In This Issue
1. National Certification Program Update
2. Are National Certifications for Me?
3. Maxwell Award Winner
4. Officials Selected for Olympic
Trials |
MAXWELL EXCELLENCE AWARDS Please continue to send in your Maxwell Excellence Awards Nominations. The form can be found in the recognition
section of the Officials page on USASwimming.org.
Click here to submit your nomination.
|
APPLY NOW
Officials are still needed for the summer championship meets – especially the Futures Meet in Atlanta. Please
click here to
apply. Winter meet applications will be posted after Olympic Trials. |
|
NATIONAL OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM UPDATE - JUNE 2016
The current National Certification Program is now more than 11 years old! And like anything that’s been
around for awhile, a review was due. The National Officials Committee decided to revamp the explanation documents and to modify the program just a
little. The revised documents have been posted on the website, so please keep a look out for them. The main changes in the program are:
- Before REQUESTING an N2 evaluation in a position, an official must have worked at least 16
sessions* in the position since full LSC certification in that position. N2 ST certification is now required before an N2 evaluation can be requested
for all other positions. (N2 AO will be an exception, when it is available.)
- Application for N2 Certification can be made once a “recommend for advancement”
evaluation is recorded in OTS and all other requirements are met. There are exceptions for CJ and Administrative Referee – Please see the new
documents.
- Before
requesting an N3 evaluation in any position, a candidate must have worked at least 8 sessions* in that position since N2 certification in
that position. Also, N3 ST certification is required before requesting an initial N3 evaluation for CJ, DR, SR and AR.
- For positions requiring an initial and a final N3
evaluation, 8 sessions* must be worked in the position before the next, or another, evaluation may be requested. “Another
evaluation” may be requested if the previous evaluation suggested more experience was needed.
- In the near future, the requirement of a year since N2 certification
in a position before N3 certification can be applied for, will be eliminated. Until the necessary programming changes are made, a filter will prevent
applications until one year has elapsed.
Remember: there are other things, in addition to
successful N3 final evaluations, that must be accomplished before an N3 certification application will be considered “complete”. These
include:
- LSC participation
- Participating in teaching and mentoring, and learning activities and,
- For CJ, Starter, Deck
Referee and Admin Referee, working at an “in pool” USA Swimming National Championship level meet (National Championships, Junior National
Championships, US Open, some FINA meets in the USA, and Arena Pro Series) as a deck official.
- Only Arena Pro Series Meets that take place in, or after November 2015 satisfy
this requirement. (Arena Pro Series/Grand Prix meets, prior to November 2015, do not meet the requirement!)
Along with these revisions the
“Professional Official” documents have been revised to reflect the National Certification program modifications. The Professional
Administrative Referee document was also edited to accommodate the recent changes in the way official times are determined.
- Sessions worked, certification dates and prior evaluation dates will be determined by what is recorded in
OTS! All LSCs are using OTS to track meets and sessions worked, and LSC certifications. If your records are not up to date contact your LSC Officials
Chair.
ARE NATIONAL
CERTIFICATIONS FOR ME?
By Thomas Tiedt, USA Swimming Official
Several years ago, I was sitting in one of my first officials’ briefings as a new official and marveled at how
fluently the lead official was recapping the rules in such a simple and easy-to-understand manner. It was the first time I’d heard the rules
presented thoroughly and without commentary from an official who was always smiling and completely enjoying his time at the meet. The next day he
presented a protocol and jurisdiction briefing with such logic that I immediately understood why we were asked to stand, walk and observe with
unassuming precision. I decided I wanted to be just like this official, so I asked how he learned all these skills.
He explained that about 10 years earlier he had decided to pursue national certification as a deck official
as a way of improving his own skills and knowledge of swimming. Along the way he encountered many veteran officials who frequented national
championship meets and they imparted some of their wisdom to him and others who showed an interest. For him these veterans dispelled the folklore and
mythology about rules and officiating that were often cast in a negative and very punitive light during local meets and hospitality discussions. He
said one thing that really resonated with me – “If I’m not having fun and learning something at these meets, that’s when I
will hang it up.” I decided I’d give national certification a shot and submit to an evaluation.
The nominal purpose of the national certification program is to prepare
and certify LSC officials for service at national championships meets.
LSC officials first apply and then are paired with national evaluators at officials qualifying meets (OQM) according to the position certification
sought (Stroke & Turn, Chief Judge, Starter, Deck Referee and Administrative Referee; there is no national certification for Meet Referee). LSC
Championships and Sectional meets are the typical venues where national evaluations occur, though they also occur at National Championships and Pro
Series events.
Candidates are monitored for 3-4 sessions at the OQM,
during which the national evaluator offers feedback. With promoting recommendation from the national evaluator the LSC official applies for national
certification though their officials’ online tracking system (OTS) account. If additional requirements, such as requisite educational and
teaching activities, are met the LSC official is granted N2 or N3 national certification (N2 is the first level of national certification; N3 is the
next level, which generally requires evaluations from two different evaluators). The LSC certification card is then updated with the new
certification(s) and emailed to the official. There is also the opportunity to evaluate the evaluator, one way to help improve the program.
The national certification process extends the various skills exercised at LSC meets
with refinements focusing each officials ‘department’ (ST, CJ, SR, DR, AR) and streamlining the interactions between these departments.
Communications, paper flow and deck protocols are customized and clarified, particularly for national-level meets.
We also want to look as prepared and ‘professional’ as the athletes. Thus, our duties are
effectively choreographed in honor of the athletes, to best serve the athletes and, yes, for the TV cameras, which have their uncanny way of capturing
for the audience either competence or confusion.
