Become a Swim Official!
- Team Registration Fee waived for one swimmer every season ($200 savings/year)
- Close to the action, Best seat in the house! Get a front row seat to watch your swimmer compete, gaining a new perspective on the sport of swimming.
- Free Food and Drinks! At every swim meet, officials are provide with complimentary food and beverages. Additionally, donuts, bagels, pizza, cookies, etc have no calories when consumed in a chlorine rich environment.
- Tax Deduction: If you choose to travel to a swim meet, you may be able to deduct certain expenses like mileage and hotel costs.
- Meeting New People: You'll connect with other swim parents, coaches, and athletes
- Sense of Accomplishment: Knowing that you're directly contributing to the success of the meet and the development of young swimmers is incredibly rewarding.
No Experience Necessary
- Training Provided: USA Swimming provides comprehensive training and certification programs for all officials
- Learn As You Go: On deck training and mentoring by a certified Official. No prior experience/knowledge of swimming or officiating required.
How to become an Iowa Swimming official
In Iowa, there are two entry points for new officials. You may begin as a “wet deck” official observing swims with a Stroke & Turn qualification, or you may begin on the “dry deck” working with the computerized timing as an Administrative Official who determines the official time for each swimmer. No matter which entry point appeals to you, the process to become an official is the same (current flow chart of steps):
STEP 1 – If not already a USA Swimming non-athlete member, contact your club registrar for a link to register as apprentice official. (If unattached, contact IASI office). Create a USA Swimming account. Choose "Apprentice Official" as the registration type. Apprentice Official is free, so there should be no total due at checkout. If there is a total due - you have probably chosen the wrong reg type. NOTE: You must register as a USA Swimming non-athlete member first. Officials training are free only for members. USA Swimming will not issue a refund for Officials Trainings for anyone who pays and completes training as a non-member. The apprentice's official registration is valid for 60 days from registration and cannot be renewed. You must then register as a non-athlete member and complete the Back Ground Check (BCG), Athlete Protection Training (APT), and Concussion Protocol Training (CPT) to be a non-athlete member in good standing to continue to be able to "access the deck".
STEP 2 – Enroll and complete the “Foundations of Officiating” course through USA Swimming University. This is free. Note: Clicking on the “Officials” tab will make the course easier to find.
STEP 3 – Enroll and complete either the “Administrative Official Certification Course” OR “Stroke and Turn Certification Course” through USA Swimming University.
STEP 4 – Email: [email protected] stating that you have successfully completed the above trainings so that they can list you as an apprentice.
STEP 5 – complete 4 apprenticeship sessions over 2 different meets with at least 2 different mentors. Mentors should have at least one year experience. Your final session must be with an N2 or N3 certified official. (It is okay if you don’t understand that last part yet. Just ensure the MR knows which session will be your 4th session).
Sign up for apprentice sessions which can frequently be found on the Officials website. If you go out of state, you can look in the Meet Invite for the Meet Referee (MR) contact information. Contact the MR and let them know you want to serve as an Apprentice during the meet.
Before the meet, print out the appropriate form from Grow as an Official (Certification Requirements). Bring your Apprentice Form with you for every apprentice session.
Unless directed otherwise by the MR, Apprentice Officials are expected to wear standard IASI attire (white shirt, blue pants/short/skirt, and white(ish) shoes). If you know any officials from your team, you may want to ask them for help. Most experienced officials have a closet full of white shirts! When selecting your shoes, be closer to white, but don’t fret too much. Remember that many pool decks are slippery, so “non-skid” may be more important than white over a light gray. Another great resource is the Officials Resources > Apparel page, where you can order Iowa Swimming Officials polo shirts and the Iowa Swimming Officials name tag.
STEP 6 – Upgrade your registration from Apprentice Official to Official. Log in to your account. From your Dashboard page, click on General Info, then Upgrade. You will be charged the full fee at checkout. Ask if your club pays the official registration fee and how to get reimbursed. Contact your club registrar for assistance. Note: This and the following 2 steps by the expiration of your apprentice's official registration with USA Swimming to complete your apprenticeship.
STEP 7 – Register and pay for a Level II Background check on the USA Swimming website. Your first background check costs $38; many teams will reimburse you for it. The background investigation process may take 7 – 14 business days and must be completed before obtaining certification as an official.
STEP 8 – Once your Non-Athlete Membership has been confirmed, complete Athlete Protection Training and Concussion Protocol Training, both of which can be found on the USA Swimming website. These are both FREE. Send your concussion certificate to [email protected].
STEP 9 – After completing all the steps and your final apprentice session, email your completed Apprentice Form to: [email protected]. Upon confirmation of satisfactory completion of all the required steps, The IASI Officials Chair will contact you by email to welcome you as our newest IASI official.
CONGRATULATIONS! But your journey is just beginning. The best officials never stop learning and developing. Visit the Grow as an Official page to learn about the opportunities for growth and development.
Resources:
Iowa Swimming:
(P): 563-391-5832
