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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Oh yeah and some of the paid coaches at our pool aren’t year round swimmers, but like PP said they’ve been plugged in for years and their parents pretty much run the pool.

I just wish I’d learned this up front instead of getting our hopes up. [/quote]

With all due respect, this is how life works in general right?  The people who show up and give their time are going to be plugged in and have built the community to get the perks and benefits.  You don't show up at the 11th hour and have that happen.  There are things for the kids that are 100 percent merit-based, but no a community and volunteer-driven activity is not going to be it.[/quote]

Obviously it’s fully reasonable and good to expect volunteering and commitment during participation, and we have been doing our part since we were able to join. But no, I don’t think having to be plugged into something for years, in this case more due to parents’ decisions, resources, and connections is “how life works in general”, and where that might be true in some places, I don’t see that as positive in this day and age that is supposed to be more inclusive.  That is why this is all new to me.

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I mean swimming is all run by parent volunteers, who do you think has a responsibility to make it "inclusive" for you? We are a do the bare minimum volunteer family, but I don't begrudge the more connected parents whose kids have an "in".  Those parents spend a TON of time making swim team happen - you can hardly expect them to invest all that time in order to give your kids the prime opportunities? [/quote]

[b]Maybe what I begrudge is the pretense that it is anything different. [/b]It is not my kids’ fault that we didn’t have the resources to make this happen when they were younger. But I can’t think of any other activity we ever joined where we saw kids effectively shut out from meaningful volunteer opportunities their peers were able to participate in. Perhaps that’s partly the nature of the activity but it feels toxic here on the outside.[/quote]
I don’t understand what “pretense” you mean? Was this represented to you differently when you joined? [/quote]

Yes. Yes it was.[/quote]
Who represented that and what exactly did they say that led you to believe that there were unlimited junior coaching positions?
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Now you are putting words in my mouth. I was merely led to believe that it would be easy for my kids to get involved (volunteering) but it seems that door is also closing. [/quote]

Volunteering is extremely easy in almost any organization that has need.  Choosing exactly what kind of work you will _do_ as a volunteer is where the going gets considerably tougher.  The organization has openings in certain ways and certain places.  If you want to help them, you have to do what they need, not what you want.  So yes, it probably was and is very easy for you and your DCs to volunteer with the summer swim team.  But if what they need is meet cleanup and what you want to do is junior coach, there is going to be a mismatch (although I can hardly think of any tasks in which our coaches don't participate).  If your DCs want experience mentoring and supervising, why don't they volunteer to help at the team social events?  There is _always_ room for people to serve potluck breakfast, set up tables, clean up trash, help with arts and crafts, deejay music, plan games for 4th of July pool parties, etc., etc., etc.  The more your DCs are seen pitching in and getting along well with folks, the more likely their offer to help and support the clerk of course at B meets, or serve as runners, will be welcomed, and then they can start to get to know the little kids as swimmers.  It takes time, OP, because as PPs have said the ability of the older kids to mentor is enhanced by their familiarity and longevity, and you can't recreate that with club cut times.[/quote]

That’s all fine and good, as far as adult volunteering where there are a number of jobs and slots that need to be filled, and all I need to do is sign up, show up, and cheerfully do what I committed to doing. It seems like it’s a lot easier for parents than teens to get involved.

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Are you OP?[/quote]

Yes.[/quote]

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