Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Officials Meeting
There will be a swimming officials clinic for all levels (stroke & turn, starter, referee; new and recertifying) at Webster Aquatic Center (WAC) on November 20 @ 7:00. The Webster Aquatic Center is located at 875 Ridge Road, Webster (WAC is adjacent to Webster Schroeder HS). Directions & signs will be posted from there. Please check your certification expiration date, you must recertify every 2 years. Please encourage people from your swim club to become a new official - we need them!! If you have any questions or plan on attending, please contact me at 719-2500 (w) / 671-2078 (h) / E-Mail to jerieth@rochester.rr.com or jrieth@rohmhaas.com so that I have enough handouts for everyone. (Of course, if someone discovers at the last minute that he or she is able to attend, feel free to come--but it sure helps to have a ballpark number!). Thank you. The following tests must be completed for each level:
Stroke & Turn
New Official - stroke & turn and timer tests.
Recertifying – stroke & turn and timer tests.
Starter
New Starter – starter, stroke & turn, timer, clerk of course and timing judge tests
Recertifying – starter recertifying test.
Referee
New Referee – admin, referee, starter, stroke & turn & timer tests.
Recertifying – admin & referee recertifying test.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For New Swim Officials Certifying as a Stroke & Turn Judge takes a little time, but it's a lot of fun, adds to your understanding of the sport, and sure beats sitting in the bleachers at a long meet. It would be terrific if you do the "book learning" and take the certification tests before the clinic. Otherwise, go to the clinic and finish the tests as soon as possible. Here's how to get started: 1) Learn the rules. 2) Take the certification tests. 3) Attend a clinic. 4) Get a USA Swimming insurance card. 5) Apprentice with other officials. Rules
Everyone starts as a Stroke and Turn Judge. To do your job properly, you need to learn the technical rules for the four strokes--freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. It's not so bad really, just four pages in the rule book. Go to the USA swimming website: www.usaswimming.org. Click on the "Volunteers" tab at the top of the page, then click on "Officials" at the menu on the left. Then, "Rules and Regulations." Then, "2007 Swimming Mini-Rulebook." Plus, you will need to at least skim the other rules on how meets are conducted.
Tests
You take two on-line, open book tests, also at www.usaswimming.org, for: Timer and Stroke and Turn Judge. This way you'll know what the other people on deck are doing and be cross-trained for those jobs. Your results will go to the Niagara District automatically. You'll get an e-mail with your scores. Please forward your passing scores to me at rieth@frontiernet.net or jrieth@rohmhaas.com.
The tests are fairly easy. Just register and follow the instructions. Open a copy of the rules in one window and the test in another. The questions are multiple choice and you must cite the section number(s) of the rule(s) that apply. If you get stuck, go back to the rules. If you need to take a break, the program saves your answers and you can return at your convenience. You can keep taking the tests until you pass. Not everyone passes every test the first time.
Clinic
This is where you begin making the transition between understanding the rules on paper and understanding the rules as they apply to bodies torpedoing through the water. The clinic will be a good review. You get to see all four strokes in a video. The video also covers the basics of officiating--where to position yourself for good calls, how to ensure a fair swim for the athletes in your lanes, etc. After you pass your certification tests and attend the class, you'll be issued a blue card so that you can apprentice before you begin officiating on your own.
Insurance Card
This "deck card" is a combination ID and proof of insurance. USA Swimming provides liability coverage for coaches and officials. Obtain a USA Swimming non-athlete application from your club registrar, complete and return. The club will pay your application fee. You need a deck card to apprentice.
Apprentice
You need to "shadow" for four sessions--watch other officials at work and get some on-deck pointers from them--before you can officiate on your own. A session could be a dual meet, or a morning, afternoon, or finals session at an invitational. Most invitationals are two or more sessions. I don't recommend shadowing for more than two sessions a day. Just report to the referee at any USA Swimming meet. You don't even need to have a swimmer at the meet. Let the referee know you'd like to shadow and follow his or her instructions. They usually have you rotate among the positions on the deck. Observe; ask questions. You're there to learn. After the session, have the referee sign your card. Once you have proof of at least four shadow sessions, you need to send me a blue card and I'll send you your permanent (white) certification card. You need to recertify every 2 years.
