Freeloading swim team parents suck

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why you swim team parents put up with this system. I did summer swim team with people who were later Div I recruited swimmers, and my older sib swam with st least one Olympic qualifier. You know how many parent volunteers there were? Zero. Older kids ran the snack bar (I guess a parent did volunteer to do the Costco run in advance). The coaches or the paid referee monitored for false starts and touch violations. Like what is done in other kids sports. I just don’t know why you swim parents don’t rise up against how ridiculous this system is. I constantly hear people complaining about it but everyone seems to just accept it as a necessary evil. But why is it necessary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our team rep assigns each family a job every meet. Issue solved.

Rep wouldn’t have to do this (on top of everything else they do!) if parents just stepped up as expected.

It s so much simpler this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why you swim team parents put up with this system. I did summer swim team with people who were later Div I recruited swimmers, and my older sib swam with st least one Olympic qualifier. You know how many parent volunteers there were? Zero. Older kids ran the snack bar (I guess a parent did volunteer to do the Costco run in advance). The coaches or the paid referee monitored for false starts and touch violations. Like what is done in other kids sports. I just don’t know why you swim parents don’t rise up against how ridiculous this system is. I constantly hear people complaining about it but everyone seems to just accept it as a necessary evil. But why is it necessary?

No all pools have automation like yours. We have to do it the old fashion way. Not enough teens either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why you swim team parents put up with this system. I did summer swim team with people who were later Div I recruited swimmers, and my older sib swam with st least one Olympic qualifier. You know how many parent volunteers there were? Zero. Older kids ran the snack bar (I guess a parent did volunteer to do the Costco run in advance). The coaches or the paid referee monitored for false starts and touch violations. Like what is done in other kids sports. I just don’t know why you swim parents don’t rise up against how ridiculous this system is. I constantly hear people complaining about it but everyone seems to just accept it as a necessary evil. But why is it necessary?

Who times? Who does automation?
I feel like maybe you didn’t see the work going on if you were a kid.

[Anonymous]

Well in soccer and basketball (as examples) there are 2 refs per game, while in swimming there are 3 timers per lane plus starters, announcers, judges, clerks, marshals, etc. most other game last 60’, certainly not B meets. I am not sure the economics, even for larger swim teams would be the same for using paid volunteers.
It was hard to volunteer when DC were younger and I often felt bad that other people had to help them with something if I was timing and DH wasn’t around.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t know I would have to volunteer either. I paid my money for my kid to be on the team. Our meets are at night this year and go until gone 9pm. They always ask for timers but I’m hesitant because I don’t want to be stuck there that late. I have to get up for work at 5am so I usually head out when DD is done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know I would have to volunteer either. I paid my money for my kid to be on the team. Our meets are at night this year and go until gone 9pm. They always ask for timers but I’m hesitant because I don’t want to be stuck there that late. I have to get up for work at 5am so I usually head out when DD is done.

If you want to help, ask the team rep or the volunteer who handles timers. We had team rep, vol for timers of A meets and one for B meets, group who ran concessions, donut tuesday organizer, potluck Friday organizer, an announcer, and handful who were stroke and turn judges. It was obvious who they were each year but even if new family you’d get tons of email on timing needs or special events.

What was nice for parents like you/ me who could not stay late or had younger kids is that we’d split the long Monday night meets. So, you’d sign up for first half and someone was assigned to relieve you. It was a great system because even for two- working parents or long commuters could tag team ( or to help with little ones.) it did not have to be a spouse but often Id get them there and started and then my DH would get there by 7 or so and take over.

It can be a pain but it is a short season, and our dcs loved it so much it was worth it to us. However, we had a small pool and everyone was truly helpful and became friends. It was about 15 summers of our lives. When I walk by the pool now it brings back many happy memories.

[Anonymous]

Swim refs aren't paid. Even at big PVS meets. That poster is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know I would have to volunteer either. I paid my money for my kid to be on the team. Our meets are at night this year and go until gone 9pm. They always ask for timers but I’m hesitant because I don’t want to be stuck there that late. I have to get up for work at 5am so I usually head out when DD is done.

At our pool the very first email from reps, as well as the swim team webpage, states that it takes three dozen adults to make a meet happen so you should expect to volunteer. If being on deck late is hard, see if they split B meet positions into two shifts and then volunteer in the first half. Our team also has lots of volunteer positions that aren't on deck. For example, you could come an hour early and help set up for the meet. Someone has to make the run to buy concessions food earlier in the week at Costco, you could do that. We have volunteers to do the ribbons for each child after each meet. In non-covid times we need a few volunteers to organize and staff the Friday morning team social breakfasts. We need a treasurer to handle finances.

Like any activity for kids anywhere, there are a lot of adults involved in making it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the team says prior to registration that volunteering is mandatory to make swim team work, they don’t mean everyone but YOU.

You suck and I judge you. Don’t give excuses, no one forced you to register your kid.

That’s all.

This is why my kids don’t swim. Congrats on your superiority.

[Anonymous]

It’s partly that some official jobs need training and recertification so you need to find parents who want to do those (stroke and turn, ugh) AND take the time to go to training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the team says prior to registration that volunteering is mandatory to make swim team work, they don’t mean everyone but YOU.

You suck and I judge you. Don’t give excuses, no one forced you to register your kid.

That’s all.

This is why my kids don’t swim. Congrats on your superiority.

Np but why do you think your kids deserve to swim while other parents volunteer and you don’t? It doesn’t make anyone superior. We all have our priorities.

[Anonymous]

I am not kidding, never an issue on our summer swim team. Sometimes I go to signup and it’s full already. I also enjoy volunteering. It takes a lot of people to make a meet possible.

[Anonymous]

Well, the good news is this thread made me check my signups and I discovered I signed up to be a timer tonight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s partly that some official jobs need training and recertification so you need to find parents who want to do those (stroke and turn, ugh) AND take the time to go to training.

Ref, Starter, Stroke and Turn. Only three roles that need certification, which in NVSL is 2hrs one time per year. Others benefit from training like data people. The vast majority of roles from timer to clerk of course to marshall to selling concessions are not rocket science.