Families that never volunteer - swim team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Lots of unnecessary extras

If you don't have volunteers, don't complain. Lots of people don't think these "extras" should happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of unnecessary extras

If you don't have volunteers, don't complain. Lots of people don't think these "extras" should happen.

Feel free to join a team without them then. Or join the leadership of your team and do away with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of unnecessary extras

If you don't have volunteers, don't complain. Lots of people don't think these "extras" should happen.

Those people should then
1) not join. Summer swim isn’t the culture for them

Or

2) volunteer for the board or coordination and make changes (spoiler alert, these people will never do so but be the first to complain)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

Totally agree with this!!!! Why should a CHILD not be able to participate in an activity like this because of their family situation? The idea that you must have a parent volunteer for entry is really elitist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there's a chronic volunteer shortage, what's being asked is unreasonable. Overall, it's unreasonable and not sustainable. A complete redo of policy and expectations is the only answer.

There's an expression: you shouldn't lay the sidewalk till you see where people walk

This. Swim team growing up did not have all these unnecessary extras--breakfasts, dinners, snacks, concession stands, you name it.

The life guards and a few parents ran each meet. This happened home and away, so it was just not our pool. Families were able to attend, watch, cheer and enjoy the meets. Everything now is such an overdone ordeal. Thank goodness my kid was not into swim team.

This really isn’t true. I did summer swim growing up and we most definitely had all that stuff. It was a lot of fun for us as kids. Definitely donuts from concessions. Movie night. Pep rallies. There were still 3 timers on each lane, a ref, a starter, 4 stroke and turn judges. Still an announcer, all the table workers, data. None of that has changed in the last several decades. It was awesome and still is. As long as everyone who signs their kid up pitches in.

DP and I grew up in this area back in the 70s/80s and the poster who said this stuff wasn't happening is correct. We had almost all SAHM in the neighborhood btw

Breakfast - nope. I think once someone brought doughnuts. But that was an exception not the rule.
Concession stands - occasionally, a pool had one or some parents sold stuff during the meet but it was not the norm at all. Our pool had a concession stand but it was rarely open for meets bc most of the kids who worked at it were swimming in the meet. Parents didn't feel the need to step in and work the concession stand. They sat on the deck in chairs watching.
Dinner - nope. had to bring your own
Snacks - nope. had to bring your own, Fun Dip was popular to bring and some people just brought powdered jello and used their fingers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a first-year swim family, and I always volunteer, but I don't begrudge the people who don't. We have a lot of military families in our neighborhood, many of whom have one spouse with a very inflexible job and multiple little kids. My four year old definitely can't just hang out at the pool deck while I time so I do get that. And I don't think activities should just be reserved for families with the ability to volunteer. Swim is already restrictive enough with practices that don't work for a working parent's schedule...

Well, some pools let people pay their way out of volunteering, so that's an option.

If an activity is run by parent volunteers, and you can't volunteer, your kid can't do the activitiy. Its a requirement to participate. Why should some be able to free-load off the efforts of everyone else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

I'm a team rep and there's a difference between families who can't volunteer and those who think they're too special to volunteer. Mom with multiple kids and dad is deployed? I'm not going to get on their case. Family with multiple kids swimming and both parents sit in the spectator area so they can video and cheer? Damn right I'm going to assign them jobs.

I don't want to deprive kids of an opportunity because their parents are jacka$$es, but sometimes people stop being jacka$$es only once they realize that their behavior is impacting their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

I'm a team rep and there's a difference between families who can't volunteer and those who think they're too special to volunteer. Mom with multiple kids and dad is deployed? I'm not going to get on their case. Family with multiple kids swimming and both parents sit in the spectator area so they can video and cheer? Damn right I'm going to assign them jobs.

I don't want to deprive kids of an opportunity because their parents are jacka$$es, but sometimes people stop being jacka$$es only once they realize that their behavior is impacting their kids.

Yes - exactly. The problem is not the children of first responders, military, shift workers etc. Its the people who every. single. year. wait until the jobs are all taken and hope no one notices. We notice. I certainly noticed the 8U parent on the pool deck with her husband beside her yelling "Come on Larla, you can beat her" to her daughter about another 8U on our own team...that family has yet to volunteer this season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

Sounds like an entitlement problem. If you really think an entire generation is to blame for your issues, then I’m not surprised you also think your kids should be on swim team while you sit and watch everyone else volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there's a chronic volunteer shortage, what's being asked is unreasonable. Overall, it's unreasonable and not sustainable. A complete redo of policy and expectations is the only answer.

There's an expression: you shouldn't lay the sidewalk till you see where people walk

This. Swim team growing up did not have all these unnecessary extras--breakfasts, dinners, snacks, concession stands, you name it.

The life guards and a few parents ran each meet. This happened home and away, so it was just not our pool. Families were able to attend, watch, cheer and enjoy the meets. Everything now is such an overdone ordeal. Thank goodness my kid was not into swim team.

