Freeloading swim team parents suck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmm. No one ever told me I was supposed to volunteer at meets. I read all the emails and stay with my daughter through meets and talk to the coaches at the meets and attend some practices. What am I missing?

I don't know a team that doesn't require you to volunteer if kid is swimming. Our team we don't want the parents with the kids at all (kids in team area, parent working) and you don't talk to coaches during meets or practice - you can drop them an email or catch them after.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't have time to read through 19 pages of this nonsense but I judge the volunteer nazis like OP who deliberately try to make people feel bad. Same person who gets into a tizzy when the volunteers' shirt isn't 100% white cotton or if someone makes a mistake when filling out those unnecessary ribbons. SMD, OP.

Riddle me this, how is a single parent with one kid swimming and two others who aren't because they aren't old enough or don't want to but aren't old enough to be at home by themselves supposed to volunteer for 5 effing swim meets, plus all of the other stupid events such as needing volunteers for tie-dying shirts, or for pancake breakfasts or for the rootbeer floats. It's so much bullshine.

Perhaps at registration allow folks to opt out from volunteering for an additionl $50-$100. Then you could hire the additional help needed to do the meets.

For B meets, why not just one or two timers? It's not important at all and if little Johnny is going to swim in 8 meets he doesn't need 24 different time samples for each stroke to figure out if he's good enough for all stars or whatever else.

Summer swim team is not for the person is this situation then.
The social culture -root beer floats and pancake breakfasts and the other stuff you deem billshine - is what makes it fun for the kids. Versus year round swimming which is a grind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think teams need to have more visibility with volunteering both in terms of all the types of jobs and how many volunteer hours it takes to run swim team and the social events, as well as, visibility on who is volunteering. Track hours and make it visible.

I think it is easy to look at who it openly volunteering in visible positions and wonder why so and so never volunteers, when in reality some folks might be doing lot behind the scenes that you don't see (social chair, website management, awards night). Not saying there aren't free loaders, there certainly are but there are also a lot of jobs.

I know on our volunteer sign up you only see spots for marshals, timers and clerk of course. You don't see the spots that require special training (Starter, Ref, RTO, stroke and turn) or the spots that the same people automatically do every week (data entry, awards, head timer, announcer, runner).

I also think work/jobs are a huge excuse. Lots of parents work and still volunteer. We have many duel income families on our team where both parents volunteer a ton. My husband works stroke and turn at every meet and I often volunteer to time. And just because another parent may not work a full-time job doesn't mean it is their duty to give your kid a great summer swim experience.

They would much rather hire summer teens to do those job, that’s the point. Just because your family has excess leisure time, many working parents don’t. I’ll bet most of those “working parents” you are citing have one spouse part time, which is a totally different thing. Or their youngest kid is 12.

This is not the case at all. My husband and I both work full-time as do many parents on our team. Do you really have no leisure time? Do you not have time to attend your kids sporting events? If you can come watch your kids swim on a Monday night or Saturday morning then you can volunteer. Our if you want to pay your sitter do it then go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Superior beings,
If you don't want kids with non-volunteer parents on your swim team, then make it SUPER CLEAR that enrollment is limited to parent volunteer families only. Drop kids whose parent doesn't occupy a volunteer role in the first A or B meet.

I feel like the leagues are shaming me because I can only volunteer part-time. I can't volunteer for every B meet during the season. I can't commit to judge training, like stroke and turn. But I do what I can with the time I have available.

Teams absolutely make it super clear. And give numerous chances to back out. People know and just don’t care. Takers gonna take.

My kid wants to swim, so I sign him up. I have other kids that play other sports, I have elderly parents that I’m the caretaker for, and I have a job. So I don’t volunteer. I offer to write a check for whatever, but I’m not denying my son an opportunity to swim because his grandparents are dying or I have to work. If it comes back to bite me, as previous posters have threatened, than that’s fine with me.

What exactly are we paying for with swim team sign up fees anyway? It’s not cheap. My other son plays little league, and for the $125 sign up fee they get a uniform, paid umpires, and an end of year party budget. For swim team I buy the swimsuits, volunteers run everything, and concession sales pay for social events.

You’re one of the people OP is talking to then.
Swim team is absolutely cheap considering that pools are expensive and it’s a daily activity.
I had a deployed husband and six kids and still could find a way to volunteer. Everybody has a lot going on.

so do you and your spouse/child's father never come to watch your kid swim? if you can watch the meet you can volunteer.

[Anonymous]

If volunteer obligations are not being met - the expectations are too great. Period.

The fact that they aren't too much for some does not mean they are reasonable. If it isn't working, the answer is - it's not working.

[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?

This is dumb.
There is a huge difference between summer swim and year round. Year round you will be at big pools with touch pads and they won’t usually ask for parent volunteers (although they still do some like timing long course). If you want your kid to swim without volunteering, then do year round and be prepared to pay for it. Then you will realize how cheap summer swim is and why they need concessions to finance it. However, most of those kids got started in their summer team. And the Pp you haven’t even covered a plan to have timers or automation covered in your revolt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If volunteer obligations are not being met - the expectations are too great. Period.

The fact that they aren't too much for some does not mean they are reasonable. If it isn't working, the answer is - it's not working.

