ROLES & DESCRIPTIONS
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COURSE MARSHAL has an active role in ensuring safety on the course. Course Marshals are posted at key marshal points along the course and have three main responsibilities:
1. Ensure athletes have a fun, safe and fair event2. Communicate with your Rover
3. Be a supportive, positive presence on course Marshals will warn riders of hazards, direct riders, ensure fair play and provide rapid response to incidents.
Course Marshals may also act as crossing guards and/or league representatives to other trail users or visitors in vehicles if posted near a road or in a parking lot.
Some Marshals also assist with pitzone drop-off and parking guidance.
Radios are provided to communicate any incidents or to call in medical assistance.
Course Marshals can hike or ride bikes to their marshal points. Marshals can bring a chair, snacks, drinks, cooler, umbrella – anything to make your shift comfortable and enjoyable while doing your job!
Lastly, remember to cheer on those riders as they pass.
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ROVING MARSHALS support fixed Course Marshals in an assigned zone and monitor radio communication and respond to calls for assistance in your zone. Roving Marshals must ride a mountain bike with appropriate safety gear. This role may require riding endurance to ride the course to run equipment, relay medical need information and to relieve Course Marshals in your zone for bathroom breaks. Most importantly, you will support the safety of our riders while on course.
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SWEEPS keep track of a specific rider field by riding behind the last rider in that wave. Course Marshals, Roving Course Marshals, Finish Line Support Crew, the Scoring Team and racers all look to the Sweep to gauge where the last rider in a wave is positioned on course. Sweeps must ride a mountain bike with appropriate safety gear and this role may require riding endurance. You only need to be as fast as the slowest rider in the field.
End time for this job is to be determined by the last racer in the wave. You are FINAL INDICATION that every rider has come in from the course for your assigned field.
FINAL SWEEP goes out on course after we have officially closed the course, determined by our chief race timer. FINAL SWEEP relieves Course Marshals and Rovers of their duties as they pass, verifying that there are no riders still on course.
End time for this job is to be determined by the chief race timer closing the course and your riding the entire course beginning to end. You are FINAL INDICATION that every rider has come in from the course.
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COURSE SETTERS mark the course for each race. Our Chief Course Setter and League Director will direct you in placing markings to alert riders to turns, dangers to confirm they are on course. We will provide you with a backpack full of course-setting supplies: course tape, signs, zip ties and small wooden stakes. You can help set course on bike or on foot.
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INFIELD BUILDERS well, build the infield! You will be placing pins and poles for snow fencing and course tape, and possibly erecting canopy tents. This can include the start/finish line and finishing chute. At the end of the build you will be placing flags and sponsor banners. This can take more than the scheduled shift time, so you will be working with a quickly moving team. You will learn all the skills you need, as you go. Please wear gloves and eye protection when using tools – bring your own or use ours.
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SCORING SUPPORTERS help our timers as back up for the timing system. Technology is awesome, until it fails. This is a partnership, so we need two of you. One Scoring Supporter will call out numbers while the other will hand-write rider plate numbers as they cross the finish line. You can't beat pen and paper when all else fails! Plus, you get to have a front row seat to the where all the action is... in the timing tent and at the finish line!
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FINISH LINE SUPPORTERS are where the action is... the FINSIH LINE. You will ensure that riders who have completed the required laps for their field can exit the racecourse safely and other riders can continue through the finish line to complete additional laps. We will train you but we need a few good individuals who will help keep focus on the riders as they move through the finish line.
FINISHING SUPPORTERS keep the finishing shoot clear for exiting riders. This can be a crowed and hectic area with teammates and parents waiting for their athletes. All you need to do is keep spectators of to the sides and the lane clear for exiting riders. Sometimes, it’s the riders you need to keep moving, even if they are spent. Help them move to the side and allow others to exit safely while they recuperate! You even get to borrow a vest-of-authority and safety flags!
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FEED ZONE SUPPORTERS will be helping our Feed Zone Manager in
guiding parent, coach and other volunteer feeders to keep the feed zone safe for riders to receive water and food hand-offs. Rules to enforce include keeping volunteers off the course and in the feed zone area only, no running alongside a rider, and only designated team feeders should be in the feed zone. Your roll is to keep everything moving smoothly but be sure to support and encourage our athletes in a positive and fun way while doing so.
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MERCHANDISE SALES requires nothing but the willingness to sell our AWESOME SoCal Merch, and maybe a smile. Interact with our Racers, Family Members and SoCal Supporter by selling merch under the merch tent... yes, shade! This is a 4-hour time commitment and you can choose from a morning or afternoon shift for either Saturday or Sunday racing. We will train you, so don’t worry about previous experience.
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COURSE BREAKDOWN requires a bike & helmet and your ability to ride the course one time through. We will provide you with an empty backpack and you will collect all course markings. You will collect everything used to mark the racecourse: tape, signage, stakes, zip ties, and other race- related debris left behind, including trash and lost rider gear such as water bottles.
INFIELD BREAKDOWN involves disassembling our finishing line, infield fencing, feed zone fencing & canopy tents and cleaning up any race-related debris left in the infield. This involves removing and rolling snow fencing & sponsor signage, removing rebar/pvc posts and saving our reusable zip ties.
We leave a venue cleaner than when we found it. Bring everything back to the trailer and we will separate all of the course materials for you. We re- use everything, except the tape!
WE DO NOT START PODIUM AWARDS UNTIL THE COURSE AND INFIELDS ARE COMPLETELY TAKEN DOWN and CLEANED UP.
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PARKING volunteers are the first to welcome student athletes, their families, coaches and supporters as they enter the race venue. Our venues offer just enough space for our growing league to park, so it’s important to park cars in an efficient manner and keep cars moving in drop-off areas. You may also need to answer questions with a smile, while setting the relaxed tone at the race. Be sure to come with layers of clothing appropriate for a range of weather, as well as snacks, water and sunscreen.
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YOU MUST BE A High School Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior to participate in our Community Service Program.
COMMUNITY SERVICE at a SOCAL Race is a great way to earn the hours you need for high school graduation! Check in with Janice at the volunteer desk and she will put you to work helping to breakdown course, infield, or base camp. This may include sorting supplies and equipment, folding table cloths, or removing reusable zip ties from our signage. Be ready to work, possibly get dirty and be sure to dress appropriately. Work gloves are helpful but we will provide these if you do not have your own.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP BREAKDOWN COURSE you will need a BIKE & HELMET.
If your school requires a specific form to be signed off, be sure to bring it. But we will also have our own forms for proof of service if you forget yours!
STAFF who can sign-off your hours: Brandon (League Director), Amber (Associate Director), Janice (Volunteer Coordinator), Scott or Doug (Chief Course Marshals), Sarah (Registration Manager)
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STAFF fulfill all of the jobs not listed on this page and more. Staff are responsible for the general administration of events and they oversee volunteer staff. They are experts in their positions and each specialize in different aspects of race prodution. These are roles such as Chief Course Marshal and Chief of Logistics.
Staff are not volunteers but they start as volunteers and the SoCal League is always on the hunt for potential new staff. If you are interested in taking on a higher level of responsibility within the league and learning about race production reach out to brandon@socalyouthcycling.org. Being a staff member is incredibly rewarding and it’s quite a bit of fun too.