(Updated 28 December 2021)
PWS athlete are also members of BC Artistic Swimming and Canada Artistic Swimming, and therefore follow the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP) at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (https://cces.ca/cadp-adoption). Artistic Swimming athletes in Canada may be subject to unannounced doping control.
As explained by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (https://cces.ca/your-requirements),
Individuals must never provide, promote, condone, or ignore substance abuse, the non-medical use of drugs or the use of performance enhancing drugs or methods and, in the case of Minors, the use of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, or e-smoking products.
The use of alcohol, non-medical cannabis, tobacco, or e-smoking products in the workplace is prohibited, subject to any required accommodation.
Individuals will refrain from consumption of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, or e-smoking products while engaged in the Organization’s Events or Activity where minors are present, except for approved adult-oriented social situations associated with the Organization or Member Club events.
Individuals will exercise moderation when consuming alcohol or cannabis products in adult-oriented social situations associated with the Organization’s events.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport has cannabis on its list of prohibited substances and cannabis use by any Athlete subject to the Canadian Anti-doping Program may be considered doping. All Individuals have a responsibility to understand and observe Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) rules on cannabis use.
Please report athlete illnesses and medications during the registration period in TeamSnap and to your Team Coach and/or Technical Director. Coaches or the Board can answer further questions about Anti-doping Policy.
(Approved: 3 September 2019, Updated: 28 December 2021)
Artistic swimming is a team sport and regular, consistent attendance and prompt arrival times are important to all members of the team. Athletes are required to be ON DECK and warming up at the designated start time of practice as indicated in TeamSnap, or as updated by their coach.
Each team will be informed of their scheduled days off at the start of the season subject to changes that may occur during the season due to unforeseen circumstances.
Each National Stream athlete has 2 allotted free days per season. Each Provincial Stream athlete has 3 allotted free days per season.
A free day is defined as a discretionary day off for events such as school activities, exam prep, family commitment, etc. These must be arranged with the team coach a minimum of one week in advance.
Athlete absences during the competition season must be approved by the coach. Unapproved absences and lateness may be subject to sanctions according to the Discipline Policy.
Absences should not be planned:
We ask that you indicate your availability (athletes and coaches) for each training event in TeamSnap so that all coaches, athletes and Administration know who expect, or who cannot attend. This is especially important when we have limited time to enter buildings, or should we need to contact participants in attendance at an event.
(new 28 December 2021)
Coaches are selected with the utmost care to represent themselves and the Club respectfully and with dedication to the sport and PWS. Coaches are required to abide by the certification policy set by CAS and BCAS, which is found in the following link: BCAS Coach Certification Policy.
The Club is committed to work together with the coaches to attain their certifications and trainings to be able to achieve the highest standards to deliver coaching to the athletes. The club values, encourages and mentors our swimmers as they progress through our program to become future coaches to continue the legacy of esteemed swimmers and coaches at Pacific Wave.
(Approved 3 September 2019)
Given the large number of athletes and teams at various stages, each with a different training schedule, the Club relies heavily on internal communication. All teams hold an orientation meeting in the Fall and all parents and athletes are expected to attend.
All members involved with PWS, have the right to communicate any concern they may have during the season. Surveys are sent out during the season to all the members with the purpose of transparency at all levels and that every voice can be heard openly without judgement. Responses to surveys can either be done anonymously or in the open by stating your name. If an athlete has a serious concern, the ability to reach out to a coach, head coach, Technical Director, and Board member is always available and highly promoted in order to maintain a healthy, safe and transparent training and competing environment.
Team Snap
The club uses Team Snap https://go.teamsnap.com, an online website and app, that allows us to register athletes and parents to teams, share practice and event schedules, schedule changes, and share documents (Handbook, Bylaws, Registration information). You can update your notification preferences in Team Snap so that you get reminders about schedule changes or scheduled practices or events.
Ensure you have been invited to Team Snap and to your team, and can access properly. Once you have been assigned to a team, you will be able to see contact information for other families assigned to the same team. You will also be able to “chat” with teammates and coaches in the Chat function in the app. Please update Team Snap with information that may change during the year. You can update your family’s profile with names of athletes and guardians/parents, email addresses, telephone numbers, addresses, and athlete medical information.
Reminders, announcements and other communications will be sent to you by email from within Team Snap regularly. Once you are registered as members of BC Artistic Swimming, you will receive periodic newsletters regarding the artistic swimming community activities in BC.
Whenever urgent information must be passed on to you, your team’s parent representative will contact you by email and/or phone, or your coach using the TeamSnap chat function. Occasionally, the coach will send home information with the athletes.
If your email address or other contact information changes during the year, please update this information in Team Snap.
Website
Please visit the PWS website at ‘pacificwavesynchro.ca’. Here you will find news about PWS activities, contact information for the current Board and Technical Director, our PWS Handbook and Club By-laws, program details and links to other useful Artistic Swimming sites. https://www.pacificwavesynchro.ca/.
We Chat
Some casual information and social communication may be shared using WeChat.
(Approved 3 September 2019)
AquaGo athletes are not able to compete. LCOMP athletes can expect at least one training meet and one provincial competition during the year. Provincial Stream athletes can expect at least two provincial training meets and two provincial competitions during the year. National Stream athletes can expect at least two provincial training meets, two provincial competitions, two National competitions and one optional international competition during the year.
All club athletes can also expect to swim in the Club’s water shows. It is usually held in December and June. Parents, family and friends are invited to watch athletes perform their competitive and novice routines. There are always a few fun surprises.
To participate in competitions, athletes, coaches and volunteers will be registered with both B.C. Artistic Swimming and Canada Artistic Swimming. Each athlete is given an amateur athlete number assigned by CAS.
