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GRAL Representative
Represent Wellesley as a voting member by attending monthly meetings (Jan-Sept). Contribute to discussions and cast the vote for Wellesley at Greater Richmond Aquatic League (GRAL) meetings. Serve as a liaison between Wellesley and GRAL. Past discussions and decisions have included: division time standards, pool depth issues, in-pool start time standards, scheduling of Officials Training, etc. Parent Representative (Parent Rep) Primarily responsible for interaction with and between swim team families, coaching staff, HOA and Wellesley community. Works with Swim Team Board to establish and maintain coaching standards, social activities, financial stability, equipment purchase and information distribution. Schedules and administers Board Meetings. Other responsibilities include:
Wellesley Watch Delivery Coordinator Primarily responsible for ensuring that the Wellesley Watch Community Newsletter (WW) is delivered by swim team families in a timely manner.
Volunteer Coordinator (VC) Manages parent availability and training to fill necessary HOME and AWAY meet volunteer staffing positions.
If you let them know in advance, you can schedule a family for both halves, but unless they request it, do not schedule both parents to work in the same half – someone has got to watch the kids. Most parents of young swimmers only want to work the first half, try to be as accommodating as possible, but let parents know that we may need their help for a second half even if they don’t have someone swimming. If you need to schedule a parent of a young swimmer in the second half, try to do it at a HOME meet. Begin by filling positions of the meet closest to July 4. Many families are out of town on or near July 4th and filling positions can be a problem. You will want to fill certified positions first as there are only a limited number of people who can fulfill those positions (especially early in the season) in any given week (Ex. Schedule your Referees, Strokes and Turns, Meet Directors, Concessions Coordinator first as only they can fill those positions.) Parents of all returning swimmers are to become “GRAL certified” in at least one area (parents of first season swimmers are exempt from training for their first year). VC needs to work in conjunction with the GRAL Rep to be informed about training clinics, and needs to receive training information from GRAL Rep a.s.a.p. in order to properly schedule trained parents. Many “certified” positions need to “walk” (observe an experienced volunteer) in a position prior to working that position alone. (Ex. Strokes and Turns trainees need to “walk” both halves of a meet prior to becoming “certified” and officiating alone.) Certified positions are recorded on the Meet Cover Sheet at every meet, and that information is then relayed to GRAL. Maintaining a high level of trained parent volunteers is paramount to running an organized meet and meeting staffing levels throughout the season. As VC, it is your responsibility to determine which certified areas need more trained volunteers and work with the GRAL Rep and the Registration Coordinator to assign and encourage parents to become certified in those areas. Volunteer Positions are as follows:
Certified. HOME meets only. Referee requires years of experience, certification in virtually everything and dedication to the team. Referees usually work the full meet (first and second half). Be sure you schedule all Referees to work at least one half each season in order to maintain their certification. MEET DIRECTOR (MD): Certified. HOME meets only. MD (there are usually 2) work all home meets – start to finish. MD are responsible for preparing the pool, deck, parking lots, Club House, sound system etc. for each meet. Their work usually starts around 3:00 p.m. and ends around 11:30 p.m. MD is a fun, hectic, very busy responsibility – do not schedule an MD to work at an AWAY meet unless they ask you to, they already more than pull their load. ANNOUNCER: HOME meets only. Preferably a male voice, makes announcement over the speaker system, calls swimmers to Clerk of Course. 2 needed, one for each half of meet. STARTER: Certified. HOME meets only. Starter officially calls swimmer to the blocks and determines fair starts. The Starter sounds easy, but is critical to keeping a meet running in a timely manner – schedule your best. 2 needed, one for each half of meet. COMPUTER OPERATOR: Trained by GRAL. HOME and AWAY meets, usually the same person, working both halves of every meet. Critical to a successful meet and team. STROKES & TURNS OFFICIALS (S&T): Certified. HOME and AWAY meets. 4 S&T are needed at each meet – 2 for each half. Schedule all S&T for at least one half each season to maintain their certification. Some trained S&T will try to get out of it – they don’t like it – schedule them anyway! We need them desperately and need them all to remain certified. You never know when schedules will change and you don’t want to be caught short-handed. CLERK of COURSE (C of C): Certified. HOME and AWAY meets. 