Volunteer Requirements
RiverGreen Rays runs solely off the commitments of parents. It takes a lot of help to put a meet together. We must fill many positions for both away and home meets. Parents are required to volunteer for a certain required amount of points each season and may be requested to volunteer more if needed.
Remember, this is your swim team and we will only succeed if everyone participates.
2026 Volunteer Requirement = 8 points/family
The volunteer points requirement is calculated by adding the points value for all volunteer jobs needed for the entire season and then dividing by the number of families on the swim team. The requirement will be calculated once we have the team roster set and meet schedule has been released. We always strive to run the meets as efficiently, and with as few volunteers as we can to minimize the burden on our parents, and we are continuously evaluating our volunteer needs.
Cancelations: If you need to cancel last minute you will need to inform the volunteer coordinator.
Please READ your volunteer job description and ask any questions to a committee member BEFORE the day of the swim meet. There is always a committee member at the practices. This is the best time to ask how to do a particular job or get clarification. All volunteers need to know what to do and be ready to go as soon as they get to the meet so we can start on time.
Job Descriptions for Meet Volunteers
Parents: We want to make sure you are able to watch your swimmers when they are racing. For those volunteer jobs where watching your children swim is not possible due to the location of the job, please work together so that each of you can leave and go cheer your child(ren) as they swim.
Volunteer Sign-ups: You can sign up to volunteer by going to our team calendar page. If open, you will see the sign-up button to the left of the meet. Once open, you can sign-up or modify the jobs you volunteer for up until noon on the day of the meet.
Announcer/Event-Heat Board Turner (1 needed/meet, full shift, 4 points/shift)
Identifies next event, calls swimmers to the deck for upcoming events (3 events ahead of event in water), updates the score over the PA, and flips the numbers of the event/heat as each race proceeds to the next. The announcer works with the league provided starter referee. Home meets only.
Bullpen Parents ( 2 needed/shift, 1st shift - 2 points/shift, 2nd shift - 2 points/shift)
Children 10 and Under: Keep assigned group of children together in designated area. Remain with their swimmers until they have swum all of their events, and make sure swimmers clean up all trash and snacks before they leave. Swimmers who are finished swimming may go to their parents.
Make sure swimmers are marked (1st shift only) and get to the ready bench in time for their events. Work with Ready Bench volunteers to assemble swimmers at home meets and lane managers at away meets, making sure swimmers are sorted by heat/by lane, and escorting younger swimmers to the ready bench area.
Assists in getting children into the right lane on the right side of the pool (*this is especially important with younger children and 100 yard relay events).
Children 11 and over: Children 11 and over are responsible for getting themselves to the ready bench and/or lanes for their events.
Home and away meets.
Computer Operator (1 needed/meet, full shift, 4 points/shift)
Formerly scorer. You will need to train in Swimtopia's Meet Maestro meet software prior to the first meet. The meet software is easy to use.
Work with the computer operator from the other team at the computer table. They will input results from each event as reflected on the completed UK Judges Placing Form into the computer immediately after each event. A running score should be kept at all times. Upon completion of the meet, each team will receive a copy of the final meet results. It is suggested that teams alternate this job every group of events: i.e., one operator does the short free, then the other operator does the long free. The person who is not currently working on the computer should assist the computer operator with checking the input of times and places.
The computer operator will also print labels and other documentation required as the meet progresses.
Home and away meets.
Concessions (4 needed/meet, full shift, 2 points/shift)
Sell concessions and maintain accurate accounting for each home meet, 4 workers per meet, needs to able to be at Heritage Club by 5:00 for home meets only.
Concessions Setup - (2 needed/meet, full shift 3-5 pm, 2 points/shift)
Helps concessions coordinator set up in setting up concessions prior to the meet. Must be available from 3-5 pm. Home meets only.
Deck Manager (2 needed/meet, 1st & 2nd shifts, 2 points/shift).
