2018 (Starting September 1st, 2017) Steps to becoming a Certified USA Swimming Official in the Georgia LSC

  1. Training – There are two ways to complete the training requirement
    1. Attend a Stroke and Turn official clinic taught by a certified trainer, (online or in person) or
    2. Complete the on-line training course created by Georgia Swimming.The training course is hosted on the Georgia Swimming Officials website www.gaofficials.org.From the home page, select Training on the main menu, training material, and then stroke and turn.The training is provided via a PowerPoint presentation.
  2. Take the Stroke and Turn officials test located on the USA Swimming website www.usaswimming.org.The tests are located under “For You” tab, Officials, Resources for Officials, Officials Testing.You can take the online test before you join USA Swimming, USA Swimming will issue you a temporary USA Swimming ID so you can take the tests. The testing is open book, and you can either use a rule book or the PDF version on the rulebook available on the USA Swimming website.The test must be passed with a grade of 80 percent or higher, and can be taken multiple times.The test results are emailed to the Georgia Swimming Officials Chair, and the training coordinator. Email cwasmuth@comcast.net when you have completed your test. (Must be 80% or higher)
  3. Mail a check for $15 to Georgia Swimming - Gary Thesian, Finance Chair, Georgia Swimming, Inc., 1070 Pebble Bend Drive, Grayson, GA 30017
  4. Clarice will email you an apprentice form once you have taken and passed your test or if you had a different trainer they will give your apprentice form. You must take this apprentice form with you to each USA meet until you have an Official GA Certification Card.
  5. You must apprentice at 5 sessions, at two different Georgia Swimming meets.There you will work with an experienced official, to go over what happens during a swim meet and how the job is performed on deck.You should endeavor to work with different officials, so you can make the most experience during your apprenticeship.At the end of each session, you will have an apprentice form signed by the meet referee.Once this form is completed, you send a copy of it to the certification chair & training coordinator, and your USA Swimming credentials will be entered and activated.
  6. Before you can be a certified official, you must join USA Swimming.Clarice will email you this form after you complete online test with your apprentice form. You may start apprenticing prior to sending in this form.Send the form, along with the payment in 2018 of $65 to Lora Thompson, the Georgia Swimming Registrar.The instructions are on the form.Or you can go On Line (go to the bottom of the page and pick 2018 link) and pay $67 via Paypal and submit the form https://www.teamunify.com/TabGeneric.jsp?_tabid_=106783&team=lscszgs .
  7. USA Swimming officials are required to pass a background check.Unfortunately, background checks for other organizations will not meet USA Swimming’s requirements.The check costs $36.50, and the links to the background check are located on the USA Swimming Website under officials.There is a link on the main officials’ page to the background check section. www.usaswimming.org/backgroundcheck
  8. You must complete Athlete Protection Training (APT). There is a link to APT on the main Officials’ page: at www.usaswimming.org/protectThere is no charge for this.
Once you complete all these steps, you email the complete apprentice form to:
  1. Your trainer,
  2. the Training Coordinator (Clarice Wasmuth) cwasmuth@comcast.net
  3. and the Certification Coordinator (Doug Kintz), cdkintz@earthlink.net
The apprentice form has these instructions.