Coaches will provide a schedule of competition dates once athletes are named to teams (see https://www.pacificwavesynchro.ca/). You can also refer to the BC Artistic meet schedule https://www.bcartisticswimming.ca/events.htm or Canada Artistic Swimming event schedule https://artisticswimming.ca/events-results/event-calendar/ for dates.
Parent Responsibilities at Competitions
For each competition, parents are expected to:
Page BreakAbout Competitions
There are two basic parts to most competitions. The first part tests each athlete’s ability to perform a set of required figures. The second part is the presentation and judging of routines. Judges award marks for figures and for each routine. Artistic Impression: Forty percent of the overall routine score is given for artistic impression. To award this score, judges look at choreography, pool patterns, music interpretation and manner of presentation.
Some helpful competition terminology:
Championship Score: The championship score is determined by combining the routine score and the average figure score of all the athletes who were part of the routine. Different age groups may have different weightings applied to their figure and routine scores for calculating the championship scores.
Solo Championship Score: Solo routine score plus athlete’s figure score.
Duet Championship Score: Duet routine score plus the average of the two athletes’ figure scores.
Team Championship Score: Team routine score plus the average of the figure scores earned by all members of the team (or technical routine).
Technical Routine: A routine with required elements. Replaces figures at the Junior and Senior levels.
Figure: A figure is a succession of movements, which are a combination of positions and transitions done as described in FINA rules. Figures are given names such as “Kip”, “Eiffel Tower”, “Barracuda” and “Aurora”.
Marks for Figures: In a figure’s competition, athletes are required to perform four assigned figures. Each figure is judged separately by a panel of judges. Each judge on the panel marks the athlete’s performance using a scale of 0 to 10. The judges consider a perfect figure to be “slow, high and controlled, with every section of the figure clearly defined and in uniform motion. To determine an athlete’s score for a particular figure, judges’ high and low marks are excluded and the average of the remaining marks is multiplied by the figure’s degree of difficulty. The athlete’s scores from all four figures are added for a total figure mark out of 100.
Marking Routine: A panel of judges marks all routines. Each routine receives two sets of marks, one for technical merit and one for artistic impression. (Sometimes each judge gives both marks; other times judges work in teams of two and each judge gives only one type of mark.) Marks are on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0.1 increments. Once the marks are collected, the high and low marks are removed from each set. Then the set is averaged. The technical merit score counts for 60% and artistic impression score counts for 40% of the total routine score.
Routines: A sequence of swimming strokes and figures choreographed to music. Routine categories are solo, duet and team. Each routine category has a specific time limit depending on the age group. Seniors swim both technical and free routines. Technical routines must contain a number of required elements that must be executed in a specific order. Free routines have no restrictions.
Technical merit: The part of a routine score where judges mark the execution of strokes, figures and propulsion techniques, precision of patterns, synchronization of the athletes with each other and with the music, and difficulty of stroking, figures, patterns and synchronization. Technical merit is worth 60% the overall routine score.
(new October 2021)
In 2019, Canada Artistic Swimming developed a comprehensive Concussion Policy supplemented by concussion management protocols. Today, these documents stand as the gold standard of concussion management in Canada.
To ensure compliance with BCAS’s Coach Certification Policy, ALL registered coaches in BC must complete the NCCP’s Making Headway e-learning training https://coach.ca/making-head-way-concussion-elearning-series
In addition, mandatory training on the CAS Concussion Policy & Protocols will be in effect prior to the start of any season. Furthermore, we implemented a new Concussion testing policy in October 2021 to ensure that when every athlete is being treated with possible symptoms of a concussion, there Is prior information available to refer to the athlete’s normal baseline level. The results of these tests are stored with Lifemark clinic at the Richmond Oval.
For all information for coaches, athletes and parents please visit BCAS website (resources) to find reference materials:
https://artisticswimming.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/CAS-Concussion-Policy-June-17-2019-EN.pdf
CAS Concussion Management Protocol:
https://artisticswimming.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CAS-Concussion-Protocol-June-2019-v.3.1.pdf
Incident Reports for Coaches: Please fill out this form when an accident or incident happens while coaching:
(Approved: 3 September 2019; Updated 28 December 2021)
PWS members, including Parents and Athletes, are expected to comply with the PWS Constitution, Bylaws and policies, and the BC Artistic Swimming and Canada Artistic Swimming Code of Conduct and policies. At the discretion of the Technical Director and the Board, disciplinary action may be taken to ensure athletes and their families are aware of and follow policies.
Examples of athlete disciplinary action include:
The procedure for suspension or expulsion will be as outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Club. No refunds will be given for athletes who have been suspended or expelled.
Addressing Parent Concerns
A parent should first go directly to the team coach with concerns. Please ensure that parent concerns, progress inquiries, or communication with coaches must occur after a practice or at a mutually convenient time. Consider sending an email to confirm a good time and place for the meeting. If you have a contentious issue that you wish to discuss with a coach, we respectfully request that you wait at least 24 hours until after the issue arises before discussing it with your coach.
If no resolution of an issue occurs during the conversation with the team coach, then the subsequent step is to contact the Technical Director (or Head Coach). If further steps need to be taken, the President will be informed, The Chair of the Board may call meetings with other members of the Board, Technical Director, or Team Parent Representatives to achieve resolution.
Addressing Athlete Concerns
It is important that if an athlete is concerned about an incident or experience while at training, a PWS event, or in connection with a coach or club athlete that they speak about this with a trusted adult. It is recommended that the athlete (if a minor) first speak to their parent or guardian with concerns. If there is suspicion and or knowledge of maltreatment, please view our policy under Safe Sport heading.
Appeals
Members may arrange a meeting with their team coach and Technical Director or Head Coach to discuss the consequences of the member’s actions. The above arrangements and the meeting shall occur outside of training times and competition events. Members who have an unresolved disagreement with the Team Coach and/or Technical Director may file an appeal as follows:
A member who has been suspended may appeal their suspension, as per club Bylaw 2.13 and 2.14. The appeal must be made within 14 days of the suspension or within 7 days of receipt of the written reason for suspension, whichever is longer.
