Swim Meet Requirements
Volunteers are an integral part in the continued success of the Sugarwood Stingrays organization. Swim Meets are 100% volunteer run. At least one parent is required to serve at each meet your swimmers are attending.
It is VERY important that you attend the meets you and your swimmer sign up for. This is a team sport. When swimmers or volunteers don't show up, it causes many problems for coaches, volunteers and most importantly the other swimmers.
Don't worry if you've never volunteered before, you will be trained prior to the start of the meet on your position.
SWIM MEET PARENT VOLUNTEERS
**Meet Director** (Requires Special Training): Organizes the meet ahead of time. Recruits workers, gets workers and officials into position, and makes sure meet starts on time.
**Meet Referee (Requires Special Training): Head official during the meet. In charge of timers, stroke-and-turn judges, other judges. Handles disputes and keeps the meet moving. Usually provided by “home” team.
**Starter (Requires Special Training): Starts races and timers, calls false starts.
**Stroke and Turn Judge(2) (Requires Special Training): Calls all infractions of the Stroke and Turn rules.
Check-in Swimmers: Needs to arrive early to meets. All swimmers report to this person on arrival to a meet. Position concludes just before the start of the meet.
Check-in Parent Volunteers: Needs to arrive early to meets. All volunteers report to this person on arrival to a meet. Distributes name tags. Position concludes just before the start of the meet.
Relay Coordinator: Assigns a relay parent to each group of 10 and under relays and distributes relay cards to those parents. Those parents then ensure swimmers are together with their assigned relay teammates prior to sending them Clerk of Course. (for 10 and unders only)
Clerk of Course: Responsible for double-checking the event slip and seating the swimmer in the proper lane and heat. Makes adjustments if necessary.
Ready Bench (3): Assists Clerk of Course in helping younger swimmers get seated in order of events and heats. Brings swimmers through the gate when they are ready to be lined up behind the blocks after the Clerk of Course makes any needed adjustments.
Head Timer: Works with the starter to indicate when all timers are ready. Runs two extra stopwatches on each event to serve as the back-up timer.
Timer(3): Times races with stopwatch, works with the scribe who records the time.
Scribes(3): Works with the timer and records the time.
Jump Judge(2): Calls jumps on relays.
Finish Judge: Records the order of finish for each heat.
Overcall Judge: Records the order of finish for each heat. This order is used if the finish judges do not agree.
Runner(2): Collects time cards from the timers/scribes, order of finish from the finish and overcall judges, and DQ slips from the stroke-and-turn judges. Takes time cards and finish slips to scorer and DQ slips to the referee.
Sorter: Aligns event cards in order of finish using the finish/overcall judge sheets, attached any DQ sheets to event card, and gives to scorer.
Scorer(2): Enters swimmer names, times, and teams. Keeps a running total of the team points.
Computer Input: Inputs data into a computer during the meets in order to keep things organized and to streamline things for the upcoming meets
Ribbon Director and helpers(3): Attaches computerized sticker to ribbons and places them in the family files. This can occur during, after or in the days to follow the swim meet. It is encouraged to have ribbons ready for distribution by no later than seven days following a swim meet.
Concession Sales: Sells food/snacks at home meets. First shift helps with set up and the final shift helps put things away.
**GKAISA rules require that all persons serving as Referee, Starter, or Stroke & Turn Judge be certified by GKAISA in the position. To that end, GKAISA holds a number of officials training clinics at the beginning of each season. In addition to clinic attendance, the candidate must successfully complete the certification test for the position(s) for which they wish to be certified. see the GKAISA website for more information. https://gkaisa.swimtopia.com/officials-certificat...
