your swimmer's races while volunteering. If your child is about to swim, step away from your volunteer position to cheer them on. Another volunteer will gladly cover for you until you return.

Please arrive at your volunteer assignment a few minutes early. This allows time for the previous volunteer to share any important information and helps ensure smooth coverage throughout the meet.

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Hosted Meets

No Training Required

Coach/Official/Volunteer Check-in

The Check-in volunteer sits with the Volunteer Coordinator at the welcome table prior to meet start. Check in volunteers, coaches and officials upon their arrival to the building and provide them with designated color-coded wrist band. When checking in coaches and officials’ credentials must be verified in the appropriate manner depending on whether it is a YMCA or USA meet. Volunteers for this position typically arrive about an hour and a half prior to the start of the meet and stay until the meet begins. Once the meet begins, they should bring the check in folder to the volunteer coordinator at the back of the pool deck.

Volunteer Coordinator

The Volunteer Coordinator sits with the “Coach/Official/Volunteer Check-in” volunteer at the welcome table prior to meet start. They will assist in welcoming volunteers and giving those with deck access the correct wrist band. They will communicate the time and location of the timers meeting with the “timer” volunteers upon check-in. Following volunteer check-in, the Volunteer Coordinator will report to the table behind the blocks to prepare timer clipboards, stopwatches and Deck Marshal vests, and hand these items to the appropriate volunteers when they report to the deck. The Volunteer Coordinator can also work with Hospitality volunteers to distribute water to timers. Provide guidance to all volunteers on the duties of their particular positions. Communicate with announcer the needs for announcements regarding timer/volunteer needs, parking, apparel sales etc.

Announcer

The announcer will sit at the table behind the blocks. Responsibilities include announcing events, heats and lane assignments following preferences of the head official. 

• Prelims Sessions- Announce the event and heat number after each whistle that signals the end of one heat and the beginning of the next one. Announce the results of events and informs swimmers, coaches and parents that they 30 minutes to declare their intent to scratch.
• Finals- Announce event and heat numbers. Announce the name of swimmers in each lane after the start of the event.
• B/C Finals- Announce the swimmer names and lanes after the heat starts.
• A Finals- Announce the names of swimmers in each lane. Make any other announcements as needed being careful not to make any during starts.
• Volunteers in this role are needed for the duration of the session.

Deck Marshall

The Deck Marshalls are needed to maintain safety on deck. Deck Marshalls wear yellow vests so that they are easily visible. Monitor pool deck. Only athletes, coaches’ officials and volunteers are permitted on deck. Deck Marshalls should also monitor locker room entrances as locker rooms are for ATHLETES ONLY. No parents, coaches, officials or adults in general are permitted in the locker rooms. Volunteers for this

role are needed for the duration of the session. Responsibilities include setting up the fence in front of the spectator stands, monitoring swimmer behavior behind the blocks (no running, no horseplay, no rope climbing, no playing on the equipment) and monitoring the doors to the swimmer locker rooms. They will report to the Volunteer Coordinator prior to meet start. 

Runner

The runner is stationed behind the blocks. They will collect paper sheets from timers and deliver them to the volunteers working the computer. 

Live Stream- Computer

The Live Stream-Computer volunteer sits at the rear table behind the blocks (behind the announcer table). Responsibilities include monitoring the computer to be sure the livestream feed is on track.

Live Stream- Camera 1

The Live Stream- Manually control the side view camera in the bleachers during the meet.

Snack Bar

Snack Bar volunteers work with the Concessions chairpersons to prepare, organize and sell concessions, as well as clean up after snack bar close. 

Head Timer (otherwise known as the back-up timer)

The Head Timer will check-in with the Volunteer Coordinator and report for the timers meeting prior to meet start. The Head Timer is positioned behind the blocks, in a location where they can easily see all timers. The Head Timer will start two stopwatches at the beginning of every race, with the strobe light. He/she will watch for lane timers to raise their hand to signal a missed start. The Head Timer will switch watches with the lane timer upon a missed start. 

Timer

Timers will check-in with the Volunteer Coordinator and report for the timers meeting prior to meet start. One timer in the lane will have a stopwatch and clipboard, and be responsible for recording times from both timers. The second timer in a lane will have a stopwatch and be responsible for the plunger. Watches are started with the strobe light and stopped when any part of the swimmer touches the wall at the end of a race. The plunger is only depressed when any part of the swimmer touches the wall at the end of a race. 

Training Required - Officials

Training is easy! Just a coach or PAC member for the information on getting started.

Daktronics is the system that runs the scoreboard. The person who runs the Daktronics system must pay close attention to the swimmers and make sure that each swimmer touches the pad. If the swimmer does not touch the pad, the Daktronics operator pushes a button on the system.

Meet Manager is the computer system used to run the meet. This volunteer sits at the computer and monitors meet progress and intervenes as needed.

Officials are neccesary to run a meet and must undergo training and a shadowing to become an official.

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Away Meets

At away meets our team will be responsible for providers a certain amount of timers & officials throughout the sessions.