The Calverton Chargers is a parent-run swim team and without the support of ALL the parents there would be no swim season. Swim meets require nearly 35 parent volunteers to run a meet. To ensure that we have adequate coverage for every meet, a parent(s) from each team family is required to volunteer 24 hours during the season. Volunteering descriptions and the number of credit hours are found below. Thank you for volunteering! 

Special Note: Time trials require even more volunteers since there is no opposing team to share the workload. Time Trials is a great time to try new volunteer roles and to meet other Charger parents!

Volunteer Descriptions & Credit Hours

**Notes volunteer position that are seated

OJT = On the Job Training

**Announcer: (home meets only) The Announcer reads swimmer names and events from the program prior to each event. No experience is required but need to keep a quick pace. This is your time to shine!

Full Meet = 4hrs.

Until Half Time = 2hrs.

Training: None

**Automations Operator: Assists the coach in preparing for swim meets, inputs swimmer times into Meet Manager software during the meet, prints meet results for posting during the meet, and produces a database for both teams and MCSL at the conclusion of every home A meet.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

Until Half Time = 2hrs.

Training: MCSL provided in June.

**Automations Verifier: No experience necessary! Don't be afraid of the title. Works alongside the Automations Operator with organizing the score sheets to ensure accuracy of swimmer’s times as they are input into Meet Manager Software.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

Until Half Time = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

**Awards (Meet Ribbons): The Ribbon Writer places labels on the correct ribbons, separates them by team, and alphabetizes/files the Calverton Charger ribbon box (near the front desk). Kids love receiving their ribbons after swim meets!

Full Meet = 4hrs.

Until Half Time = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

**Best Times: Records swimmer's personal best times during the meet.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

Until Half Time = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

Bulkhead Crew: (home meets only) One of our pool's unique features is that we need to split it in half! We need a crew of eight to assemble and disassemble the steel and fiberglass partition used to create the 25m division of the pool. Needed Wednesday afternoons (3:30PM) prior to B meets and Friday evenings prior to Saturday morning A meets. Disassembly of the bulkhead is done immediately after the meet and components are returned to storage. 

Assembly = 2hrs.

Disassembly = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

Clerk of Course: Swimmers called for a race report first to the Clerk of Course who checks them in for each event, tells them their heat, and lane numbers. These people get to know every swimmer on the team!

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

Assistant Clerk of Course: Helps to gathers and notifies swimmers of their lane/seat assignments prior to seating.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

Concessions: (home meets only) Sells concessions during the meet. Crew of eight sets up concessions area with food items and equipment. Cleans up the area and returns equipment to storage at the end of the meet. You can leave to watch your child swim in his/her race. This is another great way to meet new families!

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

Runner: (home meets only) The Runner is responsible for collecting all time sheets from the Timers at each lane after each event and delivers them to the automations table. The Runner also posts meet results during the meet.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

Meet Setup / Clean-up: (home meets only) Four setup and four breakdown volunteers responsible for setting up equipment at the pool Friday evening (A meets) or Wednesday morning (B meets) prior to the meet. These volunteers arrive at least an hour before the meet is scheduled to start (when warmups start), and help with clearing the pool deck, roping off team areas, placing chairs for each lane, starting equipment, and other activities. After the meet ends, these parents take down all the meet equipment, clean up the pool area and conduct a walkthrough of the bathrooms to make sure everything has been cleaned up and we leave the pool as good or better than when they arrived.

Setup = 1hr.

Breakdown = 1hr.

Training: None

Timer: The primary responsibility is to start the watch at the start of the race and stop it when the swimmer touches the wall. You get the best seat in the house with this job (and might get wet! It’s great on a hot day!). No experience is required. Most people that do it once sign up to do it again and again. Three timers are assigned to a lane and 9 - 12 timers are needed for a meet (time trials require 12).

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Training: None

Head Timer: (home meets only) Prior experience as a timer is required. Head Timer is responsible for assuring that all timers have started their watches at the appropriate time and recorded their times accurately, collecting all time sheets after the race, and providing timers with support as needed. Head Timer also keeps two extra watches for each race.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

Assistant Head Timer: (away meets only) Prior experience as a timer is required. Assistant Head Timer works with the Head Timer and is responsible for assuring that timers in three lanes have started their watches at the appropriate time and recorded their times accurately and for providing timers with support as needed.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Training: OJT

**Volunteer Check-in: Checks in all volunteers prior to the beginning of the meet, hands out materials to the volunteers (stop watches, etc), ensures volunteers work for the entire time slot and receives appropriation for volunteer credit, and records any new volunteer registraion information at the meet. 

Full Meet = 2hrs.

First Half of meet = 1hr.

Second half of meet = 1hr.

Training: None

Officiating Positions

Officials serving as a Referee, Starter, or Stroke and Turn Judge is required for all meets. Training and certification is provided by MCSL via online or in person clinics starting in May (Note: USA Swimming officials may transfer their certification to MCSL). These clinics are approximately 2-3 hours, are free, and certification is valid for two years. For training schedule and more information: https://mcsl.org/officials

Referee - (home meets only) The home team provides the referee. Referees are responsible for running the meet and have full authority over all officials, assigning and instructing them. They are the final arbiters of all decisions and questions regarding the meet. The referee must be thoroughly familiar with all applicable USS rules and MCSL rules, all meet procedures and duties of all officials. Typically, referees were timers, starters and stroke and turn officials in their earlier years of volunteering.

Starter - (away meets only) The visiting team provides the starter. The 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. The Starter calls the swimmers to their starting positions - to "take your mark" - and decides if any false starts have occurred, which needs the concurrence of the referee.

Stroke and Turn Judge - Both teams provide Stroke and Turn Judges (S&T). They are responsible for ensuring fair and even competition by observing that all starts, strokes, turns, and finishes are in accordance with MCSL rules and regulations.

Chief Judge - (as required) The Chief Judge presides over the S&Ts and helps the referee with stroke and turn violations particularly for larger meets such as relay carnivals and divisionals.

Full Meet = 4hrs.

First Half of meet = 2hrs.

Second half of meet = 2hrs.

Contact [email protected] with any questions about becoming a certified official!