Hello Piranha Parents,

Thank you for the great turn out at yesterday’s meeting. As discussed there, it takes a lot of volunteers to make everything work. There are lots of bonuses to volunteering. You get the best seats in the house to see your children swim, you bond with your neighbors and friends, you get to hang around a pool all summer, and believe it or not, it’s lots of fun.

Some volunteer opportunities require NVSL training. The training is easy, and convenient. We are always in need of volunteers with Stroke and Turn training, Starter training, Referee training, and HyTek training (this is the data entry piece that connects all the teams in NVSL). NVSL is holding their annual NVSL University this Saturday, June 2, 2018 at Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA. Training begins at 8am and runs approximately 2 hours.

Here’s the schedule for June 2:

NVSL is very good about starting right on time.

There will also be another Stroke & Turn clinic on Saturday, June 9, 2018 starting at 8:00am at Virginia Hills Pool.

Please sign up to attend by going to:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0549aaaa2dabfc1-nvsl

Descriptions of all Volunteer positions are below the signature line of this email. We hope you can attend. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Your Swim Team Reps,

Jeff, Manu and Walter

Volunteer Job Descriptions:

Volunteer Coordinators

These parents ensure that we have enough volunteers for each different area (e.g. concessions, timers, officials, table workers, etc). These volunteers will put together the online sign ups for volunteers and call parents when we are short volunteers for events. The volunteer coordinators also keep track of parent volunteer slots to ensure that each parent fulfills the minimum of four slots that are required.

Head Clerk of Course

The Clerk of Course ensures that all swimmers are lined up to compete in the correct heat and lane. This job requires organization and an eye on the pace of events to keep the meet running smoothly.

Head Timer

Each lane has three timers assigned for all races. This person briefs timers on proper timing technique, provides backup watches in case of a malfunction, and ensures that all times are recorded correctly.

Concession Leads

This job requires planning before the meet to purchase all necessary items and arrange for any vendor deliveries, such as Chick Fil A or Papa Johns. The day of home meets can be quite busy making sure that everything runs smoothly. This job is also an important part of our team fund raising to help keep our registration fees as low as possible. This job is divided in to two leads – a purchasing lead and an event lead.

Data Coordinator

This job involves making sure all meet data has been entered correctly in the database as well as assisting with meet sign up data transfers with other teams.

Meet Table Coordinators

This job involves organizing the tables during the meets and is usually divided in to two positions – one for A Meets and one for B Meets. The coordinator brings ribbons, labels, and other supplies to the meets and works closely with the table workers and data coordinator to ensure all times are properly recorded.

Stroke and Turn Lead

The stroke and turn judges watch the swimmers as they compete to ensure that they are completing their races within defined parameters. The stroke and turn lead helps coordinate all the judges and ensure consistency across events and meets.

Meet Officials Jobs

Referee

The referee is the chief official for each swim meet, is responsible for the conduct of the meets, and is the final authority on the interpretation and enforcement of all swimming rules. He/she runs the meet. You must attend NVSL training to be a referee (half day training before the season starts) and have experience as a Starter and Stroke and Turn Judge.

Starter

The starter is responsible for insuring that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start. They are the folks who announce the event, give “take your mark,” and start the race. You must attend NVSL training to be a starter (half a day training before the season starts) and have experience as a Stroke and Turn Judge.

Stroke and Turn Judge

They are responsible for ensuring that all swimmers obey the rules for the stroke they are swimming. You must attend NVSL training to be a Stroke and Turn Judge. Generally, you are a Stroke and Turn Judge for a few years before you become a Starter or Referee.

Marshal

These parents are responsible for ensuring that warm-ups are conducted safely and that the order is maintained during the swim meet (e.g. stop horse play, keep parents from getting too close to the pool, etc). They also get to wear a very fashionable orange vest as they conduct their duties.

Announcer

This job involves announcing the event information over a sound system so that spectators can follow the flow of the meet. This person also plays music during pauses in swimming and provides relevant information for swimmers and their parents during the meet.

Clerk of Course

These parents are the “gatekeeper” for all swimmers in the meet. They get the swimmers to the right lanes for the correct race.