You will need a uniform to shadow. You've seen the officials on deck. The uniform is a white polo shirt, navy blue shorts or slacks, and white sneakers.
Stroke & Turn
New Official - stroke & turn and timer tests.
Recertifying – stroke & turn and timer tests.
Starter
New Starter – starter, stroke & turn, timer, clerk of course and timing judge tests
Recertifying – starter recertifying test.
Referee
New Referee – admin, referee, starter, stroke & turn & timer tests.
Recertifying – admin & referee recertifying test.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For New Swim Officials Certifying as a Stroke & Turn Judge takes a little time, but it's a lot of fun, adds to your understanding of the sport, and sure beats sitting in the bleachers at a long meet. It would be terrific if you do the "book learning" and take the certification tests before the clinic. Otherwise, go to the clinic and finish the tests as soon as possible. Here's how to get started: 1) Learn the rules. 2) Take the certification tests. 3) Attend a clinic. 4) Get a USA Swimming insurance card. 5) Apprentice with other officials. Rules
Everyone starts as a Stroke and Turn Judge. To do your job properly, you need to learn the technical rules for the four strokes--freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. It's not so bad really, just four pages in the rule book. Go to the USA swimming website: www.usaswimming.org. Click on the "Volunteers" tab at the top of the page, then click on "Officials" at the menu on the left. Then, "Rules and Regulations." Then, "2007 Swimming Mini-Rulebook." Plus, you will need to at least skim the other rules on how meets are conducted.
Tests
You take two on-line, open book tests, also at www.usaswimming.org, for: Timer and Stroke and Turn Judge. This way you'll know what the other people on deck are doing and be cross-trained for those jobs. Your results will go to the Niagara District automatically. You'll get an e-mail with your scores. Please forward your passing scores to me at rieth@frontiernet.net or jrieth@rohmhaas.com.
The tests are fairly easy. Just register and follow the instructions. Open a copy of the rules in one window and the test in another. The questions are multiple choice and you must cite the section number(s) of the rule(s) that apply. If you get stuck, go back to the rules. If you need to take a break, the program saves your answers and you can return at your convenience. You can keep taking the tests until you pass. Not everyone passes every test the first time.
Clinic
This is where you begin making the transition between understanding the rules on paper and understanding the rules as they apply to bodies torpedoing through the water. The clinic will be a good review. You get to see all four strokes in a video. The video also covers the basics of officiating--where to position yourself for good calls, how to ensure a fair swim for the athletes in your lanes, etc. After you pass your certification tests and attend the class, you'll be issued a blue card so that you can apprentice before you begin officiating on your own.
Insurance Card
This "deck card" is a combination ID and proof of insurance. USA Swimming provides liability coverage for coaches and officials. Obtain a USA Swimming non-athlete application from your club registrar, complete and return. The club will pay your application fee. You need a deck card to apprentice.
Apprentice
You need to "shadow" for four sessions--watch other officials at work and get some on-deck pointers from them--before you can officiate on your own. A session could be a dual meet, or a morning, afternoon, or finals session at an invitational. Most invitationals are two or more sessions. I don't recommend shadowing for more than two sessions a day. Just report to the referee at any USA Swimming meet. You don't even need to have a swimmer at the meet. Let the referee know you'd like to shadow and follow his or her instructions. They usually have you rotate among the positions on the deck. Observe; ask questions. You're there to learn. After the session, have the referee sign your card. Once you have proof of at least four shadow sessions, you need to send me a blue card and I'll send you your permanent (white) certification card. You need to recertify every 2 years.
You will need a uniform to shadow. You've seen the officials on deck. The uniform is a white polo shirt, navy blue shorts or slacks, and white sneakers.