Written notice of the appeal must be submitted to the PWS President within the time frame in 1.a. above.
Within 14 days of receipt of this notice, the PWS President will form an Appeals Committee consisting of 3 members of the Board, and will establish a reasonable time frame for hearing the appeal and issuing a decision.
The Appeals Committee will meet with the athlete, their parent or guardian, the team coach, Technical Director or Technical Director.
The decision of the Appeals Committee will be rendered within 30 days of receipt of the appeal, and will be final and binding.
(Updated September 2021)
PWS established a Family Commitment Plan (“FCP”) many years ago (at least since 2015) that is essential to manage all of our volunteers we need to support our club’s operations. Volunteers provide an important contribution since fees, grants, and fundraising only cover a portion of the club’s operations each year (e.g. pool rentals, coaching costs, etc.).
The club operations are also too multi-leveled and widespread for the Board alone to manage and therefore we need every family of our competitive athletes to share in the responsibility. We also hope that families of our Recreational and AquaGO athletes will participate in the FCP by volunteering during the season as this both supports the Club and provides an opportunity to become part of the larger community.
Each family is asked to assist by contributing time towards the numerous jobs that need to be filled throughout the year. The requested minimum volunteer points required for each level of the program are outlined in the table below.
We understand that some families may not be able to contribute much volunteer time or may wish to have some flexibility as to the number of hours they volunteer. Therefore, those who are unable to fulfil the full volunteer time commitment may “buy-out” all or some portion of their volunteer time. Please note that, where possible, we would prefer to have the benefit of your volunteer time and efforts rather than FCP funds. However, if we do not have sufficient volunteers to successfully operate the club, more tasks will fall to our Administrator / Club Coordinator hired by the Board to perform these duties. The payment for these duties will be subsidized from the funds collected through the FCP.
Members are encouraged to recommend and develop new initiatives with the club in coordination with committee chairs and the Board.
Volunteer Point Requirements per Program
Each season, the following scale outlines the expectations of each family according to their swimmer’s weekly training hours:
Program Level | Required Volunteer Points for PWS | Required for the Club tasks (outside of BCAS events) | Required Buy-out |
AquaGo (AG) | 5 ** optional | 0 ** | |
Limited Competitive (LCOMP) | 5-10 ** optional | 0 ** | |
Provincial 10 & Under (PS B/ A) | 20 | 10 | $ 400 |
Provincial 11-12 (PS B / A) | 25 | 13 | $ 500 |
Provincial 13 & Over (PS B / A) | 25 | 13 | $ 500 |
National 12 & Under (NS) and NS part-time Combo only | 30 | 15 | $ 600 |
National 13-15 (NS) | 40 | 20 | $ 800 |
National JR/SR (NS) | 50 | 25 | $ 900 |
Member’s Role
Allocation of Club Duties
The following is a general list of activities that are required, with their associated volunteer point values.
Points | Volunteer Activities |
| Board of Directors: President / Chair |
| Board of Directors: Vice-President |
| Board of Directors: Treasurer |
| Board of Directors: Secretary |
| Board of Directors: Registrar |
| Board of Directors: Director at Large – Receivables in Finance |
| Board of Directors: Director at Large – Payables in Finance |
25 | Volunteer Manager and FCP Hours Tracking Coordinator |
30 | Marketing & Promotions: Content Designer (Canva)/Publisher/ Campaign manager & Social Media Manager (FB, IG, Twitter, TikTok) |
20 | Chinese translator support to the Board, Administrator, Social Media and web content manager |
20 | Coach Liaison (carried out by a Director or Administrator if applicable) |
10 | Team Travel Coordinator, Provincial Teams |
15 | Team Travel Coordinator, National Teams |
15 | Team Parent, Limited Competitive |
15 | Team Parent, Provincial Stream Beginners (10&U, 11-12, 13-15 & U & Novice) |
25 | Team Parent, Provincial Stream Advanced (10&U, 11-12, 13-15 & U) |
30 | Team Parent, National 13-15 |
30 | Team Parent, National Junior/ Senior (one per team if needed) |
15 | Hospitality Room Manager when PWS hosting a Competition (food preparation and volunteer coordination) |
25 | Uniform Coordinator |
25 | Equipment Manager and Maintenance |
10 | Web Site Content Manager (WordPress) and IT Manager |
10 | Club Photographer and photography Coordinator |
10 | Fundraising Coordinator |
10 | Individual fundraisers (hair detanglers, FlipGive, Return-It, Purdy’s) |
5 | Winter Social and Watershow Coordinator (usually in December) |
5 | Year End Watershow Coordinator |
15 | Year End Banquet Coordinator (food, location, set up, awards) |
15 | Grants and Gaming Funds Applications Manager and Writer |
TBD | Sponsorship Coordinator |
10 | Aquatics User Groups representative (Richmond & Vancouver) if not carried out by a Board member |
5 | Pool Displays Coordinator / Manager |
5 per day | Travel / Competition Chaperone (when paying own airfare) ** For Air Travel to be paid by club, chaperone must have already fulfilled family commitment volunteer points |
1 per hour | Miscellaneous club activities, as required (assisting at Watershows/Events) |
1 per hour | Competition Meet Volunteer (see above) |
All volunteer positions will be confirmed and appointed by the Board in consultation with the Administrator, Head Coach / Technical Director and Volunteer Manager and FCP Coordinator.
