Volunteers

Fundraising

TVA funds its operations through a combination of member dues, fundraising events and community support. Our programs success relies on each family being involved. Families are required to work 2 hours for every active month of swimmers’ participation in our team hosted meets and fundraising activities.

A large part of our operating budget is generated from TVA hosting swim meets. One of the commitments you make when you join TVA is to help work our home swim meets. All clubs hold meets so that swimmers have the chance to compete and test their best times. Home swim meets can also be a source of fund raising for our Club.

In order to hold a successful meet, we need lots of volunteers.
Every family needs to participate both days of the meet. If you can not work
that weekend, there’s lots of pre-meet work to do. In the past, a few members
have done the bulk of the meet preparation. This can wear them out and
cause the club to loose valuable knowledge when they decide to stop
participating. The meets will be better and the club can be a lot more
fun for everyone, if more people get involved in the meet planning.

Once you get involved you’ll find it can be fun and helps to pass the
time much more quickly (at those sometimes looooong swim meets...). You should remember, however, that we always want you to still perform the primary functions of every parent at a swim meet -- supporting your child and
witnessing their great effort -- so we encourage all working parents to
make arrangements to still see their children swim in their particular
events --if necessary, please coordinate with your coworkers to arrange a break as needed.

Check out our listing of swim meet jobs to find something that might
interest you. Or you could ask around at the pool or swim meet to see
what other people do. Or just observe what is going on at the next swim meet
to look for something you might want to do (and ask questions!). Some of the
jobs have training and clinic requirements -- you can find out more about
this when you start asking about the positions. Some of the other jobs
you can start to do right away at your first meet, with minimal startup effort
or learning required. Finally, when in doubt, ask one of the coaches,
they will almost certainly be able to suggest something for you to do.

Below is a list of meet job categories. Don’t worry about your experience
level, we will help train everyone who wants to learn a new job. You can
always pick a different job later as well.

• Meet Director (need two trainees)
• Clerk of Course (need two trainees for Head Clerk)
• Marshal (Need to have USA Swimming Non-Athlete Membership)
• Computer Operator (trainees always welcome - best seat in the house)
• Colorado Operator/Intermediary (Need two trainees)
• Chief Timer (where the action is)
• Announcer (its Showtime!)
• Officials (Always looking for new trainees)
• Desk/Runners (Good job for members new to swim meet operations)
• Program/Awards (Creative people can have fun and make lots of kids happy)
• Hospitality (Good job for members new to swim meet operations)
• Concessions (Good job for members new to swim meet operations)
• Raffles/Auctions (Good job for members new to swim meet operations)

Meet Setup/Takedown/cleanup (Everybody helps - somebody's got to do it, so why not everybody)


Swim Meet Jobs and Descriptions

As a club, we cannot run a swim meet without the help of all parents. Please volunteer before we call and assign you a job. Thank you.

• Setup - (at least 10 people.)
  This is done Friday evenings at approximately 5 p.m. Setup is only done for home meets. It takes 2-3 hours. These people help to set up starting blocks, flags, tables, canopies, timing equipment, etc....
• Meet Director - (1-2 people entire meet duration (2-3 months).)
  Plans, prepares and coordinates the entire meet.
• Officials - (18-20 people (other clubs help out too).)
  See attached parents guide brochure.
• Colorado Timing - (1 person each half.)
  People to set timing computer for each race and watch for swimmers to
  touch pads correctly and run/reset computer per race.
• Intermediary - (1 person per half.)
  Verifies times and places of each individual race and make time adjustments when required.
• Computer Operators - (2 people per half.)
  Enter/verify swimmers times and print out labels for ribbon writers. Verify and print Heat/Lane Assignments, Results, lane timer, referee, Colorado and announcer paperwork.
• Awards Table - (2 people per half.)
  This job consists of peeling a label, issuing awards to swimmers and filing ribbons in team ribbon box.
• Program Table - (1 person pre-meet and 1 person per half.)
  Sells programs at the meet. Coordinates any advertising sales and prepares the Program before the meet and has copies printed for Sales, and officials.
• Timers - at home meets this is done by the visiting clubs. Sometimes club members must fill empty chairs to keep the meet running. Using hand held stopwatch and recording times/swimmers name on lane tablets for swimmer in each lane.
• Chief Timer - (1 per half.)
  Back-up timer for all lanes. Uses two hand held stopwatches and joins other three timers at first place lane. Makes sure the are timers in all lanes and recruits additional timers when needed.
• Runners - (3 people per half.)
  After each event is over, a runner gathers lane sheets and delivers to scorer table. Posts Heat/Lane Assignments, Results and delivers lane timer, referee, Colorado and announcer paperwork.
• Concessions - (4 to 5 people per half.)
  Home meets only. Helps to solicit food donations before the meet. Helps to setup food stand, sell food, and helps tear down after meets.
• Hospitality - (4-6 people per half.)
  Home meets only. Feeds and keeps happy our hungry hoard of volunteers. Helps to solicit food donations before the meet. Helps to setup food prep area, prepare and serve food, and helps tear down after meets.
• Raffles/Auctions - (2 people per half.)
  Home Meets only. Pre-Meet - helps to solicit donations of items to be raffles and auctions at the meet. Assembles and decorates the Raffle Baskets. At the meet Sells Raffle Tickets and runs the raffles and Silent Auctions.
• Tear Down After All Meets - (All parents must help.)
  Put away equipment and tear down tents that the swimmers use for shade at outdoor meets. Must help cleanup trash and assist in carrying any items out to vehicles. All parents are expected to help in this position.

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