Starter/Stroke and Turn Official's Info (UPDATED FROM 2017)

Good evening, everyone! This is a repost of a post from 2017, with some updated links.

The main point of this blog post is to get you all information regarding the stroke and turn/ starter training.  In the past I have served as the lone starter at home meets, and I would love to be able to pass the whistle off to some others to free me up to spend more time on deck away from meet management.

Stroke and turn officials need to do three things for us to be "certified."

Number 1: Watch the USA Swimming videos available online here: https://www.usaswimming.org/officials/how-to-become-an-official. Scroll down to find the videos. Stroke and turn officials have several shorter (6 minutes or less) videos to watch. Starters have one thirty minute video to watch. These videos are accessible through YouTube, as well.

Number 2: Take the 25 question assessment based on commonly seen things at our meets and the videos. You only need to get 18 correct to pass, and you can take it multiple times (Starters don't need to take this). https://goo.gl/forms/VF4F0RDw9J9n6WEu1

Number 3: Shadow an already established official at a meet on deck to get the hang of what it is like  officiate. Potential starters need to spend about 5-10 minutes on deck with me prior to working a meet.

Neither of  these jobs are difficult! Go ahead and give it a try. Not only will filling these roles help the team, it will help you understand what is expected of you swimmer when they step to the block. It's a great way to learn about the sport while helping out, and we can't be at our best without YOUR help (Yes, I'm talking to you!).

Thank you all for making this a fun and exciting job!