General questions about meet workers at SWAT-hosted meets? Contact volunteer@swimswat.org
Questions about meet officials or becoming an official? Contact Mike Mellock
GENERAL MEET WORKER REQUIREMENTS
Hosting meets is an important part of club revenue, second only to actual registration fees. Since all swimmers benefit from revenue raised at meets, every registered family is required to work at SWAT-hosted meets regardless of meet participation.
Family, friends, and siblings 14 and older are welcome to help fulfill your requirements. Those younger than 14 may assist with the prior approval of the Volunteer Coordinators. We are happy to provide documentation for your teens that need to meet “volunteer requirements” through school and other organizations.
All families will receive an e-mail roughly two weeks before a meet announcing the opening time of the sign-up. All sign-ups are done on the SWAT team page. There is a link at the same spot you sign-up for meets.
Families that do not complete requirements will be billed $100 per missed session. Families that "no-show" for a session will be billed $150 per missed session. Families are expected to find their own replacement if needed.
BECOMING AN OFFICIAL
Not only does becoming a certified USA Swimming official a great way to fulfill your meet worker requirements, but SWAT will also PAY YOU to help out at our club-hosted meets.
USA Swimming is proud to have the largest volunteer-run group of officials of all "Olympic" sports, and the process to become certified has never been easier.
CLICK HERE for more information about becoming an official.
Once you become an official, you can earn $10-15 per session you work at each SWAT-hosted meet, up to $100 or $150 per season. SWAT does not offer this at meets hosted by other clubs, but we highly encourage our officials to help out "on the road" as well as at our hosted meets. SWAT will also reimburse the costs associated with becoming certified.
If you have specific questions about becoming an official, please contact Mike Mellock.
SHORT COURSE 2024-25 MEET WORKER REQUIREMENTS
SWAT is hosting three meets during the short course season. All three meets are during the winter session.
NOTE: New families to SWAT in Winter 24-25 are not required to fulfill meet worker requirements, but are encouraged to!
Dale Schrank Memorial Meet - December 6-7, 2024 (one session required)
2025 Winter Grand Prix - January 10-12, 2025 (two sessions required)
2025 SC Regionals - February 21-23, 2025 (two sessions required)
WAYS TO COMPLETE YOUR COMMITTMENT
1. One family member can be the hero and fulfill all the required sessions.
2. Two family members can work at one session together (fulfills 2 spots) and timers can generally work together if you wish to work with your family members.
3. Convince your family/friends/neighbors to work with you at one session and complete that meets requirements for that meet in one session!
4. BECOME AN OFFICIAL! If you have additional questions about becoming an official, please contact Mike Mellock.
HOSPITALITY/FOOD OPTIONS
In order to stay within our budget but maintain the high quality of food at our meets for officials and coaches, we've been utilizing the job sign-up list so families can purchase and bring food to the meet (for coach/official hospitality), and then apply that as a volunteer commitment. Each family will be allowed a MAXIMUM of one food preparation/delivery job per season...not per meet. We'd much rather have your time on deck supporting the meet. If you have any questions regarding this change, please contact your Volunteer Coordinators.
Failure to provide the correct designated item(s) in the amount requested AND at the correct time or session WILL result in your family being charged the $100 buyout. Please do not sign up for the food item if you are unsure about what to bring or unable to get to the facility on time. Many times the hospitality coordinators will ask for side dishes meant to go with a planned main dish.
MEET WORKER POSITIONS (some require additional training)
50/50 Raffle Sales – Sales of 50/50 raffle tickets to raise funds for SWAT. Work with and near the admissions table at the beginning of each session, and then walk throughout the facility to sell raffle tickets.
Admissions Marshals – You will check for wristbands at all entrances to the pool deck to ensure we have paid attendance only in the stands. You will also check to make sure coaches/swimmers/officials are only allowed on the pool deck. You must be at least 18 years old for this position and you must arrive on time for your shift start.
Announcer – Provides the voice of the meet. You will announce the events and the participants in each heat, along with any other pertinent information. An announcer is needed for each session, and sometimes an assistant Announcer may be required. Please arrive one hour prior to the start of the session.
Awards Table Assistants – Depending on the size of the meet, you will take results from the Computer Operator or Results Runner, and organize ribbons and awards for distribution.