Notably, there is a more
important and immediate benefit of national certification – the cultivating experience of the evaluation process itself.
During a national evaluation and its advanced mentoring from the national evaluator the skills
and perspectives of the official being evaluated are significantly elevated…kind of like a graduate school for their development.
National evaluators have significant experience to share regarding rules
interpretations, jurisdictions, procedures and national-deck protocols. They are able observers and communicators. Through quality one-on-one time we
benefit immensely from many hours of their review and in-depth recommendations for improvement, exposure difficult to accomplish otherwise. We get a
direct connection with the state of our art and the decisions and policies of the National Officials and Rules & Regulations Committees. We become
better officials and even become mentors ourselves for those who have yet to benefit from the invigorating experience.
Even if we never plan on serving at a national-deck meet (although the experiences at these meets are
fantastic, so join the fun), the diverse beneficial consequences for us individually and collectively make national evaluations treasures. They
address all of our questions and challenge our growth. They broaden our horizons and help us serve the athletes optimally.
I’ve learned so much in a relaxed atmosphere, and have truly enjoyed getting to know so many wise and talented
officials. If you have the opportunity for some graduate work on officiating, I have only one recommendation for you. Go for it!
MAXWELL AWARD WINNER:
Every two
months Swimming World magazine and Maxwell Medals recognizes an official for their outstanding contributions to local swimming. Each LSC or other
governing body can submit a candidate that is deserving of recognition and the winning official is selected by a sub-committee of the National
Officials Committee to be recognized in Swimming World magazine every two months. July’s recognition goes to Mike Hoffer with North Carolina
Swimming.
Mike served as NCS Official’s Chair from 2008-2012.
During that period Mike was responsible for a number of improvements including establishing an active official’s committee, utilizing the OTS
LSC certification and developing procedures for obtaining various certifications.
In addition, Mike established a Coach’s/Official’s meeting which has become a standard part of the NCS HOD where coaches and
officials discuss any issues. This has taken the LSC from a confrontational to a harmonious relationship between the coaches and
officials.
Mike continues to devote a great deal of time as an official after his kids have completed their swimming careers.
OFFICIALS
SELECTED FOR OLYMPIC TRIALS
As you know, the Olympic Trials are only a few short weeks away! As such, we thought it would be nice to list
all those who will put in many long hours, pay for their own round-trip transportation and lodging, and may even use their vacation time so that they
can officiate at the Olympic Trials.
The next time you see any of the
officials listed below, please take a moment to thank them for volunteering to help our swimmers!
| Position | First Name | Last
Name | LSC |
| MR |
David | Coddington | PN |
| AAR |
Mary | Swalley |
CA |
| AR | Gloria | Schuldt |
NT |
| CJ | Jacquelyn |
Allender | OR |
| CJ | James |
Cahn | MD |
| CJ | Sandra |
Drake | HI |
| CJ |
Robert | Griffiths | FL |
| CJ |
Suzanne | Heath |
NC |
| CJ | Kathleen | Scandary |
CO |
| CJ-H | Clark |
Hammond | SE |
| DR | Robert |
Broyles | IE |
| DR | John |
Dowling | NT |
| DR |
Lucy | Duncan | IN |
| DR |
James | Holcomb |
BD |
| DR | Amy | Hoppenrath |
MV |
| DR | John |
Thomas | FG |
| SR | Julie |
Allen | GA |
| SR | Jeffery |
Raker | OH |
| SR |
Denice | Wepasnick | PV |
| SR-L |
Cecil | Gordon |
MA |
| ST | Debra | Baldwin |
SI |
| ST | Elizabeth |
Coe | MD |
| ST | Dana |
Covington | SN |
| ST | Kimberly |
Downs | VA |
| ST |
Michael | Downs | VA |
| ST |
Claude | Duncan |
IN |
| ST | Jon | Fox |
NC |
| ST | John |
Gagliardo | PN |
| ST | Kenneth |
Galica | NE |
| ST |
Valerie | Gibson | NJ |
| ST |
Jeffrey | Gudman |
OR |
| ST | John | Hiester |
IN |
| ST | Melissa |
Hellervik-Bing | FL |
| ST | Donald |
Hougardy | IE |
| ST |
Timothy | Husson | PV |
| ST |
Jason | Johnson |
NT |
| ST | Traci | Johnson |
NT |
| ST | Peter | LaGow |
MD |
| ST | Anne |
Lawley | OH |
| ST | Paul |
Maker | NE |
| ST | Patricia |
Martin | NC |
| ST |
Mark | McCaw | FL |
| ST |
David | Meagher |
OH |
| ST | John | Neill |
PV |
| ST | Anthony |
Rongione | PV |
| ST | William |
Rose | SN |
| ST |
Robert | Scandary | CO |
| ST |
Wayne | Shulby |
NC |
| ST | Michael | Smythe |
IN |
| ST | Jayne |
Spitt;er | IL |
| ST | Robert |
Steffner | NT |
| ST |
Susan | Talwar | FL |
| ST |
Michael | Urbanowicz |
CO |
| ST | Johannes | Van Nimwegen |
PV |
| ST | Ronnie |
Van Pool | PN |
| ST | Lisa |
Vetterlein | PN |
| ST |
Francine | Werner | IN |
| ST |
Teresa | White |
PN |
| ST | John | Wilson |
GA |
| ST | John | Witzel |
MN |
| ST | Adam |
Zeichner | FG |
| ST | Ronals |
Zolno | ST |
Watch "The Last Gold" at a Theater Near You
|
