Welcome to "New England Swim Teams" on the Web!
So you think you want to be a Stroke and Turn Judge. We applaud you!
I know I have been a Stroke and Turn official and Starter for more years than I can count. When my son was five years old he started swimming on a competitive swim team. This is when I got back into officiating once again. I figured if I was going to be at the meet to watch my son swim that I might as well have the best view possible, right on the swim deck. You can't have a better spot then on deck when your son or daughter is swimming their event. At most meets swim parents aren't allowed on the pool deck for any reason - but if you're an official, you're always welcome with open arms and allowed to go anywhere! What could be better than this? As a Stroke and Turn Judge you will be playing a big role in your child's life. It will also award you the gratification and much satisfaction knowing you're helping all swimmers. You must be recertified annually in order to keep your certification current and up-to-date. This takes a great amount of time and much effort to stay current and for this, we applaud you. We thank every official out there who contributes their time, knowledge, and expertise to officiating swimming.
It's a great sport, and in my opinion it's the best. My son definitely stays physically fit swimming laps and his endurance is exceptional. He has always had a little asthma and swimming has worked wonders for his breathing. He has always had a excellent swim coach and one who cares about the kids but also try's to make practices fun. His coach stresses stroke mechanics and technique as well as basic fundamentals. My son has been quite fortunate during his swimming career.
The Stroke and Turn, Relay Take-Off Judge
Well run meets and good competitive results are directly related to good officiating. Thorough knowledge of the rules, coupled with fair and consistent application of them, make a good official. To confidently work on deck, a Stroke & Turn Judge must study the rules, attend training sessions, and work regularly at numerous swim meets.
Officials should always keep in mind that the swimmers have worked hard to achieve their successes and deserve a fair and equitable competition. Officials must apply the rules intelligently at all times, using common sense and good judgment. The rules of swimming are intended to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition. Officials must work hard to fully understand the rules and their responsibilities in applying them.
The authority of a Stroke & Turn/Relay Take-off Judge (like that of the Referee and Starter) to disqualify a swimmer makes these positions particularly important. To function properly, one dominant principle must always prevail: the benefit of the doubt always goes to the swimmer! If you can always remember this you can never go wrong.
