Woodmont Wahoos,

We are excited about the upcoming swim team season! This email is all about required volunteer trainings for returning swim team families. Believe it or not, JRAC trainings start tomorrow! This is earlier than usual so please sign up ASAP. We apologize for the urgency - we just recently received the finalized schedule from JRAC ourselves. If you already know which training you want to do, please jump down to the “Volunteer Training Sign-Up” info below or go straight to the sign-up here. 

If you are unsure of which training to do, read on…

“Why do I have to do a JRAC training? Can’t I just continue being a timer?”

Many of the volunteer positions during swim meets require training that is conducted by our league, James River Aquatic Club (JRAC). These positions are integral to making meets happen so we require every returning family to send at least one parent to a training. Last season, only 50% of our returning families completed this requirement. Without trained volunteers we can not run meets, so this year we need 100% of returning families to send at least one adult to training. Trained jobs do not require more time than untrained jobs; they just require a one-hour JRAC training. After completing a training, if you don’t feel quite ready to jump into that job, you can shadow other volunteers at the first swim meets until you feel comfortable doing that job on your own (and you get points for shadowing!). There are positions for all kinds of experience, personalities, skills, and strengths. We’ve included basic descriptions of the trained positions below, but feel free to reach out to us if you have more questions.

JRAC Trained Positions

Sign up for JRAC training here

• Strokes and Turns Judge (four of these needed at every meet, home and away): These are the people who walk around the pool with clipboards. They closely watch races to ensure fairness & "legal" strokes. They need to know the rules (two hand touch, types of kicks, where the body has to be oriented when the feet leave the wall after a turn, etc.). The training will clarify the rules, but it really helps if you were a swimmer yourself and understand basic stroke technique. This job gives you the best seat in the house for watching the races.
• Referee (one of these needed at every home meet): This person settles any judging disputes, helps make the call on postponements due to storms, and sort of oversees the Strokes and Turns Judges. This is a job for the whole meet. It is great for people with Strokes & Turns experience and people who are comfortable being the decision maker. In addition to Referee training, Referees must also attend a Strokes & Turns training.
• Clerk of Course (at least two of these needed at every home meet): These folks organize the heats and lane assignments for each event according to league rules. This requires organizational skills and attention to detail. And you get to sit under a tent! Note that Clerk of Course only has an in-person training this year. If you are available and willing, please consider this training, as we will definitely need some more trained Clerk of Course folks!
• Computer/Head Table (two needed at every home meet): These people work as part of a team to generate race & overall meet results. They work upstairs in the A/C for all home meets. Basically you get the swim times and have to organize them and enter them into the computer to figure out how the swimmers placed for each event. Don’t worry - you can step out to cheer on your swimmer for their events. You must be available one hour prior to start of meet and stay until the results are all tabulated. Good organizational skills and attention to detail are helpful.
• Starter (at least one needed at every home meet): This is the person who pushes the buzzer to start each race. You will assess readiness at the blocks and signal the start of each heat. This means that you make sure the swimmers are in the right position and say “swimmers, take your mark!” So you need to be comfortable “on stage” talking into a mic.
• Head Timer (at least two of these needed at every home meet): This person organizes the timers by lane & provides backup timing to cover lane timer errors.

Critical Untrained Positions

These positions are critical to running swim meets, but do not require JRAC training. Volunteers who commit to these roles are exempt from JRAC training. If you would like to learn one of these roles instead of attending a JRAC training, please sign up here. 

You will be trained by shadowing the current volunteers during swim meets (and earn points for it!)

• Volunteer Coordination Team: This team works together to coordinate volunteer training and manage swim team volunteer sign-ups. Organizational skills and attention to detail are helpful.
• Hospitality Lead: This person coordinates hospitality at home meets (purchasing, prep, set-up, sales, clean-up, and managing hospitality volunteers).
• Set-up Lead: This is the person in charge of meet set up. This is a physical job – you are moving tables and chairs to set up the pool deck for the meet. You have to know where everything is stored and how to set up for the meet. You have helpers and you tell them what to do.
• Announcer: This person gets to hang out upstairs in the AC and mc the event! Must be an extroverted person who is comfortable with public speaking, is flexible and resourceful, and has a good sense of humor.
• Head Runner: This person oversees the runners, who take the timing slips from the timers and deliver them to the head table. Must be comfortable on your feet. This is a great chance to get your steps in!
• Banquet Coordinator: Plan the annual end-of-season Swim & Dive Banquet (catering, payment, volunteers, set-up, clean-up).

Volunteer Training Sign-Up

JRAC Training Sign-Up

Critical Untrained Positions Sign-Up

Most JRAC trainings are offered both in-person and Virtual via Zoom so you can choose which option you prefer on the SignupGenius. If you are choosing a Virtual via Zoom training, please ALSO register with JRAC to get the Zoom link in addition to signing up on the WRA SignupGenius. The JRAC Zoom registration links can be found in the SignupGenius slots. Clerk of Course only has an in-person training this year. If you are available and willing, please consider this training, as we will definitely need some more trained Clerk of Course folks!

Online Asynchronous Training

• This JRAC training option is available to anyone who has completed three or more consecutive seasons as a Strokes and Turns Judge or a Starter. If you think you are eligible for this option you can confirm with Erin.
• This is the ONLY option available for Head Timer training.

• You will watch videos and must pass an online quiz with an 80%.

• Online asynchronous training will be available on the JRAC web site. Please let Erin know if you are planning to do this, and when you have completed the quiz.

If you are unsure of which position might be the best fit for you or have any questions at all about volunteering, please feel free to contact Erin Lowery ([email protected]) with your questions. If you haven’t yet registered for Swim & Dive Team, you can do that here!

Thank you!

Volunteer Coordination Team

(Erin Lowery, Jenny Reeves, & looking for one more member to join our team!)