Volunteer Position

Hampden Aquatic Club appreciates the efforts of everyone who provides much needed support to the club, as it affords an opportunity to meet and chat with other parents while demonstrating your child(ren) that you are involved and active in their swim club. Currently, we are one of the only local swim clubs that does not make “volunteering” a mandatory requirement for parents. Please help us keep it that way as we cannot run our events without the help of our wonderful parents!

To volunteer at a meet, please click the parent volunteer option when signing up your swimmer. If you have a question or need more clarification, do not hesitate to Contact Us.
Here is a list of opportunities for the season.

Dual Meet Positions

Back up Timer (2 people)
Gives you a birds-eye view of the meet and places you in the center of the action! A back up timer stands at the side of the pool and starts the watch with the start of the race. If a lane has a problem with their stopwatch for a particular race, the backup timer will be summoned to that lane to get the finish time for that lane.

Lane Timers (8-16 people)
A fun assignment! This volunteer position allows you to be at the head of lane where all the action is taking place! Timers serve as backup in case the timing pad does not respond correctly. A timer will start a stopwatch at the start of the race with the “beep” from the starting mechanism and stop it when the swimmer touches the wall. In addition to the stopwatch a timer may be responsible for hitting a plunger at the end of the race. This plunger is connected to the computer timing system and provides a secondary back up. A timer may also be responsible for recording the times from the stopwatch from their lane. Important things to remember about timing….it’s easy and fun and only in rare cases does your timing ability have any effect on the race or the swimmer. A timer can work only half of the meet and a typical meet would need up to eight timers per half depending on the pool.

Meet Organizer
For an Away Meet, this person confirms that all necessary volunteers have signed in and are ready to participate. If a volunteer position is vacant, the Away Meet Organizer looks for a parent to fill the position. For a Home Meet, this person is a fundamental part and has the opportunity to contribute significantly to our swim club. An excellent way to meet others, this person is responsible for the following: 1) Pool/area setup on the night prior and morning of to the meet – completed in time on the morning of the meet; 2) Ensure that all volunteers are in position when needed during the meet; 3) Establish that everything is put away at the end of the meet and the pool area is cleared prior to the team leaving the site. An excellent way to meet other parents and facilitate organization of the meet!

Stroke and Turn Judge (2 people)
The stroke and turn judge is a trained and certified official who watches the race for stroke or turn violations and records any infractions on the timer sheet. Training and certification are available. Please contact a Janet Butterfield for more information.

Team Parent (2+ people)
The team parent is in charge of getting kids to the blocks in a timely manner. A Team Parent would help the younger swimmers be ready and be sure they check in with the coaches prior to their events. The coaches take it from there. This is a great position for parents who like to stay with their kids and get to know the other swimmers in their swimmer’s age group.

Home Meet Positions

Announcer
Be heard! Sit in the shade and watch the meet from an excellent vantage point! The Announcer announces the events and swimmers for each heat. One person needed for home meets only.

Computer Operator (1 or 2 people)
Sit in the shade and have a front row seat to the action! This person must have a good knowledge of the Hy-Tek Meet Manager Software. This person basically runs the computerized meet. They are responsible for setting up and taking down the computer during meets, sending results to league personnel and creating reports for coaches. Sounds like a lots, but for someone who is familiar with a computer, it really just becomes routine. Training can be provided for anyone interested in helping out.

Concession Stand (2 to 4+ people)
Help raise money for our team! Concession stand members sell goodies and do a little bit of food preparation. The concession stand has a great view of the pool. If you volunteer for this position, you are encouraged to leave the area to watch your swimmer’s event.

Finish judge (2 people)
Another position that puts you in the center of the action! A finish judge records the lane numbers as they finish the race. This serves as another backup to the timing system.

Ribbons (2 or 3 people)
A fun position which allows parents to be part of the results and rewards! Once the meet begins, the ribbon volunteer(s) takes print out stickers and pastes them on the back of the appropriate place ribbon. The ribbons are then sorted by team.

Runner (2 people)
This is a great position because it’s easy and keeps you active during the meet. When called upon by the scoring table, the runner collects the records of the finish judges and of the timers in each lane and gives them to the scoring table.

Setup Crew (6 to 10+ people)
This position is very important to the successful beginning of our home meets and provides another great opportunity to meet other parents while providing a significant contribution to our club. On the evening prior to a home meet, after the pool closes to the public, the Home Meet setup team will begin the process of setting up the pool for the meet the next day. Responsibilities include: inserting the bulk head in the pool; setup all lane lines in the pool; hang backstroke flags as required; setup starting blocks; move tables for concession; move ribbons and scoring to the proper location. On the morning of the meet, the group will continue the process to ensure that the timing system is working as needed and do a safety check of the bulkhead prior to warm ups.

Starter/Referee
The Starter/Referee is an official with some extra training to be a either a starter and/or referee at a meet. Most starter/referees start out as a stroke and turn judge and advance to the starter position. This person serves as the meet director and is in charge of all questions or concerns during the meet. Please contact a Janet Butterfield for more information.

Take Down Crew (6 to 10+ people)
Some parents prefer not to volunteer during meets so their attention can be focused on their swimmer and not on volunteer duties. This position is a wonderful way to contribute to the team after the excitement of the meet. The Take Down Crew cleans up the pool area after the meet and helps to put away all items that were used during the meet to ensure that the pool opens to the public on time.

Timing System Operator (1 or 2 people)
This person is responsible to work directly with the Computer Operator to run the meet. They must be willing to set up and take down the equipment and be available during the meet to run the timing system. This system is connected to the computer and delivers the times from the timing system to the computer to score the meet. Training can be provided for anyone interested in helping out.

Behind the Scenes Positions

Board of Directors
Be a part of the team! There are a number of Board positions available to HAC families. This group undertakes the planning necessary for the upcoming season as it relates to the logistics of running the team (i.e. swimmer registration, parent communication, equipment maintenance, fundraising and social events) as well as any issues of the club that may arise during the season. During the off season months, the Board will meet monthly for about an hour as we prepare and plan the upcoming season. During the season, the Board continues to meet as we oversee the running of the club and handle any issues that may come up. The Board of Directors contains the following positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and up to 5 At Large positions. All members are confirmed by the current membership at the Annual Parent meeting during the End of Season party. If you want to be part of this team and willing to help plan for the upcoming season, this position is for you. Contact Janet Butterfield for more details.