Kentlands Kingfish

Volunteer Positions and Responsibilities:

Volunteers Are A Critical Part of Summer Swimming! We Thank You For Volunteering!

Below are the jobs required to run our meets. The majority of jobs require no prior experience and are easy and fun to learn. You can sign-up for jobs on your Swimtopia account. We rely on every family to volunteer to make the season run smoothly. Feel free to reach out to the Volunteer Coordinator for more information.

Head Timer - While you do not have to be certified, it is recommended that you have been a timer several times before signing up for this position. The Head Timer holds a timers meeting before the meet begins, makes sure all timers are in place and ready for each heat, communicates with the officials, and acts as 3rd timer when a timer's watch malfunctions. The Head Timer works the entire meet. We need a Head Timer for our home meets.

Assistant Head Timer - We will need an Assistant Head Timer at all away meets. This role supports the Head Timer of the home team and also acts as an extra timer if one of the timer's watches malfunctions. Assistant Head Timer works the entire meet.

Timers - 3 timers per lane are required for all meets (9 from each team). A stopwatch is provided and you are trained before the meet begins. Standing for long periods is required. Please bear in mind that Wednesday night meets are more relaxed, but they usually go until about 9 p.m. Please do not sign up for that slot unless you are able to stay for the whole meet (or find someone to relieve you).

Referee (MCSL Training Required) - The Referee is 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. We need a Referee for every home meet.

Stroke and Turn Judges (MCSL Training Required) - Stroke and Turn Judges determine whether the swimmers perform their strokes and turns in accordance with the prescribed rules of MCSL. Two Kingfish Stroke and Turn Judges are required at each swim meet, both home and away.

Starter (MCSL Training Required) - 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. He/She calls the swimmers to their starting positions and to "take their mark" and indicates if any false starts have occurred. We need a Starter for every Away Meet.

Clerk of Course - All swimmers report to the Clerk of Course for their event. The Clerk(s) of Course organizes the swimmers according to lane assignments. He/She arranges with the Announcer to call the events with adequate time intervals. The Clerk of Course also records "scratched" swimmers.

Assistant Clerk of Course - The Assistant Clerk of Course will help assign swimmers to lanes and may monitor the swimmers' whereabouts.

Runner - The runner collects the time sheets/cards from the timers and turns them in to the computer operators after each event is completed. The Runner role requires standing for the entire meet and being able to walk back and forth from the starting blocks to the Automation area throughout meet. We usually have two runners for each home and away meet.

Announcer (Experience helpful) - This person 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. Home meets only.

Verifier - At the meet, the Verifier validates the times and any disqualifications that are submitted for system entry. Once times are verified, it is handed over to Automation for official entry into computer system. Automation enters swimmers' times and/or DQs and print the results. Once results are confirmed by Verifiers, they are posted for viewing. Verifiers stay for the entire duration of a meet.

Ribbon Writers (Experience helpful) - Ribbon Writers will attach "Placement" stickers for each event onto the ribbons during the meet. They are also responsible for sorting and organizing the ribbons as they are generated. Ribbon writers also put the ribbons in each family's folder in the bin outside the Clubhouse locker rooms. Ribbon writers are needed for home and away meets and usually sit near Automation during the meet.

Concessions Helpers - Several volunteers help set-up the concessions food and drinks for the meet, collect money for purchases, and help clean up the snack bar area at the end of the meet.

Concessions Grill (Grill Team) - Each home meet, we need several volunteers to help with setting up the grill, preparing food from the grill, and helping to clean up after the meet.

Bring Food for Officials - Two families volunteer for this role at each home meet. The role involves preparing or buying a meal for all officials and timers working at the meet, setting it up at the table in between the lap pool and the leisure pool before halftime, and cleaning up after halftime ends. For morning meets, breakfast food is usually served and dinner food is served for evening meets. Be prepared to serve about 25-30 people.

Concessions (Pickup Bagels, Donuts, Coffee) - Pick up bagels/coffee/donuts and deliver them to Concessions stand before the meet begins. Coordinate with Volunteer Coordinator and Concessions team for details on where to pick up the food, how to pay for it, and what time it should arrive. For home meets only.

Baked Goods for Concessions - Bring baked goods to the Concessions stand before the meet begins for Concessions to sell during the meet.

Door Greeter - This role sits at the Clubhouse entrance and greets our Kingfish families and away team guests and directs them to the pool. The Door Greeter arrives early to ensure families are able to enter the clubhouse when they arrive.

Merchandise Helper - Assist our Merchandise leads with selling Kingfish merchandise at home meets. This role works the entire meet, including setting up before the meet and cleaning up after the meet ends.

Put Up Banners/Take Down Banners - Two parent volunteers hang up sponsor banners before warmups begin and take them down when the meet ends.