3 C of C are needed at HOME meets (1 Head C of C and 2 assistants), and 2 are needed at AWAY meets. Like the Starter, the C of C is critical to a well run meet. Many are trained, only use your best as the C of C, schedule other trained parents as Assistant HEAD TIMER and Timers: HOME and AWAY meets. The Head Timer (HT) carries and activates 2 stopwatches for each heat of each event. The HT should be ready to give their watches to any Timers who have a malfunctioning watch. 9 Timers are needed for each half of every meet. Timing requires no training or even experience and is a good place for new parents to start. MITE RELAY PARENT: HOME and AWAY meets. A short time commitment, but familiarity with the small swimmers is very helpful. Relays, especially relays for the little ones are chaotic to organize. This position helps identify, organize and usher each mite relay through the Clerk of Course. HEAD TABLE WORKER and Table Workers: Certified. HOME and AWAY meets. Head Table workers are only needed at HOME meets – 1 for each half. Head Table Workers are responsible for organizing the working tables and making sure Table Workers understand the rules and responsibilities of their assignment. 2 regular Table Workers are needed for each half of every meet – HOME and AWAY. At HOME meets, the tables are located inside the Club House with A/C – so this is a good job for someone with health issues or a small baby. Table workers audit times on the Heat Sheets for each event, and also put stickers on ribbons for swimmers. Second half Table Workers are needed for up to 30 minutes after the meet ends so be sure to let them know in advance. DQ RUNNER: HOME meets only. 2 DQ Runners are needed for each half of a HOME meet. One runner is needed at each end of the pool to collect DQ cards from S&T officials during the meet. Cards are collected and then immediately taken to the Table Workers for processing. DQ Runners need to make sure that each card has the signature of the Referee prior to bringing them to the Table Workers. Nothing hard here, just need to be responsible. HOSPITALITY / HEAT SHEET RUNNER: HOME meets only. 1 Hospitality/Heat Sheet Runner is needed for each half of every home meet. Primarily responsible for collecting Heat Sheets after the end of each event, and delivering them to the Table Workers to audit. As time permits, they are asked to fill cups of water and deliver them to Timers, S&T, Starter, and Announcer… anyone who looks like they are going to melt in the heat. CONCESSIONS CHAIRPERSON: HOME meets only. Primarily responsible for the set-up, purchasing, preparing and selling concessions at home meets. If this sounds big – it is, do not schedule the concessions family for other assignments unless they request them. The Concessions Chairperson works both halves of all HOME meets. 2 Concessions Assistants are also needed for each half of every HOME meets. Easy lifting, no training – good for new families. SWIMMER CHECK-IN: HOME and AWAY meets. This is a short time commitment, but the volunteer has to be at the meet at least 1 hour early. Once all swimmers have checked in, they are free to attend to their families. A good position for parents of small children who need more attention during the meet – not for someone who will be late! (It really helps if they are familiar with the swimmers.) VOLUNTEER CHECK-IN: HOME and AWAY meets. This is a short time commitment, but the volunteer has to be at the meet at least 1 hour early. Once all volunteers have checked in and received their name tags, they are free to attend to their families. A good position for parents of small children who need more attention during the meet – not for someone who will be late! (It really helps if they are familiar with the swimmers and their families.) Webmaster Maintains, edits and improves information available on team website. Maintains team e-mail distribution list. Manages and sends all swim team information via team e-mail list (“Blast”). Sends out monthly Wellesley Watch delivery notices. Fundraising Actively solicits contributions from community sponsors; develops and/or oversees other fundraising opportunities (i.e. Christmas luminaries, Happenings Books, Brewster’s punch cards). Sets annual goal for fundraising to offset costs of social activities, coach’s salaries and equipment purchase. Treasurer Manages and maintains team checking and savings accounts. Responsible for documenting and remitting team expenses (including: concessions expenses/receipts, registration receipts, coach’s salaries, CHAMPs fees, etc.) Makes financial report to Swim Board at each Board Meeting. Social Chairperson Organizes and oversees Social Committee in order to successfully schedule, plan, budget and implement various Swim Team social events. Submits budget request and maintains Social event finances.
