Swim Team Volunteering - it helps if you are nice

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Swim teams are generally run by power hungry swim moms that have nothing else in their lives. Just keep your head low and stay out of their way.

+1. And the ones at our pool also all have their kids in year round swim at the same place. They are only halfway nice to you if your kid is fast and even then its pretty fake. I think it was the very end of our first season or maybe even our second season when some nice mom (not in leadership) showed me where "the ladder" was on the website and explained how things worked. Otherwise no one explained ANYTHING.

WTF is the ladder?

Signed,
Year round swim mom

+1
Never heard of it and we’ve been at it for years.

Pools that are transparent about A meets post times and kids can either move up when they post faster times.

I think this is a term unique to either your team or division.

what makes you think that you are responding to just one person? I'm not one of the PP's but not the first to mention a ladder. Our pool has it. Our kids' friends who swim in the year round with them also compare their positions with each other at their respective pools during their morning club practices. If our pool didn't have one, I'd question how A meet swimmers are selected.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yes - new to swim and am so confused about everything. Would be nice if there was some introductions or something.
Also maybe leave some easy volunteering jobs for the new parents!

All the SAHMs take the easy food jobs at our pool, like serving nachos, bringing soda or ice cream versus working a full B meet. I always thought volunteering should be per child. These families with 3 kids should have to more than I do for my 1 kid.

Managing three kids at a swim meet is kind of hard.

That said, we do both volunteer.

Yep.
In addition to above, the under 8s swim first so they're done with their portion early on and will definitely wander off to be with mom, want food from the snack bar, etc. They're not going to sit with the team for 4 hrs.

If they're all swimming, they should be with their coaches and teammates.

Have you been to a swim meet? They swim for literally 45-60 seconds out of four hours.

So? They’re still supposed to hang in the team area. During Covid parents weren’t even allowed in the building for winter meets. 8 and unders had to go in and manage on their own. It’s good for kids to develop some independence. They don’t need to be hanging all over mom and dad at meets. Unless your children have special needs or behavior challenges they can handle this.

NP. Have you met children before? Some of these kids are 5/6/7. They're not going to hang out with their coaches for four hours when their parents are 6 feet away. Nor do their coaches want to have to be supervising a gigantic herd of little kids. Do you even do summer swim?

Not clueless at all. I’ve been to many many summer and winter swim meets as a swimmer and a parent. Every single team I have been a part of or observed has a team area at meets. If kids are 6 and under sure the parents are nearby and help. But from 7 and up typical kids can handle being in a team area. They have fun with their friends. Parents are at the pool either working or spectating but not sitting with the kids. Organized teams create a system where the older kids help with the 8 and unders to make sure they hear their names being called and get to clerk of course. There is also one or two volunteer slots for parents to work in the team area to supervise and help the coaches round up the kids. It’s really not that hard. I have never seen a meet where kids sit with their parents the entire time. That may be how your team is but it’s not a typical setup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - new to swim and am so confused about everything. Would be nice if there was some introductions or something.
Also maybe leave some easy volunteering jobs for the new parents!

All the SAHMs take the easy food jobs at our pool, like serving nachos, bringing soda or ice cream versus working a full B meet. I always thought volunteering should be per child. These families with 3 kids should have to more than I do for my 1 kid.

Managing three kids at a swim meet is kind of hard.

That said, we do both volunteer.

If they're all swimming, they should be with their coaches and teammates.

Have you been to a swim meet? They swim for literally 45-60 seconds out of four hours.

So? They’re still supposed to hang in the team area. During Covid parents weren’t even allowed in the building for winter meets. 8 and unders had to go in and manage on their own. It’s good for kids to develop some independence. They don’t need to be hanging all over mom and dad at meets. Unless your children have special needs or behavior challenges they can handle this.

NP. Have you met children before? Some of these kids are 5/6/7. They're not going to hang out with their coaches for four hours when their parents are 6 feet away. Nor do their coaches want to have to be supervising a gigantic herd of little kids. Do you even do summer swim?

+1
coaches aren’t babysitters.

what pool lets 5 year olds race? 6 and 7 year olds can absolutely hang out with their teammates in a giant herd. That's part of the fun of summer swim

Um every pool if they can swim across. Saw a three year old once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its the top ten times in each age group per stroke.

This is highly team dependent. At ours its top 4 go in the A heat that counts and the next 4 go in the B heat that doesn't. 9/10 don't go at all. If we are visiting a pool with only 6 lanes its 3/3.

[Anonymous]

The ladder thing changes based on the teams. Some teams publish it, some don't. Some include times, some don't.

