Aqua Club Swim Team Volunteer Service Policy

Last updated: April 2023

Purpose

A successful summer swim team requires an enormous amount of volunteer effort to ensure a meaningful team experience and fun season. To ensure our coaching staff can focus their time on coaching our swimmers, swim team families are required to volunteer for various duties and roles which are critical to the execution of events and activities that make up a successful swim team season. Those events and activities include, but are not limited to, swim meets (home and away) and swim team social activities (e.g. the pancake breakfast, tie-dye party, annual banquet, etc.). Family participation is required for a successful season and essential to foster a shared sense of community. Additionally, the cost of swim team participation could potentially increase if we can’t fill necessary roles with volunteers.

Policy

To ensure adequate staffing of all jobs and equity of effort among swim team families, all non-exempt swim team families must complete the following minimum, annual volunteer hour requirements as a condition of their children’s participation on the swim team:

  • Families with one (1) swimmer:             8 hours of volunteer service*
  • Families with two (2) or more swimmers:     12 hours of volunteer service*
  • *Families with ONLY 8 & under swimmers:    5 hours of volunteer service

Volunteer hours must be completed during the course of the summer swim season between mid-May when workouts begin, and early August when the post-season ends. We will endeavor to provide a variety of volunteer opportunities so that swim team families have choices and flexibility over the course of the swim team season.

Families that have not completed the minimum number of annual service hours by the final post-season swim meet will be charged $50 per hour for any remaining unworked hours. Invoices will be issued on or before August 31st and payment will be due net 30 days. These fees shall be considered delinquent if more than 30 days past due and will be subject to Aqua Club’s late payment policy (see website for more details).

Families must have fulfilled the season’s service hour commitment or have paid in full any amount owed plus late fees by September 30 (the end of the Aqua Club fiscal year) to be eligible to participate on the following year’s swim team.

Exceptions to this policy in extraordinary circumstances will be determined by the Aqua Club Board of Directors on a case-by-case basis. Families requesting an exception must submit their request in writing via email to swimming@aquaclub.org no later than June 1 of the current swim team season.

Exemptions

Some families are exempt from the service hour commitment because they serve the club and team in other ways that require a substantial commitment of unpaid time. Exempt families include:

  • Swim team coaches:  While they are paid for their services during the summer swim season, they volunteer significant time outside of the season to organize and prepare the team.
  • Swim meet officials:  There are several swim meet jobs that are preassigned for the entire season because they require special training and time commitment outside of swim team events.  These include meet Starter, Stroke & Turn Judge, Announcer, Timing System & Computer Operator, and Computer Data Entry.
  • Pool manager:  Among other duties, the pool manager ensures the pool is staffed with lifeguards that are required to operate the pool and the swim meets.
  • Board members:  Aqua Club board members volunteer significant time to the club and the team throughout the year to govern and manage the facility for everyone’s use, including swim team.

Accounting

Service hours will be tracked via the Aqua Club TeamUnify website job signups at https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?team=recacwa. Volunteers must sign up for jobs through this system for hours to be eligible for credit and must verify that they did their job(s) by initialing the printed job signup sheets available at each event. Unverified service hours will not be credited and it is each volunteer’s responsibility to ensure their hours are verified. Invoices for unfulfilled service hours will be mailed to each swim team family in late August, payable by check to Aqua Club.

No Shows

If you sign up for a job and are unable to do it, it is your responsibility to find a replacement before the meet begins. You will not receive credit for those hours.

Age Requirement

All volunteers must be a minimum age of twelve (12). Age requirements for specialty jobs may differ.

Acknowledgment

Swim team families will be required to acknowledge (via signature) the volunteer policy and requirements at the time of registration.

Policy Updates

The Aqua Club Swim Team Volunteer Service Policy is subject to change and will be reevaluated regularly to determine if any updates are required. Notice will be given at least 30 days prior to any changes taking effect.