Sparrows Point

Our swim team is 100% run by parent volunteers, and we ask that every family pitch in to help our meets run smoothly and to ensure our swimmers have the support they need to swim their best. As stated in your registration forms, each family is required to work both halves of a home meet and one half of an away meet.

Meet Volunteer Positions

At home meets, a different parent can work each half or one parent can work the entire meet. There are numerous opportunities to help out. We need tent parents, timers, head timers, runners, records and ribbons, starters, referees, and stroke and turn judges. See the descriptions below. Parents are also asked to help set-up and clean-up after home meets.

Each position is pretty simple once you’ve tried it. If you’re new to the team or would like to try a new position this summer, talk to one of the Board members or the volunteer coordinator and we can help walk you through it.

• Tent Parents: These parents stand in the tent area with the swimmers during the meet and help to check swimmers in when they arrive to the meet. Also, with the use of a heat sheet, tent parents gather swimmers for upcoming heats and send them to the clerk of course area. Since there is usually more than one tent parent, parents can go up on deck during their swimmers event to watch them swim. We start the meet by calling the first 5-6 events to the benches 15 minutes prior to the meet starting. After that, you will call events as you see kids move up on the bench’s 1-2 events at a time.
• Clerk of Course: These volunteers line kids up on benches sent from tent parent by event and in chairs by heat order based off of their heat sheet. The recorder will also check with child and confirm their name. The 11 and ups usually don't need help once they get to the chairs behind the blocks. The 10 and under will need some guidance and reminders on moving up in their chairs. We will have at least 2-3 clerk of course to make this run smoothly.
• Timers: Each lane during a swim meet will have four timers, typically two from each team. Three of the four timers will use a stopwatch to time their swimmer based on the strobe light start and their swimmer touching the wall. One of these timers will be the “recorder” and sit at a small table at the lane to record the times of the swimmers in their lane. Always confirm you have the right child by asking their name. There may be times where you may have no swimmer in your lane and do not need to record. It will say “No swimmer” on the heat sheet. The recorder will relay this information to their timers in their lane. 
• Head Timer: This person will stand on the edge of the pool and signal to the starter/referee when the timers are ready for the next heat to start. This position will also start a stopwatch in case a timer’s watch does not start. At away meets, our team’s head timer will serve as assistant head timer, working in conjunction with the hosting team’s head timer. This person also coordinates and makes sure all timers are in their assigned lanes prior to the start of each half.
• Runners: For all events, a runner will collect the heat sheets from the recording timers and deliver them to the records area of the meet. I would always communicate with the recorder and recommend to them that when their sheet is finished, to raise them high in the air to be collected.
• Ribbons: The Team Computer Operator will then print labels that will be placed on the back of the different ribbons. These volunteers will collect the sheets and Place the stickers on the back of the designated ribbons for which the swimmer placed in the heat.
• Stroke and Turn Judges: This position will use official rules learned during certification to ensure a swimmer’s stroke is legal. If a swimmer’s stroke in found to be non-legal, the stroke and turn judge will raise their hand and communicate with the referee regarding the possible disqualification of the swimmer.
• Referee: This person will oversee home meets and serve as assistant referee of away meets. This role has the responsibility of seeing that the meet is properly conducted and that rules are fairly enforced for all swimmers.
• Starter: This person will be “the voice” of the meet and start each heat using an electronic starting system when they assistant referee and head timer signal that swimmers are ready.
• Concessions: This position will help do some minor preparation (first half), takedown (second half), and selling of food and drinks during our home swim meets only. 
• Drink Server-This role involves making constant rounds delivering drinks to other volunteers during the home swim meets.
• Set Up-A team of volunteers will work together to prepare our pool for home meets by setting up chairs, lights, starter system, lane lines etc
• Clean Up-All parents are expected to stay after home meets to put the pool back in order for the next day (put chairs back in order, carry swim team supplies to shed etc.) A quick job when everyone pitches in!
• Transporter-This person can transport three team tents and the "tent parent" box to away meets. 
• Volunteer Coordinator-This position will make sure all positions are filled prior to meets and will ensure each volunteer is at their assignment at the beginning of each half.

Most positions require taking a short certification and test online prior to the season. Some positions such as referee, starter, stroke and turn and clerk of course require in-person training. Training dates will be posted on the team website. We ALWAYS need help in these certified positions so please consider signing up to be trained in one of them. Go to https://sail.swimtopia.com to find training materials and to complete online certification. (This site will be updated each spring for the new season.)

Team Positions

To have a successful season we need help in lots of other areas. The following is a list of some of the volunteer committee opportunities available. Let us know what area you would like to help us with!

• Fundraising
  
  • Krispy Kreme Certificates
  • Apparel
  • Corporate Sponsors
• Social Committee
  
  • Fun activities TBD
  • Divisional Meet Week activities
  • Pasta Pump-up
  • End-of-the-Season Awards Night
• Divisonals Committee
  
  • Coordinates rental of generator, fans, etc.
  • Coordinates team members to bring coolers, tents, etc
  • Solicits donations of items like bottled water for swimmers.
• Gifts/Awards
  
  • Purchases year-end gifts for coaches
  • Collects contributions to coaches’ gifts
  • Coordinates distribution of gifts
  • Order trophies, medals and ironman medals
  • Coordinates distribution at year end party