Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 13:02     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Tanterra does this. I think it’s around 17 points per family. Feels unfair to families where both parents are working during the summer.


Swim team is not a required activity for children to do. If it doesn’t work for your family, then don’t put your kid in swim team.

FWIW the people that volunteer the most on our team also work. They figure it out.


+1

- Team rep who works full-time in the office and still figures out how to get it all done.

If one more family tells me they were "too busy" to remember to sign kids up for a meet after numerous reminders I will lose my mind and it is only the start of the season.

We also have families complain about how morning practices don't work for them because they work in the office and while I sympathize I also have the believe with most things in life that if it is important to you you will find a way to make it work. We hired a sitter in summers over camps because we wanted our kids to do swim team. Life is about priorities and choices.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 12:58     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:Our is something like 15 hours for a family with 2+ kids, but you can earn hours (in very small increments) for things like bringing ice. There are also some season-long jobs that count as a full complement of volunteer hours for the season, like being the ribbons person or planning one of the social events. We don't find it hard to meet the hours if one parent finds something to do at a meet each week (timing, data table, concessions, etc.), but it seems like they're always pleading for more timers, marshalls, etc. so I think something is off in the overall calculus of how many hours are required per family (or there are people not doing them and not feeling guilty about it). I have no idea what the consequences are for not doing your hours; I think we've always gone a bit over due to picking up some of these unfilled positions along the way.


Oh, and there isn't a buyout - the issue is bodies, not dollars.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 12:56     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Our is something like 15 hours for a family with 2+ kids, but you can earn hours (in very small increments) for things like bringing ice. There are also some season-long jobs that count as a full complement of volunteer hours for the season, like being the ribbons person or planning one of the social events. We don't find it hard to meet the hours if one parent finds something to do at a meet each week (timing, data table, concessions, etc.), but it seems like they're always pleading for more timers, marshalls, etc. so I think something is off in the overall calculus of how many hours are required per family (or there are people not doing them and not feeling guilty about it). I have no idea what the consequences are for not doing your hours; I think we've always gone a bit over due to picking up some of these unfilled positions along the way.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 12:53     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:Our team is thinking of instituting a point system for volunteering and I am trying to understand how this works.

I have two Qs:

For your team, what are the consequences of not earning sufficient volunteer points?

For your team, is there an option to buy out the points - just pay a certain amount per point maybe? I have no judgement on this as an option. Just wondering how it works since it’s part of the proposal for our team for next summer.



We do volunteer sign ups after registration closes but before the season starts. Families are required to commit to their points before meets begin.
Our team isn’t large enough to offer a buy out. We need people doing the meet jobs or we couldn’t have them (or it would be the same group of people doing all the work).
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 12:46     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Our team is thinking of instituting a point system for volunteering and I am trying to understand how this works.

I have two Qs:

For your team, what are the consequences of not earning sufficient volunteer points?

For your team, is there an option to buy out the points - just pay a certain amount per point maybe? I have no judgement on this as an option. Just wondering how it works since it’s part of the proposal for our team for next summer.


Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 12:17     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:Why does anyone have to bring donuts? This is why busy families question the whole volunteer structure.


Because it’s a team breakfast? Sure you could cut this, but it’s something fun that most kids really like, and it’s one of the jobs that always seems to get filled early. The people who sign up to do this aren’t the same people will long/able time at a meet, so it’s not exactly as if having donuts, pancakes, etc. is redirecting resources.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 11:30     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes. Our NVSL pool maps out all the job shifts required to make the season work (e.g., A meet timer, B meet timer, pep rally dinner helper, etc.). Each shift is assigned a point value based on the time commitment. The total number of season volunteer points is then divided by the number of families on the team to determine how many points each family needs to fill. NVSL summer swim is unique in that it’s 100 percent volunteer-run (except for coaches). So, if you join the team, you’re agreeing to help execute the season. Our system is designed distribute the workload as equally as possible among participating families.


