Everyone knows there is a difference between outdoor Seasonal staff and indoor year-round staff. The pace is different, the culture is different, even the needs are different for the facility and the staff. This session will equip you with ideas of how to identify, address, and plan in order to mitigate issues between seasons as well as staff buy in to ensure it is a smooth transition.

1. Change of Pace, Change of Culture –
Seasonal and Year-Round Staff
Rachael Arroyo and Jennifer Kashner-Fry

2. Jennifer Kashner-Fry
• Aquatic Supervisor, City of
Grapevine – 10 years
• The REC of Grapevine-
Multigenerational Recreation Center
opened April 2015
− With this new Recreation Center,
Grapevine built its first In-door
Aquatics Center
• Transitioning from just operating 2
seasonal outdoor pools to now
running a year round facility has
come with some challenges along
with some great opportunity for
Grapevine Aquatics

3. The REC of Grapevine, and more

4. Rachael Arroyo
• Aquatics Manager for the City of
Farmers Branch – 2 years
• Aquatics for 12 years, at the
University level, private sector,
and Public Sector
• Involved in the opening of the
Farmers Branch Aquatics Center,
− including an indoor natatorium with
an outdoor neighborhood
“waterpark” with play features, lazy
river, a flat water pool, and slide
towers attached
• Transitioning from year-round to
seasonal and back to year-round
requires some planning,
dedication, and “re-booting” for
all involved

5. Farmers Branch Aquatics Center, and more…

6. WHAT IS THIS
SESSION ABOUT?

7. The Changes
• Change of pace
• Change of culture
• Change in staff
• Facilitates the change of
operations

8. What is the focus?
• Directives change from year-round
maintenance to seasonal ramp up
• Utilizing the same amount of staff for year-
round maintenance, while ramping up
• Bringing in new staff to operate outdoor
• Transitions in between seasons, and what
that means for the staff and facility

9. What are you going to learn?
• Understanding the issues and how they
affect an operation
• Methods to mitigate challenges pertaining
to the change of pace
• Means for staffing and staff buy-in to help
facilitate transitions
• Efficiency with schedules, tasks, and
projects to aide in transitions

10. DIVING IN

11. Change of Pace
CALM STORM BREWING UP TO A HURRICANE
• 9 months of preparation to facilitate a 3 month
operation
• Preparation for the next season
− Utilize end of season evaluations
 Create tasks list
 Guides preparation schedule for next season
• Scheduled Repairs
• Preventative Maintenance
• Updates to policy/procedures

12. Change of Culture
Two different cultures
Outdoor is like a summer camp
Fast paced, sense of urgency,
directionally lead
– major project
Indoor is labeled a boring job
Self-sufficient, self-motivating,
task oriented
– minor maintenance

13. Change in Staff
• All part time staff is limited to 1000 hours/year
based on ERISA Law a.k.a. “Thousand-Hour Rule”
− Seasonal staff can work unlimited hours
− Year Round staff can only work 19 hours/week
− Covering the amount of hours for a year round facility
while ramping up for outdoor
− Introducing new staff into the equation

14. CLIMBING OUT

15. Change of Pace – How?
• Preparation – Maintenance,
paperwork, organization,
planning, purchasing, etc.
•
− Facilitate/Delegate
− Giving in-door staff projects
during the off season to
prepare for outdoor
− Cleaning outdoor venues
− Organization preparation i.e.
paperwork, new staff uniform
bundles
− Prepare for Seasonal events

16. Change of Culture – How?
• Orientation
− INDOOR STAFF, reboot
− Change of operation
− Expectations
− What needs to be done to
prepare
− OUTDOOR STAFF, full
orientation
− Managers orientation,
− Employee information
− EAP, LG Skills
− Expectations
• Get everyone on the
same pace

17. Change in Staff – How to recruit
• Recruiting – always
recruiting
− Business cards/Flyers with hiring
information
− FLYRING
− Schools restaurants, swim teams,
facilities that cant house all
participants from the LG Classes
− Social influence (between staff)
− Media influence, social or public
− Baywatch
− Sand Lot

18. Change in Staffing – How to adapt
• Staffing adequately to maintain indoor
operations while ramping up
− Adapting staffing needs based on HR
interpretation of ERISA
− “Part time, 1000 hour within 12 month period
− 29 U.S.C. § 1052
• Ways to adapt
− Full time Lead/Head Lifeguard FULL BENEFITS
− 30 hour positions eligible for pension
retirement only
− Additional staff 19 hour week average
− Strategic schedules based on staff needs and
availability

19. Change in Staff – How keep them
• Staff retention-
− Keeping them engaged, high
expectations, high rewards
− Keeping it Fun! Doing something
fun outside of work i.e. staff
gatherings, team bonding
− Feeding them GOOD FOOD!
− Guard of the Month/ Guard of
the week, Highlight staff
recognition instead of faults

20. Change in Staff – Why?
• Re-build your culture
every year and set
expectations up front
− Mission Statement/
Core Values
− Grapevine Mission
Statement
− Grapevine Core Values
− FB Branch Life REACT
− Frog Squad Code of
standards (staff created)
− Follow through with your
managers/lead guards

21. Grapevine Aquatics
Mission Statement
• To teach and enforce safety and respect,
utilizing the lifesaving skills that we have
been exceedingly trained to execute. To
remain alert and to take action. Always
offering dynamic customer service and
encouraging fitness, fun, and better
health. We are faster, smarter, stronger!
We are Grapevine Aquatics!

22. Grapevine Aquatics
Core Values
• Safety
• Respect
• Service
• Teamwork
• Fitness
• Fun
• Family

23. Branch Life Motto
• R espect
• E xcellence
• A ccountability
• C are
• T rust

24. Frog Squad Code of Standards
• “I will respect myself, my fellow guards,
and my FBAC Family.”
1. Thou shall not be late for thy shift nor rotations
2. Thou shall respect Head Guards and staff
3. Thou shall treat patrons with kindness and patience
4. Thou shall stay hydrated and sun screened
5. Thou shall always be cautious of thy surroundings
6. Thou shall keep locker clean and guardroom tidy
7. Thou shall not horseplay
8. Thou shall always participate in opening and closing
setup/cleaning
9. Thou shall take care of thyself and each other
10. Thou shall support all fellow FBAC Family

25. What are you leaving with?
• Knowledge of that there is no slow time.
Ever.
• Planning ahead
• Utilize year-round staff to facilitate
transition to summer
• Everyone needs a re-boot
• Recruit in every way possible
• Know your options
• Repeat

26. Wrap Up
• Overall it’s a
continuous storm with
various severities such
as the preparation for
the hurricane i.e.
SUMMER
• It goes from the calm
storm to the hurricane
• After the hurricane
there is still a light
rain
So pretty much it’s…

27. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR
EXPERIENCES, SUGGESTIONS,
CONCERNS?

28. QUESTIONS?

29. Thank you for to taking the
time and coming our session!
Summer 2017 HERE WE COME!!