Officiation and refereeing weren't things I ever thought about, as a teenaged-and-younger competitor. I mean, they were there, and they were a part of my competitive history, but I never really stopped thinking about the athletic community long enough to ponder at all about the officials community. I didn't know there were different levels, I didn't know there were so many duties one could fulfill as an official, and I certainly didn't know how easy it was to get one of the best seats in the house, for free, at high-level competitions. Officiation is something I got involved with in my first adult recreational sport, and I loved it. I loved learning all of the rules and details, loved that it taught me, essentially, what to look for in order to distinguish an elite athlete from a mediocre or average one. That made watching competition at all levels that much more interesting, all on its own. Plus, as a competitor myself, the process of learning the rules and training to be an official helped me avoid disqualification. Most sport bodies, like all volunteer organizations, are crying for more volunteers. And some sport bodies have done a fair amount to make it "worth your while" to come out and help. Did you know that - In Canada, Revenue Canada offers a tax break for travel/accommodation costs for qualified officials attending National-and-higher level competitions?
- Swim Manitoba recently offered a free advertisement and Marketing opportunity for employers who "donate the time" of their employees, so the employees can volunteer as officials at a large National event held in the province, without having to take holidays or time off in other ways.
- There's a good chance you'll get free food!
- Some meets have sponsorship that pays for polo shirts for the officials, so you get a free shirt!
- Experienced officials don't bite, and actually appreciate newcomers!
There are probably other things I haven't discovered yet. Personally, I'm very interested in finding out what the probability of getting into the Olympics as an official is, after 4 or 5 years. Do officials have to train as long as athletes to make it into the Olympic Games? Competition is magical to me. The stage is always set up so nicely (the pool has those special lane ropes you only see brought out for competition), and excitement is in the air. Being an official funnels this excitement straight into my heart, because I'm able to mix within inches of hundreds of athletes that compete at a level I could only dream of. Nevermind the fact that I'll absolutely love the reaction I'll get when I tell people "Hey, I'm in the Olympics this year... yeah, in swimming"... (pause for effect)... "... as an official". For more information on the Procedures for Certifying Officials within Canada, please visit http://www.swimming.ca/official.html. Clinics and Questionnaires (ie: the documents you'd get at a Stroke and Turn training clinic, for example, as well as the test they'd give you at the end) are available at this URL: http://www.swimming.ca/clinics.html |
