Courses

We need you on pool deck

Without Technical Officials (TO's) there are no swim meets, and the swimmers have no competition.

TO's are extremely valued and important members of the swimming community and you can help!

Swimming WA  in conjunction with Swimming Australia and Swimming NSW, conducts training in all technical aspects of swimming.

New officials are constantly in demand.

A swim meet needs a lot of officials - in an eight lane pool a full quota of at least 40 officials are necessary if the meet is to run efficiently.

Being an official is an excellent way of supporting your children in their favourite sport.

Swimming Championships and Meets are conducted by Clubs, Regions, States and National Bodies.

Swimming Australia qualified Technical Officials officiate at these various Meets.

There are also some fringe benefits!

• If you volunteer before the meet and get your name on the roster, you will normally have free pool entry.
• You will receive a complimentary program, and lunch and snacks are usually provided at full day Meets.
• At State and National meets, you can apply for free parking

 Things to remember:

• Technical Officials provide the swimming community with a precious gift - time.
• Every time you work at a swim meet you help young Australians stay healthy and achieve their goals.
• Once qualified you can work Metropolitan/Country, State and even Nationals. All assistance during Club races is greatly appreciated.

 Watch a short video on becoming a Technical Official here.

Here is your Reference Guide which shows all the requirements to progress through the easy-to-follow pathway!

How to Become a Technical Official

The training and assessment of technical officials is organised by Kaye Bolger - please contact her at - busybiz@rainbowis.com.au 

Inform your club, that you would like to become a qualified Technical Official or that you need to gain extra qualifications.

You must be a registered member of Swimming WA and of secondary school age (18) or older.

Your Club Referee will contact the ATSCC who will:

• organise the venue, date and time for your training,
• organise a qualified presenter and a qualified assessor to train and assess you.

Technical Official Positions on the pool deck:

National Accreditation Program:

All Technical Officials in Australia are now being trained and assessed under the guidelines of Swimming Australia's National Officiating Program. Training and assessing is conducted through competency based modules similar to workplace competency courses.

For further information on the Swimming Australia National Accreditation Program, please click here. Or alternatively, please visit the Swimming Australia website.

Before You Begin Your Training:

Candidates must complete the relevant Training Exercises, accompanied by the Training Notes if applicable, before meeting with the Course Presenter to gain accreditation in any of the SAL Learner Guide/Modules.

Training Format:

The Course Presenter will take the candidate through the SAL Learner Guide/Modulesand they will be asked to complete a short written assessment. At the conclusion you will be told when the candidate will be assessed in a practical officiating environment.

The Course Assessor will assess the candidate in a practical officiating environment, probably at a Club meet or at Club night.

He/she will assess the candidate as ‘competent’ or ‘not yet competent’ by assessing them on a list of criteria necessary to be competent in that technical official position.

If the candidate is deemed ‘competent’ in ALL the criteria, the assessor will forward their name on to Swimming Australia as being competent in that position.

All accredited technical officials are issued with a National Technical Official Accreditation card.

The card will identify the units (technical official positions) in which the candidate has achieved competency. If you have not received your accreditation card, please contact Swimming WA on 08 9328 4599.

For first time technical officials being accredited, you also receive a Swimming WA Technical Official Badge.

If you have not received your Swimming WA Technical Official Badge, please contact the Swimming WA, Club Services Coordinator on 08 9328 4599.

If the candidate is deemed as ‘not yet competent’ the Course Assessor will discuss with them what needs to be done for they can become ‘competent’.

Online Training Courses for Technical Officials

One of the key barriers to them officiating in our sport is having the time to complete the necessary training.

Now with the NOAP Online Training Courses, interested individuals can complete the training where and when they want.

Swimming Australia in conjunction with Swimming NSW have officially launch the online Training Courses for Technical Officials.

This new initiative is designed to help our volunteers quickly and easily gain the confidence and skills to help run a swim meet. 

At present the following courses are available online:

Timekeeper and Chief Timekeeper

Check Starter and Clerk of the Course (Marshal)

Inspector of Turns

Judge of Stroke

Starter (TBA Soon!)

Once individuals have successfully completed the training (theory) they will receive a certificate to print out and take to their next Meet so they can be assessed (practical) to become fully accredited.

To view the courses as they become available please visit the Swimming NSW training page here: https://nswtraining.swimming.org.au/

If you have not yet registered, please log onto the My Swim Results webiste and join or renew your TO membership.

An email notification will be sent to you when you pass any of the modules.

Your Area Technical Convenor will be able to follow up with the individual to organise assessments or answer any questions.

A dashboard of results can be found here.

This information is confidential to people who have access to this link.

Also available Online is the Introductory Level Officiating - General Principals.

For further information, please see our FAQ sheet.

Upcoming Courses  

The Swimming WA officiating course calendar is under review and will be released shortly.

For any additional information please contact Sharon Shepherd at sharon.shepherd@wa.swimming.org.au

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