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.

OK, I'm the 2nd vol coordinator above with 2 dc. Mine were all over me at meets and who cares? In time they get comfortable and hang more with friends. this isn't a winter meet PP! This is fun relaxed summer swim. Of course you encourage to stay in team area, but at a B meet with lots of young kids? They come to their parents.

At an A meet, mine came over periodically when young to chat or say hi.

It is attitudes like this that make people wary of summer swim. Everyone doesn't have a year round swimmer! The rules/expectations aren't and shouldn't be the same. RELAX

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sincerely if you have this type of attitude, don’t do it. Someone else will.

+1

I have met so many volunteers like you over the years who sincerely believe if they don’t do it, no one will.
it’s not actually true but the person’s identity is wrapped up in being “needed” that they can’t let stop.

Yes someone else will do it if you don’t. And if no one does? Than the truth is it just didn’t matter to enough people and it doesn’t need to be done. I think that’s even harder to deal with - understanding that what you did as a volunteer really didn’t matter to anyone but you and yes you did waste your own time.

I'm a volunteer coordinator, and there are definitely crazy swim parents.

Op, you're not like this, but I will say, that I have a lot of people who show up late and then get defensive when I gently let them know the report time was x (because I've been covering for them) Or they tell me they're not stupid and they don't need me to explain it to them - Or they sign up for an extra slot to cover no shows or sick people and they are so upset with me when I find them sitting with friends and tell them, yes they have to time that night. (because they thought they'd get the credit with no work)

I try very hard to be welcoming. My kids are decent swimmers and swim at A meets, but not the superstars. I think joining swim team can be overwhelming for kids and parents, but can be a lot of fun.

But hopefully that was one bad experience with a parent, and it isn't all like that for you. Our team has some nuts(and all do), but also some great people. Hope you find yours.

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.

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.

Sincerely if you have this type of attitude, don’t do it. Someone else will.

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.

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.

This isn’t the vibe at our team either. We assign each new family a mentor family to welcome and show the ropes, kids get big/little buddies that help families in different age groups get to know each other, and everyone is quick to help people learn new jobs. As others have said, swim team is how I got to meet other families in our neighborhood, including those with teenagers who welcomed me when my kids were barely making it across the pool, and people with younger kids now. I’m in awe of our parent reps. They’re a little intense (I think it takes an intense type to do as much as they do) but are good people who do a ton to build a great program.

So Sad- My days of being a swim team parent are over, but I work full-time and I made all of my "mom" friends in the neighborhood working at swim meets when my kids were little. They were welcoming and fun. The older kids were so nice to my boys, and that is how I found most of my babysitters. Miss those days.

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.

That would never happen at our pool.