Neely Farm Mighty Mallards

The swim team is a special community for the swimmers and the families, and it would not be possible to make it all happen without all the parents supporting and working together to provide these special opportunities. We are grateful for you and are looking forward to serving alongside each of you this year!

**At home meets we are asking each swim family with two parents to sign up for two shifts per meet. At away meets, one shift should be enough.** 

The meets are split into 2 halves or "shifts" and each half is 1.5 to 2 hours and the shifts swap after event #42. 

There are many different jobs that make the meets and various events happen and we need everyone to chip in. For some families that means grandparents, other special grownups, or even older siblings or babysitters can be enlisted to cover your shift if needed! Even if you can’t be on deck at a meet, there are a couple positions you can fill and help with, so please reach out if you are having any conflicts like that and we will work with you! We ask you to please sign up for jobs as early as you can but for sure by 3 days before the meet. We will assign remaining jobs to those who have not signed up ahead of time.

Some of the jobs sound intimidating but we want to assure you that all of them are things you can do! Please reach out after reading these descriptions if you have any questions or concerns or just want a little more information about a role you are thinking about or have signed up for and our volunteer coordinator will be happy to help fill you in or get you feeling ready.

Any questions or concerns/conflicts can be sent to Elizabeth! [email protected]

Swim Team Jobs

Announcer: We do have a long time veteran on our team, but we would love to know if any of you dads or moms are comfortable on a microphone and have the itch to use your gift of energy and voice to guide our meets along smoothly to have a few folks available when needed! The job has a script and is aided by an ASA official who keeps things on track. Any teachers, coaches or speakers interested please reach out to Elizabeth or any board member! 

Bullpen Parents: Every age group needs an adult to supervise them in their holding areas during the meets. When swimmers are needed for events we want them to be easy to find and this parent will gather them at their tent in the grass and take them to the holding area by the pool. This job involves keeping an eye on swimmers and prepping and gathering them when their events are coming up. You get a clipboard that lists the events and the names of the swimmers in your care in those events, you would only have one age group and either girls or boys from that age group so the group is not huge. For the larger groups or youngest swimmers we have two parents. *Lots of facetime with the kids! 

Bullpen Coordinator: This person also has all the events on a clipboard and is sort of a backup system to make sure swimmers are gathered by bullpen parents several events before their races and can assist when there is an occasional missing swimmer. Understanding how the sheets are organized is helpful but we can teach you quickly, lots and lots of experience is not necessary!

Computer Entry: This is a cool (pun intended because it is often and at home meets for sure, in an air conditioned room) job that just requires some general comfort operating a computer. Your job is to enter all the times that are brought to you throughout the meet and enter them into the computer program. We have a seasoned veteran who holds this job but we are seeking several parents who would like to get a brief training from him so we can have a few more on hand for our meets! Please reach out if this peaks your interest!

Concessions: We sell food for families and swimmers at every home meet, for our team and the visiting team. Set up close to the pool, you would help the team leader with setting up, moving people through swiftly, restocking and selling the items throughout your shift.

Deck Manager: Right in the action and a great way to see and encourage all the swimmers. This person has a list of events and works in the area by the blocks poolside to double check that swimmers are getting to the lineup spots. They gather groups from the benches the bullpen parents bring them to and guides them to the chairs behind the starting blocks. Being familiar with the heat sheets and how they’re organized helps, but it is a quick learn so don’t be intimidated, we can teach you!

Grill Leader and Cooks: This is a crucial need at our home meets! Calling all grill masters or sous chefs, we would love to put your skills to good use in cooking and stocking the concession stand with hot dogs and burgers throughout the home meets!

Judges Recorder: This is a seated position right by the pool but does include a couple times of walking to the chairs at the opposite side of the pool. Pick up clipboard with assignment instructions at the volunteer check-in table. The Judges recorder sits behind the Place Judges & record the places in the appropriate block on the Judges Placing Form. If a swimmer has been disqualified, write DQ in the place block for that swimmer. Give the completed form to the Master Recorder when they walk by for them. This may sound intimidating but it really is not hard!

Master Recorder: If you don't mind walking and writing, this is a fun, easy job that keeps you right in the action! You have a clipboard and collect the Judges Placing forms from the Judges Recorder when events are completed and all places have been recorded. Next, go to each lane and record the swimmers times in the appropriate box.  After collecting all the times for that event, give the completed papers to the parent serving as the runner when they come by.

Merchandise: We need someone on hand at our home meets to set up a table to sell remaining team swag items to our families. You lay out the options and handle payments and restock from boxes under the table.

Photographer: We have an amazing swim dad who is our team photographer but if this is also one of your talents, we would love to know and keep you in mind and on deck! We love to have great images for our socials and to share with our families and the newsletter!

Place Judge: You have to stay focused on the races especially the finishes but anyone with decent vision can do it! This parent sits by the pool and occasionally switches sides. The Place Judge sits near the finish line with a clear view of the race & finish line. Judge the place finishes as you see them & write the place finish on their copy of the meet program. The judge's recorder at the end of the race will copy that order of finish on the Judges Placing Form and give it to the Master Recorder when they come for it.

Ribbons: Note: this is another quiet, air-conditioned room job! The Ribbons parents get times from the computer parent, then place peel and stick labels on the back of the place ribbons, sort ribbons for distribution and distribute ribbons in the corresponding swimmer folders in the room with the computer.

Runner: You don’t have to actually run! This is a great job that keeps you close to the pool and helps you get some steps in during the meet as you walk from pool to the computer and back! The Runner volunteer is responsible for retrieving time sheets from the master recorder (as the timers complete each lane sheet) and DQ slips from the Judges. Then you put the time sheets in order by lane and deliver them to the computer operator located in the clubhouse.

Set Up and Clean Up: Many hands make light work! This is a big need at home meets as there are many things that need to be set up, the biggest of which are bringing up folding tables from our storage unit under the clubhouse and moving many chairs on the pool deck. The volunteer coordinator who arrives early can direct you in jobs that need to be done! Post meet clean up means returning all chairs and tables to their spots and taking trash down to the curb.

Timers: This job is essential to running a swim meet, but is not difficult. If you like to be close to the action, this is the job for you. There are 2 timers per lane. When the Meet Official sounds the starting tone the Lane Timers start their stopwatches. When the swimmer touches the end wall, the timers in that lane stop their watches. You will be right at the edge of the pool so please make sure to wear shorts / shoes that you don't mind getting wet! One timer handles the stopwatch and the other writes the times down. You will walk from one side to the other several times a shift as well. *Head Timer—this is one who has two extra stopwatches and always starts them both when a race begins as a backup for any lane timer who has a glitch or problem. The timer waves their arms to the head timer and you would watch for the finish touch of that lane and stop your watch for them and let them record the time forms from the Judges Recorder when events are completed and all places have been recorded. Next, go to each lane and record the swimmers time in the appropriate spot, you look at the papers the timers write them down on. After collecting all the times for that event, give the completed Judges Placing form to the parent serving as the runner when they come by.