Volunteering
Outside of our coaches, our team is entirely run by volunteers. Our team requires at least 26 volunteers for each home meet and at least 16 volunteers for each away meet. Swim team is a family event. Each regular season every Lovettsville Dolphin family is required to volunteer and earn 10.0 credits each season. Families that do not earn their credits will be billed for unearned credits at $15/credit.
Mini-Dolphin families will be required to complete their credits on a prorated basis depending on the number of meets their child(ren) are eligible to swim. Mini-Dolphin families will be required to volunteer for 2.0 credits per eligible meet up to the 10.0 credits required for all Lovettsville Dolphin families. For example, if your Mini-Dolphin is eligible to swim in 4 meets, then you will be required to volunteer for 8.0 credits.
Sponsors are vital members of our Lovettsville Dolphin family as well. However, if a sponsor has members on the team, they will still be required to complete the 10.0 hours per season.
Occasionally, jobs pop up that are not tracked through our Swimtopia website. The credits for any job not signed up for through Swimtopia must be confirmed by the volunteer coordinator in advance and in writing via email to [email protected]. Failing to do so will result in credits not counting towards the 10.0 credit total.
If a Lovettsville Dolphins family does not have their 10.0 credits prior to Divisionals or All-Stars meets, their swimmer(s) will be ineligible to swim at those meets. An exception can be made if the family signs up as volunteers for those meets.
If you have special circumstances, or family emergencies, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator ([email protected]) and you will be directed to the best positions for your family to serve. Some jobs can be done ahead of time or after the meets. The job descriptions below identify if the job is needed at a home meet and/or an away meet.
Concessions Assistant (Home meets)
Description - Set up, prepare, serve and sell food & drink
Shift length - Start: 90 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Equipment Manager (Home & Away meets)
Description - Transport tubs of Team gear (rounder clipboards, age group signs, tents, etc) to and from ALL Away meets (NEED SAME PERSON TO PLEASE SIGN UP FOR ALL AWAY MEETS).
Shift length - Start: 90 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Meet Setup (Home meets)
Description - Set up all equipment required to run the meet. Set up team areas, including tents. Set up lane markers and swimmer chairs. Clear pool chairs from the pool deck.
Shift length - Start: 90 minutes before meet, End: Start of meet
Meet Cleanup (Home meets)
Description - Clean up and pack away all equipment required to run the meet. Clean up team areas, including tents. Remove lane markers and swimmer chairs. Bring pool chairs back to the pool deck.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet ends, End: end of meet
Parking Attendant (Home meets)
Description - Assist families with parking, where to go, etc
Shift length - Start: 90 minutes before meet, End: 30 minutes after start of meet
Meet Official, Referee (Home meets)
Description - Oversee meet and supervise Starter and Stroke & Turn (S&T) Judges. This person represents the League, not the team. MUST HAVE COMPLETED ODSL TRAINING
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Meet Official, Starter (Home meets)
Description - Announces and starts each heat of every event. This person represents the League, not the team. MUST HAVE COMPLETED ODSL TRAINING
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Meet Official, Stroke & Turn Judge (Home & Away meets)
Description - Observe swimmers and ensure that the swimmers use the proper stroke technique and that all turns and finishes are legal. Write DQ slips when a swimmer disqualifies themself due to a swimming infraction. This person represents the League, not the team. MUST HAVE COMPLETED ODSL TRAINING
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Meet Official, Stroke & Turn Judge Trainee (Home & Away meets)
Description - Train with a certified Stroke & Turn official to observe swimmers and ensure that the swimmers use the proper stroke technique and that all turns and finishes are legal. Learn to write DQ slips when a swimmer disqualifies themself due to a swimming infraction. This person represents the League, not the team. MUST HAVE COMPLETED ODSL TRAINING
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Computer Operator Assistant (Home meets)
Description - Assist the Technologist with processing the timing system. Input event results and DQ information for all swimmers into the computer.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Computer Timing Assistant (Home meets)
Description - Assist the Technologist with capturing the timing system.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Clerk of Course (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize swimmers in their proper event, heat and lane assignments prior to swimming their event. Assist in consolidating heats as requested by the Team Rep. Stay in constant communication with Starter and Referee. Returning parent please.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Clerk of Course, Assistant (Home & Away meets)
Description - Assist clerk of course at each end of pool. Returning parent please.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Heat Ribbon Presenter (Home meets)
Description - Present the winner of each race with a heat winner ribbon
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Runner (Home meets)
Description - Distribute time sheets to timers before the start of each event and deliver them to scorekeepers after each event; collect DQ slips from S&T judges immediately & deliver to Referee then scorekeepers. Need to move quickly!
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder - Head Rounder
Description - Help the age group rounders, and fill-in where needed
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder, 6&U Boys (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of 6&U backstroke event
Rounder, 6&U Girls (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of 6&U backstroke event
Rounder, 7-8 Boys (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Responsible for 6&U swimmers in Breast and Fly. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder, 7-8 Girls (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Responsible for 6&U swimmers in Breast and Fly. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of 8&U butterfly event
Rounder, 9-10 Boys (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Also responsible for 8&U swimmers in IM. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder, 9-10 Girls (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Also responsible for 8&U swimmers in IM. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder, 11-12 Boys (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder, 11-12 Girls (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder, 13-14 Boys (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Rounder, 13-14 Girls (Home & Away meets)
Description - Organize the specific age/gender group of swimmers during the meet, account for all swimmers at all times, ensure they all report to the Clerk of Course for their events as a group. Responsible for gathering the age group relay team.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Timer - Head Timer (Home meets)
Description - Responsible for the distribution and collection of Dolphin timers. Assigns Timers to each lane and ensures head lane time records the timer's names on the back of the first timer sheet. Keeps back-up times in case one of the Timers has a problem with their Dolphin timer.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Timer (Home & Away meets)
Description - Time swimmers in each race and record times on time sheets. There are three timers per lane. One of the timers assigned to each lane will be the Head Lane Timer and will write the name of the three timers for the lane on the back of the first lane timer sheet. The Head Lane Timer will verify the name of the swimmer when before they start (and record the name if it does not match the lane timer sheet), and record the three times on the lane timer sheet. The other two timers are responsible for timing the swimmer in their lane. The Dolphin timers will start automatically, and timers will hit the button when they observe any part of the swimmer's body touching the wall at the end of the race. Each timer will position themself at the edge of the pool to clearly observe the swimmer's touch. If the watch malfunctions, the timer will raise their hand and the Head Timer will switch Dolphin timers with that person.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
DJ (Home meets)
Description - Plays age appropriate upbeat music to encourage a positive environment.
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Ribbon Writer (Home meets)
Description - Apply award stickers to ribbons, this job is done during practice
Shift length - Start: 30 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
Volunteer Check-in Coordinator (Home & Away meets)
Description - Check-in each volunteer at the meet to ensure every position is filled
Shift length - Start: 60 minutes before meet, End: end of meet
