Volunteer Guidelines

All members of Age-Group Swimming are required to participate in the volunteer system, even if they do not compete in meets. Your volunteer service at our meets help offset the cost of monthly training and allows us to host quality meets in our world-class facility. Please read our volunteer requirements, descriptions of the volunteer opportunities and how to determine your volunteer status.

Requirements

In order to meet the volunteer requirement, TXLA members must accrue a certain number of volunteer points each season. The number of volunteer points your family needs to earn is determined by the highest level of training in which your family participates. Find your family’s highest level of training in the chart below to figure out how many volunteer points your family must fulfill each season.

Seasonal Points Table

• Short Course Season (SCY): September – March
• Long Course Season (LCM): April – August

The swimming volunteer seasons run September-March and April-August. Parents must complete the above number of points during each season.

• You can only earn volunteer points by working at TXLA-hosted events. Working at non-TXLA-hosted meets does not count toward the volunteer requirement.
• Families whose children participate in championship meets hosted by Longhorn Aquatics, STAGS, Sectionals, Futures, Junior Nationals, etc., are required to volunteer or provide a volunteer for each day their child swims in that meet, even if the family has already met its point requirements. Failure to comply will result in a $50 fine per day not worked.
• Volunteer points cannot be credited toward another season.
•  Families that join TXLA after fall registration are responsible for fulfilling volunteer requirements on a prorated monthly basis. If a family leaves TXLA during the fiscal year, that family is responsible for paying fees for unfulfilled volunteer points.
• If you do not fulfill your family’s volunteer requirements, you will be billed a fee for each missing point at $15 per point. Missed points for Short Course season are billed in April each year and missed points for Long Course season are billed in August.

Opportunities

Following are descriptions of volunteer positions that may be available at TXLA meets. Find a volunteer position below that suits you and log in to your TeamUnify account to find out what volunteer opportunities are currently available.

• Official
• Head Timer
• Hospitality
• Timer
• SAM's Club Runner
• Ticket Taker (only offered at championship meets)

Official (Stroke &Turn Judge, Starter, Deck Referee)

Must report 45 minutes prior to meet start.

Officials must be trained and certified in the USA Swimming process through South Texas Swimming. This is an exciting way to be involved in meets and thoroughly understand the legalities of swimming, and any TXLA parent who officiates at TXLA swim meets gets volunteer credit.

Important: a TXLA parent-official needs to document these volunteer sessions by also signing up as an official in TeamUnify as well as letting the Meet Referee know your intention to officiate. 

This position requires training and experience.

Hospitality

The main responsibilities of this position include:

• Maintain hospitality area and deliver drinks and a snack to volunteers.
• Serve food to the coaches, officials, and volunteers- ONLY. 
  • Avoid “buffet” service to control serving size and maintain sanitary conditions.
  • Restock food and communicate with the meet director when stock is low.
  • Periodically take drinks & a snack to volunteers who are stationed on deck (timers, directors, computer and console operators). 
  • Wear gloves (provided) and pull long hair back.
  • Keep hospitality clear of all athletes. Athletes are not permitted in hospitality at any point.
  • This position may only be filled by an adult 18 or over.

Head Timer

Must report 15 minutes prior to meet start.

The main responsibilities of this position include:

• Check in each timer as they come to your table and make sure all timers are at the proper end.
• Review the procedures with each timer before the meet starts. (Show them how to use the watch, plunger and time sheet, and tell them how to call for bathroom breaks and relief.)
• Start two additional stopwatches at the beginning of each race as backup to the timers. Trade stopwatches with the timers if there is a missed start on their stopwatch.
• Ask timers to head to the front desk  at the end of the meet to sign out and turn in their credential.
• Collect supplies and forms, and turn in the paperwork and organize the equipment.

Timers

Must report 15 minutes before the meet starts

The main responsibilities of this position include:

• Provide backup to the timing system by timing swimmers in assigned lane using a stop watch and timing system plunger.
• Check in with at the front desk and then the head timer when you arrive on deck.
• For each heat, confirm the athlete’s name listed on the timer/lane sheet, start the watch with the strobe light (not the sound), and stop the watch and plunger when the athlete touches the wall at the finish.
• Record the stopwatch time on the timer/lane sheet.
• At the end of the session sign out & return your credential at the front desk.

Sam's Club Pick-up

Pick up is done prior to the day the meet starts.

The main responsibilities of this position include:

• Once you sign up as the Sam's Club pick-up person, email the meet director the address of the Sam's Club nearest to you.
• An order will be submitted. The meet director will reach out with the day & time the pick up is scheduled and additional instructions. 
• Pick up the order and deliver to the Texas Swim Center. 
• Help upload the order out of your car and load into hospitality. 
• Orders tend to be large (all items are in bulk). You will need a vehicle with a large trunk to fulfill this position. 

Your Status

You can track your family’s volunteer points or sign up for volunteer positions through your online account in TeamUnify or through TeamUnify's OnDeck app.

Tips

Use the following tips to help you get the most out of your volunteering experience and avoid extra fees for unfulfilled volunteer points.

• Look for an email approximately 5 days prior to each meet for information regarding signing up for volunteer spots.
• Families are encouraged to utilize family & friends to help fulfill volunteer points. Volunteers must be over 12 years of age. 
• Members are allowed to volunteer at events even if their athlete is not participating. 
• Choose a position that suits you best and plan on staying for the whole session. Be open to changing positions as we may ask you to fill a different slot if there is critical position with no volunteer.
• Always check in at the front desk when you volunteer and pick up your credential.
• Always check out with the front desk and return your credential.
• Double check your arrival time as all positions vary.
• If you must leave early, arrange a back-up yourself. Points cannot be split, so your arrangements will need to be made outside of the system. (Leaving a position early with no backup will result in lost points.)
• Arriving more than 15 minutes late results in docked volunteer points. (We reserve the right to give away your shift if you are more than 15 minutes late.)