lack of volunteers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a single mother with 100% custody and a demanding job. I absolutely pay my way out of volunteering at club swimming. I am paying thousands of dollars in fees for swimming, plus the payment in lieu of volunteering. For summer swim, I immediately sign up to bring food in lieu of timing and work double shifts for food-related events to complete all of the pool-required hours without timing. I don't do anything for the meets besides bringing food. I can't feel bad about this - in addition to expensive pool fees - there's also an assessment for basically a complete rebuild of the pool. My kids are young enough that they want to see me cheering for them during their events. If teams can't work on timing without relying on the unpaid labor of women - because it's usually the mothers doing these roles - they should find a way to hire teens or become community service hours venues for teens.

So the “unpaid labor of women” is ok for providing food but not timing? Isn’t providing food more expensive than working the event?

If I work a BBQ food line, it's not at a meet - so I always sign up for other pool events that requiring buying or serving foods. And yes, bring food for judges is way more exensive than timing for a race - but timing for a race requires separate training and possibly missing your own kids races. My point is only the judging tone of parents is misplaced. We don't all have the same privileges in time or money or whatever. Being on a swim team on a private club or team is a very big time and money suck - and no- there are not always "cheaper pools available" - there are huge waitlists for pools, actually, and most of the clubs are charging a lot per year. I am fufilling the requirement of voluteer hours for the pool - but that's it - I am doing extra volunteer shifts for the team.

If you are at a private pool you have money so stop. Most counties have swim teams for under a few hundred. That’s what we do. No waitlist.

[Anonymous]

If you are at a private pool you have money so stop. Most counties have swim teams for under a few hundred. That’s what we do. No waitlist.

There are plenty of people on a tight budget that can afford $800 for a family membership to a pool and swim team dues. Get your hands out of other people’s wallets.

Hell, we would pay more in gas/ mileage + membership fees to get to the county pool every day than we do walking to the private pool in our neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our swim team upped the volunteer requirements this year b/c our membership is falling. People have specifically told me they don't let their kids do swim team b/c they don't want to volunteer.

With 2 working parents and more than 1 kid, it gets to be a lot (especially volunteering from 6-10pm on a Monday night).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our swim team upped the volunteer requirements this year b/c our membership is falling. People have specifically told me they don't let their kids do swim team b/c they don't want to volunteer.

With 2 working parents and more than 1 kid, it gets to be a lot (especially volunteering from 6-10pm on a Monday night).

Do your B meets really go till 10 PM? Most of ours go until 8:00-8:10. (200 on team).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our swim team upped the volunteer requirements this year b/c our membership is falling. People have specifically told me they don't let their kids do swim team b/c they don't want to volunteer.

With 2 working parents and more than 1 kid, it gets to be a lot (especially volunteering from 6-10pm on a Monday night).

Do your B meets really go till 10 PM? Most of ours go until 8:00-8:10. (200 on team).

Ours usually finish by 8:30-45, and then clean-up lasts till about 9 or after. I'm not pp, but it is a really hard ask for people to stay that long. When my kids were younger (or when my husband is out of town) it's just not feasible to stay that late. At the end of the meet we usually have teens jumping in to time, and the snack bar folks will go home well before the end too.

[Anonymous]

If your B meets last 3.5 hours, either your teams are massive or your pool is really inefficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are seeing that it is a lack of commitment. My kids have seen swimming on our summer team for 15y and DH and I have been very involved (stroke and turn, on the board, timing, etc.)

When my kids started, nearly 100% of parents made every effort to get their kids to practice/meets. It was rare to have kids missing at meets. Now we are seeing MANY younger families whose kids *maybe* make 2-3 meets. We have stressed the importance of meets (both on an individual level and as a team.) We have offered rides, brought breakfast items so parents wouldn't have to deal with that, etc with little to no avail. When talking to parents I hear "it was hot", "it was cold", "I didn't sleep well and didn't want to wake up", "it is too much to get the kids out of the house on a Sat AM",

And if they do make it, they sit and watch while others are scrambling. We have asked for help directly "Hey, Larlo, we need you to time today. Even half the meet would be helpful.", we have tried the 'fine' for not volunteering (they are happy to pay), we have explained the importance of volunteering to keep things running....

