Happy New Year!
As we turn the calendar to 2010, the PVS Officials Committee would like to thank you for your participation and hard work at swim meets throughout 2009. Your role as a volunteer swim official is essential to our sport. You are actively involved in your child’s swimming program; at the same time you are instrumental in strengthening competitive swimming in the United States. Who knows which swimmer at the next PVS Mini-Meet or Open will make it to a future Olympic Games? You play an important role in that swimmer’s accomplishments by serving as a deck official. We are grateful for your dedication and generous donation of time in support of our athletes.

We wish you health, prosperity, good fortune, and fast times in the New Year!

Upcoming Meets

January 2010
Date	Meet	Location	Officials Contact
2-3	PVS January Distance Meet	Lee District	Art Davis
9-10	MAKO Winter Invitational	GMU	Tony Fitz
10	RMSC Frosty Pentathlon	Germantown	Bill Maneely
10	Snowball Splash Mini Meet	Claude Moore	Art Davis
16-17	Speedo Eastern States Senior Circuit #3	Washington-Lee HS
16-17	Polar Bear Invitational	South Run	Sergio Nirenberg
23-24	PVS January Open	MLK Swim Center PGS&LC Fairland-1 Fairland-2	Allan Anderson Scott Robinson Mark Wainwright
23-24	Snow Dude Mini Invitational	Mt. Vernon	Brian Baker

January Clinics
Several officials clinics have been scheduled for Saturday, January 9 at the Takoma Aquatic Center:

• Stroke & Turn: 8:30-10:30 am
• Colorado Timing System: 11:00-1:00 pm
• Hy-Tek: 1:30-3:30 pm

Need re-certification? Looking to upgrade your current certification? Here’s your chance. Pre-Registration for the clinics is encouraged, but not required. You can just show up at the time of the clinic. Attendance at a clinic at least once every two years is a requirement for your certification. Be sure to check the PVS website throughout the year for additional officials clinics.

It’s a Fact!
In 1961 at the Indoor Nationals at Yale University, the 1500M freestyle final was one of the last major races conducted without lane lines. Avoiding head-on collisions was a part of the race.

IM Xtreme Games
Looking for something different? Check out the IM Xtreme Games, held locally at the Takoma Aquatic Center, February 26-28. The IMX Games promote and reward versatility in age group swimming. Swimmers aged 11-14 from Maine to Florida will be participating a wide variety of events in a test of all-around swimming talent. 11- and 12-year olds will compete in 500 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, and 200 IM. 13- and 14-year olds will compete in 500 Free, 200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. Each swimmer’s time will be given a point value; swimmers scores from all events will be combined for an overall IMX point total. Age group winners will be determined based upon their total IMX points. Officials are still needed for this unique event.

Where Do New Officials Come From?
Question: What group of parents at a swim meet most clearly exhibits the qualities of volunteerism and dedication that we look for in officials? Answer: The timers! The next time you give a Timers’ Briefing, you might also want to include a thirty second plug for becoming an official. Let the timers know that we’re available and willing to answer any questions they might have.

You Make the Call
A college coach is attending a local meet to observe some swimmers, and he is videotaping several events. A stroke disqualification is called in one such event. The call is accepted by the referee but protested by the swimmer’s coach. The college coach tells the disqualified swimmer’s coach that he has the swim on tape and he believes it shows that there was no DQ. The protesting coach demands that the referee review the tape and reverse the decision, or else convene a meet jury. What should the referee do?
See the answer at the bottom of this newsletter.

Did You Know . . .
In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enlarged the west wing of the White House, including the addition of an indoor swimming pool. The March of Dimes funded the pool so that FDR could exercise, given his disability. In 1970, the swimming pool was closed as part of the renovations that resulted in the present-day Press Briefing Room and press corps offices. Parts of the swimming pool still exist, accessible through a trapdoor in the floor of the Press Briefing Room, according to whitehousemuseum.org. An outdoor pool was built during the Gerald Ford administration; President Ford once held an impromptu press conference while he was swimming in it.

Questions? Suggestions?
Do you have a question about officiating or a tip you’d like to share? Is there a rule that you’d like to have clarified? Do you have a suggestion for a future item in this newsletter? If so, please send your questions/comments to the newsletter editor, Jack Neill.

National Certification
A reminder that after you have received a successful evaluation at a National Qualifying Meet, you are not automatically re-certified or advanced. There are other requirements that may also need to be met. These include participation in LSC meets, continuing education as an official, mentoring of other officials, National Championship meet experience, depending upon the position and the level of certification sought. Specific requirements can be found on the USA Swimming website. National Certification also requires that you submit the online Application for Certification found within the Officials Tracking System on the USA Swimming website.

Resolution to ‘You Make the Call’
The disqualification should stand. A meet jury cannot adjudicate judgment decisions — only the referee may adjudicate judgment decisions. In addition, USA Swimming has not approved the use of videotape devices to resolve such protests.