NVSL is unique? Which summer league do you think isn’t run by volunteers?

We’re in CSL, and the requirement is 10 hours per family. So, for example, timing 3.5 meets, would fulfill the requirement.

My point is that summer swim is unique. Many other sports are typically run by an entity that manages the team. Summer swim (NVSL, csl, etc) is run by the participants. Didn’t mean to set you off, sorry.


Our manhattan fall soccer and spring baseball leagues were volunteer run as well. Including officiating. It’s not as unusual as you think.

Sure, but you don’t need 18 refs at a baseball game.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 10:58     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes. Our NVSL pool maps out all the job shifts required to make the season work (e.g., A meet timer, B meet timer, pep rally dinner helper, etc.). Each shift is assigned a point value based on the time commitment. The total number of season volunteer points is then divided by the number of families on the team to determine how many points each family needs to fill. NVSL summer swim is unique in that it’s 100 percent volunteer-run (except for coaches). So, if you join the team, you’re agreeing to help execute the season. Our system is designed distribute the workload as equally as possible among participating families.


NVSL is unique? Which summer league do you think isn’t run by volunteers?

We’re in CSL, and the requirement is 10 hours per family. So, for example, timing 3.5 meets, would fulfill the requirement.

My point is that summer swim is unique. Many other sports are typically run by an entity that manages the team. Summer swim (NVSL, csl, etc) is run by the participants. Didn’t mean to set you off, sorry.


Our manhattan fall soccer and spring baseball leagues were volunteer run as well. Including officiating. It’s not as unusual as you think.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 10:50     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
If a team is strapped for volunteers and the membership feels the requirements are excessive,, by all means cut back on the services offered by the swim team to the bare minimum.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 08:46     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:Why does anyone have to bring donuts? This is why busy families question the whole volunteer structure.

Many teams make money from concessions. Swim teams budgets are tight and every little bit helps.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 08:45     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:And do they really need to be filled. Really?

Meet jobs like timing, etc.? Yes, they really do. The leagues mandate the roles required to have a meet that counts. No one is making up deck jobs for the heck of it.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 08:43     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes. Our NVSL pool maps out all the job shifts required to make the season work (e.g., A meet timer, B meet timer, pep rally dinner helper, etc.). Each shift is assigned a point value based on the time commitment. The total number of season volunteer points is then divided by the number of families on the team to determine how many points each family needs to fill. NVSL summer swim is unique in that it’s 100 percent volunteer-run (except for coaches). So, if you join the team, you’re agreeing to help execute the season. Our system is designed distribute the workload as equally as possible among participating families.


NVSL is unique? Which summer league do you think isn’t run by volunteers?

We’re in CSL, and the requirement is 10 hours per family. So, for example, timing 3.5 meets, would fulfill the requirement.

My point is that summer swim is unique. Many other sports are typically run by an entity that manages the team. Summer swim (NVSL, csl, etc) is run by the participants. Didn’t mean to set you off, sorry.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 08:40     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Anonymous wrote:Yes. Our NVSL pool maps out all the job shifts required to make the season work (e.g., A meet timer, B meet timer, pep rally dinner helper, etc.). Each shift is assigned a point value based on the time commitment. The total number of season volunteer points is then divided by the number of families on the team to determine how many points each family needs to fill. NVSL summer swim is unique in that it’s 100 percent volunteer-run (except for coaches). So, if you join the team, you’re agreeing to help execute the season. Our system is designed distribute the workload as equally as possible among participating families.


NVSL is unique? Which summer league do you think isn’t run by volunteers?

We’re in CSL, and the requirement is 10 hours per family. So, for example, timing 3.5 meets, would fulfill the requirement.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 08:37     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
Why does anyone have to bring donuts? This is why busy families question the whole volunteer structure.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2025 08:27     Subject: summer swim volunteer points
And do they really need to be filled. Really?