PWS Volunteer Position Descriptions
Volunteering on the Board of Directors
PWS Board of Directors has the authority and responsibility to manage, or supervise the management of, the property, activities and internal affairs of the society; to act as authorized by the BC Societies Act, the Club’s Constitution and Bylaws to manage or supervise the management of the affairs of the Society and exercising the powers of the Society. The Board ensures the Club is adhering to all policies and requirements outlined by BC Artistic Swimming (PSO – Provincial Sports Organization) and Canada Artistic Swimming (NSO – National Sports Organization). This includes overseeing all aspects of operations respecting the Club’s Constitution, By-laws and Handbook.
Each Director may be elected for a two-year term, and at each Annual General Meeting nominations for open positions are voted on by our Members. Should no successor nomination be received, elected or appointed, for a position at the end of a two-year term, the Director in that position may volunteer for another two-year term (voted on by Members). In the interest of continuity of Club’s policy and procedures, it is recommended that parents have been members in the Club for one year (from either recreational or competitive teams) before standing for any Board position, however our Bylaws allow the election of individuals new or outside of the Club, provided that they become registered with BC Artistic Swimming as a general member.
Our Volunteer Board of Directors includes (no fewer than six) Directors, comprised of the follow roles and duties:
President (Chair)
— is responsible to oversee all operations of the Club supervising all other Directors in the execution of their duties; is the contact person when dealing with outside agencies, including BC Artistic Swimming and Canada Artistic Swimming; conducts all formal correspondence on behalf of the Club;
— works closely with the Club Administrator / Coordinator including programming, administration, issue management, decision-making on day to day issues; issues notices of meetings and chairs all meetings of the Club and of the Board; reviews and approves all Club-wide communications; together with the Coach Liaison and other Directors, oversees coaches’ and Administrator contracts and job performance; attends Richmond Aquatics User Group meetings (if no volunteer in this role); has custody of all records and documents of the Club except those required to be kept by the Treasurer
Vice-President
— is responsible for carrying out the duties of the President in the event the President is unable to act;
— assists the President and Administrator / Club Coordinator to carry out day to day duties; liaise with the all other Directors, Technical Director and Head Coach, Administrator, volunteers as required; communicates regularly with volunteers and offers assistance as necessary; co-ordinates Team Parents to receive and provide information to be communicated to families; oversees travel planning; oversees uniform and equipment planning and process.
Registrar
— manages Club registration and other aspects of Club membership (annual renewal by September 1 and throughout the season) including registration of all swimmers, volunteers and general members, with BC Artistic Swimming and Canada Artistic Swimming;
— ensures all coaches are registered for the season; maintains our Club record of coaches training (confirmed by coaches NCCP) and liaise with Head Coach and Technical Director to ensure coaches are assigned to the appropriate programs; maintains the Criminal Record Checks for coaches, chaperones and any volunteers (if no other Board member fulfilling this task); assists Head Coach / Technical Director with competition registration (allocation to swimmers accounts and payment to PSO or NSO); maintains swimmers’ medical emergency records and forms; supports Administrator / Club Coordinator to communicate with new families (Note: any of these task that the Registrar is unable to fulfill shall be carried out by another Board member or the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Secretary
— prepares meeting agendas and maintains records of minutes for all Board meetings; identifies and tracks “action items” identified at meetings; maintains and distributes the Club Handbook and other permanent documents; manages and maintains the online document management including One Drive and Drop Box
— plans agenda for the AGM with President, compiles and distributes AGM materials; coordinates AGM members sign-in; prepares and finalizes AGM meeting minutes and record keeping to support the filing of the Annual Reports for the BC Registry Services; (Note: any of these task that the Secretary is unable to fulfill shall be carried out by another Board member or the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Treasurer
— keeps the Club’s financial records, including the books of account for all transactions, as are necessary to comply with the BC Societies Act and the Income Tax Act; and fairly represent the financial position of the Club; renders financial statements (Quickbooks or other) to the Board, members and others when required; prepares the season’s budget by June each season; maintains swimmers’ accounts and issues statements by June 1 annually; liaises with the external accountant when required and if necessary to generate financial statements for fiscal year July 31-Aug 1; performs or coordinates with other Board members for expenditures made with the Club credit card and for the collection, (Note: some tasks completed in cooperation with Directors at Large Receivables and Payables )
Director at Large: Receivables and Banking in Finance
— In 2019 this specific role of Receivables was created to share duties of the Treasurer, specifically to: Routinely check club postal mail box for mail and cheques (2 to 4x per month), make bank deposits and tracking of cash receipts. and submit details to the accountant and executive; Reconcile and pay the monthly Visa statement balance along with accumulated travel points; Maintain swimmers’ accounts and issue statements by June 1 annually; attend monthly board meetings with reports; follow up with families to collect final payments of program fees, FCP cheques and swimmer accounts before June 30 annually.