The deck manager will work with the ready bench/bullpen to line up all swimmers on the deck for their event. They will notify each swimmer to wait behind the block until the starter takes over control of the race. Help little children get in the water in the appropriate heat and lane for each race. These people should be strong-natured. Getting the swimmers and making sure they are in place is difficult, yet critcal to the smooth running of the meet. Home and away meets
Judge's Recorder (1 needed/shift, 1st & 2nd shifts, 2 point/shift)
The home team will supply a judge's recorder. This person will place him/herself behind the place judges with their own copy of the UK Judges Placing Form. When the race is finished and the judges and starter/referee have ruled on the place finishes, he/she will record the places in the appropriate block on the UK Judges Placing Form. For swimmers who have been disqualified by the starter/referee, the judge's recorder will write DQ in the place block for that swimmer. The judge's recorder then passes the completed UK Judges Placing Form to the master recorder. The Judges Recorder has no say in the order of finish and should not attempt to influence the place judges on the order of finish. Home meets only.
Master Recorder (1 needed/shift, 1st & 2nd shifts, 2 point/shift)
The master recorder collects the UK Judges Placing Form from the Judges Recorder when the event is complete and the places have been recorded. The master recorder will then go to each lane and record each swimmer's time in the time column of the UK Judges Placing Form as noted by the recording timer. With all places and times recorded, the master recorder will deliver the completed UK Judges Placing Form to the scoring table either directly or via a runner. Each team can alternate this job for each race. Home and away meets.
Photographer (1 needed/season, 2 pts/meet)
Must be good at action photography and willing to take pictures at practices and meets. Upload pictures to be shared with swim team families. Please let us know if you are interested in being the team photographer. You cannot sign up for this position in Swimtopia like other jobs.
Place Judge (1 needed/shift, 1st & 2nd shifts, 2 point/shift)
Each team will provide one place judge. Judges are to judge the place finishes as they see them. Judges are to write the place finishes on their updated copy of the meet program. Place judges override the times and the starter/referee breaks a tie if the place judges disagree. Judges write the place finish on their copy of the meet program so the master recorder can copy that order onto the race form. The place judge overrides the times and the referee breaks a tie if the place judges disagree. Home and away meets.
Ready Bench (2 needed/meet, 1st & 2nd shifts, 2 points/shift)
Seats the swimmers in their benches, based on heats and lane position. Lets the Bullpen parents know which events to call swimmers to the ready bench area, making sure swimmers are sorted by heat/by lane. Gets the kids from ready bench to the pool lanes. Home meets only.
Set up (4 needed/meet, full shift, 2 points/shift)
Unload equipment from storage room and set up at far end of the pool. Put up and remove tables, tents, lane ropes, PA system, etc. in preparation for each home meet, at least 4 people per meet. Need to able to be at Heritage Club by 3:00 for home meets. This is when we will unload the storage room. We have to wait until 4:30 to begin moving pool furniture. This is a great way for older teen swimmers to earn volunteer points for their family.
Timers (4-8 needed/shift, 1st & 2nd shifts, 2 point/shift
Each team will provide two timers for each of their lanes. One of the timers will operate the watch and the other will record the times on a lane timer worksheet. The timer will look at the starter's signal and start the watch at the instant of the starting signal. The timer will stop the watch immediately when any part of the swimmer's body touches the solid end of the pool as defined by the USS rulebook. The second timer will record times on the timer's worksheet and communicate those times to the master recorder, who will record them on the score sheet. Home and away meets. Away meets at pools with 5 lanes will only require 4 timers. Home dual meets and away meets at pools with 6 lanes will require 6 times. Home tri meets will require 8 timers.
Master Timer 2 per meet/ 1 per shift/ 2 pts per shift
The Master Timer will keep time on a stop watch for each race. If any lane has a stopwatch malfunction, the master timer's time will be used.
The master Timer will also train all timers and make sure they understand how to read the heat sheet, use a stop watch, and record times to the hundredths place.
Hospitality--2 per meet
Arrive at the pool at 4:30 to stand at the gates and welcome the visiting team. Assist them in finding their area and inform them of the NO SWIMMING policy (no swimming in the mushroom pool or slide pool.) In addition, help guests avoid setting up in restricted areas or pathways. If you see someone setting up in an area that will block the flow of traffic, please kindly ask them to relocate. Home Meets only.
Cleanup - all parents
All parents and swimmers attending the meet should clean up after themselves and help put the pool deck back to normal following home meets.
