Volunteering at Swim Meets
Why Volunteer?
Volunteering at a swim meet benefits the entire swimming community. It helps keep the sport running smoothly, lets you stay connected to swimming, and gives you the chance to meet other people who share your passion for the sport.
Swim meets depend on dozens of volunteers — officials, hospitality, setup, administration, and more. Without them, meets simply could not take place. Clubs regularly support one another by supplying volunteers, creating a helpful, win-win arrangement.
Volunteering also helps maintain a positive relationship with Swim Manitoba, which provides us most of our pool space at a discounted rate.
Getting started
Some roles, such as hospitality, require no prior training.
Level 1 officiating positions (Timer and Safety Marshal) only need a free, one-hour online course on the Swim Canada website.
Level 2 (Inspector of Turns and Judge of Stroke) involves about two hours of instructor-led training via Zoom or a similar platform. For other officiating roles, check the Swim Canada website or contact Swim Manitoba at swim.finance@sportmanitoba.ca for training details
How to become a Level 1 Official
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Ask your club’s Volunteer Coordinator or Registrar to register you as an “Official” with Swim Canada.
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Once you receive the automated email from Swim Canada, complete the registration (the process is similar to registering as a swimmer, but this time you register as an Official).
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Complete the Level 1 online training on the Swim Canada website:
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Log in to Swim Canada
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Click Login to LMS
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In the “Login As” drop-down, select Official
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Click Login to LMS
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Select Resources
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Click Official’s Clinics and Quizzes
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Complete the two courses: Introduction to Swimming Officiating and Safety Marshal
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Email Swim Manitoba (swim.finance@sportmanitoba.ca) to confirm you have completed Level 1 online training and request your Yellow Card (actually just a white sheet of paper).
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Once you have the Yellow Card, you are qualified to volunteer as a Timer or Safety Marshal. Prior to the meet, introduce yourself to the referee, and show your Level 1 Yellow Card. At the end of each meet, present your Yellow Card to the Referee for a sign-off. After two sign-offs, you are eligible for Level 2 training.
Level 2 Training
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Email Swim Manitoba (swim.finance@sportmanitoba.ca) stating that you have qualified for Level 2 training and would like to sign up. They will provide further instructions.
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Complete the instructor-led training for Inspector of Turns and Judge of Stroke.
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Obtain your Level 2 Yellow Card from the instructor.
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Volunteer at two swim meet in these roles. Prior to each meet, introduce yourself to the referee, and show your Level 2 Yellow Card. At the end of the meet, present your Yellow Card to the Referee for the sign-off. Note, the sign-off is not guaranteed. They may recommend that you attend another swim meet. For example, there was a case when the referee suggested to do at least one more session as a Turn Official on the bulk head. After two sign-offs, you will be eligible for the next levels training.