VASRA Volunteer Positions

INSTRUCTIONS

Volunteers for all Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA) regatta jobs MUST sign in at the VASRA volunteer desk near headquarters one hour before the shift start time. An exception to early sign-in applies if the job begins at 6:00 a.m. or earlier.  The second shift start time will be the break.  The time of the break varies based on the number of entries and events.  The break will be clearly marked on the heat sheets available on the VASRA Web Site. On regatta days, changes to the schedule will only be broadcast on twitter.  If you don’t wish to open a twitter account, the VASRA twitter feeds are broadcast on the VARA website.

At the building past Regatta headquarters (¾ down the hill opposite the boathouses), on the right-hand side of the road, you will find the volunteer coordinator tent.  There are large signs identifying the location. All volunteers are expected to sign the attendance sheet and insurance waiver.  You will then be instructed as to where to report.  It is possible that you may be reassigned to another job. 

At the Charlie Butt Regatta, volunteers sign-in on the 2nd floor of the Thompson Boat House.

VASRA understands that you are there to watch your child row; you may ask to be temporarily released from your duties to watch your child race.  Please work with the local organizing committee (LOC) lead at your position (the Volunteer Coordinator if you don’t know who that is). Please return to finish your shift.

Your school will be penalized (fined, not allowed to participate in future regattas)  if you don’t fulfill your volunteer requirement.

DRESS

Most of the volunteer jobs are located outside.  Anticipate inclement weather and wear layered clothing (the temperature can change as much as 20 degrees) and a hat.  Gloves are also recommended.  Please wear an outer layer of waterproof clothing if rain is in the forecast.  Even the jobs in the HQ building and the Finish Line Building will expose you to the cold weather.  Additional items may be listed for specific jobs.

You may wear school colors with the exception of red at certain VASRA jobs.  If you have a Job that is  on or near the water (including the Start Platform and the Finish Line), you are asked not to wear red.  Red is used by the referees to indicate danger or that a race has stopped – wearing red on or near the water, may confuse the athletes  and cause them to stop.rowing.

PARKING

Volunteers are allowed to park at Sandy Run for Free.  It is advised that you review the schedule and note what days are using block scheduling, advance boats, and other restrictions and volunteer for the regattas and times your child will be rowing at.  It is common for rowers to move between boats/events during the season – your club may be willing to work with you to move your volunteer slot to accommodate the change.

VASRA WORKDAYS

VASRA holds work days in the fall to maintain the Sandy Run facilities and prepare the headquarters and outer sheds for winter, and in the spring to get everything up and ready for racing.  Additional work days are scheduled after the race season is complete to put away course equipment and to ready the facility for summer.  Workday shifts and anticipated duties are announced on the Key Dates document on the VASRA Website

Course Set-up Helpers – EARLY SPRING

  • SET UP LAND:
    • Location: Sandy Run facility for spring regattas
    • Activities: 
      • Cleaning and re-arranging equipment in the storage shed
      • Checking cables and buoys
      • Other house-keeping jobs assigned by the VASRA coordinator.
      • You may be required to do some heavy lifting
    • Please wear old clothes and gloves.
  • SET UP WATER:
    • Location: Sandy Run Facility for spring regattas
    • Activities:
      • Installing anchors, buoy lines, and spreader cables
      • Positioning the tower and platform near the starting line.
    • You will be outside and on the water most of the time, so please wear layered and waterproof clothing.  A hat and gloves are highly recommended, and you may want to consider a change of clothing in case you get very wet.

Course Take-Down – Conclusion of Season

  • Duties:
    • Help store the regatta equipment
    • Help Remove the buoy lines, cables and anchors
    • Help re-position the starting tower and the starting platform near regatta headquarters
  • Heavy lifting might be involved
  • Work will be on both the land and water

Announcer

Finish Line:

  • Location: Occoquan and Potomac at the judge’s stand at the finish line of the racecourse – near the Finish Line Judge
  • Duties:
    • Announce the official results of each event as they are provided to you
    • Make other miscellaneous announcements as directed by the Finish Line Judge, the Coordinator, or the Regatta Director.
    • Finish Line staff are expected to refrain from cheering and sharing results until they have been certified by the Chief Judge at Finish.

