ELMHURST SWIM TEAM MEET VOLUNTEER POSITIONS Welcome to the new swim season! We’re excited that you have decided to return to Swamp Things or to join us for the first time. It’s an awesome team! We are sure that you and your child(ren) will have a wonderful season improving on their swimming skills, renewing old friendships and making new ones. EST hosts dual meets through the season as well as three larger conference meets. It literally takes an army to run this team, and that is why parent volunteers are so critical to its success. To help match your skills to the needs EST has, below is a list of all the volunteer positions EST needs during the season. Please review the list and identify what type of volunteering works best for you and your family. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the New Parent Liaison, Jessica Gatti at 630-501-1118 or j.gatti@comcast.net; Volunteer Coordinator, Gail Brinkmeier at 630-834-4497 or gailbrinkmeier@hotmail.com to help you determine what is right for you. You may contact any board member with questions as well.
Not only is EST a team for your child, it can become a community for your whole family. Great friendships begin and grow here. So volunteering often gives you a chance to keep up with new friends, allows you to get to know more of the kids on team and gives you an opportunity to create a relationship with your child’s coaches. EST is able to provide so many opportunities for our swimmers to compete because of the generous hours given by family volunteers. If our families did not help out we would have to significantly raise our fees or limit the number of swimmers on EST in order to provide the same program we have all come to love.
EST has set a family minimum requirement for volunteering, but please feel free to volunteer even more if you can. All families are asked to volunteer at TWO dual meets during the season. At one of the dual meets you volunteer at we ask that you volunteer as a Timer. At the other meet you may choose anything you would like. Also each family is required to volunteer at TWO sessions of the ISI meet in December. Lastly, for the families swimming only in the second half of the swim season, each family is asked to volunteer for ONE shift in the conference meet in which your child participates. That’s it…it's simple and fun!
Once the season is underway, if you are unsure if you have met your volunteer commitment, the Volunteer Chair does keep a record of all families’ volunteer hours and can let you know right away.
EST hosts three kinds of meets during the swim season. Below is a general break down by type of meet what volunteer opportunities are available.
Volunteer positions needed to be filled at EVERY dual meet – sign up for positions will be available online a week or two before the meet. Note: Please check in 20 minutes prior to the start of the meet.
Colorado: You are right on the pool deck in the action. Experience working with computers is not necessary. Come learn how to operate the starting system which gives the swimmers their results. The system does take some time to learn so you should start out by shadowing someone who already knows the system. This is a full meet position, meaning a 3-4 hour time commitment.
Computer: Like working with computers, here you will work in pool office and on deck entering the results from each event into the computer for final results. The system does take some time to learn so you should start out shadowing someone who already knows the system. This is a full meet position, meaning a 3-4 hour time commitment.
Concessions: Are you a people person? Have a younger child that you need to keep an eye on? And you will NOT miss seeing your child swim. Try working in the Concession Stand located in the balcony. Concessions are available during the entire meet but helping out only requires a couple of hours. You will be selling foods items, making change, stocking food and supplies, preparing and making items, and setting up or cleaning up the stand area. Concessions volunteers should arrive at time requested, and those working the last shift are expected to stay to clean-up.
Hospitality Area: Help keep energy levels high for the pool deck volunteers. Work in the Hospitality Area located just off pool deck, setting up food and beverages, and supervising the area for the coaches and officials. Throughout the session volunteers provide beverages and snacks to officials, coaches, timers, and other workers on the deck. We try to arrange two volunteers to cover this to split the shift but if only one person volunteers this is a full meet position.
Officials: We never have enough people for this…certified volunteers who officiate during the events. If you are interested in getting trained to be an EST Official, see the EST President for how to get started.
Timers: You may not be competing but this is just as important – and you get a little wet! You get to encourage swimmers as they get ready to race, congratulate them on their finish and be a part of all the action. Work on deck recording the swimmer’s times on a stop watch, clip board and/or stopwatch. Ideally this is a shift position. We need 18 timers at every meet to give volunteers relief halfway through the meet. Once you volunteer here you are hooked! (There is also free pizza at the end of the night!)
Volunteers needed at ISI (December) or Conference Meets (February) -
Admissions: Welcome people to our facility by working at the admissions table collecting money, making change, selling heat sheets and giving information as needed. Admission volunteers must arrive 1 hour prior to warm-ups for both the morning and afternoon sessions. If you have kids with you this is a great spot to help out in.
Awards: Be close to the action without getting wet! Work in the pool office and applies stickers with swimmer information to the back of the appropriate awards. As the races are completed labels are printed. You apply the stickers – it’s that simple. This is work that is done during the meet. If you have kids with you this is a great spot for you.
Bull Pen: Help the kids make sure they don’t miss a race. Bull Pen volunteers stage and seats swimmers in their events according to the event cards. Bull pen volunteers must check-in 30 minutes after start of warm-ups.
Colorado: You are right on the pool deck in the action. Experience working with computers is not necessary. Come learn how to operate the starting system which gives the swimmers their results. The system does take some time to learn so to start you out shadowing someone who already knows the system.
Computer: Like working with computers, here you will work in pool office and on deck entering the results from each event into the computer for final results. The system does take some time to learn so to start you out shadowing someone who already knows the system.
Concessions: Are you a people person? Have other children you need to keep an on? And you will NOT miss your child swim. Try working in the Concession Stand located in the balcony. Concessions are available during the entire meet but helping out only requires a couple of hours. You will be selling foods items, making change, stocking food and supplies.
Heat Awards: Be the person all the swimmers hope to meet. Swimmers placing first in their heat are given a ticket to redeem for a “heat award”. Heat Awards volunteers collect tickets and supervise swimmers as they select heat awards.
Hospitality Room: Help keep energy levels high for the many volunteers throughout the day. Work in the Hospitality Room located just off pool deck, setting up food and beverages, and supervising the area for the coaches and officials. For these bigger meets this room is located off deck and the volunteers come to room for a quick break and to grab something to eat or drink, so if you have other children in tow this is an easy place to have them with you.
Officials: We never have enough people for this…certified volunteers who officiate the events. If you are interested in getting trained to be an EST Official, see the EST President for how to get started.
Security: If you are good at keeping an eye out and an ear open, we need your help here. Work in all areas (hallways, deck balcony, locker rooms, and holding area) that are used for the meet, making sure that swimmers are acting in an appropriate manner. Security volunteers also keep swimmers and others out of unauthorized areas.
Swimmers’ Room: This room is a frenzy of activity. This area is where swimmers wait for events to be called before going to the bull pen area, usually located somewhere outside of, but near the pool. Swimmer’s Room volunteers call the events and supervise the swimmers behavior. In some cases, one of the volunteers may escort the swimmers to the bullpen area. If you have other children with you this can be an area they can stay with you.
Timers: You may not be competing but this is just as important – and you get a little wet! You get to encourage swimmers as they get ready to race, congratulate them on their finish and be a part of all the action. Work on deck recording the swimmer’s times on a stop watch, clip board and/or stop button. Ideally this is a shift position.
Volunteer Check-In: Not sure where you want to be…work at the Volunteer Check-In table. You get to see many EST family members by signing in volunteers and making name tags. And once everyone for that shift is checked in you can take a walk and check to see where assistance may be needed.
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