Director at Large: Payables and Payroll in Finance
— In 2019 this specific role of Payables was created to share duties of the Treasurer, specifically to: Track expenses and provide monthly Visa statement records for the accountant; Pay Monthly Pool Rentals and any other expenditures to be made with the club credit card; Maintain the account payable of the club and disburse funds using club Visa(s), cash, PayPal or e-transfers, including coaching payroll and all other service providers and facilities; oversees the accounts payable of the Club; review all contractors invoices and prepare for Sports BC payroll services, while maintaining internal record of year-to-date payroll and disburses funds including the coaching payroll; Attend monthly Board meetings; Reconcile and pay the monthly Visa statement balance; Maintain swimmers’ accounts and issue statements; attend monthly board meetings
Coach Liaison (to be fulfilled by one of the Board of Directors)
— under the direction of the Board and Finance, prepares and negotiates annual coaches’ contracts; performs coach job performance reviews; attends monthly coaches’ meetings; attends Club Days; liaises with coaches, athletes, parents and Board on issues, if any, that arise. (Note: any of these tasks that the Coach Liaison is unable to fulfill may be carried out by the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Family Commitment Plan – Sample Calculations of FCP Points
EXAMPLE for the National Stream Junior Team:
Swimmer | FCP Required | Volunteer Position | Volunteer Hours | FCP points earned | Account credit |
Sally | 50 | Board: President | More than 50 | 50+ | FCP Cheque destroyed or returned |
Suzy | 50 | ~ Team Parent ~ Volunteer at meets ~ Manages Pool displays | 30 10 5 | 45 | $800 |
Shelley | 50 | ~ Uniform Coordinator ~ Fundraiser Coordinator ~ Watershow Coordinator | 25 10 5 | 40 | $600 |
Samantha | 50 | ~ Meet Manager ~ Grant Applications Writer ~ Team Travel Coordinator ~ Volunteer at meets | 10 15 15 10 | 50 | FCP Cheque destroyed or returned |
Sarah | 50 | ~ Volunteer at meets | 10 | 5 | $100 |
Other volunteer roles and activities
Volunteer Manager and FCP Hours Tracking Coordinator
– reporting to the Vice President this volunteer liaises with Club members about documenting and submitting their volunteer hours; documents the volunteer hours submitted by each family and communicates the results to the Vice President and Treasurer. (Note: In the absence of a volunteer for this role, these tasks shall be carried out by a Board member or the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Grant and Gaming Funds Applications Writer – completes application forms for grants and funding; submits forms in a timely manner; researches new grants that might be available for the Club, coaches, teams or individual swimmers. (Note: In the absence of a volunteer for this role, these tasks shall be carried out by a Board member or the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Chinese Translator and Communication support
– assists the Board, Administrator, Team parents, parents, or volunteers with any translation required, in writing or verbally; works with the Marketing / Promotions and Social Media manager to translate messages as needed
Equipment Manager and Maintenance
– communicates regularly with Board and Head Coach or Technical Director regarding all equipment-related activities; ensures that all equipment is stored appropriately at the various pools following all practices and special events; ensures that all equipment is available at the appropriate pools when needed; keeps track of and takes deposits for any equipment loaned out to swimmers. Maintains the sound, video and other related equipment of the Club; fixes/repairs equipment as needed; researches and, under direction of the Board, purchases new sound, video and other related equipment and parts as needed.
Team Parent
– is the liaison between the Board, the Team Coach, and other parents of the team
– is responsible for communicating information from the team’s coach(es) or the Board (when instructed to do so) to other parents on the team; attends and represents the team at Board meetings throughout the year or arranges for another parent to represent the team on their behalf; coordinates collection of required travel information for athletes; collects travel cheques as required; together with Chaperones, prepares and manages team travel expense spreadsheets for submission to the accountant; coordinates other team activities as required, such as group gift baskets for fundraising; at mid-year and year end, organize coach’s gifts in consultation with other team families. In coordination with the Team Coach, the Team Parent should monitor events at BC Artistic Swimming https://www.bcartisticswimming.ca/events.htm and Canada Artistic Swimming https://artisticswimming.ca/events-results/event-calendar/ websites for up-to-the date competition information and communicate with Team coaches, to support as needed.
– Note: The Team must be the primary focus of the Team Parent and the duties will always be directed by the Team Coach. The Team Parent should feel comfortable undertaking any “organization” for the team BUT ONLY AFTER consultation, agreement, and confirmation from the Coach. In some instances, the Coach and/or Head Coach and/or Club Board must be in agreement before any arrangements or communications are made between the Team Parent and the other team parents or swimmers.
Marketing & Promotions Campaign and Social Media Manager
– coordinates with the Board, Head Coach / Technical Director and Administrator for the requirements and production of publicity materials including the following: advertisement, banner and brochure design and production; printing of materials for distribution; Content Designer (Canva) for materials to be posted on Social Media (FB, IG, Twitter, TikTok) and website. (Note: In the absence of a volunteer for this role, these tasks shall be carried out by a Board member or the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Photography Coordinator
– throughout the season takes candid informal photos of teams at competitions or events / practices for the web site; takes photos of coaches for the web site; takes formal team photos at year end. Works alongside the Marketing & Promotions Campaign and Social Media Manager to provide content.
Website Content and IT Manager
– under direction of the Board and Club Administrator, maintains the content, develops and administers the Club’s public web site (WordPress, connected to TeamSnap); updates the content on club programs as required (registration links through TeamSnap); posts news updates about PWS on the site; is responsible for domain registration and renewal, email accounts management (Microsoft Outlook), data management and backups (Drop Box, Microsoft Outlook One Drive, TeamSnap), program updates and data handling for registration, and any other administrative IT-related tasks as needed. (Note: In the absence of a volunteer for this role, these tasks shall be carried out by a Board member or the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Fundraising Manager and Coordinators for each Fundraiser
– under the direction of the Board, the following fundraising programs each require a coordinator: FlipGive; Return-It Recycling; Purdy’s Christmas Chocolates; Hair Detanglers and any others that arise (in the past we offered a gaming Raffle). Responsibilities include liaising with external suppliers, preparing and circulating Club communication, collecting and submitting orders to suppliers, receiving group delivery and sorting/delivering individual orders to swimmers, and preparing an analysis of the fundraising results by swimmer and submitting it to the Treasurer. (Note: In the absence of a volunteer for this role, these tasks shall be carried out by a Board member or the Administrator / Club Coordinator)
Sponsorship Coordinator – Solicits donations and sponsorships from relevant organizations using the Club’s Sponsorship Package.
Uniform Coordinator
– coordinates with the Head Coach / Technical Director and Vice President on Club outfitting; contacts suppliers and arranges Club Uniform Measuring / Ordering events and management (in Richmond and Vancouver); places orders with suppliers and follows up for prompt delivery; coordinates printing (embroidery and silk screening) of specific items; creates or updates order forms and master lists for the tracking of all orders for each swimmer and coach; tracks costs for each item, updates swimmer orders and provides final costs to the finance team; delivers and obtains sign off on all uniform purchases for each swimmer and coach; coordinates with Treasurer and/or Club credit card holder for payment to suppliers; stores excess inventory throughout the year, including the off season; coordinates club gear swap as needed.
