Supporting Our Club, Building Our Community
Our swim club depends on the support of engaged families and certified officials to operate successful meets and maintain a strong, connected team culture. Your involvement helps ensure high-quality events, fair competition, and an exceptional experience for every swimmer.
Volunteer Commitment
- We rely on volunteers to make our home swim meets possible. See the chart below for the specific session volunteer requirements for each group. While we will need more than those numbers to properly staff our meets, we do rely on the kindness of some very committed volunteers from our club and others going above and beyond, so we highly encourage members to volunteer for more sessions than the minimum.
- Each competitive family is required to complete a minimum number of volunteer sessions per season at KBM meets.
- Volunteers help with home meet operations (timing, hospitality, marshalling), fundraising events, and other club initiatives.
- Can’t commit? Families can opt out by paying a $500 volunteer buy-out before the first meet.
- If the volunteer commitment requirement is not met by our last home meet, families will be charged $100 for each session that is missed and $200 for not achieving officiating requirements
Officials Requirement & Incentives:
Getting Started as an Official
- Officiating helps ensure meets are sanctioned and results are recognized.
- Certification levels influence club eligibility and meet hosting capacity.
- Each family (except those in MM, MM+, JM) must register one member as a Swim Ontario official. Email Cory at officials@swimkingston.ca to get started.
- JD families must be Level 1 Qualified by the end of the year. This includes taking the Introduction to Swimming Officiating Course and the Safety Marshall Clinic (all online).
- Junior families must be Level 1 Certified by the end of the year, which includes two evaluations as a timer.
- Every year after, regardless of swim group, at least one family member must complete an additional clinic and receive two successful evaluations at an additional ‘Advanced’ position.
- Clinics to choose from include:
- Inspector of Turns and Judge of Stroke
- Chief Timekeeper
- Starter
- Administrative Desk
- Chief Recorder/Chief Judge of Electronics
- Meet Manager
- Fee reductions are available for certified officials:
- Level 3: 10% swim fee reduction
- Level 4: 20% swim fee reduction
- Definitions of Qualified and Certified officials can be found here.
- Email Cory at officials@swimkingston.ca for any questions about officiating.
If you’re new to officiating, don’t worry; we’ll help you every step of the way. Training is free and accessible, with many roles starting deck-side at home meets. Please email Cory at officials@swimkingston.ca for all details about becoming an official and moving through the levels.
Exemptions
Partial or full exemptions from volunteer and officiating requirements may be granted for:
- Active board members
- Coaches
- Key volunteer roles (e.g. catering coordinator)
- Significant contributions to club operations (subject to board review)
Want to Get Involved?
We’re always looking for enthusiastic volunteers and new officials. Whether you’re experienced or just curious, we’ll help you find a role that fits.