The first Swim England Winter Nationals for two years which were held in Sheffield over the weekend of 3rd, 4th & 5th December 2021.
Jack Naylor Dunn, the North East Region Youth Forum Chairperson and British Swimming Technical Official, got to experience it first hand volunteering at the national event. Jack, 16, was the youngest Swimming Official to attend a national competition.
Jack was supported at the event by other young volunteers from the North East Region including Chloe Hutchinson, Eva Scaife, Katie Joyce, Abi Heald, Orla Cassidy, Anastasia Rodgers and Bess Naylor.
 Jack gives his a behind-the-scenes look at what life was like as a young volunteer and swimming official at a national competition…
After stopping swimming in September last year, I was on a mission to make myself known in the swimming world, albeit not as an athlete. So – after qualifying as a level 1 judge in October this year – when the opportunity to officiate at the Nationals arose I was not going to miss it! Thanks to a last minute decision to use two short course pools, and the requirement for more Officials, I was in!
I arrived in Sheffield on Friday evening, collecting my uniforms, volunteer pack, and accreditation ready for an early start the next morning. We were each provided with a white polo shirt (for Officials) and/or a black polo shirt for event volunteers; a Swim England water bottle; Swim England clipboard; our very own clip-on tube of hand sanitizer, and accreditation.
My Saturday began at 7am, too early for a weekend hotel breakfast, so I made the short walk from my hotel to the pool, signed in and waited for the action to begin. Officials briefing was at 8:15 ready for a 9 o’clock start. Everything at the Nationals is finely detailed, from the timings and Officials dress code, to the way they parade onto poolside. Onto the pool deck we went… The day was formed of 3 shorter sessions with breaks and snacks in between each. Lunch – a jacket potato with a choice of fillings – was provided, and a good opportunity to get to know some of the other Officials who had travelled from all across England! The last heat session of the day finished mid afternoon, then it was time to prepare for finals. I changed out of my whites and helped organise the pool deck.
For Saturday’s Finals, I was lucky enough to be joined by 6 Young Volunteers – ranging upwards from 7 years old – from the North East Region, along with 4 other Young Volunteers who all took well to the role of kit carriers. Since the whole event is live streamed it is vital that everyone is presentable and follows the event procedures. The team did really well and appeared to enjoy themselves. Not many can say they have volunteered at a national event featuring the likes of Matt Richards and Molly Renshaw, especially at 7 years old! Due to a lack of accommodation, it was back home following the finals…
             
            
Sunday was a shorter day for me, catching the train over in the morning and arriving just after lunch; I assisted the event’s Field of Play team prep the pool deck for the finals then spent some more time getting to know my fellow volunteers (with complimentary flapjack)! It was a pleasure to meet so many key figures in the world of swimming including the Swim England President Ian Mackenzie. Unfortunately, a lack of volunteers in aquatics is becoming more and more prevalent to me as I attend more events and competitions…
For Sunday’s finals session, there was only myself and another NE Young Leader volunteer as kit carriers – far too few to cover all 10 lanes at Ponds Forge! Nevertheless, as always, the aquatic community pulled together with the Technical Director, and a very willing security guard offering to help. The weekend finished with a medal ceremony, then pack down. One FoP volunteer summed it up nicely that these events are like swans; everything appears very graceful for the spectators and live stream, but behind the cameras is a team of extraordinary people working very hard to ensure all of this could be possible.
I feel very lucky to be part of this team, but we need more people to join us! Hopefully this article has shown that age and experience is irrelevant in volunteering, everyone starts somewhere, and anyone can be a volunteer! Too many people leave their sport behind after quitting as a teenager, but there are many ways you can still be involved with no set commitment or pressure to succeed… There are many ways you can get involved with volunteering, whether it be within your club or becoming a Swimming Official.
If you would like to get involved with volunteering in aquatics, follow the link below to find out more or speak to your club’s Volunteer Coordinator…
If young volunteers would like to get involved in similar opportunities please contact swimnortheast@swimming.org
