Those of us who compete know we can?t do so without qualified officials.

Where do these officials come from?

Swimming officials are usually parents of swimmers who act as officials to support their children?s club. They are able to take clinics in the various positions required to run a meet. Many act as timers, some learn to judge strokes and turns, most only continue to officiate while their children stay in a swim program. A few learn and are certified in more senior positions, still fewer stay on as officials after their children leave the sport and serve the swimming community for many years at the local, national or international levels.

As we know masters meets are different than age group or elite meets and most of our parents are no longer interested or able to officiate. So, where do our officials come from and how are they trained to work at masters meets?

Many masters clubs which run meets require their members to work at these meets or have an age group club assist them. Most work as timers but are not trained in senior positions. Even though there are a few masters who are certified senior officials we are still dependant on the same group of senior officials as the age group and elite swimmers to run our meets.

This has created difficulties for masters in the past because officials are busy and often reluctant to volunteer for additional meets, also there was little opportunity in most parts of the country to gain specific masters experience by working at masters meets. Until recently there have been no training programs to train officials on the specific requirements of masters competitions.

In the last few years this has changed, particularly in Ontario, and these changes are starting to benefit both Ontario masters and masters across Canada.

The organization in Canada which takes the lead position in developing training material for officials, which is used by most provinces across Canada, is the Ontario Swimming Officials Association (OSOA). OSOA is independent of Swim Ontario but works closely with them and with Masters Swimming Ontario to service the swimming community. It costs money to run OSOA and for them to develop and deliver the training programs. Where does this funding come from?

It used to come in part from government, but no more. Now each competitive member of Swim Ontario pays one dollar to OSOA and the remainder comes from Ontario Masters. OSOA recognized several years ago that the Swim Ontario funding would not cover its operation or the development of more sophisticated training material and in 2004 agreed with MSO to co-host the Ontario Masters Provincials at Etobicoke, in part to increase their revenue. They have subsequently been involved in all provincials and the 2005 Nationals at Etobicoke. Last year MSO introduced a fee for masters competitions paid to OSOA where each participant pays two dollars at regular meets and five dollars at championships to support their work. Masters funding now accounts for about forty percent of OSOA?s budget. Even though officials spend at least ten times as much time at age group and elite meets as they do at masters meets, I believe that masters who compete are happy to contribute to all swimming in this way.

An exciting part of this new relationship between masters and officials in Ontario is a much greater understanding of masters officiating needs by the officials and a far greater willingness on their part to serve those needs. OSOA recognized that there was nothing in their training programs for officials that dealt specifically with masters, the different rules and protocols involved. They have now developed masters? components that deal with these differences in their clinics for strokes and turns, starter, referee and meet management. These are available as power point presentations that are now being used in clinics across Canada. OSOA is developing inter-active clinics that officials in remote areas, or who are time-challenged, can take on line. They are developing officials training programs for open water swimming, including for masters.

These developments are of great benefit to everyone, to masters, to officials and to swimming generally. This has been a great benefit to masters swimming in Ontario and will be most beneficial to our sport across Canada.

Should MSC and masters in other provinces also become involved in supporting officials and working with them to ensure that all our members, in remote areas, in smaller provinces, have access to officials who are willing to work our meets and are knowledgeable about the special needs of Masters?

This is a good time to consider this. The newly appointed chair of the National Officials Committee, NOC, the ruling body of Canadian officials, is Eunice Fowler. Eunice is a masters swimmer, a member of London Silver Dolphins, a past OSOA Board member during the development of the materials and programs for training officials for masters competitions. She will bring a great understanding of masters needs and the benefits of masters and officials working together for the good of all swimming to NOC.