Hurricanes Parent Committee
The Parent Committee is a group of parents with swimmers on the team, just like you. They are responsible for coordinating a fun, safe swim season for everyone. Feel free to reach out to them with questions, comments, or suggestions - or better yet: JOIN THEM! We've divided up the tasks that are completed each season into 9 distinct roles. It's great if we round up 9 parents to take on these roles (it lessens the load for each individual member); but each role isn't THAT big - one person can often assume 2-3 roles below - and ultimately, this is a mighty fine group of parents that works together to get the job done, regardless of specific "roles". Learn more about what/when the Parent Committee works their magic by reading below; and if you want there to be a Hurricanes team this summer - SPEAK UP NOW! Email or call Annie at 210-273-2040 anniebell71@gmail.com
Hurricanes Parent Committee Coordinator: VACANT
Hunters Creek Swim & Racquet Club Liaison: Annie Bell
Lone Star Summer League Liaison: Amanda Sansano
Communications Chair: VACANT
Volunteer Coordinator: Kaidan Nguyen
Hytek/Scoring Chair: Jennifer Erwin and Susie Zhang
Meet Manager: VACANT
Marketing/Promotions Chair: Lourdes Fortepiani
Concessions Coordinator: VACANT
HURRICANES PARENT COMMITTEE COORDINATOR:
The HCST Parent Board Director oversees and facilitates all activities of the swim team and its parent board. He/she serves as the direct supervisor of the coaches and responds to feedback from swimmers’ families, coaches, and the HCST parent board. Communicates with coaches to determine if practices will be cancelled to weather conditions or other outstanding circumstances.
1. Schedules/provides agenda for HCST Parent Board meetings
2.Jan 15 – coordinates annual payment to league for participation.
3.January – conducts search for coaching staff with assistance from parent committee
4.Creates season schedule – registration dates, team parent meeting, practice schedule, mock meet, meet dates, team pictures, end-of-season party, schedule deadlines, etc and communicates applicable dates with HCSRC (to ensure pool/clubhouse availability).
5.Creates contact list of current season’s HCST parent board members
6.Mar – contacts suit vendor to make sure Hurricanes suit is available and/or change suit as necessary. Discusses procedure to pick up/ship suits (or delegates this duty to Marketing/Merchandise Chair)
7.March – schedules first meeting with parent committee to review suit, t-shirt ideas, schedule, fees, coaches, coaches’ pay, etc
8.April 1 –updated Hurricanes website (including registration form) to reflect current season info (schedule, coaches info, refund policy/dates, etc)
9.April: coordinates/communicates coaches’ hours, pay, and expectations
10.April 15 – finalize coaches’ contracts and collect payroll paperwork.
11.April: Schedule parent meeting to orient and answer parent questions.
12.April: coordinate procedures for taking payment at practices
13.Mar/Apr: Seeks team sponsors – collects sponsorship check and sends to coordinator (or HCSRC treasurer and makes sure sponsor’s logo is sent to merch/marketing director)
14.May 1 – along with treasurer, arranges for insurance check to be submitted to the league (check league website or with league liaison for amt and due date)
15.By May 15 – sets up team picture (or delegates a volunteer to do this)
16.May – within 3 days of mock meet – coordinate with coaches the communication with parents of swimmers not able to swim the length of the pool without assistance.
17.June 20 – End-of-season Party Planning
- communicate with coaches about awards – high point, Most Improved, Special Effort, any other “funny” awards and/or recognition – decide medals, plaques, certificate
- order awards
- coordinate/implement end-of-season survey
LSSSL LIAISON:
The league liaison represents HCST at league meetings, held monthly, most months of the year, typically the 2nd Tuesday of the month at Hidden Forest (15522 Partridge Trail, San Antonio, 78232). He/she relays pertinent information between the HCST Parent Board and the LSSSL at the HCST meetings. The coordinator of the HCST Parent Board, in the past, has served as the LSSSL Liaison, but these 2 roles have been divided for some seasons, too.
