Volunteer Responsibilities

Woodley Gardens Swim Team parents are required to volunteer time during the year by helping to either organize and conduct the various swim team events outside the meets and/or participate at the meets by doing one of several jobs (see below for descriptions). Parents are also asked to donate food items that can be sold at our home meet food concession stand. A sign up sheet for food contributions is posted on the bulletin board prior to each swim meet. If you have a swimmer swimming at a home meet, you must provide a food item. Volunteering for swim team duties and fund-raising efforts is not only your responsibility as a swim team parent, but is a great way to get to know other swim team families- a really rewarding part of Woodley Gardens Swim Team membership!

Volunteer Opportunities:
(* Good way to get involved for new families)
(+ MCSL training required)

Announcer
Announces all the events for the meet as well as all check-ins to the Clerk of Course. Works closely with the Starter to keep the meet running.

Apparel *
Assists with the sale of WGST apparel during home meets.

Automation Coordinator +
Uses MCSL Meet Management Software to prepare meet entry sheets and record swimmer times and heat scoring. Also, prints ribbon labels, event score sheets and the final meet summary.

Banquet Coordinator
Plans and coordinates the End of the Season Banquet, includes decorations, entertainment & food.

Banquet Program
Helps write and publish the annual Banquet Program that is presented to each family at the end of the season. This program includes information about the coaches, graduates, team results and photographs.

Clerk of Course
Organizes the swimmers according to the lane assignments, and makes sure they have their time cards to be given to timers and records “scratched” swimmers. C of C arranges with the Announcer to call the events with adequate time intervals.

Handbook Editor
Updates the WGST Handbook at the beginning of the swim season and as necessary throughout the year.

Head Timer
Makes sure all timers are in place and ready for each heat, communicates with the Head Judge and acts as 3rd timer when a timer’s watch malfunctions. The Head Timer works the entire meet. It is recommended that you have been a timer several times before signing up for this position.

Hospitality Helpers *
Helps layout and prepare food and snacks for the meet, collects money for purchases and helps clean up the snack bar area at the end of the meet.

Photographer
Takes pictures during meets and spirit events. In addition to the main photographers, all parents are encouraged to contribute their digital pictures to the team’s online digital photo album.

Picnic Helpers (Saturday home meets only) *
Assists with purchasing supplies, preparing food, grilling, set up, collecting money, serving food and clean up.

Referee +
Serves as the final arbiter of all decisions and questions during the meet and has full authority over all officials, assigning and instructing them. The referee must be thoroughly familiar with all applicable USS rules and MCSL rules, all meet procedures and duties of all officials.

Relay Coordinators
Works with Head Coach to arrange and plan “A” and/or “B” Relays, finds volunteers to work at Relays and speaks with other teams participating in competition.

Ribbon Writers *
Attaches labels to the appropriate finish ribbon during meets, then files them in the Family Ribbon envelope.

Runner *
Collects the time sheets/cards from the timers and turns them in to the computer operators. A runner also passes out the time sheets/cards to the timers.

Spirit Volunteers *
Serves doughnuts, prepares and serves team breakfasts, and passes out food at pep rallies and other social events.

Stroke and Turn Judges +
Determines whether the swimmers perform their strokes and turns in accordance with the prescribed rules of MCSL.

Starter +
Has complete control over the swimmers from the time the Referee signals the start of the race until after a fair start has been achieved. They call the swimmers to their starting positions, to “take their mark” and indicate if any false starts have occurred.

Timers *
Three timers per lane are required for all meets (1/2 from each team). A stopwatch is provided and you are trained before the meet begins. For “A” meets, it is preferred that all timers work the whole meet, with substitutes at half time only if absolutely necessary. An “A” meet generally is about two hours in duration. However, working an entire “B” meet may require standing for a long period of time. Our goal is to have enough volunteers sign up for this position at “B” meets so that our Timers will only have to work for one half of the swim meet.

Trophy Coordinator
Selects, purchases and coordinates distribution of trophies for the swim banquet.

Winter Swim Coordinator
Responsible for WGST Winter Swim Program, including registration, coaching staff, communication & scheduling.