Honestly, I am worried about the existence of the team past the next few years when older kids/families age out. I am hoping that the younger families become more invested and step up.

I don’t get this mindset. Why do people care so much? These kids are not going to swim in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are seeing that it is a lack of commitment. My kids have seen swimming on our summer team for 15y and DH and I have been very involved (stroke and turn, on the board, timing, etc.)

When my kids started, nearly 100% of parents made every effort to get their kids to practice/meets. It was rare to have kids missing at meets. Now we are seeing MANY younger families whose kids *maybe* make 2-3 meets. We have stressed the importance of meets (both on an individual level and as a team.) We have offered rides, brought breakfast items so parents wouldn't have to deal with that, etc with little to no avail. When talking to parents I hear "it was hot", "it was cold", "I didn't sleep well and didn't want to wake up", "it is too much to get the kids out of the house on a Sat AM",

And if they do make it, they sit and watch while others are scrambling. We have asked for help directly "Hey, Larlo, we need you to time today. Even half the meet would be helpful.", we have tried the 'fine' for not volunteering (they are happy to pay), we have explained the importance of volunteering to keep things running....

Honestly, I am worried about the existence of the team past the next few years when older kids/families age out. I am hoping that the younger families become more invested and step up.

I don’t get this mindset. Why do people care so much? These kids are not going to swim in college.

If they are happy to pay, raise the fine and hire someone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are seeing that it is a lack of commitment. My kids have seen swimming on our summer team for 15y and DH and I have been very involved (stroke and turn, on the board, timing, etc.)

When my kids started, nearly 100% of parents made every effort to get their kids to practice/meets. It was rare to have kids missing at meets. Now we are seeing MANY younger families whose kids *maybe* make 2-3 meets. We have stressed the importance of meets (both on an individual level and as a team.) We have offered rides, brought breakfast items so parents wouldn't have to deal with that, etc with little to no avail. When talking to parents I hear "it was hot", "it was cold", "I didn't sleep well and didn't want to wake up", "it is too much to get the kids out of the house on a Sat AM",

And if they do make it, they sit and watch while others are scrambling. We have asked for help directly "Hey, Larlo, we need you to time today. Even half the meet would be helpful.", we have tried the 'fine' for not volunteering (they are happy to pay), we have explained the importance of volunteering to keep things running....

Honestly, I am worried about the existence of the team past the next few years when older kids/families age out. I am hoping that the younger families become more invested and step up.

I don’t get this mindset. Why do people care so much? These kids are not going to swim in college.

If they are happy to pay, raise the fine and hire someone.

So you've created yet another volunteer job for the slackers to ignore; volunteer hiring.

[Anonymous]

Personally I have almost no capacity to volunteer. I work at least six days a week, and am a single parent. My parents help with my kid, but are not interested in taking on volunteer activities for me (totally understandable). If an activity requires volunteering, and is upfront about it, we just take a pass on it. Is it clear at the outset what is expected, so that people can make a similar decision? Or are people armed with the information and just freeloading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are seeing that it is a lack of commitment. My kids have seen swimming on our summer team for 15y and DH and I have been very involved (stroke and turn, on the board, timing, etc.)