Most volunteer coordinators are not playing martyrs. They just want you to show up and do the job. I will gladly step away next year and someone else can take over. My identity has absolutely nothing to do with summer swim, and I could care less about it. I am in the VC role because no one else stepped up to do it.

I think the feedback is valid that new families feel overwhelmed. I certainly did when we started. I joined the Board so I could learn about the team. I recommend that if you want to meet more seasoned parents. I would hope your team would welcome your help. If they don't, I would find a new team. We are always looking for new Board members and parents that want to take on more responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - new to swim and am so confused about everything. Would be nice if there was some introductions or something.
Also maybe leave some easy volunteering jobs for the new parents!

All the SAHMs take the easy food jobs at our pool, like serving nachos, bringing soda or ice cream versus working a full B meet. I always thought volunteering should be per child. These families with 3 kids should have to more than I do for my 1 kid.

Managing three kids at a swim meet is kind of hard.

That said, we do both volunteer.

If they're all swimming, they should be with their coaches and teammates.

Have you been to a swim meet? They swim for literally 45-60 seconds out of four hours.

So? They’re still supposed to hang in the team area. During Covid parents weren’t even allowed in the building for winter meets. 8 and unders had to go in and manage on their own. It’s good for kids to develop some independence. They don’t need to be hanging all over mom and dad at meets. Unless your children have special needs or behavior challenges they can handle this.

NP. Have you met children before? Some of these kids are 5/6/7. They're not going to hang out with their coaches for four hours when their parents are 6 feet away. Nor do their coaches want to have to be supervising a gigantic herd of little kids. Do you even do summer swim?

+1
coaches aren’t babysitters.

what pool lets 5 year olds race? 6 and 7 year olds can absolutely hang out with their teammates in a giant herd. That's part of the fun of summer swim

Um every pool if they can swim across. Saw a three year old once.

Our pool only lets 6 and under swim with permission and permission is only granted if their times will be competitive. Making it across is not an every pool standard for meets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swim teams are generally run by power hungry swim moms that have nothing else in their lives. Just keep your head low and stay out of their way.

+1. And the ones at our pool also all have their kids in year round swim at the same place. They are only halfway nice to you if your kid is fast and even then its pretty fake. I think it was the very end of our first season or maybe even our second season when some nice mom (not in leadership) showed me where "the ladder" was on the website and explained how things worked. Otherwise no one explained ANYTHING.

WTF is the ladder?

Signed,
Year round swim mom

+1
Never heard of it and we’ve been at it for years.

Pools that are transparent about A meets post times and kids can either move up when they post faster times.

I think this is a term unique to either your team or division.

what makes you think that you are responding to just one person? I'm not one of the PP's but not the first to mention a ladder. Our pool has it. Our kids' friends who swim in the year round with them also compare their positions with each other at their respective pools during their morning club practices. If our pool didn't have one, I'd question how A meet swimmers are selected.

No where did I say it was one person. Maryland swim parent here and it’s just not a term used at our pool. They post times and just call them “Times”. Clearly other people also questioned it…no reason to try to pick a fight.

[Anonymous]

The Ladder is the publicly posted times sheet broken out by age/gender/stroke. Its so you know what time you need to be selected for A meets.

What does your summer swim team call the official list of times?

[Anonymous]

New this summer to swim team and have had the opposite experience. Sure - they always need volunteers and it’s our duty really to help. Otherwise the same people over and over have to do everything. But, I’ve found everyone to be very pleasant and welcoming. I usually just sit with my drink and watch my kids swim. Doesn’t need to be social hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm just defending volunteer coordinators here. I work full time, don't even particularly like swimming and just want people to show up and do the job they signed up for. I'm so exhausted from managing my kids, our enormous swim team and my actual job. Sorry I couldn't be there to pay you on the back. Feel free to take over my role and then you all can comment.

Feel free to drop the rope on this one then, because you sound like the exact person that makes new swim families uncomfortable. I’m guessing you like playing martyr though.

Np but I’m guessing you are the type who does nothing and criticizes everything.

Nope, I have a year round swimmer and I am pretty much timing at every meet, summer and club. I get that it takes volunteers to run these meets for the kids so I’m happy to do my part. Our summer swim team parents are much more cliquish and unwelcoming to new families than the club is, and it chills new people from volunteering. When we first started, I learned how things worked from the opposing team’s parents because they were super nice to the newbie volunteer. Whenever I time I’m always happy to help a newbie and make them feel comfortable (people are always nervous about timing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Ladder is the publicly posted times sheet broken out by age/gender/stroke. Its so you know what time you need to be selected for A meets.

What does your summer swim team call the official list of times?