Clean-up Crew – At the conclusion of sessions and meets, we need volunteers to assist with returning the facility to its pre-meet condition. The AM Clean-Up Crew cleans up after the first session. The PM Clean-Up Crew begins towards the end of the meet. There are usually more PM full-shift positions each day as we need extra assistance in the final takedown at the end of the meet day for final clean-up. You will pick up trash under bleachers, check the locker-rooms, the spectator areas and around the deck. We will need male and female workers for each session.
Clerk of Course - Handles administrative tasks such as positive checks, time trial sign-up, deck entries, and scratches at Prelim/Final events. General knowledge of how swim meets operate is preferred.
Timing System Operator (TRAINING REQUIRED) – This position is sometimes called the "Colorado Operator" because Colorado Timing is one of the main timing computer manufacturers...some pools use other systems. This person will operate (under instruction) the timing console at SWAT meets to make sure touchpads are working and the scoreboard accurately shows who is racing in the proper event and heat. Training sessions are usually available at all non-Regional or non-State meets for anyone who would like to learn the timing system. We can also train you during a local High School meet if you wish.
Concessions – This involves selling and/or preparing food. Please observe the start and end times of these work sessions as they may be different from the beginning and end times of the actual meet sessions. There is a Concessions Chairperson who will dictate the need for number of positions and kind of help (preparing, picking-up, and/or selling food) needed. Please check the Sign-Up page for specifics.
Hospitality – You will work with our Hospitality Chairperson in providing food for coaches and officials in the Coach/Official Hospitality Room. This position involves food/beverage preparation, distribution, and clean-up. You will also deliver water/snacks to coaches, officials, and timers during each session.
Hy-Tek Meet Manager Operator (TRAINING REQUIRED) – Hy-Tek Meet Manager is the "the brains" of the meet. This is the program that assigns times to names and ranks all events. Don't be fooled by name...it is a somewhat user-friendly program and we will train you! You will double check times (in case pads aren't working properly), DQ athletes if needed (sometimes you have to DQ your own kid!), and generate the official results. Training sessions are usually available at all non-Regional or non-State meets for anyone who would like to learn the timing system. We can also train you during a local High School meet if you wish.
Meet Marshal – USAS regulations require at least two male and two female Meet Marshals to be on-site during a sanctioned meet – depending on the meet size we may need more Meet Marshals each session. We require at least two male and two female volunteer as you also walk through and monitor the locker-room facilities. From warm-ups, until the session ends, you will be ensuring that the swimmers, coaches, and spectators adhere to certain standards of safe behavior.
Officials (TRAINING REQUIRED) – If you are interested in becoming an official, this will fulfill your meet worker requirement.
Runner and Results Runners – You will pick up Timer sheets and deliver them to the computer office, post results outside the pool deck, distribute to and from the awards table and meet announcer, and carry out other duties as needed. This is a great job for a responsible young person.
Set-Up and Decorations – Volunteers here will work with the Set-Up and Decorations Chairperson to assist with set-up on the evening before or on the early morning prior to the meet—decorating, setting up the lobby, hospitality area, concessions area, and pool and testing the equipment so that all will be ready when the meet begins the next day. If help is needed, the Volunteer Sign-up page will have specific time and number requirements. Additionally, we may need some people to set up equipment on each morning of the meet, prior to warm-ups.
Staging – When meet sessions include younger swimmers (8 & Under’s), oftentimes an adult or two is needed to line up the swimmers and assist them with getting into the proper lanes.
Team Gear Sales – Based on guidance from the SWAT board and the Team Gear Chairperson, there may be opportunities to sell SWAT gear (towels, caps, shirts, warm-ups, etc.) during the meet.
Timers & Back-Up Timers – We require two timers per swim lane, plus an additional two back-up timers per shift. Your primary duty is to operate a stopwatch and electronic back-up button. Timers serve as the secondary and tertiary back up to the primary (electronic pad) timing system. At our home meets, we will supply all of the timers! Timers need to be at least 15 years old. The Timers meeting usually takes place about 30 minutes before the session starts. New timers don’t need to shy away from this commitment as we will combine a more experienced timer with a new timer. There is a Head Timer Chairperson who organizes this commitment and runs the Timers meeting.
Volunteer Check-In Table – The Volunteer Coordinators need a responsible person each session to check-in volunteers at the check-in table, distribute marshal vests and/or t-shirts and assist in the organization of all the volunteer positions each session. One person required for each session.