Headquarters (HQ):

  • Location: Inside Regatta HQ 
  • Duties:
    • Announce on PA system from HQ:
      • Call(s) for the launching of shells in each event
      • Event number and the names of the crews participating.
    • Make other announcements as directed by the Headquarters Coordinator or the Regatta Director.

Awards Assistant

  • Location: Inside Regatta HQ
  • Duties:
    • Work with the HQ Coordinator as they obtain results of specific races
    • Organize labeled award ribbons by 1st, 2nd, 3rd places for presentation
    • Record the distribution of awards
    • Prepare for awards pickup by Coaches.

Communications

  • Location: Potomac Only
  • Dress: Bring Work Gloves

Setup:

  • Assist the Communications coordinator
  • Setting up the communications equipment at HQ and the finish line,
  • Includes stringing wire, fastening and securing speakers, etc.

Take Down:

  • Assist the Communications Coordinator in striking the communications equipment, at headquarters and the finish line
  • Collect and spool sound wire
  • Remove and repackage speakers, PA system components, etc.

Concessions

  • Location: Boathouse/Grandstands
  • Morning Shift:
    • Set up concession stand supplies
    • Prepare and sell food or T-shirts as assigned by the Concession Manager.
  • Afternoon Shift:
    • Cleaning up the area and putting the supplies away
    • Put away the tables, grills, coffeepots and any other equipment
  • T-Shirts::
    • Separate moneybox, so please do not mix this money with that from food sales
    • Count left over shirts and turn in that count with the money

Crossover Marshall

  • Location:  Posted on the roadway that the Van drives from Parking Lot C to the finish line  at the bottom of the hill where the road is especially narrow.   
  • Duties:
    • This is an important safety job that ensures pedestrians do not walk in the roadway
    • PARK AUTHORITIES do not allow pedestrians to walk on the roadway. The road and trail are separated by a rope, and the Crossover Marshall’s job is to ensure that pedestrians stay on the reservoir side of the rope (and stay off the paved road)

Dock Master Assistant

  • Location: Occoquan and Potomac
    • Occoquan:
      • Launch Dock – 1st road to the right as you are walking down the hill across from the boathouses (before you get to the Concession stand)
      • Recovery Dock – Dock at the bottom of the hill
    • Potomac
  • Duties:
    • Helps the Dock master make sure that the crews are checked in, launched, and landed safely, and at the correct times
    • Keep docks clear of unnecessary gear
    • Help wash the docks prior to start of regatta
    • Take messages to HQ for the dock master.

Launch Drivers

  • Pre-requisites: Requires prior launch driver training
  • Location: Occoquan and Potomac
  • Personal Flotation Devices must be worn at all times while on the water. PFDs are available in the River Rat’s shed located behind the volunteer’s sign-in tent)
  • Please do not wear red clothing

Marshall:

  • You will be assigned to a Regatta Marshal (usually a Judge/Referee) as their launch driver.
  • You are under their control
  • Hand signals will most likely be used. The referee will familiarize you with them before the event. 

Referee/Judge:

  • Requires significant experience driving launches in addition to the launch driver training. These drivers must be approved by a coach prior to driving Referees
  • You will be assigned to a Regatta Judge/Referee as their launch driver. 
  • You are under their control.
  • Hand signals might be used.
  • The Judge/Referee will be standing in the boat while following races – it is critical that these drivers have experience or practice driving a launch with someone standing.

Safety:

  •  During the regatta, you will keep a keen eye on the course and attempt to keep powerboats, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, etc. out of the way of a race. 
  • Sometimes you will need to pick up large pieces of flotsam and jetsam that are in the shells’ way. 
  • You must particularly keep a keen eye on rowers warming up upstream and for any shells that may have capsized. 