Pre-Season Kick-Off Party (@ NOVA if available) In ’09 we were able to have a pre-season kick-off party which was well attended and very successful. NOVA offered us the use of their pool if we were able to sign-up a certain number of swimmers for the Winter Swim practice at their pool. If this is again an option, I would highly recommend it. Swimmers and their families and friends can come and have a fun time in a HEATED environment. We chose to have it before the season began to get swimmers excited for the pending season. Granola bars, small candy bars, popcorn and water – that’s all I would bring as the pool deck needs to be cleaned before you leave. Doughnut Practice Coordinator Traditionally, Friday morning practices are fun practices where the swimmers are rewarded with doughnuts before they leave. This doesn’t sound like a lot of effort, but week after week – picking up 5 dozen doughnuts and getting them to practice in a timely manner can be a challenge. There should be a budget line item for this. 1st Meet Mailbox Gift Coordinator Traditionally, swimmers are excited to find a fun gift hanging from their mailbox on the morning of the first swim meet of the season. The budget to purchase gifts will need to be determined with the Social Chairperson and is allocated from the overall Social Budget. * Request a list of registered swimmers and their addresses from the Computer Rep. * Organize the list according to neighborhood. * Purchase/assemble/deliver gift to mailbox/front door of all registered swimmers. * Gifts in the past have been yard signs, swim caps, candy, bubbles, swim bags, etc. Splash Party Coordinator The Splash Party is the first Swim Team Social Event after school is over. Traditionally it has been held in the evening from 6:00-8:00 pm. For 2010, we have requested, and received, funds from the HOA’s Social Budget to fund this party – which will be open to the entire Wellesley Community. (2010 budget allocation is $725) * Determine date and submit to the HOA for calendar by Apr 10. * Design party notice for inclusion in the Wellesley Watch and submit to the HOA by May 10. * Use budget funds at your discretion, some suggestions would be a DJ, Sno-Kone machine rental, popcorn machine rental, decorations. * Ask coaches to determine and participate in fun games for the swimmers. (Ex. Relays, splash contests, hula hoop, limbo, etc.) * Determine and purchase refreshments for the evening. You can order Papa John’s pizza in bulk and sell them there, or for pre-purchase. Families bring their own dinners and the Whitecaps will provide the dessert and/or snacks and drinks. High School Social Coordinator Specifics to be determined by the coordinator Middle School Social Coordinator Specifics to be determined by the coordinator Elementary School Social Coordinator Specifics to be determined by the coordinator Senior Send-Off Coordinator * Budget – there should be a budget line item for this event and it should include the cost of an inexpensive gift for each graduating senior. * During the last home meet (or last 2 home meets if there are more than 4 seniors) we traditionally spot-light our graduating seniors. In ’09 we asked the parents to present a 2 minute tribute to their child, referencing their swimming experiences, school achievements and future plans. If a parent is uncomfortable doing this, a coach or sibling can give the tribute. Have them write it down in advance and stick to the 2 minute time frame so as not to slow the meet down too much. * During their tribute, seniors are presented with a rose and a large towel embroidered in the school colors of their future college. Another type of gift would be fine. Awards Banquet Coordinator * Budget – there should be a budget line item for this event and it should include the cost of trophies, lite refreshments, small coaches gifts (flowers), program (optional) * Trophies – Disco Sports gave best prices ‘09 * Obtain 2 lists of registered swimmers from Computer Rep, 1 for boys and 1 for girls – each delineated by age (this will help when ordering and when aligning trophies for distribution at the banquet.) * Send out Blast with attached registered swimmer list requesting name changes/corrections for trophies, also ask if any listed swimmers DO NOT want a trophy * Order and pick-up trophies. For spelling purposes, give a copy of the registered swimmer lists, making any necessary corrections or deletions, to Disco when ordering. (Disco only needed 1 week in ’09 to complete all trophies, don’t order too early as “100 Point Winners” get a larger trophy and you may need to make changes up until the last meet – have Computer Rep run the 100 Point report after Meet #5 to get a idea of who is close to 100 points) * When ordering trophies – small trophies, inexpensive (Boys and girls trophies are different.) * All swimmers get a participation trophy which reads: Wellesley Whitecaps - name – - year - * “100 Point Winners” receive a slightly larger trophy instead of the regular participation trophy. * “Jake Benghauser Sportsmanship Award” – Toward the end of the season you will need to ask the coach to select one boy and one girl to receive this award. It is typically a secret. Recipients receive, in addition to the participation trophy, a 4” x 6” plaque which reads: Wellesley Whitecaps Jake Benghauser Sportsmanship Award - name – - date - * “Jake Benghauser Award” plaque in the HOA office. When you order the Benghauser recipient plaques, also take in the plaque in the HOA office and have them engrave the new recipients on that at the same time. * Location – Make arrangements/reservations for a location. Typically a local church or the Wellesley Community Center can be used, but the CC has been too small recently. You may also want to check for the rooms at local libraries or the community room at Short Pump mall. * Refreshments – cookies and lemonade work great, I would not provide a variety as the kids tend to take one of each instead of selecting one of their favorites. Water Country USA Coordinator Traditionally, at the close of the season swimmers and their families have the opportunity to all go to Water Country USA together. Tickets are arranged in advance for a group discount. Coordinator would need to investigate group ticket rules and facilitate purchase and distribution. * Call Water Country and get seasonal group ticket information. Be sure to get a name and specifics – we’ve had problems in the past. * Compose e-mail Blast and/or flier for distribution to the team with date, cost, daily schedule of the event * Collect all money in advance and submit to Treasurer for deposit. In ’09 the tickets needed to be paid for with one credit card the day of the event, the person who charged the tickets on their own card was immediately reimbursed by the team from pre-paid funds. * Tickets for coaches are paid for out of team funds. * Determine a meeting time and location to distribute tickets and have lunch as a group (all kids want to at least see the coaches at lunch, even if they don’t all go on the attractions together). CHAMPS Coordinator Organizes and oversees all aspects and responsibilities of CHAMPS participation. CHAMPS Coordinator is encouraged to solicit help from other parents of CHAMPS swimmers. Responsibilities include: parent volunteer schedule, coordination of participation fees, swimmer registration, coach’s lodging/food expenses, equipment (stop watches/banner/coolers etc.). Registration Coordinator Schedules, organizes and oversees all aspects of Swim Team Registration including:
Meet Directors (MD) Responsible for HOME meet preparation, set-up, tear-down and clean-up. MD requires a ton of effort on the day of each HOME meet – no sugar coating here. Organization and set-up of the pool deck and Club House can begin as early as 2:00 p.m. and clean-up begins immediately after the meet ends. From cones to reserve parking places, lane lines, deck chairs, starter set-up and stop watch distribution – until the last lights are turned out – MD is the one in charge. Computer Representative Is primarily responsible for input, management, coordination and reporting of data necessary to run the swim team according to GRAL standards. Attends annual GRAL training meetings, maintains team computer and necessary software. Inputs all meet information including swimmer eligibility, events and times. Runs any requested swimmer reports for coaching staff and submits meet information to appropriate GRAL contacts. Submit list of quad and triple winners to Richmond Times Dispatch contact, and GRAL representative Spirit Wear Coordinator (SWC) Oversees all aspects of annual Spirit Wear selection. SWC determines the supplier, style, design, pricing and ordering criteria. SWC is responsible for order forms, ordering, money collections and goods distribution. SWC is responsible to remit funds to Treasurer and document all receipts from purchasers and suppliers. Concessions Coordinator Primarily responsible for purchase, preparation and sale of food items at HOME meets. Historically, Concessions has been a large money maker for the swim team (More profitable items - which are also more labor intensive – include: hamburgers, hot dogs, & baked potatoes). More recently it has been organized to require less volunteer time – consequently less money has been earned at the meets (Successful, but less profitable food items include: pizza, Chick-fil-A sandwiches). Running of concessions is at the discretion of the Concessions Coordinator and menu items available at the meets are at their discretion depending upon the amount of time they have to dedicate to this demanding and time consuming effort.
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Wellesley Whitecaps Swim Team in Richmond, VA |
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