Ladd Park Sharks

Swim Team Parent Meet Jobs: The Ladd Park Sharks Swim Team relies heavily on parental jobs to make swim meets and practices fun and safe for our children. There is a myriad of opportunities described below that help contribute to efficiently running swimming meets.

Some of the positions require certification by the Williamson County Swim League (WCSL), while others require no formal training. The parent job positions are listed below, along with a brief description. Anyone can get certified!

Meet Jobs Positions that require WCSL Certification or Training:

Referee: The role of the Referee is to oversee and manage the swimming meet, ensuring adherence to all the rules established by USA Swim. The Referee should hold WCSL Certification and preferably have experience as a parent of a swim team member. Ladd Park is responsible for providing a qualified referee for all home swim meets. If you are interested in obtaining Referee certification or seeking further information, please reach out to a Swim Board Member. This is a dedicated position for the season and only needs 1 person to fill this role at each home meet. 

Starter:  The Starter collaborates closely with the Referee to successfully execute the swimming meet. It is essential for the Starter to possess prior experience in conducting swim meets to ensure the smooth running of each event. WCSL Certification is a requirement for the Starter role. Ladd Park is responsible for supplying a qualified Starter for all home meets. If you are interested in volunteering as a Starter and would like to gather more information, please approach a Swim Board Member for additional details. This is a dedicated position for the season and only needs 1 person to fill this role at each home meet. 

Stroke and Turn Officials:  Stroke and Turn Officials are required to participate in WCSL training and are responsible for assessing swimmers' adherence to proper form during the events. Positioned at the corners of the pool, these officials closely observe the swimmers' strokes to ensure that each participant is swimming within the rules. It is mandatory for each team to assign two Stroke and Turn Officials for every meet, regardless of whether it is a home or away event. We need only 2 but preferably 4 people at every meet for this role. 

Link for training https://wcsl-officials.thinkific.com/enrollments

Job Positions that require Ladd Park Shark Training Day of the Meet:

Scorekeeper: The Scorekeeper will utilize a provided iPad and operate the Meet Central application that records and documents each event, including the placement and time of every swimmer. This role requires a comprehensive understanding of the Swimming Meet software. Ladd Park Sharks will provide the required training and support to fulfill this responsibility. Individuals interested in serving as Scorekeeper should reach out to a Swim Board Member. The results obtained through Meet Central play a crucial role in managing the Swim Team, as they determine the allocation of ribbons and points to both teams and individual swimmers. This is a dedicated position for the season and only needs 1 person to fill this role at each meet.

Head Timer: It is the responsibility of the Ladd Park Swim Team to supply a Head Timer for all home swim meets. The Head Timer will be in charge of timing each event and will serve as a backup for any timer who encounters difficulties with their timing device. Typically, the Head Timer utilizes a manual stopwatch as a contingency plan in case of software malfunctions. This role only needs 1 person at each home meet. 

Timers: Timers have the crucial responsibility of recording the time for each swimmer in every event. Two timers will be assigned to each swim lane, with one representing each team. To streamline the process, WCSL utilizes an automated Swim Meet app, Swimmingly Timer (Android) version 13.0.0 or Swimmingly (Apple) version 13.0.0.  These apps will automatically record the swimmers' times. Therefore, timers are required to undergo a quick training, only10-minute session conducted before the start of each meet. The Mock Meet serves as an excellent opportunity for timers to gain practical experience. You will also need to have an app installed on your phone ahead of time. The team is required to have a timer for every lane at each meet, both home and away. 

Positions that Do Not Require Formal Training:

Head of Clerk:  The Head of Clerk assumes the role of supervising the Clerk of Course, which serves as the gathering and lineup area for swimmers before each event. This responsibility primarily rests with the home team. The Head of Clerk is responsible for efficiently managing the Clerk of Course, which involves coordinating the preparations for multiple events happening simultaneously. To facilitate smooth operations, the Head of Clerk is assisted by Clerk Assistants and Collectors from each team. These individuals contribute to organizing the swimmers and collaborate with the team Shepherds. Proficiency in remembering names and understanding the flow of a swim meet is highly beneficial in successfully fulfilling this role. It would be preferred to have a dedicated person for the season to fill this role but not necessary. This job only needs 1 person to fill this role at every meet.

