The success of the Merriam Dolphins Team relies on parent volunteers in order to provide the best program possible for our athletes. Assistance helps the Dolphins maintain an enthusiastic and efficiently managed team. By participating in this service program, parents have the opportunity to meet other families, team members, and show an active support of your athlete’s efforts. Your participation is crucial for this team to succeed. To ensure the responsibilities of these tasks are evenly divided, all families are required to participate in the volunteer program.

Volunteer Coordinator
The role of the Merriam Dolphin Swim and Dive Team Volunteer Coordinator is to facilitate organization, communication, and cooperation among the parent / guardian group to assist in providing a high-quality summer youth recreational swim and dive program. For more information or if interested in the Volunteer position, please contact the Aquatic Supervisor.

1. Parents will be asked during practices to choose a volunteer task listed below to help with at home meets. They may also be called upon to assist with away meets to ensure all meets run smoothly.

2. Volunteer positions will be filled on a first-come first serve basis by coordinating with the Coaches and Volunteer Coordinator.

3. If there are vacancies the day prior to the event, the Volunteer Coordinator may reserve the right to assign and e-mail positions to families not already committed. An e-mail acknowledgement will be requested followed by a phone call if necessary.

4. If a volunteer cannot fulfill their assignment commitment, the VOLUNTEER MUST inform the Volunteer Coordinator and find a replacement.

Pit Boss (2 people for EACH MEET) These volunteers sit with the athletes and assists them in knowing when their events are. They help get them to the Clerk of the Course in a timely manner and provide supervision in the designated team area. It is important that the Pit Boss is encouraging and helpful to athletes.

Awards (unlimited) On Friday morning following a meet, parents are needed to prepare and place ribbons in the athlete’s folders.

Runner (2 – 4 people) This is for anyone that would be willing to act as a gopher at the swim meets. This would entail running the “swim cards” from the timer to the computer operator.

Timers (16 – 24 people) Lane timers are needed at every swim meet to help time the athletes in individual lanes. Two timers per lane are needed for every home meet.

Head Timer (1 person) Coordinates timers and gives directions at timer meeting before the meet. Assures all timers are ready prior to the start of each heat. Reports to the starter that timers are ready to begin the race.

Computer System Operator – Responsible for entering times or disqualifications for each swimmer in each heat. This person should be detail orientated as they ensure that times and disqualifications are correctly entered for simmers, enters last minute swimmers, prints Heat Sheets for officials, and prints out ribbon labels to be put on the awards.

Stroke and Turn Judge (2 people) Responsible for how athletes are performing their strokes and turns during a swim. This judge is responsible for disqualifying swimmers on the basis of incorrect stroke or turn. The league offers a clinic for anyone interested in judging. Dates for this clinic will be available at a later time.

Starter (1 person) This person starts each heat of the event.

Announcer (1 person) This person announces events and event winners throughout the meet.

Clerk of the Course (1 person) Athletes check in with this person and are lined up behind starting blocks.