Parent Volunteers

The success of the Otter Creek Swim Team is largely due to the support of our parent volunteers. We will continue to need your support in every aspect of this organization for that success to continue.  There are some very exciting changes and new incentives to the volunteer program this year.  Please take a look at the following areas where you have the opportunity to help support your swimmers then mark on the following sheet where you would like to work, fill out the information at the bottom and return by our parent information meeting in May. If you are unable to volunteer, you can choose to pay $100 so that we can hire people to cover the needed positions. Keep in mind that it would be much easier on our team if we did not have to find “paid” volunteers. Talk to someone on the swim team committee or a prior swim team parent to find out more about these jobs and that they can be a lot of fun! (and really not very hard!)

As an incentive to those who volunteer, after your shift, you will be able to put your name in a drawing for some fun prizes at the end of season banquet!

Job Descriptions

Wrangler – This volunteer will help swimmers in the team tent area report to the clerk of course for their heats.  

Clerk of Course – This volunteer works in a location designated by the Host team at the Clerk of Course location. This person places the swimmers in a line corresponding to which lane the swimmer will swim in and verifies that all participants are present and accounted for.  A clerk of course volunteer will also take the swimmers to pool side and place them in the correct lane just prior to the beginning of that heat.  Usually there are between 3 and 4 clerk of course volunteers to handle this position.

Timers – There are two volunteers for each swim lane, one from each team.  One volunteer is responsible for recording the time and operating a stop watch for that lane, the other is responsible for operating another stop watch.  The lane timers will start the stop watches at the beginning of the heat and stop the watches when the swimmer touches the wall after the last lap.  The recording timer will write down each time from the stop watches on a lane slip and pass it on to the paper runner.  There will be a head timer to provide back-up timing and for answering questions.  The back-up timer will start two timers at the start of a race and give a timer to any lane timer that missed the start or has a timer that fails to operate correctly.

Place Judge – There are two place judges (one from each team) on each side of the pool.  These judges watch swimmers touch the wall at the end of each heat.  The judges then place the swimmers in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.  One judge will watch and place the swimmers while the other records the information on a placing slip.  These slips are picked up by the paper runner.

Stroke and Turn Judge – These volunteers are required to attend a stroke and turn clinic before the start of the season in order to learn each of the strokes and what is considered unfair advantages.  The Stroke and Turn judges are responsible for verifying that each swimmer in each heat swims the strokes correctly.  There will be two judges on each side of the pool, one from each team.  Once a judge has determined that a swimmer has violated the stroke rules, he or she will decide whether it was unfair enough to disqualify (DQ) a swimmer or simply give the swimmer a warning.

Paper Runner – The paper runner will collect all the lane slips from the lane timers and the slips from place judges after each heat and take them to the data consolidators.  (Can wait for 4 or 5 heats before collecting to reduce the number of times “running” back and forth)

Data Consolidator – This person is responsible for taking the information from the lane slips, consolidating the information onto a data consolidation form and then giving this form to the data entry volunteer.

Data Entry – This volunteer will process all the swimmers times and heats through data entry and then present the results.

Verifier – this volunteer sits next to the data entry volunteer and verifies that the information entered into the computer matches the data on the data consolidation form.

Home Meet Volunteers 
Set up – Prepare the pool for the meet

Announcer – Welcomes swimmers and volunteers, announces which swimmers need to report to the clerk of course for their heats.

Starter – Announces events and heats, and starts the heat

Hospitality – Passes out water to volunteers, directs visitors to restrooms/concession stand, and makes visiting teams feel welcomed at our pool.

Clean up – Help to restore the pool back to pre-swim-meet conditions.

Merchandise – Sell items during home swim meets (swim caps, goggles, misc.)