Volunteer Descriptions
Please sign up for volunteer positions by the Sunday before each meet.
Unlike many other sports, many volunteers are needed to run a swim meet. Each of the various positions are described below, including which meets (Home or Away) the position needs to be staffed and the minimum number of people required from our team to run the meet. Additional volunteers are highly recommended so people can take a break or switch off during the meet.
To hold a swim meet, the home team needs to staff over 50 volunteer positions and the visiting team needs to staff over 30 volunteer positions. With so many volunteer positions needing to be filled at every meet, we ask each family to please fill at least one volunteer position when your child swims in a meet.
Tip: Volunteering at a meet makes the meet more enjoyable and go much quicker!
Announcer/DJ
Home meets only | 1 person
Communicates to swimmers, officials, volunteers, and observers over the public address system. Welcomes the visiting team to our pool, announces and plays the national anthem, announces any important information throughout the evening, and announces the team scores at the end of the meet. Optionally, the Announcer can play family appropriate music during warm-ups, during any breaks, and after the meet is over.
Clerk Of Course*
Home and Away meets | 1 person (2 recommended)
Lines up our swimmers in the order that they swim. The announcer calls for each gender / age group for each event to report to the Clerk of Course. You will organize the swimmers according to the event sheets, prepared in advance by the coaching staff, showing the heat and lane assignment for each swimmer. Ensures swimmers move to the starting blocks when their heats are called. You will get to meet all the swimmers and give them a word of encouragement as they line up to swim. You will be moving about the pool deck, primarily at the starting end. As needed, combine heats and work with the other Clerk of Course. Make any necessary adjustments, change of swimmers due to absence, lane assignment adjustments, make sure the swimmer listed is actually the swimmer swimming, ensuring sheets are accurate to correctly award points. Training will be available prior to the first meet.
* Training and Experience Recommended
Concessions
Home meets only | 4 people
Sets up and operates concession stand at home meets. This position involves some pre-meet preparation.
Kid Pusher
Home and Away meets | 14 people
Supervises a group of boys or girls during the meet and delivers swimmers to the Clerk of Course according to the event sheets prepared in advance by the coaching staff showing the heat and lane assignment for each swimmer. Lines up kids in the appropriate lane seats and keeps order in the lane staging area. Younger age groups require two kid pushers for each group of boys or girls. You will be responsible for making sure all swimmers have their swimmer number printed on each arm so it is visible from the front and the side. You will get to meet all the swimmers in your group and encourage them as they line up to swim. Watches the kids and keep them safe and orderly, especially six and unders.
Meet Cleanup
Home meets only | Everyone
Gets the facility back in order, collects trash, puts away lane ropes, starting blocks, backstroke flags, 6 & under finish rope, pool lights, power cords, and public address system.
Meet Setup
Home meets only | 3 people
Sets up backstroke flags; starting blocks; lane ropes; chairs behind each starting block; Scorers table and chairs, Ribbon Writer table and chairs, Announcer table, and Starter table; public address system, 6 and under finish rope, and pool lights. Clears area around finish end of lanes. You must have the pool ready for warm ups, which begin at 5:00pm. You will typically need to arrive at the pool by 4:00pm.
Order of Finish Judge
Home meets | 1 person
Observes and reports the finish order of the three scoring lanes for each main event. The order of finish judge is not concerned with the legality of the finish simply the finish order of the scoring lanes. You will be moving about the pool deck throughout the meet.
Place Judge
Home and Away meets | 3 people
Observes and reports the finish order for each main event. For example: The third place judge observes swimmers to determine which lane finished third overall and provides that lane number to the Recorder when they ask for the third place finisher following the main event. A Place Judge is not concerned with the legality of the finish simply which lane finished in the place that they are observing for. You will be moving about the pool deck throughout the meet. Each team supplies three place judges at each meet. The first and second place judges are also supplied a stopwatch to record the time of the swimmer that finishes in first or second place, respectively. They provide the clocked time to the Recorder when requested following the main event.
Recorder
Home meets only | 1 person
Completes event sheets for each main event by recording the order of finish and times according to the place judges.
Ribbon Distributor
Home meets only | 2 people
Passes out ribbons to 10 and under swimmers of non-scoring heats (not main events) and commends them as they come out of the water. The winner receives a Heat Winner ribbon and all other swimmers in that heat receive a Participant ribbon. You will stand by the finish end of the pool.
Ribbon Writer
Home and Away meets | 2 people
Works with other team ribbon writers to fill out ribbons. Records the swimmer’s name and event on the back of each place ribbon. You will receive the results on the main event sheets after the scorers have recorded the necessary information. You will sit at the ribbon table, have a supply of ribbons, and a roster for your team. The ribbons are not passed out to the swimmer until the next practice following the meet, typically by a coach.
Runner
Home and Away meets | 2 people
Takes event sheets from the Clerk of Course and carries them to the Recorder before the start of the event. Takes completed event sheets from the Recorder and disqualification (DQ) sheets from the Stroke and Turn Judges and carries them to the scorer’s table. The runner must deliver the sheets directly to the scorer’s table and not allow coaches or other interested parties to use them in transit. This is a mobile position, so wear comfortable shoes.
Scorer
Home and Away meets | 1 person
Keeps a running total of points earned by each team. You will work with the other team’s Scorer. You will receive from the Runner the results for each main event and give 5 points for first place, 3 points for second place, and 1 point for third place (relays receive points for first place only). You will use a preprinted scoring sheet, which is easy to understand. You will be seated at the scoring table.
Starter*
Home meets only | 1 person
Furnished by the Home team. The starter has complete control of swimmers delivered to the starting blocks by the Clerk of Course. Uses the commands “step up” (or “step in the water” for backstroke), “timers and judges ready?”, announce the distance and stroke or relay event, “take your mark”, press the starting device button, can calls false starts for improper starts. This position remains stationary at the starting end of the pool. It is highly recommended for a new Starter to attend the TSA two-hour class.
* Classroom Training and Experience Recommended
Stroke & Turn Judge*
Home and Away meets | 1 person (2 recommended)
Observes the main event swimmers looking for disqualifying motions. These judges must learn what to look for and disqualify swimmers in point-scoring main events who commit violations. Non-scoring heats are not judged. This judge stands on the side of the pool. A Stroke & Turn Judge is required to attend a TSA two-hour class or be USA Swimming certified Stroke & Turn Official. Each team provides one judge.
* Classroom Training and Experience Required
Timer
Home and Away meets | 6 people + 1 Head Timer for home meets only
Times the swimmers in their assigned lane during each main event and each subsequent non-scoring heat. Starts the stopwatch when the buzzer sounds, even when their lane is empty, in case another timer makes an error and needs your time. Stops the stopwatch with the touch of the swimmer at the wall. Any part of the swimmer touching the wall qualifies as a finish. Records the clocked time and swimmer’s number on the provided Timer Sheet. For relays the total race is timed, not each swimmer. You will be moving about the pool deck throughout the meet. Each team supplies one timer per lane at each meet. The home team also supplies a Head Timer. The Head Timer starts their stopwatch when the buzzer sounds, and if a Timer has a stopwatch issue, the Head Timer quickly swaps stopwatches with them.
Volunteer Coordinator (Meet Manager)*
Home and Away meets | 1 person
Ensures all meet positions are filled and serves as focal point for operational issues before, during, and after meets. Distributes position tags, stopwatches, timer sheets, and event sheets to officials. Collects completed timer sheets from the Timers at the end of the meet, and records each swimmer’s times for use in determining their placement for the next meet. A familiarization of swim meet procedures would be helpful but not required. Training will be available prior to the first meet.
* Training and Experience Recommended
