Westover Wild Orcas

Volunteerism is necessary & expected, and we owe much of our success to parent involvement!  Parent interest and reliability are the only qualifications for Parent Volunteers.

Both parents are expected to sign up for volunteer positions when initially registering swimmer(s) for the Wild Orca summer season. At team registration you will be asked to designate 3 preferences for volunteer positions (descriptions found on "Volunteer Roles" tab). Currently, we are only looking at the preferences for leads or specialty positions that need training (Stroke & Turn, DJ, and Computer work). For each meet or volunteer sign up, you may choose any open role that works with your schedule.

When entering your swimmer in a meet, you will be required to choose a volunteer position and designate “early” or “late” session. Volunteer positions are filled on a first-come basis. If your preferred volunteer position has already been filled and you don't choose another shift, then you may be assigned to another position where you are needed. We need all hands on deck to run a successful swim meet!

At the meet, your swimmer will be eligible to swim once he/she is checked-in with the age-group parent & the parent volunteer is checked-in at the Orca Volunteer check-in table, located in the gym.

Explanations about various volunteer roles are listed on the "Volunteer Roles" tab. If you have lingering questions, you can find answers via our Team Manager, Volunteer Coordinator, or a generally friendly volunteer who previously held the position. 

Please be reminded, if you have a child swimming in a meet, you are generally expected to volunteer for at least one shift that meet. For the 2025 season, volunteering will be tracked by points. Each family will be required to fulfill a volunteer point minimum - 18 points for 1 swimmer and 24 points for 2+ swimmers. 1 hour = 1 point. Throughout the season, points can be accumulated at the 7 meets + Mock Meet as well as at outside-of-meet events, such as many of our team spirit events. If a family does not meet the required point total, then a volunteer commitment fee equal to the cost of registration per swimmer(s) will be charged. We will do the best of our ability to work with your family to ensure you meet the requirement; however, it is up to each individual family to actively sign-up and seek out volunteer roles throughout the season. We will have a notebook at the volunteer table to check on your point progress. If any volunteer shifts are missing, it is your responsibility to report that information to the volunteer coordinator.

We understand that sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that may prohibit you from covering a shift. You will need to contact the Orca Volunteer Coordinator and/or Orca Team Manager should this occur and explain the situation. Your child's eligibility to swim a meet is dependent upon your volunteer hours. Should requirements not be met, you may very well find your swimmer(s) ineligible for upcoming meets. We are happy to work through issues with any family, but please understand we cannot make special accommodations for every family of all 200+ swimmers in our pod – this team and our pod depend on every family’s participation!