Ours doesn't post since some of the times used from B meets are not "real" times. B meets tend of have officials that don't properly call DQs. So if a kid is not legal and they see it that basically highlight that fake legal time as something not to consider. I have seen it happen. I saw a breaststroke event a kid did butterfly kicks 1/3 of the pool and it didn't get called and was a "legal" time that was far from legal. You can't put that in the ladder it would ruin your seeding. We use A meet times as our main time and try to put in legit B times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - new to swim and am so confused about everything. Would be nice if there was some introductions or something.
Also maybe leave some easy volunteering jobs for the new parents!

All the SAHMs take the easy food jobs at our pool, like serving nachos, bringing soda or ice cream versus working a full B meet. I always thought volunteering should be per child. These families with 3 kids should have to more than I do for my 1 kid.

Managing three kids at a swim meet is kind of hard.

That said, we do both volunteer.

If they're all swimming, they should be with their coaches and teammates.

Have you been to a swim meet? They swim for literally 45-60 seconds out of four hours.

So? They’re still supposed to hang in the team area. During Covid parents weren’t even allowed in the building for winter meets. 8 and unders had to go in and manage on their own. It’s good for kids to develop some independence. They don’t need to be hanging all over mom and dad at meets. Unless your children have special needs or behavior challenges they can handle this.

NP. Have you met children before? Some of these kids are 5/6/7. They're not going to hang out with their coaches for four hours when their parents are 6 feet away. Nor do their coaches want to have to be supervising a gigantic herd of little kids. Do you even do summer swim?

+1
coaches aren’t babysitters.

what pool lets 5 year olds race? 6 and 7 year olds can absolutely hang out with their teammates in a giant herd. That's part of the fun of summer swim

Um every pool if they can swim across. Saw a three year old once.

Our pool only lets 6 and under swim with permission and permission is only granted if their times will be competitive. Making it across is not an every pool standard for meets.

How do they ever get times if they have to be competitive in a B meet? Clearly it’s different everywhere but the pp said “who lets a 5 year old race?” And you’re still in agreement that if they can swim legally and, at your poo, be conpetitive then they can race. The division is 8 & under not 6-8. There are definitely 5 year olds at swim meets that need supervision. Frankly I think expecting to be hands off at age 7-8 for the length of a B meet is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Our team is not like this at all. New parents are given easy jobs because they won't be there the whole meet. They bring food usually so they can check out when their kid is done. Second year or more advanced swimmers usually are the timers. After that you start getting trained or recruited for positions that you might be good at (you work PR, you might run the social media).

But the team makes it enjoyable and really tries to get to learn the parents. We have a large team with only a handful of slackers. I think that the volunteer coordinator does a good job of setting expectations early and also helping to find jobs people like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Ladder is the publicly posted times sheet broken out by age/gender/stroke. Its so you know what time you need to be selected for A meets.

What does your summer swim team call the official list of times?

Ours doesn't post since some of the times used from B meets are not "real" times. B meets tend of have officials that don't properly call DQs. So if a kid is not legal and they see it that basically highlight that fake legal time as something not to consider. I have seen it happen. I saw a breaststroke event a kid did butterfly kicks 1/3 of the pool and it didn't get called and was a "legal" time that was far from legal. You can't put that in the ladder it would ruin your seeding. We use A meet times as our main time and try to put in legit B times.

Is that NVSL? One of the reason that volunteers get burned out is that meets (including B meets) need qualified stroke and turn judges as well as referees and starters and three timers per lane so that the times count. If only A meet times counted, most of the kids at our pool would never get a time or a chance to improve because each age group has way more swimmers than A meets have slots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm just defending volunteer coordinators here. I work full time, don't even particularly like swimming and just want people to show up and do the job they signed up for. I'm so exhausted from managing my kids, our enormous swim team and my actual job. Sorry I couldn't be there to pay you on the back. Feel free to take over my role and then you all can comment.

Feel free to drop the rope on this one then, because you sound like the exact person that makes new swim families uncomfortable. I’m guessing you like playing martyr though.

Np but I’m guessing you are the type who does nothing and criticizes everything.

Nope, I have a year round swimmer and I am pretty much timing at every meet, summer and club. I get that it takes volunteers to run these meets for the kids so I’m happy to do my part. Our summer swim team parents are much more cliquish and unwelcoming to new families than the club is, and it chills new people from volunteering. When we first started, I learned how things worked from the opposing team’s parents because they were super nice to the newbie volunteer. Whenever I time I’m always happy to help a newbie and make them feel comfortable (people are always nervous about timing).

Timing is a very different role from the administrative positions. You show up, time and you’re done. This isn’t really a fair comparison to managing volunteers.
(I’m a person who times too. Would not touch team admin!!)