Clerk Assistants: The Sharks only need two Assistant Clerks to facilitate the smooth operation of the swim meet. The first Clerk is responsible for receiving swimmers from the team's Collectors and organizing them by lane in the Clerk of Course area. The second Clerk's role is to escort the swimmers for the upcoming event to the poolside and ensure they are positioned correctly in their designated lanes. This role needs to have 2 people however it is helpful to have up to 4. 

Clerk Collector: The Clerk Collector is a valued volunteer who collects swimmers from the Shepherds from the Athlete Village and guides them to the Clerk of Course. In addition to this primary responsibility, the Clerk Collector also assists in the Clerk of Course as needed, ensuring the smooth operation of the swim meet. This role needs to have 2 people however it is helpful to have up to 4.

Collector: The Collector will wait at the end of the pool for each event to complete and escort the group of swimmers back to the team tent. This is primarily for ages 10 and under. Most of the 11 and older swimmers know the flow of the meet. This role is great to have 2 people in. 

Shepherd: This role involves a minimum of two individuals, one designated for boys and another for girls. The shepherds should arrive early, prepared to supervise swimmers as parents drop them off. If there are any absent swimmers, you will need to inform the head coach right away. The shepherds' primary duty is to ensure the safety of the swimmers within their age group, provide team commodore, and keep them prepared for their upcoming events. Throughout the meet, the shepherds are required to remain in the team tent with the swimmers. Equipped with a heat sheet (please print your own), Shepherds will assist in organizing the swimmers in the correct order for the Clerk Collector, facilitating the smooth progression of the meet. This role will need at least 2 people for each age group. The larger groups will need two people. We will want 8 to 14 people for this role. 

Assistant to the Referee: The Assistant to the Referee plays a crucial role in assisting the referee in the smooth operation of the swim meet. Since the referee must remain at the poolside to avoid pausing events, the assistant takes on various tasks and communication responsibilities on behalf of the referee. Positioned near the referee, the assistant assists in observing raised hands from the Stroke and Turn Officials, which serve as indications of disqualifications (DQs) and relays this information to the referee. Furthermore, the assistant acts as a liaison between the referee, scorekeeper, stroke and turn officials, and placement judge, ensuring effective coordination among all parties involved. This job can be done by 1 person. 

Placement Judge: The role of the Placement Judge is to ascertain the precise order of finish for swimmers within each heat. In each swim meet, there are two Placement Judges, one representing the home team and another from the visiting team. It is crucial that all judges reach a consensus on the final rankings of the swimmers at the conclusion of each heat. To aid in this process, judges are provided with a form or heat sheet to document the placements accurately. In the event of a timing error, the expertise and assistance of the Placement Judge become particularly significant in ensuring accurate and fair determinations. This job can be done by 1 person.

Heat Ribbon: The Heat Ribbon holder will position themselves at the finish end of the pool for every race. Their primary responsibility is to present the heat ribbon to the winner of each race. The heat ribbon is exclusively awarded to the swimmer who touches the wall first, signifying their victory. However, in cases where the race is too close to determine a clear winner, it is appropriate to award the ribbon to both swimmers as a gesture of recognition and fairness. This job can be done by 1 person.

Concession Stand: The Ladd Park Sharks will be operating the concessions during home meets. As a member of the concession stand team, you will report to the Concession Coordinator and assist in its smooth operation. Your duties will include handling money, assisting with food preparation and service, as well as setting up and cleaning up the concession stand area. There are a lot of moving parts in the Concession Stand. We would like to have 3 to 5 people helping out here.

Set up and Take Down: We need the assistance of up to 4 or 6 parents to help with the setup and takedown of all the necessary equipment for running a meet. Your help is essential in ensuring a smooth and efficient setup before the meet and an organized pack-up after the meet concludes. You will be reporting to the Meet Logistics Coordinator. 

Golf Car Shuttle Driver (New This Year):

With our exciting new "Athlete Village" taking over the main parking lot, we are utilizing street parking and the Canoe Launch at the north end of Ryecroft Lane for our families. To make things easy on everyone, we are launching a golf cart shuttle service!

• The Job: Act as a neighborhood "taxi" driver! You will drive families from the Canoe Launch parking area down to the pool before the meet, picking up neighbors walking along the way. At the end of the meet, you’ll help ferry tired swimmers and their families back up to their vehicles.
• Requirements: You must bring your own golf cart, be a licensed driver, and have a cheerful, welcoming attitude to kick off the meet right!
• Perks: You get to cruise around, chat with the community, and save the day for parents carrying heavy camp chairs and gear!