Team Travel Coordinator
– Under the direction of the Board, coordinates with the Head Coach / Technical Director on team travel dates and bookings required for any event or competition away from home; investigates and books accommodation, air fare and car rentals; confirms insurance coverage for car rentals and any other insurance coverage as needed; prepares team travel expense spreadsheets to hand off to Team Parents for completion; coordinates with Team Parents on travel details and communication to families.
Hosting Manager / Competition Hospitality Room
– when the Club hosts a meet (one per year), and in coordination with the Board and Head Coach/ Technical Director, ensures that the responsibilities of a host club are met in accordance with the BC Artistic Swimming hosting manual; ensures that hospitality requirements, such as room and food arrangements for judges, are met.
Pool Displays
– updates pool bulletin boards with current club information and photos; builds and fills displays at pool locations where needed.
Winter Water Show Coordinator
– oversees all planning and attends the Water Show held each December, confirms date with the Head Coach / Technical Director for the pool and coordinates with coaches regarding the program; prepares and prints programs (or liaise with the Marketing Materials Coordinator to do so); organizes refreshments for swimmers and to sell to spectators; organizes fundraising gift baskets and raffle; organizes flowers for coaches; arranges for table at entrance to collect donations in lieu of entrance tickets; cleans up after show.
Winter Social Coordinator
– for the Winter Social held each December, confirms date with the Head Coach / Technical Director and coordinates with coaches
Year End Water Show Coordinator
– for the Water Show held at the end of the season (May), confirms date with the Head Coach / Technical Director for the pool; sells door prize tickets and accepts donations at entrance to the event; coordinates with coaches regarding the program; prepares and prints programs (or liaises with the Marketing Materials Coordinator to do so); organizes refreshments for swimmers and to sell to spectators; organizes fundraising gift baskets and raffle; organizes flowers for coaches; cleans up after show.
Year End Banquet Coordinator
– A Club banquet is held at the end of the season for swimmers, coaches and parents to celebrate the Club’s achievements for the past year. The coordinator books and liaises with the chosen venue regarding arrangements in accordance with the banquet budget; submits invoice(s) to Treasurer; plans the program together with the Head Coach and Board; arranges awards and prizes; orders and picks up cake.
Travel and Competition Chaperone
– Chaperones are responsible for the well-being of all athletes on the team for the duration of competitions or events, that are out-of-town. Chaperones are selected by each Team Coach, Technical Director and consultation with the Vice President. Criminal Record checks for vulnerable youth must be provided in advance.
Miscellaneous Club Activities
– opportunities to assist with various Club activities may occur throughout the season. Examples include, but are not limited to, assisting at Water Shows with set up and clean up, selling door prize or raffle tickets at club events, Purdy’s Chocolates etc.
Competition Volunteer
– A successful synchronized swim meet is run by volunteers including the judges and referees. BC Artistic Swimming has streamlined the volunteer sign up process with their on-line registration tool. Before all meets the Head Coach / Technical Director will send out an email with the link to the electronic sign up sheet. Each club is required to fill a certain number of the various positions for the meet. If the club fails to do so the club will be fined. Parents are required to assist with scoring, timing, playing music, announcing, setting up and cleaning up. At times, parents are also needed to staff and supply a hospitality space for judges and other officials. All volunteer positions are easy to learn and volunteering is an excellent way to get to know other Synchro parents. Those who are interested may take courses to learn to be a judge or referee.
Opportunities for volunteering can occur at competitions held throughout the year, hosted by our club and at those hosted by other clubs. The following are examples of tasks that are required for meets, the majority of which are made available prior to each meet through BC Artistic Swimming’s on-line meet volunteer registration tool. Meet volunteering can make up to a maximum of 50% of a member’s annual FCP. Please take screen shots or a record of any volunteer role you complete at a competition.
Possible Competition Volunteer Positions
| |
Meet set up | Set up tables and chairs for scoring, judges. Put up screens. |
Scoring | Record figures and routine scores |
Computer assistant | Assist with input of figure and routine scores |
Hospitality Coordinator | Oversee judges’ hospitality requirements for entire meet |
Hospitality Assistant | Assists coordinator with hospitality |
Awards | Preparing awards |
Announcer | Introduce competitors and announce judges’ scores |
Music | Organize competitor’s music and operate sound system for routines |
Sound system setup | Deliver and set up BC Artistic Swimming’s sound system |
Runners | Collect scores from judges and deliver to computer chair |
Clean up | Assists in all aspects of clean up after meet |
Timers | Record times of all routines |
Video | Video tape all routines |
50/50 draw | Collect for 50/50 draw (if applicable) |
Fundraising | Set up and manage table for fundraising at host meets |
Administrator and Club Coordinator
As described at the start of this document, any task not fulfilled by volunteers will fall to the Administrator and Club Coordinator (in place since September 2019). Another purpose of this role is to provide consistency of knowledge and management when Board volunteers change, and to support the increasing volume of day-to-day club operations. Specific responsibilities below have been updated to reflect the role since that time. The duties as they have evolved over the last two years has amounted to 15-40 hours over 7 days a week, per 12 months.
– is responsible for the coordination and administration of the day-to-day operations of the Club, reporting to the Board; works directly with coaches, associations, pools and other volunteers to coordinate and administer the day to day operations of PWS.
– any jobs or tasks not fulfilled by a volunteer may fall to the Administrator and Club Coordinator, including the following key responsibilities:
(Updated: 8 February 2021)
Definitions:
“Individual” refers to and includes an employee, contractor, coach, volunteer, athlete, participant, or parent/spectator.