1. Attends HCST Parent Board meetings
2.Attends monthly, year-round LSSSL meetings
3.April 1 – communicate any changes to insurance fees to treasurer for inclusion on registration form
4.Mar/Apr: Seeks team sponsors – collects sponsorship check and sends to coordinator (or HCSRC treasurer and makes sure sponsor’s logo is sent to merch/marketing director)
5. June 15 – Championships Planning
- Send info to Communications Chair – date of meet, meet start time, arrival time for swimmers, warm up time – info from LSSSL website
- Send info to Volunteer Coordinator – volunteer needs, locations/times for volunteer meetings (meet marshal meeting, timer meeting) – info from LSSSL website
- Send info to coaches: meet entry rules, coaches’ meetings – dates/times, date of meet, meet start time, arrival time, warm up time, warm up lane assignments – all info on LSSSL website
HCSRC LIAISON:
The Hunters Creek Swim and Recreation Club Liaison communicates pertinent information between the team’s “parent organization”, the HCSRC and the HCST Parent Board. He/she attends monthly HCSRC board meetings year-round and HCST Parent Board meetings.
1.Attends HCST Parent Board meetings
2.Attends HCSRC monthly meetings – communicates pertinent information between HCST and HCSRC.
3.Communicates budget/financial info between HCST and HCSRC as appropriate, including swim team fees, coaches pay, swim lesson fees, swim team parent board spending, etc.
4.Coordinates dates of home swim meets, practice schedule, and HCST Parent Board meetings to reserve pool/clubhouse as necessary.
5.Before March 12: submit article for HC Neighborhood Newsletter with info about upcoming season – age eligibility, website link, registration dates, parent board contact info, etc
6.Before April 12: submit article for HC Neighborhood Newsletter with info about upcoming season – practice schedule, home meet dates
7.Place home meet/practice schedule info in glass front cork board by pool office
8.Mar/Apr: Seeks team sponsors – collects sponsorship check and sends to coordinator (or HCSRC treasurer and makes sure sponsor’s logo is sent to merch/marketing director)
TREASURER:
The HCST Parent Board treasurer communicates with the HCSRC treasurer and accountant in most aspects of his/her position while staying within budgetary guidelines. He/she is responsible for all financial transactions for all aspects of swim team (registrations, t-shirts, caps, photos, awards, concessions, championships fees, non-HCSRC member fees) as well as coordinating the reimbursement to HCST parents for approved approved swim team-related expenses and volunteer retainers. He/she also coordinates the payment of the team’s expenses. The treasurer will maintain a spreadsheet to record all income and expenses for the HCST & HCSRC boards. In addition, the treasurer updates the online registration form (with assistance from the coordinator) to reflect the current season’s information/fee schedule and coordinates the paypal account with the HCSRC accountant.
1.Attends HCST Parent Board meetings.
2.Track spending and compare to budget from the HCSRC.
3.March/April: Prepare online registration form
- Coordinate with HCSRC accountant how payment will be made – paypal, check
- Update any changes to previous seasons
- Mar/Apr: Seeks team sponsors – collects sponsorship check and sends to coordinator (or HCSRC treasurer and makes sure sponsor’s logo is sent to merch/marketing director)
- By May 15: reconcile registrations/payment received; email participants that have not paid.
- Mid-may: after “mock meet”, coordinate with HCSRC accountant to provide refund for those swimmers that have registered, but will not be swimming for the current season – arrange for refund minus the administrative fees per policy listed on team website
- By May 30: communicate with HCSRC board – assure that all HCST participants that registered at HCSRC members have paid their membership dues.
8.After each home meet: submit money received from concession stand at each home meet to accountant or HCSRC treasurer.
9.End of June: Coordinate with volunteer coordinator and HCSRC accountant for the reimbursement of volunteer retainers.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR:
All teams in the Lone Star Summer Swim League depend on volunteer commitment to carry out most aspects of each swim meet. The HCST Volunteer Coordinator works with the HCST Parent Board and participating families to assure that each meet has enough volunteers to run smoothly and efficiently. The Volunteer Coordinator uses the HCST website powered by Swimtopia to organize the volunteers for each meet/end-of-season party and other duties, as needed. The website provides a variety of reports with instant access to email/contact info of volunteers to keep the process streamlined and organized.
