Got Timers? Will Work for Perks!

Last updated on November 14th, 2022 at 11:27 am

In need of more timers at swim meets — especially at large, higher-level meets? You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Consider offering incentives, or “perks” for being a timer. They can

  • Motivate people who otherwise would not have participated
  • Provide a tangible “thank you”, and
  • Build goodwill

Goodwill is invaluable to volunteer-dependent organizations like swim teams and other swim meet hosts.  Although offering and distributing perks can increase the overall workload and cost, applying the principles below will cut the strain on meet leaders — and the meet budget.

This post is the seventh in a series showcasing principles of recruiting and retaining volunteers which features 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers and Other Volunteers

Planning for Perks

When planning, try to think about the “who, what, why, where, when, and how.” As you work to find answers to these, and other questions, the factors you need to consider surface and get worked through. Listed below are some factors to consider when planning for perks.  Small or local meets do not usually offer perks to timers or other volunteer meet workers because of the cost and extra effort.  However, large championship-type meets can convert spectators into timers or other meet workers by offering perks with souvenir appeal.

The sections below each cover an aspect of perk planning. Examples from the 2016 Western Zone Age Group Championship Meet (2016WZAG) show one type of perks plan in action.

Who will receive them?

Who will be receiving perks? Will people who share a similar amount of time, training, or effort to help the meet run be treated fairly? To build goodwill, it’s important that the perk distribution be fair.  Look at the overall picture.  For example, it would be unwise to give timers “the world” and leave others like officials, admin help, meet marshals, hospitality, the announcer, or others feeling slighted.

2016WZAG Example

To promote fairness, the swim meet director and volunteer coordinator grouped meet workers by position and then determined perks by the group.  Although not exact, the groups roughly fell into these categories.

  • Day workers (Those who worked one shift, or more, but were not specifically recruited to work the entire eight-session meet)
  • Officials
  • Meet Leadership
    • Meet planning committee members
    • Others in zone, facility or meet leadership positions, and
    • Those specifically recruited to work the entire meet.

 What to Offer?

What to offer and how to pay are closely related.  Donations and the meet budget directly affect perk choices.

Only the budget and your imagination limit what to offer. Most choose to order something. Ideas include a custom meet shirt, pin, key chain, souvenir deck credential with lanyard, or water bottle. Generic forms of these items could also be offered.

While recruiting volunteers for the 2016 Western Zone Age Group Championships, it became clear that another kind of perk was motivating. Many students need proof of community service hours for various reasons.  A letter certifying volunteer hours worked at the swim meet is a great, almost free, perk to offer.

Letter Certifying Service Hours Worked

2016WZAG Example

  • Day workers, and a few others, received a custom meet T-shirt once they worked two sessions. A custom meet pin was offered to those who worked four sessions.Swim Meet Perks: Custom Meet T-ShirtSwim Meet Perks: Custom Meet Pin
  • Officials received a white, custom meet collared shirt. Those who applied in advance received one in the size they ordered.  Others received shirts on a first-come, first-served, basis until the shirts were gone.
  • Meet planning committee members received a blue custom meet collared shirt and a meet pin
  • Officials and meet leadership received a souvenir deck credential, lanyard, and a meet pin
  • Meet leadership members received other perks on a case-by-case basis

How to Pay?

A meet host will not continue to run swim meets if it is not financially sustainable.  Therefore, it is important to figure out how to pay for perks. Below are two options.

Meet Proceeds

First, prepare a sound preliminary budget for the swim meet.  If profitable, ask the meet host if some of the meet proceeds can pay for perks, incentives or thank you’s for the volunteer meet workers. Perks are usually much less expensive than paying temporary help, and they build goodwill. Additionally, by drawing volunteers from the meet host organization, or local community, the host gets to “keep the benefit.”

Donations

Is it possible to get corporate, or other donors, to cover the cost? Consider the nature of your volunteers.  What business(es) might like the opportunity to put their brand in front of them?

How will the perks be distributed?

This is an easy one to overlook or over simply.  Although planning and pre-meet prep for perk(s) distribution take time, you’ll be glad you did them once the meet kicks into gear. When making your plan, consider when, where and from whom eligible meet workers will receive their perk(s). How will the distributor(s) know the person is eligible? Where will it be recorded that the volunteer received their perk? How will the volunteer know when and where to go to receive their perk?

