When registration opens in April, you will be able to register your swimmers and then sign up for your volunteer shifts online. If you have a strong preference for specific dates or shifts, it is recommended that you complete registration and choose your volunteer shifts as soon as registration opens. Once you start registration, you must complete the process and pay within fifteen minutes, or you will timeout and lose the volunteer shifts that you had chosen. You cannot complete your registration without picking six points’ worth of volunteer points. These are designated on the website as you choose them. Shift times and basic descriptions of jobs are listed at the end of this section.

Please note the following:

• We must “hold” your credit card on file, but we will not charge it unless you miss a shift.
• If you miss a shift, we are obligated to charge a $600 fee to your credit card on file.
• You can choose to “opt out” of volunteer shifts by paying $600 when you check out of registration ($100 for Mudskipper-only families).
• Please consider "specializing" in one type of shift, i.e., all timer shifts, all heating shifts, etc. This helps with running efficient meets.
• You can sign up for only one shift during the Fun Meet.
• If you sign up for the last shift of a meet, you must stay until the end of the meet, even if that is past what your volunteer shift states.
• We have several Alternate shifts per meet. If you sign up for this shift, you must be available to work any job during the shift time. On occasion we may ask you to switch shift times if we are short volunteers in other shifts. Please be flexible, this position is to fill holes in the schedule where there are no volunteers. We could ask you to work early Saturday morning, during the meet, or for cleanup, so you must be open and available for anything if you choose to sign up for an Alternate shift.
• If the only swimmer you have is a Mudskipper, you are required to sign up for one shift during registration. This is a terrific way to get a feel for how volunteer points and shifts work and meet other parents.
• If you don’t want to worry about individual volunteer shifts and would rather have more control, management, and input for our swim team, please consider a board position or an exempt position. You can talk to any board member for more information on different positions and what might be available.
• If you are unable to fulfill one of your shifts, it is your responsibility to find someone to cover that shift.

There are three shifts per meet.

If you are volunteering for a position that is not directly on the pool deck (such as concessions, heating, upkeep), you are always allowed to duck out and get to the pool deck to watch your swimmer in a specific event. Please make sure another volunteer is covering your duties.

We have to estimate the shift times. You are expected to show up on time, even if the meet is running behind schedule. You are expected to stay for your entire shift, even if your swimmer or the age group finishes earlier. If you are volunteering in the final shift of a meet, we need you to stay until the end of the meet, even if that is past the time of your shift. Our swim team runs on volunteers; we need everyone to pull off a meet.

Here are shift times:

Shift 1: 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Shift 2: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Shift 3: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (some meets run later). For all third shifts, you are asked to help with cleanup upon meet completion.

Friday Night Setup: 7:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Meet and Concessions Setup: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Concessions Shift 1: 7:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Concessions Shift 2: 10:30 a.m. to end of meet

Grill: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Post-Meet Cleanup: 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Friday Night Setup: This volunteer (with others) sets up the pool the night before a home meet. Responsibilities include setting up the pool deck by moving furniture, setting up flags and ropes, and setting up tents/canopies. This job requires awkward and heavy lifting!

Saturday AM Meet Setup: This volunteer (with others) makes sure everything is set up and ready to go for a home meet. Responsibilities include putting up flags/ropes, setting up tents/canopies, etc.

Saturday AM Concessions Setup: This volunteer (with others) makes sure everything is set up and ready to go for concessions for a home meet. Responsibilities include setting up the concessions tables.

Saturday AM Food Pick Up: This volunteer picks up any concession items needed from various vendors prior to start of the meet.

Post-Meet Cleanup: This volunteer (with others) cleans up the deck area, empties trash cans, and checks bathrooms. When the meet is finished, this volunteer (with others) puts away all materials from the meet, including tents/canopies, and moves all furniture back to original locations.

Concessions Shift: This volunteer (with others) sells items, assists customers, restocks products as necessary, cleans up the concessions tables, and puts items away. The late shift helps with cleanup after the concessions stand closes.

Grill: This volunteer grills the hamburgers and hotdogs for concessions.

Heating/Clerk of Course Helper Shift: This volunteer (with others) helps to organize the swimmers in the heating area.

Scoring Shift: This volunteer works with the official scorers at the scoring table to manage our new system.

Timing Shift: This volunteer times all swimmers in one lane for the shift. If you sign up for a timing shift at a prelim or championship meet, you must have already timed in a regular-season meet.

Backup Timing Shift: This volunteer times each event so that if any timers have a problem, this volunteer can accurately time the race for that lane. Backup timers must have a working and charged smartphone for the entire shift, as our new system requires timers to use their own devices. If you sign up for a timing shift at a prelim or championship meet, you must have already timed in a regular-season meet.

Rubber Ducky Deputy: This volunteer will be in charge of awarding the winner of each heat with a rubber ducky.

Alternate Shift: This position is utilized to fill any needs we might have in any area surrounding a meet. If you sign up for an Alternate shift, you will work only a single shift for that meet, but you must be available from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. until we know when and where you will be needed.

Social Events (Swimming Under the Stars, End-of-Season Celebration, Root Beer Floats & Mohawks) Shift: This volunteer (with others) helps to set up the cabana area, put up decorations if necessary, run games if necessary, empty trash cans, and clean up the cabana area.

How to sign up for new volunteer shifts:

1. Go to https://sailfish.swimtopia.com/login to login.
2. Click on the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner, and select "My Account." All of your volunteer shifts will appear on your screen, along with your other information. If your shifts total six points, you are good to go! If you have fewer than six points, you will need to go to the next step.
3. Click on "Meets and Events." Click on the heading of this drop down menu, not any of the drop down items. All the events for the remainder of the season will show up on your screen. Those with volunteer openings will have a green "Job Signup" icon. Click on the icon to see the available shifts for that event and sign up.
4. If you want to double-check that you've actually signed up for all your shifts, go back through the "My Account" menu and your new shifts should appear there.