Fairfax Police
Youth Club

Volunteer Info

Volunteer Information

Depending on the season, there is team requirement that each family must help to work at one (XC) or two (Track and Field) of our meets. We try to make the meets run smoothly, and we need your help to do so.  Sign-up lists are handled electronically at a trusted website (no distribution of names or solicitation or patronage) and access information is provided only to registered families. Spots are filled first-come, first-served. Each of the possible dates has its own array of assignments.  None of the jobs require any experience, athletic ability, or knowledge of cross country or track and field.  A list summarizing each job is available.  Hereafter we will refer to helpers as "parents" but they can be responsible (at least teenage) siblings, aunts or uncles, grandparents, or any other adult close to the family (nannies, etc.)

Failure to sign up for meets may prohibit runners from picking up awards, getting team t-shirts and magnets, or recognition at the team end-of-season banquet.

The sign up process contains two simple but important steps:

  1. Choose the one or two meets that best fit your family schedule, then choose an available job you would like for each of those dates (if a meet is completely filled, you must resort to a back-up choice). 
  2. Show up and do your job the best you can.

Brief Description of Jobs

(Link to more detailed descriptions)

JOBS FOR BOTH FALL CROSS COUNTRY AND SPRING TRACK AND FIELD

General (assigned as needed): flexibility to fill in and be assigned to any job.

Equipment hauling / Set-up: Someone with a large vehicle agrees to pick up team equipment at the FPYC Clubhouse and storage facility (Providence Park) and haul it over to the meet location prior to the meet start. Expectation is to unload it and assist with set-up. Equipment includes tables, tents, chairs, cones, signs, etc. Responsibilities end when the equipment is set up, but if help is needed there is hope that the person would agree to pitch in. A coach will meet volunteers at the clubhouse for access and assistance.

Registration / Numbers: Distributes individual numbers to FPYC athletes as well as assist with questions about numbers from coaches/athletes from visiting teams.

Starting line / Heats: Groups the runners into manageable heat sizes by age and/or gender. Keeps sprint events moving by keeping as many lanes occupied as possible, within reason. Co-ordinates with the finish line group when the starter is ready for the next heat.

Finish Line / Timing: Operates stopwatch to time race finishers in an assigned lane and organizes finishers on the track or in the chute.

Finish line organizer and recorder: records finishers and respective times from the timers. Co-ordinates with the starting line group when timers are ready for the next heat.

Results / On-site data entry: Enters information from the results sheets into the computer. Formats results for ribbon label print-outs.

Awards: Disseminates printed ribbon labels and attaches them to the respective appropriate ribbon. Sorts ribbons by event or team.

Clean up and equipment hauling: someone with a large vehicle agrees to pack up team equipment after a meet and transport it from Fairfax HS to the FPYC Clubhouse and storage facility (Providence Park) after the meet concludes. Expectation is to load it equipment, haul it, and unload it. Equipment includes tables, tents, chairs, cones, signs, etc. A coach will meet volunteers at the clubhouse for access and assistance.

Post-meet off-site data entry: takes results from home and away meets and enters them into our cumulative team spreadsheet database. Results may be provided in varying formats (Word, Excel, or PDF). About a 3-hour commitment, on your time, but the hope is that these would usually be completed within 36 hours of receipt (usually a day or two after the meet).

JOBS UNIQUE TO FALL CROSS COUNTRY

Course set-up & Parking/Traffic: sets up course and helps direct cars where they should and should not park.

Shirt distribution / sales: helps distribute and sell shirts for race participants.

Course marshall: stands at a strategic part on the course to ensure runners go in the correct direction

JOBS UNIQUE TO SPRING TRACK AND FIELD

Starter: issues pre-race commands and sounds starting horn.

Long jump group: organizes the waiting jumpers, determines the current jumper, marks where the jumper lands, measures the distance of the jump, and records the distance on the score sheet.

Shot put group: organizes the waiting throwers, determines the current thrower, marks where the implement lands, measures the distance of the throw, and records the distance on the score sheet.

Turbo javelin group: organizes the waiting throwers, determines the current thrower, marks where the implement lands, measures the distance of the throw, and records the distance on the score sheet.

Results runner: Continually takes results sheets from the finish line and field event locations to the results and data entry group.