Dam Guard:

  • You will patrol the lower reservoir (near the dam) to ensure the safety of the rowers and to prevent the shells from venturing too near to the dam.
  • YOU MUST BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE FIRST SHELL ARRIVES AT THE START.  

Set-Up

  • Before the regatta you will be assigned to move racecourse equipment, facilities, and people up and down the racecourse.
  • You will have a helper

Shuttle:

  • During the regatta you will be assigned to transport officials, coaches, regatta workers, and the press up and down the course.
  • AT NO TIME CAN ROWERS BE SHUTTLED UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY THE LAUNCH MASTER

Photographer

  • Assigned to a photographer from one of the local media as their launch driver.
  • Under their control
  • They will follow races and take pictures of the regatta

Take Down:

  • At the conclusion of the regatta, you will drive a launch and help store the regatta course equipment, motors, launches, lane markers, etc., and will do whatever is needed to secure the regatta site again to its original order.
  • Some heavy lifting might be involved.

Finish Line

Dress:  Volunteers at the finish line should not wear Red clothing.  Although the finish line is covered and has walls, the front of the building is exposed to the elements. Due to wind and lack of sun exposure in the morning, it is often colder inside than the ambient temperature outside – please dress warmly in layers

Expectations: Finish Line staff are expected to refrain from cheering and directed not to share results outside the finish line environment until they have been certified by the Chief Judge at Finish

Assistant:

  • Spotter
    • Assists Chief Judge at Finish spotting boats as they progress down the course
    • Observes the bow numbers of boats crossing the finish and relays bow numbers to scribe using hand signals (observe silent finish in order not to influence others spotting order of finish).
    • Observes boats progressing to the start and records bow numbers
  • Scribe
    • Record Order of Finish observed by Spotter
    • Compares results with Chief Judge at Finish

Timer (Potomac Only):

  • Work at the finish line
  • Help determine shell timing and placement. 
  • Need to be able to operate a stopwatch effectively in order to time the split time for the shell in an assigned lane
  • Math skills adding Base 60 (Time) are a requirement

Flag Holder:

  • Stand in the Finish Line with a large orange flag and follow the instructions of the Finish Line Judge, to indicate places by raising and lowering the flag
  • Flag is used by the Referees following the race to record the time of the race on-the-water

Headquarters Assistant

  • Instructions: This person should arrive at HQ on regatta days at least one half hour before the first volunteers so that distribution of equipment can flow efficiently. 
  • Duties:
    • Functions as the principal liaison and managerial support to the Regatta Director, Assistant Regatta Director, and Chief Judge/Referee
    • Ensure that the HQ is kept orderly to easily access needed equipment and that there is sufficient room for all of its uses, including food and beverage storage.
    • Field questions and provide answers
    • Know where each volunteer job is performed and generally what those jobs entail. 
  • Key Responsibilities on Regatta days, (not in priority order):
    • Maintain radio contact with Regatta Director, Chief Judge/ Referee and Park Manager before, during, and after the entire event;
    • Setup HQ equipment and paperwork, including
    • Distribute corrected race schedules to coaches, judge/referees, other officials, Dock and Launch Masters.
    • Sign in and direct finish line medical trainer to position & assist HQ area EMT or medical team with slightly injured or drenched rowers. Provide clothing changes from HQ to the latter.
    • Sign-out, distribute, and collect radios for Judge/Referees, Dockmaster, Launchmaster, Pontoon Boat driver, and other regatta officials and staff.
    • Distribute bullhorns to Dockmaster and others if needed;
    • Instruct and oversee HQ Announcer and Awards Assistant what to do.
    • Provide reporters and news photographers with schedules, results, and such arrangements as are necessary for their coverage;
    • Handle all incoming telephone calls with Regatta Director;
    • Post results/progressions if needed.
    • Make sure that all equipment is properly returned and stored.

