The RWB is a fun, family team. When your children join the team, the whole family becomes Barracudas. As such, everyone must participate and volunteer.
During swim meets, our parents take on many different roles that are all essential to running a meet. Whether timing, running, scoring, recording, concessions, officiating, or holding a seat on our Board of Directors, each summer season provides multiple ways to call yourself a Barracuda!
Volunteer Requirement
Each registered family must complete at least 9 volunteer assignments or shifts before the end of the season. Families with swimmers only in the developmental programs (Take Your Mark and Lil ‘Cudas) do not have to fulfill the volunteer requirement. Volunteer requirements will be managed through your TeamUnify account and positions will open two weeks prior to a swim meet. You will be able to select designated events and choose a position you would like to sign-up for.
More information on how to sign-up, manage, and complete your volunteer assignments will be provided before the start of the season. Each missed assignment will incur a $25 penalty. This penalty can be paid immediately or at the end of the season. No swimmer will be allowed to register for the following year if there are outstanding penalties.
Board Opportunities
There are occasionally board positions available during the swim season. Please see the Board Position Descriptions for further information about serving on the Board. Contact Suzi Welch, Board President at [email protected] if you’re interested in getting involved through a board position.
Volunteer Position Descriptions
| Position |
Description |
| Clerk of Course |
Responsible for all of the paperwork at the meet prior to the swimmer's event. The clerk seeds each swimmer in each event to a heat and lane according to their submitted entry time. Swimmers report to the clerk prior to their scheduled event to receive a time card with their heat and lane assignment for that event. The Clerk is always in need of volunteers to help hand out event cards, get swimmers in their proper order, and walk young swimmers to their assigned lane at the start of their event. Clerk of Course requires training at the league certification clinic; assistants do not require training. |
| Scorer |
Receive time cards from runners and determine the official time. Verify the each events computer results. |
| Ribbons |
Place the labels with names of the swimmers on their ribbon after each event. |
| Official |
Stroke and Turn Judges are responsible for ensuring swimmers comply with the rules relating to each stroke/turn. Minimum of four required for each meet. |
| Referee |
Referees and Starters are volunteers with at least 2 - 3 years’ experience as Stroke and Turn Judges. One each per home meet, one each as backup for away meets. Stroke and Turn Judges, Referees, and Starters require training at the league certification clinic. |
| Timer |
Most parent volunteers as start timers. The only skill or knowledge required is the working of a stopwatch. The most important single statistic at a swim meet is the time a swimmer achieved during their race. This is also the "best seat in the house"- right at the finish! |
| Recorder |
Record the swimmer's time (as reported by the lane timers) on the card at the completion of the race. In addition they ensure the right swimmer is in the correct heat and lane before the start. There is one recorder is required per lane (usually seated). |
| Runner |
Collect time cards from the recorders and deliver them to the scorers after each heat. |
| Concessions |
Set-up, sales, and clean-up of the concession area. |
| Computer Operator |
Responsible for electronic meet entries prior to the swim meet and data entry of meet results at the meet. The biggest part of this job is done the week prior to a swim meet; getting all meet entries entered into the computer and printing event cards for the Clerk of Course. The computer operator always needs a volunteer or two on the day of the meet to help enter event results. |
| Heat Ribbons |
Stands poolside and awards heat ribbons to each heat winner. An exciting and very satisfying position. |
| Marshal |
Controls traffic flow in and around the pool deck to prevent injury or interference with meet operations. |
| Set Up |
Prepare the deck for the meet beginning when the pool closes to the public on Friday night or before the meet Saturday morning. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to help. |
| Clean Up |
It is not the responsibility of the Lake Ridge HOA to clean up after the meet. After each meet, our team is responsible for everything back in its proper place and retrieving all trash and storing meet equipment. This means removing lane lines and backstroke flags, returning tables, chairs, and lounges to their original spots, and disassembling temporary pavilions and picking up all lost and found items. By approximately 12:30 pm the pool should be ready to re-open to the public. All families are encouraged to clean up after themselves and to help clean up after our guests at every meet. |
