Dear West Chicago Sharks Families,

As you know, West Chicago Sharks Swim team is a family run/operated organization, supported by team
fees and fundraising events ( i.e., ISI sanctioned swim meets). The revenue generated from the big ISI
meets we host throughout the year is a major income stream to our program designed to keep our fees
at or near the lowest in the Tri-City area.

Now in order to efficiently run these meets we need parent volunteers to step up and help in many
different roles, all equally important, this includes officiating. WCS has a long history with ISI in great
standing, as a model for how a team should be structured and supported by USA Swimming Officials.
For many years WCS has been able to maintain an average of 15 to 20 active officials year over year.
Unfortunately, we have seen a steady decline in the numbers which is cause for alarm. The decline is
mostly related to swimmers aging out of the sport= Kinda normal 

In the past, the Sharks hosted a USA swimming clinic onsite at the High School with a goal of at least 5
parents signing up for training (basically half a day & and online test). The clinics are now all online. ISI
swimming and USA swimming experience approx 15% turnover of officials annually… WCS is no
exception, so it’s critical we have our parents entertain the idea of becoming an official. WCS has
typically tried to maintain 20 to 23 active officials based on the # of meets we host & attend. ISI has a
minimum goal of 20:1 swimmers to official’s ratio. The Sharks currently sit at 11 officials with two
officials with swimmers aging out of the sport and 2 officials who have chosen to help even though
their swimmers have been retired from swimming for years.

Like I said, with many current officials being parents of senior swimmers, the clock is ticketing and within
5 years the primary Meet Referee might hang up the spikes, and this year two very experienced admin
officials might be moving on as their swimmers begin their journey as college student/athletes. This is a
gap with serious ramifications to the team’s ability to run an ISI sanctioned meet considering it takes at a
minimum 3 years to become a referee… Did I mention these meets are a huge source of revenue for the
team? None of us want to see the Sharks hire a meet referee at $250 per session or $1000+ per meet!!
Let me squash some common misconceptions:

1. We see the same officials working every session. Do I have to officiate every session of a
meet? Ans. Absolutely not. One requirement to maintain your certification is to officiate 10
sessions per year. This is very easy to maintain and we do not require you to work every
session.
2. What if I have a swimmer in the session and WCS requires me to volunteer? Ans. Officiating a
session qualifies as a volunteer session. Although there could be a circumstance when our meet
director asks for help. WCS officials may be asked to work another job because of staffing
concerns.
3. It seems so cruel to disqualify little Johnny.. he’s only 7 years old. Ans. Please remember this
is USA swimming- All the kids go through a learning curve and our coaches work very hard to
teach their swimmers to swim correctly with the proper technique. Our coaches rely on the
officiating crew to observe the swims, Qualify the swim, or disqualify their swimmers who have

yet to perfect their stroke. Nobody wants to see their swimmer get disqualified at a
championship meet because they were allowed to swim the butterfly illegally all season. Not
the time to make stroke corrections, trust me!!
4. The training and the background check costs too much. Ans. WCS reimburses its officials who
participate in the online clinic, complete the exam, and ultimately get certified as an official. All
annual USA membership dues are also reimbursed for active WCS officials, plus the background
check fees.
5. We always see WCS on deck officiating at away meets, Do I have to officiate at all meets??
Ans. Definitely not a requirement by any means. That is solely a personal preference by those
officials. There is a belief in the Swimming community, that a well traveled team (#of swimmers
and officials) will help teams get accepted into meets that have limited entry slots. Other teams
pay attention to how a meet is run, and if we run an excellent meet, those teams will likely
attend the WCS hosted meets year over year. All WCS Families benefit (Winter Season, Spring
Season, Summer Season & all season families).

Benefits of Becoming an Official:
1. Help support this excellent sport and promote a healthy lifestyle for our swimmers.  
2. Gain a more thorough understanding of swimming.  
3. Fulfill volunteer obligations at hosted Shark meets.    
4. Get closer to the action; know what’s happening on deck with the “best seat” in the pool.  
5. Get mentally and physically engaged during the meet rather than merely “spectating.”  
6. Much cooler on deck than in the stands.  
7. Receive free admission and great hospitality during sessions officiated.

Yes, the list of benefits goes on, but you get the point.

Finally:
Fall Clinics have started and there are 3 clinics you can still register for (see the link below), each have a
deadline. Please talk to any of our current officials about becoming an official.
Our Goal for the Fall is still 5 new officials (at least two Admin Officials) and by the beginning of 2025, we
should have 20+ officials. More would be great!!
Sincerely,
Dan Clasen, WCS Board President
USA Official Committee Officials Area Representative
Becoming an official – required steps
https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/ilslsc/page/officials/become-an-
official

https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/ilslsc/page/officials/training-information