1. Attends HCST Parent Board meetings
2.March: sets up volunteer sign-up in Swimtopia for 4 dual meets, championship meet, end-of-season party – to be completed for registration around April 1.
3.Before each meet, assures all volunteer-spots are filled and sends a reminder email to all volunteers using Swimtopia
4.The day of each of meet, assures all volunteers are completing their volunteer obligations.
5.At the end of the season, communicates with treasurer regarding which families have/have not completed their volunteer obligation (and therefore will/will not receive their volunteer retainer)
6.Mar/Apr: Seeks team sponsors – collects sponsorship check and sends to coordinator (or HCSRC treasurer and makes sure sponsor’s logo is sent to merch/marketing director)
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR:
The Communications Chair provides direct communication between the team parents and the HCST Parent Board. He/She keeps the team’s website updated with season events, preparation for practices & meets, meet/practice schedules as well as up-to-the-minute happenings when it comes to weather considerations, etc. He/She also is responsible for the maintaining the team’s email account. Swimtopia, which has a user-friendly set-up and prompt/efficient customer service for questions or issues that may arise.
1. Attends HCST Parent Board meetings
2.Receives/responds to emails in the team’s gmail account.
3.March: Along with coordinator removes old dates/info from Swimtopia website; adds new season dates as they become available
- Age eligibility dates
- Mock meet date/“must be able to cross the pool unassisted by ____” date
- Practice schedule, including changes and cancellations
- Meet dates/locations
- End-of-season party date
- Team pictures
- Mar/April – agreed upon date: send email to previous season’s swimmers
- notify of date that registration opens
- inform of the college scholarship offered by the LSSSL.
5.Mar/Apr: Seeks team sponsors – collects sponsorship check and sends to coordinator (or HCSRC treasurer and makes sure sponsor’s logo is sent to merch/marketing director)
6.April 1 (or agreed upon date): open registration on website; email team that registration is open
7.May – Sunday before practice starts:
- email to parents reminding that practice starts tomorrow with specific expectations of swimmers and parents.
- email to seniors about LSSSL college scholarship
- May thru end-of-season
- Update website’s sidebar with schedule updates, upcoming events and news
- Notify team (email and sidebar update) if director/coach has cancelled practice/meet due to weather.
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1 week before each meet
- i.email parents: instruct parents to use website to register swimmers for meet; include registration deadline for each meet
- ii.update website with the same information
- Post heat sheets on website before each meet – post as a file attached to the meet under the Schedule tab; update sidebar indicating where it is posted, email team to inform that heat sheets are posted.
- Post result sheets on website after each meet – email team to inform that results are posted
9.Championships:
- Mid-June – send email with info about championship meet – dates, fees, rules, deadline for registration and payment
- Post final heat sheet with email to parents to inform that it’s posted.
- End-of-season Party:
- Email end-of-season party invitation with party details, dates, times
MEET MANAGER:
The Meet Manager’s main responsibility is to ensure that HCST’s home meets are run smoothly and efficiently. He/she coordinates with HCSRC to schedule a lifeguard to be on duty during warm ups/meet, schedules a certified meet referee, maintains the ribbon box and coordinates with the HCSRC contact to ensure the pool facility is prepared for home meets. In addition, the meet manager communicates with the opposing team to inform them of our pool location, volunteer needs, parking information, where their team will be seated during the meet, meet start time, warm up start time, concession stand offerings, etc.
