Officiating for love of the sport!
The pay remains the same. But the recognition and demand for your services grows as you move up the swim meet officiating ladder. Eventually, you move beyond regional meets to national events. Ultimately, there can be a call to officiate at an international swim meet.
Those are the perks of this still voluntary activity. One or two Ontario Master officials will be attending the World Championships, this year in Australia. And Canadian Master Officials were in Hawaii for the Junior Pan Pacific Games and also in Australia for the Youth Olympic Festival.
“The reasons most people stay involved, even long after their children are no longer in swimming, is the enjoyment of the sport and a sense of community involvement,” comments Steve Kingston.
He has just reached Level 5, his final evaluation occurring at the March 1-4 Junior Provincial Championships. “I was given the pin after officiating in the second session. The designation will be officially approved by the Ontario Swim Officials Association (OSOA) Board and the pin presented formally at the Central Region officials’ clinics on March 24,” he said.
Steve is now in the ranks of Master Swim Officials, the top officiating level in Canada, as governed by Swimming Canada. But he is not alone in the Club. He joins Peter Williams and Karen Rodgers, whose children are long since gone from the Stingrays, who are also Level 5 officials.
The Club also has Rick Bremner at Level 3 and “very close to being ready for his Level 4 evaluation as a Senior Official,” Steve said. And Peter Gallow, whose daughter is a former Stingray, has just reached Level 3. There are several Club members at Level 2 and working their way up the officiating steps.
There is some urgency to this upward movement among Club members. The OSOA has made a proposal to Swim Ontario that will require clubs to have their own Level 3, 4 and 5 swim officials or they will not be sanctioned to host meets,” the president of the Newmarket Stingrays Club reported.
“Given the amount of time required to achieve those senior levels in officiating, many members are then almost at the end of their time with the club, unless they have several children swimming. Or they, hopefully, decide to stay involved,” Steve added. Level 4 or 5 officials are necessary to act as the Meet Referee and must be at the pool throughout the meet.
It can take a long time to get to Level 5. It took Steve seven years, although he did not move very quickly at first, he explained. But he took the minimum of one year each at Levels 3 and 4. Last year, he worked 48 swim sessions, necessary to get experience outside this region. Experience officiating at national level meets is necessary to be certified to Level 5.
“That is a lot for someone to do to move up in a volunteer position,” he admitted. “It is a big commitment.”
But it all starts with the Level 1 Timers Clinic.
And it can end with this perk: To be considered for the list of FINA (world swimming body) officials who would work at major international events (i.e., Worlds and Olympics). FINA officials are put on a list before the age of 50, and stay there for eight years.
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