Cedar Park Typhoons

The Cedar Park Typhoons is a parent run non-profit organization. It would not be possible to hold swim meet without all parents doing their part. Your help and support are required throughout the season.

Why do we need parent positions/volunteers?

We are members of a summer swim league. While we do charge a registration fee, we are a non-profit organization. Our fees are only intended to cover the cost of equipment and coaches salaries. The board members are also volunteers and do not gain any profit from the registration fees. For parents who are new to the sport, you will soon learn that it takes a large sum of parents to run a swim meet. And every position is critical to the function of the meet!

What are our policies regarding parent positions?

We require one volunteer from each family to sign up for a position. If a family chooses not to volunteer for a position, which you can do, then your swimmers can still participate at practice, but will not be eligible to compete at the meets. Please understand, we are not trying to be mean, we just don’t have the funds to hire extra help for the meets. This is the only way, without charging a much larger registration fee, we can participate in the Northwest Swim Circuit meets.

How is this policy enforced?

At the time of meet check-in. Our volunteer coordinator will be checking in swimmers and volunteers. If there is no volunteer to check in with the swimmer, then the swimmer cannot be checked in to the meet. *Please note that every volunteer is expected to stay for their entire shift (or find their own coverage and make sure it’s been approved by volunteer coordinator). *If* a volunteer duty is not fulfilled, the family will be suspended for the following meet as it is not fair to the families who come and do their shift AND cover the for the no show/late arrival/early leaving volunteer. *Please see above, no volunteer, no swim. 

How does the volunteer system work?

Early in the season, we will open volunteer registration. We have a great number of
positions available. You get to select a position on a first come, first serve basis. The position you choose will be yours for this season. However, sometimes we find out that all of our timers are out of town for vacation, you may be asked to work as a timer rather than a tent Parent for that meet. We all have to be flexible and work together in order for the meets to finish on time.

Why do the Typhoons not allow changing positions at every meet?

Our home meets are held at Milburn Pool in Cedar Park. This pool opens to the public at 1pm! Our meets have to be complete and cleaned up by the time the pool opens. With such a rigid deadline, we need each volunteer to be an expert in their position. We pride ourselves in running a smooth meet and finishing well within our schedule. If our volunteers float between different positions, we lose time to training at every meet. Also, it is a courtesy to our host when we are at away meets.

What about the other team?

When we are at a meet, all teams attending bring volunteers. Each team provides
timers, scorers, tent Parents, data checkers, judges, etc. The number of parent positions is roughly split between the two teams. This also ensures fairness as we have checks an balances in place to prevent favoritism toward one team or another.

As we are a parent run organization parents are required to participate in running both home and away swim meets. Don't worry, you'll still be able to watch your kids swim their events. These parent positions are often referred to as "volunteer" positions. Description of positions parents are required to fill are below. 

Announcer Starter 

Calls swimmers to the ready benches and starting blocks, announces events and heats, directs timers and makes other announcements over the PA system. Notifies the swimmers of the distance, stroke and event.  May also call out other announcements during the course of all home meets. (Experience necessary) 

Stroke Judges 

Determine if the swimmers are performing the strokes and turns of each event correctly. (Experience helpful, but training is provided and training attendance is mandatory) 

Timers 

Use stop watches to record the time it takes a swimmer to swim an event. Three timers are assigned to each lane and all three times are recorded on the swimmer's event card. 

Runners 

Pick up event cards from timers and DQ slips from judges and deliver them to the scoring table. The job title is very descriptive. Runners should have good tennis shoes that work well on wet, slippery surfaces. 

Scoring 

Match and attach DQ slips to event cards, determine official time from the three times recorded on the card, mark official time on the event card and alphabetize cards. 

Ribbons 

Attach ribbon labels to appropriate place ribbons and file swimmer ribbons in family boxes.   

Ready Bench Team Parents 

Assist in seating the swimmers for the correct heat and lanes and get them to the starting blocks on time. 

Age Group Tent Parents 

Assume responsibility of keeping track of swimmers in a certain age group while the kids aren't swimming and for getting them to the ready bench for their events. 

Computer Representative Table

Main duties include developing the meet database before the meet, loading all the swimmers on the day of the meet and generating meet results throughout the meet.  Apprenticeship available if anyone is interested to become familiar with duties and expectations.

Meet Setup/Takedown 

Responsible for setting up and taking down the equipment used at meets: tents, lane lines, backstroke flags, false start rope, ready benches, etc. 

Concessions 

Operate the concession stand and deliver refreshments to the swim meet workers (this is for home meets only).

Swimmer Exit Gate

Get Swimmers to leave the pool the correct way after their events and stopping other people from entering the pool through that gate

Swimmer Entrance Gate

Hold swimmers at the gate until the ready bench calls for them. Make sure all swimmers are present and in line.