1.Attends HCST Parent Board Meetings
2.Mar/Apr: Seeks team sponsors – collects sponsorship check and sends to coordinator (or HCSRC treasurer and makes sure sponsor’s logo is sent to merch/marketing director)
3.By April 15:
- count ribbons to assess need for ordering more (72 events per meet, 10 of which are relays x 2 home meets, 1st-6th place – place ribbons for all, heat ribbons for 8&under)
- Assess need to print DQ slips (need 40-50 per meet; if more are needed, the LSSSL DQ slip is downloadable from the LSSSL website)
- Count clipboards/stopwatches/pens/batteries – purchase more if necessary (8-10 clipboards, 12-15 watches, about 15 pens)
By May 1:
- secure referees for home meets (Mike B 210-389-6343; mbertirotti@bwhomes.com; if Mike not available, contact league and/or opposing team for recommendations)
- secure meet starter (Patrick McGurl)
- secure minimum of one HC lifeguard to be present for warm up/duration of home meets
A week before each home meet, contact opposing team (contact info on LSSSL website) and exchange the following info:
- Your name/contact info should questions arise
- Meet entry deadline; email/contact info for Hytek/Meet Entries Chair
- HC pool address, 3630 Hunters Circle, 78230
- HC is 6 lane, 25 m pool with underwater lights for evening meets (outdoor lighting is moderate) Your name/contact info, parent representative and coaches
- Limited seating – visiting teams may want to bring chairs, tent
- Inform visiting team they will be sitting on the side of the pool by the baby pool. Remind them that NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN THE BABY POOL.
- Concessions offerings
- Volunteer requests – contact volunteer coordinator to assess needs for S&T judges, timers, ribbons, scorer’s table, etc
- Request visiting teams to bring their own stopwatches
- Any other equipment the visiting team may be asked to provide
- Remind that parking will be limited and to use caution and consideration when parking on Hunters Circle
- Remind opposing team that no one is allowed in baby pool.
6.A few days before home meets, ask older children, coaches, and other parents to arrive 2 hours before meet to assist in set up
- Print extra heat sheets for visiting team’s officials and volunteers – 6 copies (?)
- Heating area – wooden benches from balcony of club house should be taken down and placed behind lanes
- Line the perimeter of the pool with rope (use metal pool chairs and pvc/cement to secure)
- Close off entrance to diving boards with “caution” tape
- Line the perimeter of the baby pool with “caution” tape or rope.
- Set up several tables in clubhouse for concessions workers and scorers, take out clipboards, pencils, stopwatches
- Hang Hunters Creek Banner
- Rally a group of 4-8 swimmers to sing the National Anthem to start the meet (NOT swimmers entered in events 1-3). Check that meet starter has instrumentation.
7. Upon completion of home meet, coordinate with swimmers and volunteers to return all furniture and equipment to their original locations and that all swim team equipment and supplies are put away, the grounds are cleaned of trash, all trash is taken to the dumpster, the clubhouse is cleaned and returned to pre-meet condition.
CONCESSIONS COORDINATOR:
The Concessions Coordinator works with other parent volunteers to organize and oversee the concession stand at the 2 home meets, including handling the cash box. The concessions coordinator also coordinates the buying/prep/serving of food at the end-of-season party. The position involves the planning, purchasing and/or ordering the food and drinks (for which you’ll be reimbursed), preparing the clubhouse kitchen and balcony for selling, and overseeing the selling of goods, ensuring that tables are clean and appealing and there is a sign advertising the menu and pricing. Concessions Coordinator works with the Treasurer to stock the cash box with necessary change; then supervises cash transactions, counting and transferring all cash to the Treasurer at the end of the meet. The Volunteer Coordinator works closely with the Concessions Coordinator to ensure the concession stand is well-staffed and with the Communications Liaison to send out the SignUp Genius requests to all parents for goods to be donated for home meets (to sell) and the end-of-the-season party. It is also incumbent on the Concessions Coordinator to work within the proposed budget, being mindful that concessions provide a profit to the team.
1.7 days before each home meet: determine what food/supplies need to be ordered. Coordinate with Communications Liaison to send out a sign up fomr to parents to ask for donated items.
2.1 day before or day of the home meet: purchases food/supplies
3.Save receipts and submit to treasurer for reimbursement
4.Oversee set up/clean up of concessions area (clean up includes sweeping/mopping of clubhouse and taking trash to the dumpster)
5.Submit money to treasurer
6.1 week before end-of-season party: assess food needs/begin purchasing items for party – coordinate with Communications Chair to send an email listing what is needed and/or plan for potluck.
