One thing that makes the pool programs special is that swim meets and water polo matches are big affairs, with concessions, announcers, and up to 500 athletes. A successful summer swim season requires over 1,500 volunteer hours, so there’s no way we could pull these off these events without a ton of volunteers! Not all of the volunteer need is related to the teams, however. Volunteers are also needed for: the start of season set-up, spring cleaning, children’s parties, member BBQs, end of season clean-up, and many other events throughout the summer. When volunteers are not available, the pool manager is required to pay pool staff to complete these tasks.
Beyond the seasonal events, IASC is a non-profit community organization, separate from the HOA, with many of the needs of a small company. If you have particular skills and interests, there are volunteering opportunities in different areas of the club’s operations and leadership.
Volunteering requirements
Most swim club families are obligated to volunteer at club functions during the summer season. Functions include swim meets, water polo matches, social activities, and fundraising. Any unfulfilled volunteering is billed after the summer season at $50 per point. Generally 1 hour of volunteering = 1 point, but some roles earn points at a higher rate.
Volunteer requirements vary by membership type:
- Swim club families with kids on swim or water polo teams: 10 points
- Swim club families without kids on a team: 2 points
- Limited use members: 0 points
Please note that the volunteer points requirement is per family. For example, if Family A has four children who are on both swim and water polo and Family B has one child on swim team, both Family A and Family B are obligated for the same amount of volunteering: 10 points each.
You can sign up for volunteering on iVolunteer. Swim meet volunteering spots are typically published in early May. Water polo volunteering becomes available after school is out for the summer and we know the match schedule. Other spots surface throughout the summer as needs arise.
Leads, professional skills, and leadership
We love working with members who have specific skills and interests. Even if you see a volunteer performing a particular function, you might ask yourself: “Can I help with that?” and “When will that person’s kids age out of the teams?” Depending on the time committed, these roles can meet volunteer requirements for an entire season.
Leads: There are certain functions where lead volunteers manage the effort, often training and leading other volunteers. Examples include:
- Event planners who organize a social function
- Fundraising organizers
- Head swim meet official, who organizes the training and staffing of stroke & turn judges
- Swim meet announcer
- Swim meet timing and scoring operators
- Water polo timing and scoring operators
- Ribbons lead, who trains and organizes ribbons volunteers for every meet
Professional skills: We have a ton of skilled professionals within the membership who can provide services that the swim club would otherwise need to pay for, like:
- Graphic designers for promotional material, merch, and branding
- Attorneys who can help the board with contracts, liability concerns, and general legal consulting
- Construction, facilities management, electrical, and aquatic systems experts
- Technology experts who can help with IT efforts
Leadership/board: IASC is a business entity that is separate from the HOA and managed by the IASC Board of Directors. Each director is elected for a two-year term. This board meets one evening a month all year around to steer the financial, operational, and program needs of the club. Although the board self-organizes into functions like activities, membership, fundraising, concessions, and teams, this is fluid and the board tends to re-organize to suit the interests and expertise of the current board members. If you are inspired by the pool community and want to have a role in making it better, please talk to a current board member to explore becoming one!
