Hampton Virginia Aquaplex — Marshal Guide
Marshals keep the Summer Splash Invitational and City Meet running safely and orderly at the Hampton Virginia Aquaplex (HVA). This guide is for volunteers assigned a marshal post at HVA. If you’re attending as a spectator, see the HVA Participant Guide instead.
Your authority and responsibilities come from the GPSA Rulebook — Marshal(s). The referee assigns marshals with specific instructions and, per the rules, you act with the concurrence of the referee when a situation escalates.
Your job in one sentence
Keep the pool deck and locker rooms restricted to the people who belong there. At HVA, access is tightly controlled, and marshals are the people who make that control real. Everything below is a specific version of these two rules:
- Pool deck: only credentialed coaches, officials, swimmers, and meet volunteers are permitted on the deck. Anyone else — including parents and family — stays in the spectator area.
- Locker rooms: athletes only. No entry from the outside hallway.
When in doubt, keep the boundary. It’s always fine to send someone to the Meet Safety Officer, meet referee, or a GPSA Representative rather than let them through.
You’re supported — who to contact for help
You are never on your own at a post. Any time something comes up — a safety concern, a medical situation, a guest who won’t cooperate, or simply a question — reach out. Three people are available to you throughout the meet, and you can go to any of them:
| Contact | Reach them for |
|---|---|
| Meet Safety Officer (your primary contact) | Your first stop for anything — safety concerns, injuries, hazards, unsafe behavior, and any question or support you need |
| Meet Referee | Rule enforcement and removals; per the rules, the referee’s concurrence is required to remove someone from the venue |
| Meet Director | Meet operations, logistics, staffing, and post relief |
Reach out early rather than waiting for a situation to grow. Flagging something to the Safety Officer is always the right call — that’s exactly what they’re there for. Find out how to reach each of them (in person, by radio, or by phone) when you check in.
Who enters where
Each group has a designated way into the pool. Part of marshaling is routing people to the right door:
| Who | Entrance |
|---|---|
| Volunteers (all) | Volunteer entrance only |
| Swimmers | Any entrance |
| Coaches/Reps | Any entrance |
| Spectators / families | No deck access |
Before your shift
- Check in to receive your post assignment and any identifying attire (per GPSA rules, marshals wear identifying attire so swimmers, coaches, and families can find you).
- Know your boundary. Each post below has one line you’re protecting. Learn where it is and who is allowed to cross it.
- Learn the credential. Confirm at check-in what a valid deck credential looks like for this meet so you can recognize it at a glance.
- Stay at your post. Don’t leave it unattended — if you need a break or a relief, send word to the Meet Director or Meet Safety Officer.
Marshal posts
| Post | Boundary you protect | Core responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Top of stairs | Spectator area ↔︎ pool deck | Credentialed persons & swimmers only |
| Main entrance | Lobby ↔︎ pool deck | Credentialed persons & swimmers only |
| Locker rooms | Outside hallway ↔︎ locker rooms | NO ENTRY |
| Wet deck hallway | Pool deck ↔︎ locker-room corridor | Athletes only in Locker Room, Coaches/Officials use Single Stall rooms |
| Volunteer entrance | Volunteer/official access point | Swimmers, credentialed persons, registered volunteers |
Top of stairs
Stationed in the pool area at the stairs between the spectator seating and the pool deck.
- Allow only credentialed persons (coaches, officials, representatives) and swimmers down to the deck.
- Keep spectators and family in the seating area. Parents who want to reach a swimmer should be directed to that swimmer’s coach or GPSA Representative — they do not go onto the deck.
- Do not let anyone linger on the stairs; keep the path clear for swimmers and officials moving between deck and seating.
Main entrance
The doors from the lobby to the pool deck, by the facility’s main entrance. Your boundary is pool-deck access — control who crosses from the lobby onto the deck.
- Allow swimmers, coaches, officials, and GPSA Representatives onto the deck.
- Keep spectators and family in the lobby and seating area — they have no deck access. Point them to the seating area.
- Send any registered volunteer who arrives here to the volunteer entrance — that’s where volunteers check in.
- Point people toward the participant guide information (parking, seating, facility rules) when they have general questions.
- Answer only where-to-go questions. Do not field questions about a swimmer’s lane, heat, or event — those go to the swimmer’s coach, the SwimTopia app, or the GPSA Representative.
Locker rooms
Posted in the outside hallway by the locker-room doors.
- No entry from the outside hallway — this is the rule to hold firmly. Athletes needing access to the locker room should enter from the pool deck.
Wet deck hallway
The wet-side passage connecting the pool deck and the locker rooms.
- Keep the corridor clear — it’s a wet, high-traffic path for swimmers moving to and from the locker room.
- Allow only swimmers and credentialed personnel through; nobody uses it as a shortcut from the spectator side.
- Watch footing and flag any hazards (standing water, blocked exits) to the Meet Safety Officer or facility staff.
Volunteer entrance
A pool-deck access point near the concession stand, and the required check-in door for all registered volunteers.
- Admit registered volunteers, credentialed persons (coaches, officials, GPSA Representatives), and swimmers.
- Turn spectators and family away — they have no deck access; direct them to the seating area.
- Because it’s near the concession stand, swimmers commonly use this door.
Handling pushback
Most people cooperate once they understand the rule. When someone doesn’t:
- Be firm and friendly. State the rule simply: “Only credentialed staff and swimmers past this point — spectator seating is right up here.”
- Offer the alternative. Point them to seating, to their swimmer’s coach, or to their GPSA Representative.
- Escalate, don’t argue. If someone refuses or becomes disruptive, call your Meet Safety Officer or the meet referee. Under the rules, the marshal — with the referee’s concurrence — may warn, order to cease, and have removed anyone behaving unsafely, using abusive language, or disrupting the meet (Rulebook — Marshal(s)).
You never have to resolve a confrontation alone. Holding the boundary and calling for help is exactly the right move.