When my kids started, nearly 100% of parents made every effort to get their kids to practice/meets. It was rare to have kids missing at meets. Now we are seeing MANY younger families whose kids *maybe* make 2-3 meets. We have stressed the importance of meets (both on an individual level and as a team.) We have offered rides, brought breakfast items so parents wouldn't have to deal with that, etc with little to no avail. When talking to parents I hear "it was hot", "it was cold", "I didn't sleep well and didn't want to wake up", "it is too much to get the kids out of the house on a Sat AM",

And if they do make it, they sit and watch while others are scrambling. We have asked for help directly "Hey, Larlo, we need you to time today. Even half the meet would be helpful.", we have tried the 'fine' for not volunteering (they are happy to pay), we have explained the importance of volunteering to keep things running....

Honestly, I am worried about the existence of the team past the next few years when older kids/families age out. I am hoping that the younger families become more invested and step up.

I don’t get this mindset. Why do people care so much? These kids are not going to swim in college.

If they are happy to pay, raise the fine and hire someone.

So you've created yet another volunteer job for the slackers to ignore; volunteer hiring.

Get the pool manager to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you are at a private pool you have money so stop. Most counties have swim teams for under a few hundred. That’s what we do. No waitlist.

There are plenty of people on a tight budget that can afford $800 for a family membership to a pool and swim team dues. Get your hands out of other people’s wallets.

Hell, we would pay more in gas/ mileage + membership fees to get to the county pool every day than we do walking to the private pool in our neighborhood.

Good brag. Anyone on a tight budget isn’t going to a private pool. Be real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I have almost no capacity to volunteer. I work at least six days a week, and am a single parent. My parents help with my kid, but are not interested in taking on volunteer activities for me (totally understandable). If an activity requires volunteering, and is upfront about it, we just take a pass on it. Is it clear at the outset what is expected, so that people can make a similar decision? Or are people armed with the information and just freeloading?

It’s very clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are seeing that it is a lack of commitment. My kids have seen swimming on our summer team for 15y and DH and I have been very involved (stroke and turn, on the board, timing, etc.)

When my kids started, nearly 100% of parents made every effort to get their kids to practice/meets. It was rare to have kids missing at meets. Now we are seeing MANY younger families whose kids *maybe* make 2-3 meets. We have stressed the importance of meets (both on an individual level and as a team.) We have offered rides, brought breakfast items so parents wouldn't have to deal with that, etc with little to no avail. When talking to parents I hear "it was hot", "it was cold", "I didn't sleep well and didn't want to wake up", "it is too much to get the kids out of the house on a Sat AM",

And if they do make it, they sit and watch while others are scrambling. We have asked for help directly "Hey, Larlo, we need you to time today. Even half the meet would be helpful.", we have tried the 'fine' for not volunteering (they are happy to pay), we have explained the importance of volunteering to keep things running....

Honestly, I am worried about the existence of the team past the next few years when older kids/families age out. I am hoping that the younger families become more invested and step up.

I don’t get this mindset. Why do people care so much? These kids are not going to swim in college.

My spouse volunteers and does all the jobs but my teen has other activities, including speciality camps and a lifeguarding job so they aren’t making all the meets. Not everything is about meets. They will not swim in college.

What we find is certain parents hold on to specific jobs and don’t let others do it. Even after kids are no longer on the team they still keep the jobs so other parents give up and don’t try. The bad part is some of them are not even good at it.

Also, years ago there was way more work from home. My spouse could more easily do it work from home, even before Covid but now back in the office with a long commute. No stranger will be driving my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you are at a private pool you have money so stop. Most counties have swim teams for under a few hundred. That’s what we do. No waitlist.

There are plenty of people on a tight budget that can afford $800 for a family membership to a pool and swim team dues. Get your hands out of other people’s wallets.

Hell, we would pay more in gas/ mileage + membership fees to get to the county pool every day than we do walking to the private pool in our neighborhood.

Good brag. Anyone on a tight budget isn’t going to a private pool. Be real.

If your budget is that tight, you’re not going to a public pool either.

But seriously, at 6 round trips per week, 8 weeks a summer, 5 miles each way, $.625 a mile (and more with current gas prices) that’s $300 for the summer. Makes up most of the difference between county pool and neighborhood pool.