Helper

Set-Up on Water:

  • Help the Set-Up Driver to perform the duties assigned to them. 
  • You will be riding on a pontoon for much of your work and you may have to do some heavy lifting.
  • Personal Flotation Devices must be worn at all times while on the water. PFDs are available in the River Rat’s shed located behind the volunteer’s sign-in tent)
  • Expect to get wet and dirty – bringing a change of clothes is a good idea.

Takedown

  • Work at the conclusion of the regatta
  • Help store the regatta equipment, motors, launches, and lane markers. Etc
  • Do whatever is needed to secure the regatta site again to its original order. 
  • Heavy lifting might be involved.
  • You will be working on a pontoon part of the time.
  • Expect to get wet and dirty – bringing a change of clothes is a good idea.
  • Personal Flotation Devices must be worn at all times while on the water. PFDs are available in the River Rat’s shed located behind the volunteer’s sign-in tent)

Launch Master Assistant

  • Location: The launch dock is located at the bottom of the hill adjacent to the flag pole. It is the dock where the teams drop-off launches that are required for the regatta.  The VASRA pontoon boats are stored at this dock during the week.
  • This is one of the principal logistical regatta jobs
  • Duties:
    • Responsible for all motor craft set-up
      • Powerboats
      • Motors
      • Life preservers
      • Anchors
      • Oars (padding oar for launch)
    • Accountable to the Regatta director prior, during, and after races. 
    • Ensure designated schools have provided fuel for launches.
    • Setup and takedown of Judge/Referee, Marshall, Safety and Shuttle launches as well as other support boats as required by the Regatta director. 
    • Monitor and control all shuttle traffic on the water.
  • Personal Flotation Devices must be worn at all times while on the water. PFDs for this position are available in the River Rat’s shed located behind the volunteer’s sign-in tent).  PFDs for the launches provided by the teams will be provided by the teams

Money Collector

Van at Parking Lot C:

  • Collect the required money from persons wanting to ride the van down to the regatta site. 
  • The fee is $5 one way.
  • USRA officials, Regatta Directors and LOC Staff may ride for free

Van at Finish Line:

  • Collect the required money from persons wanting to ride the van up to the parking lot. 
  • The fee is $5 one way.
  • USRA officials, Regatta Directors and LOC Staff may ride for free

Stakeboat Holders

  • Location: Working on the Start Platform – remain on the Start Platform for duration of shift
  • Duties:
    • Help align the shells equally for the start. 
    • Help prevent damage to the shells when they back into the lane. 
    • Before the start of each race, you will lie down on the plank that extends out from the platform and reach out your arms to catch the stern of the shell coming into your lane. 
    • DO NOT try to stop the stern from hitting the platform by putting your hand between the shell and platform, there may be too much momentum and may cause injury. 
    • When instructed, you will pull back or push out the shell a number of inches for alignment. 
    • Instructions, given just before each start, will come from the official at the side of the racecourse whose job it is to get all the bow balls in a straight line.
    • Be careful with your grip and make sure nothing is in the way when the starter says “Go!”. 
    • MAKE SURE TO LET GO OF THE SHELL IMMEDIATELY UPON THE START.
    • Do not engage with the crews – they are nervous enough already and needn’t be disturbed.
  • Dress:
    • Personal Flotation Devices must be worn at all times while on the water. PFDs are available in the River Rat’s shed located behind the volunteer’s sign-in tent)
    • You will be laying on a diving board suspended over the water.  An outer waterproof layer is advised.
    • You will be exposed to the elements the entire time you are on the platform. A hat, waterproof gloves and sunscreen are a good idea.    

Trophy Awards Assistant

  • Location: At the Awards Tent Near the Grandstands
  • Duties:
    • Helps the head of trophies set trophies and medals out on tables.
    • Remains at table to explain trophies to those admiring them. 
    • Assists the Trophy Coordinator, Trophy Presenter or Regatta Director as the trophies and medals are awarded.