Part of what makes our team a success is the volunteers that help run each meet. Having parent volunteers ensures a successful team. Most jobs do not require any special training and some even have the best seat in the house, pool side. 

The volunteer commitment is a requirement in order for your swimmers to be eligible to participate on the NCA team. 

There will be an opportunity to pick your volunteer jobs during registration. Once your jobs have been chosen, it is your responsibility to find a replacement if you are not able to work your job.

Volunteer assignments must be fulfilled during the regular season for each family. Each family is required to volunteer for 4 regular season meet jobs. Jobs must be in 4 different meets. Meet jobs take priority over pep rallies and other non-meet-related functions and, as such, volunteers may be moved from non-essential roles to meet roles. A swimmer on the team may not act as a volunteer during meets or events.

Each family will be required to work 4 volunteer jobs. These 4 jobs should be at 4 different meets.

If your swimmer participates in the Gator Meet you are required to work that meet. This will be in addition to the regular season 4 meet jobs. 

Post Season Medal Meets

Families with swimmers participating in postseason medal meets will be required to work a minimum of one assignment. It is the hope of the NCA team to only have a family work one medal meet job, even if the family has swimmers in multiple medal meets; however, this cannot be guaranteed. Medal meet assignments are in addition to the regular season requirements. If a family does not fulfill this requirement, their swimmer(s) will not be eligible to swim in the medal meets.

The term “volunteer” is used simply to reflect that each family has some choice in assignments with respect to dates and roles. The Team (management) reserves the right to re-assign roles based upon need to fulfill meet requirements for our team and League as a whole.

Following are brief overviews of the many tasks necessary to carry out a swim meet. Each season, the League also hosts a Volunteer Training session to further explain the many roles. Support is available at each meet, as well, from the Team Managers. Most roles are easily learned on the job and require little to no prior experience. For those that do, League training is available. The Gator Meet is also a training, of sorts, as it is a meet conducted only with the NCA team to allow both swimmers and volunteers to prepare for the start of the season. For more information, email [email protected].

STROKE AND TURN OFFICIALThe Judge is to ensure that the rules relating to the stroke being swum are followed. The Judge shall also ensure that when turning or finishing, the swimmer complies with the rules applicable to the specific stroke. The Judge shall know the USA rules for all strokes. The Judge shall report any violation at the end of the heat to the lane recorder along with the reason for the disqualification. (League training provided; specific experience/training required.)

HEAD TIMER Oversees watch check, specifies lane coverage, instructs timers and recorders on reporting order and procedure, and reminds timers to time any touch. The Head Timer also provides backup coverage for missed starts, provides extra coverage, and observes for any problems/consistent deviations from the norm of timers in a particular lane.

TIMER Reports times to the Recorder, helps the Recorder get the swimmer’s name, alerts the Head Timer of any conditions making accurate timing difficult and immediately calls the Head Timer for backup, if a timing start is missed.

RECORDER Ensures that each swimmer has a time recorded on a lane slip for his/her event. There is one Recorder per lane in a dual meet, with each team providing half of the Recorders. Time should be given using the full minutes, seconds, and hundredths of a second so that there are no assumptions of a time. The Recorder circles the middle or mean time on the lane slip. If only 2 times are given, no time is circled (the scorer will average the times). If there are 2 identical times, the Recorder circles both of them. The Recorder completes a lane slip for every heat of every event at a dual meet even if there is no swimmer in their lane. If there is no swimmer in a particular heat/event, write “No swimmer” in place of the name of the swimmer. If a swimmer is disqualified from an event, write “DQ” in large letters and make a slash across the lane slip. The Recorder gives each lane slip to the Runner when they come to collect them. The Recorder keeps up with each heat/event. If there is a problem or question, the Recorder raises their hand to signal the referee of a problem.

RUNNER The Runner collects lane slips after each heat and puts them in order by heat and lane. The Runner takes the slips to the computer operator table. The Runner posts results provided by the computer operator.

CLERK OF COURSE The head Clerk of Course is assigned by the home team and works with a Clerk of Course from the visiting team to ensure swimmers are swimming in the appropriate heat and lane. The Clerk of Course also helps to keep the meet flowing by keeping the benches full (i.e. swimmers waiting to compete) and directing swimmers to the appropriate lane. Clerk of Course also keeps track of swimmers and the events in which they are to swim (with the coaches maintaining responsibility for finding individual swimmers). 

RIBBONS The Ribbon volunteer places the appropriate labels noting the result of the swimmer’s time and order placement on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place ribbons for their team. The Ribbon volunteer also files the ribbons in the folders of each swimmer. This volunteer will stay after the meet and file the remaining ribbons. At an away meet, they will bring the team ribbon box back to the NCA pool at the conclusion of the meet. 

HEAT RIBBONS Stays on the pool deck and gives a ribbon to the winner of each heat as they exit the pool.

CONCESSIONS– set up and serve for the entire meet and help clean-up. No children are to be in this area.

CONCESSIONS GRILLER Cooks throughout the duration of the meet and assists with clean-up. No children are to be in this area.

CONCESSION RUNNER Assists at Concessions throughout the meet, helping to manage sales during peak times and maintain customer service. Serves water to volunteers throughout the meet, walking around the pool deck to serve directly to the volunteers while they are working at their respective posts. Cleans up/collects empty water cups around pool deck (after volunteers are finished). Concessions Runner may also be needed to purchase extra ice, donuts, or other supplies the concession stand may need during the meet.

COMPUTER OPERATIONS During the meet, volunteers receive the lane recording sheets to input the times of each individual swimmer, per heat, per event, to determine the results of each event and the overall meet using the program, Meet Maestro. The home team takes the lead and a volunteer from the visiting team provides a volunteer to assist, checking the integrity of the data entry. The home team provides the equipment to be used for both Seeding and meet computer operations. (League training provided; specific experience/training required. However, the role at an away meet does NOT require Meet Maestro program experience.)

MARSHALL You will be assisting to find swimmers and managing deck and other areas of the pool as needed. On occasion you will be on standby to fill any last minute open job. This position may also run to the store for concessions to pick up items or help with selling of caps/Spirit Wear.

SET UP/CLEAN UP Helps to set up and get the pool area ready for the meet. Moves tables, benches, tarps, cleans up, etc. Set up for meets is the night before at 8:30PM at the pool. Break down is immediately after the meet. Volunteers must be prepared to lift heavy items. Assignment is not completed until the entire job is complete and the pool is ready for the meet or to open to membership following the completion meet. 

PEP RALLIES Volunteers are needed to help with pep rallies activities (e.g. organization, games, refreshments, etc.). Pep rallies are held at various times throughout the season. Some during the morning practice sessions and some in the evening at the pool. This entails setting up, engaging the swimmers with the activity, maintaining the activity, and full clean-up of the pep rally. We will need assistance at all pep rallies - this would be an additional job to the 4 required jobs.