So much for easing into the new swim season?!? We have a meet on Saturday. THIS Saturday. And because we really like to challenge ourselves, we are swimming this meet against… ourselves. What this means is that we cannot lean on the other team to provide half the volunteers. Instead, we get to fill all 35-40 volunteer spots. Signups are open on Swimtopia (serpents.swimtopia.com; on the web site, go to the calendar and look for the green Job Signup button; on the app, ‘click on’ Time Trials on the list of upcoming events and look for the Job Signup button towards the bottom of the page).

In a nutshell:

• If you have a swimmer participating in Time Trials (if your swimmer is already practicing, it is highly likely (s)he will be participating in TT), we need one or both parents to sign up to volunteer.
• Any/all training will be provided on site – don’t be afraid to try something new. Again, there is no other team, so any miscues will be made amongst friends. The only jobs that do not fall into this category are Computer Operator (the person in charge of Automation – some experience is required) and Referee (the person in charge of the Officials – another spot where some experience is required**). Everything else if fair game. If in doubt, sign up to be a Timer, which is the traditional ‘entry level’ position.
• SSL hours are available for student volunteers

**Speaking of experience as an Official, we are looking for a few good men and women to become certified officials. What do you mean ‘certified’? Good question. It means you attend a clinic (most are on Zoom) where you listen to some of the swim league bigwigs explain the jobs. There are no tests or pop quizzes. It is non-invasive and non-interactive. You just listen. The only catch is that you have to sign-up in advance and then stay logged on for the duration of the clinic. Attendance = certification.

Stroke & Turn Judge is where most people start. At a meet, the S&T Judge watches the swimmers to make sure they are swimming the proper stroke and that they touch the wall, etc. There is a Zoom clinic for new S&T Judges on Thursday June 5 at 7pm. If you prefer the in-person experience (with swimmers in the water demonstrating the strokes), that clinic is Sunday June 8 at 8am at the Olney Swim Center. For either, sign up here: https://mcsl.org/officials/. Grab a friend and sign up together!

Please know that just because you get certified does not mean that you have to be an official at every meet. Ideally, we have lots of certified officials and everyone takes a couple of turns and that’s it. And we will provide all sorts of additional training to make sure you feel comfortable. Alas, if you do not get certified by attending one of these clinics, you cannot be an official (and I am sad). 

By all means hit ‘reply’ with any questions.