Why be an official?  When is training?

• We can't run meets without officials.  We need stroke and turn (SNT) officials, starters (STR), Referees (REF), and experienced Head Referees.  Start training in April and you can be a SNT official this year.  The next year you can train to be a STR official, and the next year you can be a REF.  Preferably you serve as a referee a year or two before serving as a Head REF.  With a 3-4 year cycle and kids that age up, families that move, etc. it can be difficult to have enough officials to run a team.
• You get close to the action and understand more about what your children are facing.  Its especially helps you to understand the sport if you are not a swimmer and did not grow up with a swim team.
• You get free food.  Because our SCSL officials must go to training classes and re-certify every two years, we offer them a free lunch at home meets, as do most of the teams we compete against.

The schedule for all training in the month of April has been posted on the NWAL Certified site. This year, Coaches and Referees have to take the recertification test and all Team Reps have a Team Rep test to take this year as well.  There are several training dates at locations that are nearby at Greentree or Walden Country Club, but they fill up fast, so make sure you sign up and can go to a training that is not all the way across town.  Please direct all questions about training to [email protected] and allow 24 hours for a response to your email. 

The training certification website is at www.nwalcertified.org.  Create a username and password to see available classes.  Note that Stroke and Turn and Starter classes are a 2 part class.  You must do the SNT Lecture first and then take the SNT On-deck training, where you watch a swimmer perform various strokes and learn how to identify infractions.  Starter is the same, with a STR Lecture and then STR On-deck.  After you have attended both then you will log onto the NWAL Certified Site and pass one test that covers both classes.

If you are taking a Starter class or a Referee Class please contact John Wakefield, Team Rep, [email protected] to get your 2017 Rulebook so you can take it to the training.

Classes begin April 1st, 2017 and fill up fast, so do not wait till the last minute to sign up.

NWAL Officiating Contact:  Matt Waindel, NWAL 1st Vice President, [email protected], T and C Chairperson

Thank you,

Jason Green

President, Sand Creek Sea Lions

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