7.Day of party: oversee set up/serving of food/clean up of food
HYTEK/MEET ENTRIES/SCORING CHAIR:
The Hytek/Meet Entries/Scoring chair is responsible for maintaining the team’s laptop, and using the league’s software (hytek) to manage swimmer’s entries into each event at each meet, and uses the league’s software to score the the home meets. At “away meets”, the Hytek/meet Entries chair assists the home team’s scorer throughout the meet. team entries for all dual meet as well as scoring the meets.
1.Attends HCST Parent Board meetings
2.Attend Hytek training in May (training dates provided by the league)
3.Manage updates on team laptop
4.Check printer, ink, paper, pencils – alert meet manager to any needs
5.1 wk before each meet
a.coordinate with communications chair the deadline for when parents need to notify (using swimtopia website) coaches, etc if their swimmers will/will not attend the meet.
b.Coordinate with head coach, when home team meet entries must be done
6.2 days before each home meet:
a.receive meet entries from opposing team and home team
b.create swim meet/heats/etc using hytek
c.send completed heat sheet to communications chair for posting
7.Home meets:
a.Arrive early to set up tables, printer, computer, etc
b.score meet using hytek with assistance of opposing team
c.Email final score to the league
8.Away meets:
a.send HCST meet entries to opposing team by their deadline; communicate this deadline with the head coach.
b.Assist opposing team at the scoring table
9. Upon completion of all meets, email the results file to the communications chair for posting.
PROMOTIONS/MARKETING/MERCHANDISE CHAIR:
The Marketing/Merchandise chair is responsible for handling all marketing efforts for the HCST while staying within budgetary guidelines outlined by the HCSRC and HCST Parent Board. The Promotions/Marketing/Merchandise chair, with the help of the parent board and team parents seeks sponsors for our swim team. Upon receiving sponsorship, he/she obtains sponsors’ names/logos to put on team t-shirt, team website, and/or banners to be hung at pool (depending on level of sponsorship). In addition, this board member places signs at the entrances of the neighborhood alerting neighbors to advertise swim team registration (or delegates someone to perform this task). He/she designs the team t-shirt and any other team merchandise (tee, caps, towels), orders them, and distributes them to team members.
1.Attends HCST Parent Board Meetings
2.January-March
a.contact previous year’s sponsors
b.update HCST swimtopia website with “seeking sponsors” tagline
c.create digital/paper flyer to solicit team sponsorships.
d.Distribute flyers to parent board, encouraging them to solicit businesses as team sponsors.
e.Brainstorm other outlets for swim team publicity to encourage registrations (schools, churches, daycare, businesses, newsletters
f.Sponsor logos will appear on website, t-shirts, vinyl signs on pool fence.
3.February (1st organizational meeting): determine updates/changes for:
- Team suit
- Team caps (take inventory of caps in stock, 25-50 sold each season)
- Team t-shirt
- Coaches/parent board/officials t shirt (which ones are free)
- Other custom items (totes, towels, wrist bands, tattoos, visors)
4.March/April – Determine vendors and pricing and present designs and a merchandise plan to parent board for approval.
5.By April 1: Tshirt, towel, cap design finalized
6.By April 15:
- update team website with sponsors’ names and logos
- order banner with current year’s sponsors/logos – allow 2-3 weeks for production
- schedule swimsuit vendor to appear at practice for fitting/sales (if not done by Director)
- Distribute web orders of merchandise
7.April/May:
- hang sponsor banners at the pool
- make final order of tees, towels, caps based on swimtopia’s order report, including extras for those that haven’t registered by this date.
- Take photo of parent board and post on website
- First weeks of May – distribute t-shirts and other merchandise at practices (before first meet)
- At all meets: hang Hurricanes banner
8. At home meets:
- Hang Hurricanes banner
- Display “vintage” and current merchandise for sale, if available
- Prepare written sponsor “thank you’s” for meet starter to announce during the breaks in events