“Training environment” refers to any in-person group training activities or events that take place either indoors or outdoors. “BCAS” refers to the provincial Sports Organization “PSO” BC Artistic Swimming located in British Columbia, Canada
“Communicable disease” is an illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxic product that can be transmitted from one person to another such as COVID-19, norovirus, and seasonal influenza.
Credit and reference to the BCAS policy for the content herein:
https://www.bcartisticswimming.ca/docs/communicable_disease_prevention_plan___illness_policy_(july_12__2021).pdf
An effective illness, communicable disease prevention plan and health monitoring policy includes general measures to reduce the risk of communicable disease and additional measures for when there is an elevated risk of communicable disease. This policy is applicable to all PWS activities and programs including, but not limited to, work and training environments, events, competitions, and meetings. It is offered to guide all individuals at any environment when in attendance as part of PWS.
PWS will maintain the following measures to reduce the risk of communicable disease transmission:
All individuals experiencing symptoms are to stay home and seek guidance. Please complete the PWS Health Check, Call 811 or your health care provider. Please see following covid-19 symptoms:
Loss of appetite Fever or chills
Extreme fatigue or tiredness Sore Throat
Headache Cough
Body aches Loss of sense of smell or taste
Nausea or vomiting Difficulty breathing
Diarrhea Runny nose and Sneezing
Go to an emergency department
or call 911 if you:
Find it hard to breathe
Have chest pain
Can’t drink anything
Feel very sick
Feel confused
If your symptoms are consistent with a previously diagnosed health condition (e.g. allergies), you can attend a PWS event or training. If you have a Rapid Antigen test at home, please use it to check if you have Covid-19.
If you have MILD SYMPTOMS
(or have mild symptoms and tested negative)
STAY HOME
For most people, testing is not recommended BC Centre for Disease Control: When to get a COVID-19 Test
Mild symptoms are symptoms that can be managed at home Managing your symptoms.
Let your lead coach know and submit the Illness questionnaire Pacific Wave Illness Prevention Questionnaire (Responses)
If you TEST POSITIVE
SELF-ISOLATE
1.Complete our online illness questionnaire https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vBKs9SQ94yPWQPZGUm-M6VcAD731S_iZPjkfLuZLLUM/edit?usp=sharing
2.Manage your own symptoms Managing your symptoms.
3.Let your household and close contacts know
4.Let your lead coach know
If you are fully vaccinated OR less than 18 years of age, you can end isolation and return to in-person PWS activities when all three of these conditions are met:
4.You should avoid non-essential visits to higher risk settings such as long-term care facilities and gatherings for another 5 days after ending isolation.
If you are 18 years of age or older AND not fully vaccinated, you can end isolation and return to in-person PWS activities when all three of these conditions are met:
If you still have symptoms, continue to isolate longer if you have a fever or are not feeling better. If you are unsure or concerned, connect with your health care provider, call 8-1-1, or go to an Urgent and Primary Care Centre to be assessed.
Close Contacts
Household contacts should continue to regularly self-monitor for symptoms and stay home if they get sick. If there is an immediate household member that has symptoms, we strongly suggest to assess and consider whether to come to a PWS activity. A close contact is generally someone who has been near a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes when health and safety measures were not in place or were insufficient.
Information for Travelers
If you are a traveler returning from outside Canada and test positive for COVID-19, you need to follow the quarantine requirements set by the Federal government. Visit the Government of Canada website for more information: travel.gc.ca/travel-covid. Our club policy requires to not attend a PWS event or training for 14 days from the day of entry into Canada.
Inability to Participate in a Provincial Event or Competition
Individuals who are unable to attend or participate in a BCAS qualification or trial event or competition due to symptoms of a communicable disease, must follow the BCAS Provincial Competition or Event Procedures and medical bye process.
If an individual decides to not attend training due to concerns of covid-19 environment, please contact to inform your lead coach, technical director and board member.
(new 28 December 2021)
PWS is committed to follow guidelines for privacy as per the Personal Information Protection Act.
PWS is committed to keep confidential and secure personal information. A Privacy officer will oversee club processes and be available for consultation with any inquiry or complaint arising from a member.
Consent will be requested from individuals prior to the season and at the time of registration and possibly during the season through electronic and written means to fulfil club policies and initiatives.
The use of personal information that the club is requesting is to fulfil the requirements of operating the club. Information is collected from individuals, in conjunction with CAS and BCAS regulations and policies. .
Disclosure of personal information, with notification to the individual, by PWS may be necessary to CAS, BCAS, as well as government and other sources to ensure safe delivery of the program and to broaden communication between members in order to promote the club and sport to the general community as well as enhancing the experience of the swimmers and members of Pacific Wave Synchronized Swim Club.
All members will have the right to access their own personal information. If there is a need for assistance to obtain and/or correct personal information, this can be done in writing to the privacy officer who will assist in attaining/completing this for the individual(s).
We will make every effort to ensure that we present information accurately and correctly using reasonable safeguards to protect against theft and misrepresentation. We will keep information only as long as we need to perform the duties of running the business of the club or legal purposes.
Complaints or comments can be filed in writing to the President of the club as Privacy officer at the following email address: president@pacificwavesynchro.ca. The Privacy Officer will determine the appropriate course of action to proceed with responding to the complaint and take measures to protect privacy and information submitted. The process will be written and documented and according to our internal complaint policy.
For complete detailed information, please read and refer to the following link: Privacy (PIPA) Policy (September 26, 2021).
(new 28 December 2021)
PWS identifies, supports and implements True Sport values and the following principles in our training:
Go For It – Rise to the challenge and always strive for excellence. Discover how good you can be.
Play Fair – Play honestly, obey both the letter and spirit of the rules. Winning is only meaningful when competition is fair.
Respect Others – Show respect for everyone involved in creating your sporting experience, both on and off the field of play. Win with dignity and lose with grace.
