Meet Jobs
The following is a brief description of the Meet Jobs and how long before the start of the meet each position should report to the Meet Director. (ie: T-30 means 30 minutes prior to the start of each meet).
Meet Set-up: Reports at 7AM before Saturday Home meets and at 4PM on home weekday meets. (home meets only)
Responsible for set-up of equipment necessary to run meet. Includes sun shades and chairs for timing.
Timer:T-30
Timers are each assigned to a specific lane and time each race in that lane. For home meets there are three timers at each lane. One of the three operates the CTS timing button only, one operates a CTS button and a stopwatch, and one operates a CTS button and records the swimmer name and manual time on a slip of paper that the Runner collects. Verification of the swimmer name for each heat is critical to ensure the accuracy of results. At away meets the process may differ based on the available equipment, and timers will receive a stopwatch from the Meet Director if required. For home meets, when the meet is concluded, Timers are responsible for cleaning up the timer area, including stacking of chairs, collapsing and stowing of sun shades, returning clipboards and pencils to the Desk, and general tidiness.
Ribbons: T-30
Receives labels from the Desk and puts labels on appropriate ribbons (1st, 2nd,3rd, etc) and files them in the family folders for home meets and temporarily in an accordion file folder for away meets, then subsequently brings them back to the pool and files them in the family folders back at REST. This job may require you to stay after the meet to complete your job, as there is a lag between the end of a meet and the information being processed. Contact the Desk Coordinator for any questions.
Runner:T-30 (home meets only)
Runners pick up timing slips from the Recorders in each lane and DQ slips from Stroke & Turn, sorts them, cuts them, checks them and gives them to the Desk. Runners are also responsible, along with the Head Timer, for the clean up of the timer area. Runners must report to the Meet Director an hour before meet start. Runners then report to the Desk Coordinator 15 minutes before the start of the meet.
Floater:T-30
Floaters most commonly relieve other workers or fill in for no-shows, but should be available and responsive to the needs of the Meet Director. For home meets, Floaters are also responsible for cleanup at the end of the meet. This includes helping with the take down of sun shades, straightening pool furniture, and doing a final sweep of the pool, lawn, and bathroom areas for general tidiness. For away meets, Floaters may be asked to perform other small tasks by the Meet Director at the end of a meet. Floaters should report to the Meet Director 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet and must be available for the entire meet.
Gate/Parking Monitor:T-60 (home meets only)
The Gate Monitor is first responsible for monitoring the parking area and side streets in the hour prior to the meet to ensure that cars do not park in driveways or in locations that block access. When the meet begins, the Gate monitor is then responsible for ensuring that the main gate remains closed when people are not actively entering or exiting (this includes preventing kids from playing with the gate). This position was established at the request of the Rudgear Estates Homeowners Association and is important for maintaining good relations with REHA.
Facilities Monitor:T-30 (home meets only)
The Facilities Monitor is responsible for the following tasks:
·Emptying any full garbage cans into the dumpster and replacing the liner. All garbage cans should be emptied at the end of the meet.
·Keeping the bathrooms clean and stocked, checking at the end of the meet to ensure supplies are not depleted.
·Keeping people (children) from using the baby pool, which is closed during swim meets.
·Keeping people (children) from walking on or through the landscaped borders of the pool and lawn areas.
8 & Under Shepherd:T-30
While previous experience is helpful, special training is not required as the relevant tasks for a Shepherd can be learned from working with the Head Shepherd "on the job". For each event the Shepherds line the swimmers up for their races in the Shepherd area and walk them to their lanes. The Shepherds stay at the lanes with the swimmers until all the 6 & Under and 7–8 races are over. The Shepherd must make sure that the swimmers know what stroke they are to swim, are in the correct heat, and do not dive in too soon. If you need a sub, you must use a substitute with previous shepherding experience - teenagers cannot be shepherds. Upon arrival, after checking in with the Meet Director, Shepherds must report to the Shepherd Coordinator.
Snack Shack:T-60 (home meets only)
Arrives one hour before meet to set up the snack shack, sell food through the meet, and help clean up at the end of the meet. You may be asked to grill, prepare food, make sno-cones, serve as a cashier, etc.
