VOLUNTEERING

It takes a village to run a swim team, and volunteering is an important part of the Los Paseos Aquatic Club!

Each LPAC family with one swimmer must provide at least one adult volunteer to work at least one shift at each meet (home, away, and Champs) when their child is swimming. Each family with 3 or more swimmers must provide at least 2 volunteer shifts at each meet. Occasionally families will need to volunteer for additional shifts at meets. We also need parent volunteers to help at the many fun team events throughout the season.

In addition to working volunteer shifts, each LPAC family will be responsible to clean up at one of our home meets. You can sign up for a specific date at the beginning of the year on a first-come first serve basis; otherwise, you will be assigned a date. Clean up takes 15-45 minutes depending on the number of people helping.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS
Breakfast Burrito Club

Volunteer Jobs

There are a variety of volunteer jobs available. If you are new to the swim team, we suggest you try out several different jobs to see which one works best for you and your family. Sign-ups for these will begin via email for returning families and at the preseason meeting for new families.

Volunteer Positions:

  • Clerk of the Course: Several parent volunteers (including the head “Clerk”) help organize swimmers into heats and lanes and escort them to the blocks. (2 per shift)
  • Stroke and Turn Judge: Judges watch for stroke infractions during meets and fill out DQ slips. This requires special training by the league.
  • Starter: The starter announces the start of each race, runs the electronic start system, and watches for false starts. The starter helps to control the overall pace of the meet. This position requires special training.
  • Computer Entry: Typically, we have three people working throughout the entire meet to enter times into the computer and print out reports and labels. It also includes time during the week for computer entries. While the team works the entire meet, there is plenty of down time to watch your children swim.
  • Announcer: Using the PA system, the announcer notifies swimmers when they need to report to Clerk of the Course and makes other general announcements. The announcer is also responsible for providing music during the event.
  • Volunteer Coordinator: Works with the board-appointed Volunteer Coordinator to make sure each spot is filled for the meets and activities. Checks in volunteers at meets, checks on volunteers to make sure they are doing their jobs, makes sure all positions are filled at the start of the meet and shift change.
  • Setup: The setup crew works the night before and arrives early in the morning to help set up the pool before a home meet.
  • Event Board: The Event Board monitor posts the event and heat numbers so spectators know what race they’re watching.
  • Ribbons: Two parent volunteers from each team places labels on ribbons and sorts ribbons into family files.
  • Runner: The runner goes between the pool deck and computer table to deliver and collect heat sheets, lane sheets, DQ slips, and ribbon labels. The runner also posts race results. You don’t actually have to run, but this is a busy and important job!
  • Sorter: This person circles the middle time for each swimmer to be entered into the computer and matches DQ slips to the lane sheets.
  • Hospitality: The hospitality volunteer brings water and snacks to coaches, judges, and volunteers.
  • Kitchen Prep: It takes a lot of parent volunteers to run our awesome snack shack. Volunteer positions include Shoppers (who pick up needed supplies one or two days before the meet), Choppers (who prepare food the night before), Setup, Cooks (4), Kitchen (2 per shift), and Kitchen Cleanup for every home meet.
  • Timer: Each lane has three timers who use stopwatches to record the swimmer’s time in a race. (Home Meets need 2 Timers per lane except Time Trials; Away Meets 1 Timer per lane from our team)
  • Head Timer: The head timer coordinates timers and recorders in all lanes. During events, the head timer serves as “backup” timer if another timer misses the start of the race.
  • Recorder: Each lane has one recorder, who writes down all three times for each event. (Time Trials and Away meets only)
  • Marshal: The marshal keeps pathways clear, ensures equipment is not tampered with, and keeps people out of the kiddie pool.
  • Restroom Maintenance/Trash Patrol: This job requires that you periodically check the restroom (either men’s or women’s) to be sure it is clean and stocked with supplies. This job also requires that you periodically empty out trash cans from the snack bar and pool areas. Must check at the beginning of your shift, as each race category ends, and at the end of your shift. 2nd shift is responsible for making sure all the trash is out at the end of their shift.
  • Snack Bar: At home meets each shift has three volunteers who sell the food. Food and money will be handled. Shift 1 starts 20 minutes before the first race; Shift 2 must help clean up the area before they leave (approximately 15 minutes). This position can be a permanent position; if you want to commit to a shift, talk to the Volunteer Coordinator.
  • Alternate: This person signs up for one shift to be a fill-in for any spot that may have had someone no show for the meet or that was not filled before the meet.

Please note that per our bylaws, families who do not fulfill their parent support obligations will not be in good standing with the club, and their swimmers will not be allowed to return to the team the next year.

Families who have a hardship working the meet(s) need to contact the LPAC Volunteer Coordinator immediately to arrange an alternate support schedule.

LPAC Required Parent Support Policy

This Parent Support Commitment and Agreement is required to register your swimmer(s) in the Los Paseos Aquatic Club (LPAC). Parent support is required in order to run the swim meets in a timely and efficient manner. The LPAC by-laws Article II, Section 5.b.2 states that members or LPAC have the following responsibilities: to cooperate in support of all club activities, and to attend and assist at swim meets.

Each swimmer must have a parent (guardian) sign and commit to comply with this policy. Family support can be contributed by a parent, grandparent, or any adult family representative. Each LPAC family with one swimmer must provide at least one adult volunteer to work at least one shift at each meet (home or away) when their child is swimming. Each family with three or more swimmers must provide at least two volunteer shifts at each meet. Occasionally families will need to volunteer for additional shifts at meets.

Each meet requires 100 volunteer positions to be filled for the meet to run. Please visit the Volunteering page under the Team Info tab on the website (www.swimlpac.org) for further information on the positions available. Some volunteer positions can be completed before the day of the meet. Families who have a hardship working the meet(s) need to contact the LPAC Volunteer Coordinator to arrange an alternate support schedule.

Volunteer positions fall into three categories: Trained, Non-Trained with season commitment, and Non-Trained with rotating sign-ups. Trained positions require additional training and will be permanent meet positions for the entire season. Non-Trained positions are just as essential to each meet. Some will be a season-long commitment, and some have a rotating first-come, first-served sign-ups.  Sign-ups for season-long commitments begin via email for returning families and at the preseason meeting for new families. We use SignupGenius for the rotating sign-ups.

In addition to working volunteer shifts, each LPAC family will be responsible to clean up at one of our meets. You can sign up at the beginning of the year on a first-come, first-served basis, but you will be assigned a date even if you don’t sign up. Parents must also sign up for and work one position shift for the VCSL Championship Meet. Families with multiple swimmers on the team may be asked to fill more than one shift at Champs.

Per our bylaws, families who do not fulfill their parent support obligations will not be in good standing with the club, and their swimmers will not be allowed to return to the team the following year.  In addition, a monetary fee may be assessed to compensate for the lack of participation.