2016WZAG Example

  • Officials Shirts
    • Officials who signed up in advance:  Officials included their shirt size on the pre-meet application they filled out. These requested shirts, and some extras, were ordered, received, and marked with the name of the official who had applied. All shirts were given to the Team Lead Chief Judge for distribution.
    • Officials who did not sign up, but showed up at the meet: Chief Judges distributed leftover, unmarked shirts on a first-come, first-served basis
  • Souvenir Deck Credentials and Lanyards: Distributed upon check-in (See 2016WZAG Meet Plan pp 126-129 for check-in details)
  • Volunteer “Release the Raptor” T-Shirts: The meet announcement guaranteed volunteers who signed up by a given pre-meet deadline, and worked at least two sessions of the meet, a custom meet T-shirt in the size they requested. An online sign-up was used so people could sign-up to work the meet in advance. Volunteers included their shirt sizes when signing up online. These requested shirts, and others, were ordered. Meanwhile, the volunteer coordinator created a list with the names of the volunteers who signed up by the deadline and their shirt sizes. Upon receipt, the volunteer coordinator set aside the number of reserved shirts according to size. The people working at the meet volunteer table distributed the shirts after verifying the person requesting the shirt was eligible to receive one.  They had the volunteer check-in lists from each session so could easily verify who had worked.  They also had the list of those who had signed up to work at least two sessions by the deadline. The person was then marked off this list when given the shirt. Those who did not sign up in advance received a shirt upon working two sessions of the meet, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Why Use Perks?

Of course, the primary reason a meet host offers perks is to increase the number of people who are willing to serve as timers or other meet workers. It is very challenging to get enough volunteers to run a swim meet. So, it is important to use many ways to influence others to step up and help. Offering perks is one of many available options for motivating volunteerism. (See other posts in this series for more.) Offering perks will not influence everyone to volunteer, but it may sway some who otherwise would not have participated.

I do not recommend offering perks at every swim meet.  However, souvenir-type perks seem effective at getting traveling spectators out of the stands and into meet-worker positions. This is especially true at larger, regional, championship meets. Often this type of meet stretches local meet hosts beyond their volunteer capacity.  As a result, it is helpful to have practical ways to draw spectators from the stands and onto the deck to help.

Encourage multiple sessions

Get the best return on the money, time, and effort spent on perks.  Set it up to encourage people to sign-up early for multiple sessions. This strategy not only increases the number of filled timer slots but also encourages early sign-up. Early sign-ups give needed information to key meet leaders.  Lastly, by using an online sign-up that requires an email address, pre-meet communication between the meet host and the volunteer can occur.

2016WZAG Example
  • Meet announcement guaranteed volunteers who signed up by a given pre-meet deadline, and worked at least two sessions of the meet, a T-shirt in the size they requested. Volunteers left their requested shirt size in the online sign-up when signing up to work the meet.
  • Volunteers who worked four sessions received a meet pin.
  • Partway through the swim meet, some asked us if they could work two more sessions to get another T-shirt. Since we had ordered enough to cover our volunteer needs according to the perks plan, we happily gave them another shirt for more work.
    • NOTE:  Although this happened in multiple cases, it’s also important to note that by the fourth and last day of the meet, the volunteer coordinator was up in the stands basically begging people to help.  Although these, and other methods discussed in this series, greatly helped, there are still some realities we just deal with as meet leadership.

HOW will people find out about them?

Of course, to effectively motivate people to help, potential volunteers need to know about the perk(s). If only a few people are aware of them, why spend money, time, and effort?

Pre-Meet

Widely publicize perk(s) before the swim meet begins. Use the meet announcement, pre-meet emails or other communication, an online sign-up, and the host team or meet website. Details on using these methods of pre-meet communication are found in “Got Timers?  Ways to Recruit Volunteers Before a Swim Meet.”

2016WZAG Example

At the Meet

Give announcements about perks and how to sign-up to volunteer

If using T-shirts, encourage the meet leadership to wear theirs on the first day of the swim meet and invite people to sign-up as timers so they can get one too.

Summary

Swim meets need volunteers. Meet hosts need to know and use many ways to encourage volunteer participation. If used correctly, offering perks can not only encourage more participation but can also build goodwill.  Goodwill is essential to volunteer-dependent organizations like swim teams and other meet hosts. Offering and distributing perks does increase the workload and cost of hosting a swim meet.  However, detailed planning like that shared in this post can cut the strain on key leaders and the financial cost too. Smart planning can also increase the effectiveness of the perk at motivating people to volunteer.  In fact, if the perks are desirable enough, people may even seek to work at your meet!


Preparing for a swim meet? Check out The Ultimate Swim Meet To-Do List. Then, get a bird’s eye view of Who does What at Swim Meets. Both include easy-to-follow links to related information. Doing a smaller, simpler meet? Host a High School or Developmental Swim Meet will help.

Need more help? See 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers and Officials: 20+ Ways to Get them for Swim Meets


Also, discover a few things you can do to Increase Safety at Swim Meets. Find ideas to implement before your meet as well as last-minute quick and easy tips!

Title Image Licensing Links: “Honey” by Bilal Kamoon is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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