Keep It Fun – Find the joy of sport. Keep a positive attitude both on and off the field of play.
Stay Healthy – Place physical and mental health above all other considerations and avoid unsafe activities. Respect your body and keep in shape.
Include Everyone – Share sport with others. Ensure everyone has a place to play.
Give Back – Find ways to show your appreciation for the community that supports your sport and helps make it possible.
PWS promotes polices and processes that achieve diversity, safe, fun, and life-building experiences for all participants.
Safe Sport “refers to our collective responsibility to create, foster and preserve sport environments that ensure positive, healthy and fulfilling experiences for all individuals. A safe sport environment is one in which all sport stakeholders recognize and report acts of maltreatment and prioritize the welfare, safety and rights of every person at all times.”
Everyone has the right to feel safe and participate in an accessible, equitable, respectful and inclusive sport environment free from maltreatment, regardless of age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, language, creed, religion, athletic potential, disability, family status, marital status, gender identity, gender expression, sex and sexual orientation. (Coaching Association of Canada https://safesport.coach.ca).
How to Report Maltreatment
If you are aware of a suspected incident of abuse, harassment, discrimination, bullying, or maltreatment, the individual is to contact the President (president@pacificwavesynchro.ca) or Vice President (vicepresident@pacificwavesynchro.ca) of the club.
Any Individual may report an incident or complaint to the President or Vice President in writing, within fourteen (14) days of the alleged incident, although the timeline can be waived at the President’s discretion. The complaint should include: a) the names of the parties involved b) any witnesses to the incident(s) c) the location, date, and time of the incident(s) d) details about the incident(s) (behaviour and/or words used). The President will serve as the chair of the complaint, unless there is a conflict of interest, and will determine the appropriate process for managing the complaint. Procedures will be followed that take into account club By-laws and Discipline, Complaints and Appeals policy in our Handbook.
Complaints may be brought for or against an Individual who is a minor (younger than 19 years old). Minors must have a parent/guardian or other adult serve as their representative during this process.
If there is any reason that an individual is not comfortable in reporting an incident directly to the club, the following options are available to access advice, guidance and resources:
Canada Artistic Swimming’s National Independent Safe Sport Officer: Lise Maclean Safesportofficer@safesportagency.ca Lise is an independent third party who will guide you through the complaints process and/or explore other options. The Independent Officer is empowered to supersede Canada Artistic Swimming staff and launch appropriate investigations as required based on evidence or a situation reported as per CAS Safe Sport Policies: https://artisticswimming.ca/safe-sport/safe-sport-related-policies-procedures/ Your contact with the Safe Sport Officer is confidential, subject to certain legal limits. The independent Safe Sport Officer is a certified workplace harassment resources/investigator. https://artisticswimming.ca/safe-sport/safe-sport-officer/
viaSport https://www.viasport.ca/quality-sport/safe-sport
ViaSport is committed to supporting sport organizations in creating sport environments that are free from all forms of harm: physical, mental, emotional and psychological. viaSport’s approach to Safe Sport encompasses injury prevention, concussion management, protection against maltreatment, and mental health.
SIRC: Safe Sport initiative https://sirc.ca/safesport/policies-practices/
Since the launch of the Safe Sport initiative, Canadian sport organizations have excelled in delivering on their promise to create a safe and welcoming environment. This page highlights some of the best Safe Sport policies and practices adopted across the country.
BC Helpline for Children 310-1234 (no area code required)
a confidential toll-free phone line for children and youth wanting to talk to someone; any time day or night and you do not need to give your name
(new 28 December 2021)
The purpose of the Screening Policy is to regulate and safeguard vulnerable individuals and sensitive information associated with the Club and the sport of Artistic Swimming.
PWS requires all Board members and selected long-term volunteer staff, and volunteers frequently working with our teams, over the age of 18, and where applicable, to submit criminal record checks. The volunteer roles and positions will be determined by the Board as to who will be required to submit a criminal record check. The Board will also take into consideration, at their discretion, any further background and reference checks that are required to fill any volunteer position and role with the club.
Any individual that is hired on contract basis to fulfil a role for the club, will be required to submit a criminal record check on their own, if it is deemed necessary and as requested by the Board.
Volunteers under the age of 18 who are not already members with BC Artistic Swimming must provide a signed letter of consent from their parent or legal guardian, with specific reference to the required CRC and reference checks.
Discipline that may lead to suspension and/or expulsion is set in our Club by-laws for any individual who shows conduct that does not represent the values of the club.
Please refer to the following resource as a guide to BCAS Screening policies: Volunteer & Screening Policy (September 26, 2021).
of consent from their parent or legal guardian, with specific reference to the required CRC and reference checks.
Discipline that may lead to suspension and/or expulsion is set in our Club by-laws for any individual who shows conduct that does not represent the values of the club.
Please refer to the following resource as a guide to BCAS Screening policies: Volunteer & Screening Policy (September 26, 2021).
Social Media Policy
(Approved 3 September 2019)
Social media is now part of our daily lives. These new communication tools include but are not limited to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Instagram, TikTok, WeChat and more. These new communication vehicles are excellent information outlets that provide another opportunity to promote synchronized / artistic swimming and our amazing athletes to a wider audience.
However, by its very nature, social media has an impact and is a reference point for information at all levels. The open concept of social media can easily put a member or an organization at risk due to a lack of judgement. This can include an inappropriate reaction in an emotional situation, a lack of information on the potential impact of new media and more.
PWS has adopted the following guidelines from Canadian Artistic Swimming in order to assure social media is used with good judgement that proudly represents our club’s policies and values. Members wishing to communicate via social media about PWS activities should assure their messages respect the club’s values and expectations of members.
PWS values freedom of expression in social media as long as the issues respect:
The decision to publish on social media can be simply summarized: WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT!
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