Serving as a meet official is a great opportunity to HELP OUR TEAM. We are grateful to have an awesome crew of certified officials and we could always use a few new rock stars to join us on deck.
USA Swimming thrives as one of the strongest governing bodies in all of sport thanks to the efforts of our volunteers. Officials are the lifeblood of USA Swimming, volunteers serve as official at all levels in USA Swimming, from local club meets all the way up to Olympic Trials. Cascade relies on our dedicated parent volunteers to support team activities and meet operations, including providing officials for PNS competitions which allows us to host meets and keep our team fees affordable.
Big THANK YOU to all our current Cascade officials!
NEW PARENTS TO SWIMMING: If you are new to the team and new to swim meets, the officials are the good people working the pool deck in white shirts and paying close attention to all the swimmers in each race. Meet officials provide adjudication and administration at swim meets. Officials are the ones that write up disqualifications (known as DQs) on slips for any rule infractions that might occur during races throughout the meet. Swim meets are simply not possible without meet officials.
What is an official: Swim officials are the people who are responsible for ensuring that the rules of swimming are upheld. Each meet needs: referee, starter, stroke & turn judges, & administrative officials.
Why do we have them: Officials are present to implement the technical and administrative rules of swimming and ensure that the competition is fair and equitable for everyone. A minimum number of officials are required at each session of a meet.
Without officials, swim meets cannot take place.
Why You Become an Official:
1. To increase your swimming knowledge by learning the official rules of USA Swimming.
2. To enjoy the camaraderie of working with other committed and knowledgeable parents.
3. To go nuts with the wardrobe options: blue/white or white/blue.
4. To become indispensable, no officials = no meets.
5. To gain access to the deck and hospitality room—free food & drinks!
6. TO HELP YOUR TEAM AND SUPPORT YOUR SWIMMERS!!
Where to Start: All officials start as either Stroke & Turn Judges or Administrative Officials.
Stroke & Turn Judges stand at the side of the pool and are responsible to ensure compliance with the technical rules of the swim such as the arm stroke, kick, turns and finishes.
Administrative Officials are responsible for the accuracy of the swimmer’s times at the meet and generally sit a bit back from the edge of the pool confirming official times and operating the computer system which manages meet results.
HOW TO BECOME A STROKE AND TURN OFFICIAL:
HOW TO BECOME AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIAL:
