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Swimming Officials are all volunteers,
but without them none of our events
would be possible! Volunteering as an official is both
challenging and rewarding.
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Why be an official?
There
are lots of great reasons to become a swim official…
- We need
you! Maybe it looks to you like we have plenty of folks on
deck…but the fact is that at
most meets we have about half the number of folks we need to
effectively officiate!
- Contribute meaningfully to the sport!
Sitting in the stands is better than not showing
up for your children, but becoming an
official demonstrates to them the kind of parent
you are---caring and active.
- Great
view! You are right there at the point of the action.
- Hospitality! At most all meets you are
‘fed and watered’ to your hearts content.
- Camaraderie! Meet and make friends with
lots of other folks from all over your area
and the state, and enjoy the energy and
spirit of the officials group.
- We are
NOT little league…in swimming, unlike many sports, we pay
for professional coaching, and rely on volunteer
officials…that’s the way it should be, not the other
way around!
What do "stroke and turn judges" do?
The
officials help the coaches and swimmers by maintaining a fair
competitive environment. Stroke and Turn Judges (s/t) will
observe the swimmers after the start and report any violations
of the stroke and turn rules to the Referee. Officials should never
incorrectly report a violation of the rules, as it is expected
that all reports are based on 100% certainty that what is
reported as a disqualification is a violation of the rules. The
swimmers ALWAYS get the benefit of the doubt!
Please email Jim Hirschberger if you
are interested in learning more. There are two forms you may want
to review. The first is the non-athlete
registration form (click here) that must be
filled out if you decide to follow through with this position. The
second is information on stroke and turn
clinics (click here)
which will give you more information on what is required of
officials.
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