Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 13:54     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:People who hate the free loaders will love this one.

We were short on timers and marshals for our B meet last night. Team rep sends out an email this morning thanking specific people who "stepped up" to volunteer at the last minute. One person who "stepped up" is a parent on the team who, along with their spouse, NEVER volunteers at meets. Literally some to every meet (A and B) and just watches. I am pretty pissed about this. Had people who were clearly there and available volunteered in the first place the rep would not have had to go around asking for last minute volunteers and someone who steps up when forced doesn't deserve praise.


Lol. Yes there are always the assholes who you can see just watching meets and enjoying concessions.
When they do a job under duress, you do have to praise them like the little kindergartener assholes that they are.

Great job asshole! You did the minimum! Couldn’t have done it without you. 😘
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 13:43     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
People who hate the free loaders will love this one.

We were short on timers and marshals for our B meet last night. Team rep sends out an email this morning thanking specific people who "stepped up" to volunteer at the last minute. One person who "stepped up" is a parent on the team who, along with their spouse, NEVER volunteers at meets. Literally some to every meet (A and B) and just watches. I am pretty pissed about this. Had people who were clearly there and available volunteered in the first place the rep would not have had to go around asking for last minute volunteers and someone who steps up when forced doesn't deserve praise.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 12:37     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:I hate timing- I suspect I have poor reflexes and am always worried about messing it up. Happy to work concessions though.


I love timing! I really do not like S&T - so unhappy when I have to DQ a little kid.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 12:34     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
I am amused that people think paid magical fairies—not parent volunteers—do all the organizing. Do you think your non profit local sports league has paid full time employees for your $100/season fee?
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 12:33     Subject: Re:Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know I would have to volunteer either. I paid my money for my kid to be on the team. Our meets are at night this year and go until gone 9pm. They always ask for timers but I’m hesitant because I don’t want to be stuck there that late. I have to get up for work at 5am so I usually head out when DD is done.


Honest question, does your child participate in any other rec sport?
yes soccer. I sign up to bring snacks once or twice during the season.


No one had brought snacks to soccer in over a year due to Covid.

Also, everyone brings snacks. That's not "volunteering". Who coaches the team? Who is the assistant coach? Who runs the background checks? Who reserves and organizes the field space for practices and games? Who scheduled the refs? Who puts the kids on teams and processes the payments? Who sets up the registration website? Who gets the kids uniforms organized and gets equipment to and back from the coaches?


The rec organization Commissioner does all of that, except coach. Coaches are volunteers.


In every rec league I am familiar with, the commissioners and age group coordinators are also all volunteers.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 12:29     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
I hate timing- I suspect I have poor reflexes and am always worried about messing it up. Happy to work concessions though.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 12:23     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:Never ceases to amaze me how adults continue to find ways to ruin kids activities in the pursuit of “success”. Congratulations on taking the fun out of literally everything.


Do tell what job is ruining summer swim.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 10:58     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:Never ceases to amaze me how adults continue to find ways to ruin kids activities in the pursuit of “success”. Congratulations on taking the fun out of literally everything.


My kids are their teammates are definitely having fun. If yours are not, why not, and how is that related to the need for parent volunteers?
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 10:34     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Never ceases to amaze me how adults continue to find ways to ruin kids activities in the pursuit of “success”. Congratulations on taking the fun out of literally everything.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 10:20     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:Is the problem on your team unique to this summer or is it always like this? I ask because I wonder how many parents are stressed this summer because they need to be back in the office and have been home for well over a year at this point. A lot of swim parents are returning to their "normal" lives and this has created stress volunteering.

Our team requires a substantial volunteer check. We always have 5-10 families that just ask us to cash it. Otherwise, people step up. The meets at the end of the season are painful to find volunteers.


How much is substantial?
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 09:04     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Is the problem on your team unique to this summer or is it always like this? I ask because I wonder how many parents are stressed this summer because they need to be back in the office and have been home for well over a year at this point. A lot of swim parents are returning to their "normal" lives and this has created stress volunteering.

Our team requires a substantial volunteer check. We always have 5-10 families that just ask us to cash it. Otherwise, people step up. The meets at the end of the season are painful to find volunteers.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 08:02     Subject: Re:Freeloading swim team parents suck
Many sports that require volunteers to run have this same issue- parents who don’t contribute their fair share of work. It’s just that each swim meet is so large that the volunteering (or lack of) is so glaring. We can argue all day long whether three timers per lane are needed but if the league says they are, then that’s what must be provided.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 07:43     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
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?


+1. Few sports operate like this. Join those. You will be so much happier.


How do they run the snack bar if they are swimmers? We have over 200 kids and only two coaches that don’t also swim. The jr coaches help w clerk of course. How could the other coaches be S&T judges if they are also coaching! They watch the races so they can help kids w their strokes when they get out.

We have 18 timers, 3 refs, 2 stroke and turn, 1 starter, 1 announcers plus a dozen other more roles… how could the coaches do all this?
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2021 07:20     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When the team says prior to registration that volunteering is mandatory to make swim team work, they don’t mean everyone but YOU.

You suck and I judge you. Don’t give excuses, no one forced you to register your kid.

That’s all.


This is why my kids don’t swim. Congrats on your superiority.


+1


New poster: I don’t get the superiority comment. Facts:

- swim team requires volunteers to run

- every family must volunteer frequently for swim team

- if you elect to sign your kid up and not volunteer, you are shirking your responsibilities AND adding a burden to other adults

- you know upfront that volunteering is required

-registering your kids for swim team is not required

So if knowing all this, you register and fail to volunteer as requested (or hide out waiting to be called on or hoping others fill slots first), that behavior does suck.
Anonymous
Post 07/12/2021 20:45     Subject: Freeloading swim team parents suck
Anonymous wrote:“ Concessions is bloat. Not needed.”

Core to summer swim. Absolutely would riot if my team considered ditching it.

Now for winter swim - yes concessions are optional in my view and I think a max of two timers would be fine given touch pads and plungers. I have loved Covid timing with just one timer for inside pools. Winter swim could also taKe a page from summer swim but breaking up the timing shifts in half - they are SO long and just mind numbing lot boring since I know almost none of the swimmers.

It’s such a part of summer swim. Our home B meets are a paradise of sugar for the kids, and in reality the meets start at 5 and go for hours so the kids (and volunteers) need to eat. I don’t get this whole thread, if you don’t enjoy the quirks of summer swim don’t sign your kid up.