Sports

Swim meet volunteer sign-up

A meet does not start until the lanes have timers. That job is easy to explain and easy to leave blank if the sign-up is a blurry photo of a clipboard.

Why the group text fails

Parents arrive ready to watch their swimmer and get handed a stopwatch because the morning shift was never filled. A link sent on Monday prevents that conversation.

What the sheet should do

• Timers can be one slot per lane, capacity 1 or 2 depending on your meet rules.
• Hospitality is separate so food doesn’t get confused with officiating.
• You export the list for the meet director.

Tips from running this kind of sheet

1. Say how wet timers get, and that they can leave after their shift if the meet is long.
2. Add a “I’m certified as a stroke and turn judge” note only if you need it. Don’t make every parent decode official titles.
3. Heat sheets change. The volunteer sheet doesn’t need every heat — it needs the shift.
4. Remind timers the evening before. Morning-of emails are too late for a 7 a.m. warmup.

Starter slots

Timers get a short briefing at 7:40. You can bring a chair. Hospitality is in the lobby, not on deck. The button below copies these into a new sheet you can edit before anyone sees it.

• Timer, lanes 1–2

  Through the morning session

  2 people

• Timer, lanes 3–4

  Through the morning session

  2 people

• Timer, lanes 5–6

  Through the morning session

  2 people

• Runner for the officials

  Relays paperwork

  2 people

• Hospitality for officials

  Coffee at 7:00, lunch at 11:30

  3 people

Questions