This really isn’t true. I did summer swim growing up and we most definitely had all that stuff. It was a lot of fun for us as kids. Definitely donuts from concessions. Movie night. Pep rallies. There were still 3 timers on each lane, a ref, a starter, 4 stroke and turn judges. Still an announcer, all the table workers, data. None of that has changed in the last several decades. It was awesome and still is. As long as everyone who signs their kid up pitches in.

Of course it is. Perhaps not true in your experience, yet certainly true in mind.
No one needs donuts from concessions. Or concessions during a meet at all. Or weekly breakfasts, movie nights (have the entire pool do movie night as a thought, be more inclusive), and pep rallies. Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

I'm a team rep and there's a difference between families who can't volunteer and those who think they're too special to volunteer. Mom with multiple kids and dad is deployed? I'm not going to get on their case. Family with multiple kids swimming and both parents sit in the spectator area so they can video and cheer? Damn right I'm going to assign them jobs.

I don't want to deprive kids of an opportunity because their parents are jacka$$es, but sometimes people stop being jacka$$es only once they realize that their behavior is impacting their kids.

Yes - exactly. The problem is not the children of first responders, military, shift workers etc. Its the people who every. single. year. wait until the jobs are all taken and hope no one notices. We notice. I certainly noticed the 8U parent on the pool deck with her husband beside her yelling "Come on Larla, you can beat her" to her daughter about another 8U on our own team...that family has yet to volunteer this season.

Could not agree more. No problem with those that have a true hardship, have a problem when parents come, sit through the whole meet and check their email as all the parents around them who also work FT are sweating dumping water bottles into an ice cooler. Most swim kids have to get their own snacks and get ready for their heats bc one parent is home w siblings and one parents is on deck. Then it’s annoying to see kids whose parents come to help them get ready, sit and cheer, and leave without doing anything to help the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

I'm a team rep and there's a difference between families who can't volunteer and those who think they're too special to volunteer. Mom with multiple kids and dad is deployed? I'm not going to get on their case. Family with multiple kids swimming and both parents sit in the spectator area so they can video and cheer? Damn right I'm going to assign them jobs.

I don't want to deprive kids of an opportunity because their parents are jacka$$es, but sometimes people stop being jacka$$es only once they realize that their behavior is impacting their kids.

PP here. I have no issue whatsoever with the team rep assigning jobs to those who can do them, even if they would prefer not to! I get that. I'm just responding to the statements that parents who can't volunteer for whatever reason need to pull their kids from the team. That seems unnecessarily punitive.

Thanks for all you do - I volunteer a lot, but it's nothing compared to our team rep! That's a huge job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

Swim team is a lot of driving, work for many parents who are using the volunteering as an excuse not to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial parent and work 2-3 jobs because of the boomers, so I don't have time.

That's understandable, and I am sure since you can't volunteer, you wouldn't sign your kids up to swim.

This is the only answer. The answer cannot be that bc you work a lot, you can’t volunteer, which is an advertised requirement for your kid to participate), yet you still sign your kid up. The woman who cleans my home volunteered for an NVSL team every meet, despite working 12+ hour days most days 30 years ago…so her child could have the experience. If she can do it, everyone can.

As someone who volunteers every swim meet (often both spouses, our kids are all old enough to not need childcare), and volunteers for special events, and does support work outside of meets and events ... and holds volunteer leadership positions in other kids activities ... this attitude makes me really sad. I mean, we need the same number of volunteers for every event, 3 timers per lane, etc. If Suzy's parents can't volunteer, it really doesn't change the workload for me whether Suzy is on the team or not. How does it help the team to prevent her from joining? All you're doing is punishing a kid for her parents' inability/unwillingness/whatever, and limiting the growth of the team. It's better for all of the kids to include as many people on the team as we can. You guys are making this too much about the parents and losing sight of the kids, why we're doing it in the first place.

I'm a team rep and there's a difference between families who can't volunteer and those who think they're too special to volunteer. Mom with multiple kids and dad is deployed? I'm not going to get on their case. Family with multiple kids swimming and both parents sit in the spectator area so they can video and cheer? Damn right I'm going to assign them jobs.

I don't want to deprive kids of an opportunity because their parents are jacka$$es, but sometimes people stop being jacka$$es only once they realize that their behavior is impacting their kids.

PP here. I have no issue whatsoever with the team rep assigning jobs to those who can do them, even if they would prefer not to! I get that. I'm just responding to the statements that parents who can't volunteer for whatever reason need to pull their kids from the team. That seems unnecessarily punitive.

Thanks for all you do - I volunteer a lot, but it's nothing compared to our team rep! That's a huge job.

Our swim team rep knows the parents and what they can and cannot do and will work it out with them. Still much easier to have everyone assigned a task vs. the sign up genius or what ever method works.