Highly disagree. There are always moochers. If everyone contributed a reasonable share it wouldn’t be bad, but they don’t. I think that’s the OPs point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

This is dumb.
There is a huge difference between summer swim and year round. Year round you will be at big pools with touch pads and they won’t usually ask for parent volunteers (although they still do some like timing long course). If you want your kid to swim without volunteering, then do year round and be prepared to pay for it. Then you will realize how cheap summer swim is and why they need concessions to finance it. However, most of those kids got started in their summer team. And the Pp you haven’t even covered a plan to have timers or automation covered in your revolt.

We are in PVS and even with touch pads they still need volunteers as back up times. We typically have 2 per lane. Onl y1 this year due to COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

This is dumb.
There is a huge difference between summer swim and year round. Year round you will be at big pools with touch pads and they won’t usually ask for parent volunteers (although they still do some like timing long course). If you want your kid to swim without volunteering, then do year round and be prepared to pay for it. Then you will realize how cheap summer swim is and why they need concessions to finance it. However, most of those kids got started in their summer team. And the Pp you haven’t even covered a plan to have timers or automation covered in your revolt.

We are in PVS and even with touch pads they still need volunteers as back up times. We typically have 2 per lane. Onl y1 this year due to COVID.

I think I mentioned that? However the volunteer timing is a fraction of what is neeeded at summer swim meets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If volunteer obligations are not being met - the expectations are too great. Period.

The fact that they aren't too much for some does not mean they are reasonable. If it isn't working, the answer is - it's not working.

Highly disagree. There are always moochers. If everyone contributed a reasonable share it wouldn’t be bad, but they don’t. I think that’s the OPs point.

I think this can vary by division. I can see lower division pools with small teams and teams with more turnover having a really hard time filling spots even if every single parent volunteers at every meet. I know there was even a call of people trains in stroke and turn or as refs to come help these pools. However, many upper division pools that teams with 100-200 kids and I am assuming these kids have parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I volunteer and coach three other teams in another sport where the parents to jack all to help out, so go ahead and judge me if I don't volunteer to help out the swim team. Eat glass while you're judging me, while you're at it.

Way to spread yourself too thin thin. No one wants to pick up your slack when you do that. It’s not all about you and your kids.

Take another bit of glass.

Well you’re definitely consistent with your a$$holery, I’ll give you that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm. No one ever told me I was supposed to volunteer at meets. I read all the emails and stay with my daughter through meets and talk to the coaches at the meets and attend some practices. What am I missing?

I don't know a team that doesn't require you to volunteer if kid is swimming. Our team we don't want the parents with the kids at all (kids in team area, parent working) and you don't talk to coaches during meets or practice - you can drop them an email or catch them after.

Yup, you identified the nightmare parent. Talking to the coach DURING the meet? Some people have no sense. Our team reps would nip that in the bud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

This is dumb.
There is a huge difference between summer swim and year round. Year round you will be at big pools with touch pads and they won’t usually ask for parent volunteers (although they still do some like timing long course). If you want your kid to swim without volunteering, then do year round and be prepared to pay for it. Then you will realize how cheap summer swim is and why they need concessions to finance it. However, most of those kids got started in their summer team. And the Pp you haven’t even covered a plan to have timers or automation covered in your revolt.

We are in PVS and even with touch pads they still need volunteers as back up times. We typically have 2 per lane. Onl y1 this year due to COVID.

I think I mentioned that? However the volunteer timing is a fraction of what is neeeded at summer swim meets.

Summer meets require 18 timer volunteers. 3 per lane and most pools only have 6 lanes/only 6 lanes on Saturdays with the volunteers split between the 2 pools. Winter swim tends to use more lanes, often 10 so at least 20 timers. But for those meets they don't need parent volunteers for all the other jobs like ref, judges and so forth there are also typically a lot more kids and teams per meet .

[Anonymous]

A little context about why so many volunteers are needed. At our recent B meet, at least 125 participated. (This was based on the number of kids who swam freestyle but could be more.) If they were in classrooms, sure, you could have 4 adult teachers plus a couple of support staff. But moving them through 48 events, getting kids in proper heats and lanes, takes a lot of organization. More if you want the meet to go fairly quickly. And then if you want somewhat-accurate time measurements, more people. (This may not be important to your 7-year-old who is just happy to have gotten across the pool, but it makes more difference for my 15-year-old trying to get into an A meet.)

I'm sympathetic to parents in family and work situations where it is difficult to volunteer, and I'm guessing that many of the volunteer swim team organizers in this area would be, too. Ask them if there are jobs that you can do that work with your schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

This is dumb.
There is a huge difference between summer swim and year round. Year round you will be at big pools with touch pads and they won’t usually ask for parent volunteers (although they still do some like timing long course). If you want your kid to swim without volunteering, then do year round and be prepared to pay for it. Then you will realize how cheap summer swim is and why they need concessions to finance it. However, most of those kids got started in their summer team. And the Pp you haven’t even covered a plan to have timers or automation covered in your revolt.

We are in PVS and even with touch pads they still need volunteers as back up times. We typically have 2 per lane. Onl y1 this year due to COVID.

I think I mentioned that? However the volunteer timing is a fraction of what is neeeded at summer swim meets.

Is there already an app out there for at least passing timing and DQ info from your average Android and iPhone phone to a computer without human intervention? And the meet entries to the phones? That would cut out some volunteers in-loop and it doesn't seem like it would need to be that much more expensive than what summer swim teams already have.