Floater/Sub:T-30
Fills in where needed. A floater may be asked to relieve timers for breaks as needed or they may be asked to sub in for a meet job for the entire meet. If you sign up to be a floater, please assume that you will be working the entire meet. You may be assigned to be a timer for the entire meet - if you have a swimmer that needs help/supervision during meets, please either be sure you have an extra set of hands with you at the meet.
Meet Clean-up: Reports at the start of the meet (home meets only)
Responsible for the final clean-up of the pool facility. Includes helping with the take down of sun shades and chairs in the timing area; picking up the pool deck; emptying all trash cans into the dumpster and replacing the liners; straightening pool furniture; making sure the bathrooms are in order, and snack shack is clean and closed properly. Clean up may begin shortly before the end of the meet while the last few events are running. Be sure to check in with the Meet Director at the start of the meet and check out with the Meet Director at the end of the meet.
Training-Required Positions
The below are training and/or experience required jobs (board is happy to shadow/train positions). If you want to be trainied to serve in one of these roles, please email [email protected] to let us know.
Meet Director:T-90 The Meet Director is in charge of the meet, home or away, for our team. The Meet Directors for each team are the final authority for all decisions relating to the meet, including but not limited to participation, safety, and length of meet. All meet assignment workers must check in with the Meet Director between 30 and 60 minutes prior to the start of the meet. This job will be performed by a Board approved individual.
Announcer:T-30 minutes (home meets only)
The Announcer works in tandem with the Desk to announce each event and heat, indicating to the Starter that the next race should begin. Event/heat announcements also help swimmers monitor the progress of the meet and report on time to their next event. The occasional announcement regarding meet highlights or upcoming team events may also be called. A good Announcer is critical to the timely progression of the meet. Those interested in the Announcer position that do not have any experience must sign up for an extra job to be an "Assistant" Announcer in order to be properly familiarized with the role.
Starter:T-30 (home meets only)
The Starter coordinates with the Announcer and Desk to ensure the timely progression of the meet. The starter, in addition to starting each race and signaling false starts, is responsible for conducting an equipment check prior to the start of the meet. Those interested in the Starter position that do not have any experience must sign up for an extra job to be an "Assistant" Starter in order to be properly familiarized with the role.
Stroke & Turn:T-30
Conference sponsored training is required for Stroke & Turn officials on how to identify variations on swimming technique that merit disqualification. There is always a shortage of qualified Stroke & Turn officials, so anyone with competitive swimming experience or who is interested in watching the occasional meet up close is encouraged to sign up for Stroke & Turn training. If you are interested, please contact the President or Conference Representative to find out when the next training will be held.
Head Timer:T-60 (home meets only)
The Head Timer runs two stopwatches at the same time for every race. In the event that a timer misses a start, stops their watch early, or a watch malfunctions, the Head Timer will exchange one of their watches for the one in error. This job requires significant attention to detail and a good understanding of the normal flow of a meet. Some experience with timing at a competitive swim meet is required prior to signing up for the Head Timer position. The Head Timer is also responsible for supervising the clean-up of the timer area, including sun shades and chairs.
CTS/Starting/PA Setup & Takedown:T-90 (home meets only)
A team of at least two is required for setup and takedown of the Colorado Timing System, Starting System, and Public Address System. Equipment setup starts one hour prior to the start of the meet so that it is available for announcements that begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet and timing checks 15 minutes prior. At the end of the meet, the equipment must be taken down and properly stored. Those interested in this position that do not have any experience must sign up for an extra job to be an "Assistant" in order to be properly familiarized with the role.
The Desk:T-60 (home meets only)
The Desk is ultimately in control of meet operations and is therefore largely responsible for the success of each meet. The Desk team operates the Colorado Timing System, records results into meet management software, posts results and scores during the meet, and prepares ribbons and other awards. The Desk provides a unique and exciting perspective of the inner workings of a swim meet, and those who are comfortable working with computers are particularly well suited for the Desk team. The Desk Coordinator typically hand-picks the Desk team prior to job sign-ups, so families interested in working at the Desk should contact the Desk Coordinator or other board member and let their interest be known.
