LIFE CYCLES OF THE ROWING REFEREE 2007 Edition

LIFE CYCLES OF THE ROWING REFEREE 2007 Edition

Three Stages in the Lifecycle n n n Candidate Assistant Referee Commission January 2007 2

Candidates

Who Is Eligible? ? n n n Rowers Coaches Parents Spectators Spouses Friends Young People Old People Men Women … Referee Commission January 2007 4

Candidate Requirements n n n Must be or become a member of USRowing Must be 21 years of age Must be able to swim 200 yards n n n Must attend a clinic Must observe 6 key positions at least once n Referee Commission January 2007 n Or tread water for 10 minutes Starter, Judge at Start, Referee, Chief Judge at Finish, Marshal, Control Commission (Dockmaster, weigh-ins) Must pass written exam to advance 5

What does a Candidate do? n n n You will be assigned to work with different Referees at each regatta Sign up in advance Try to work with as many different Regattas/ Referees as possible n n Size of regatta and level of regatta play role in where candidates are assigned More is better Referee Commission January 2007 6

Candidate Responsibilities Referee Commission January 2007 The candidate’s training period is to determine: n Whether or not this is a committment you want to make n Do you really want to spend a lot of time with wet clothes in the trunk? n To teach you techniques and skills to become a referee n Test determination n YOU decide if you want to take the exam. 7

The Assistant Exam n n n Offered periodically at mutual convenience of examinee and examiner 2 - 2 1/2 hours Written exam n Multiple choice n Short answer n Closed Book (Rules of Rowing) Referee Commission January 2007 8

After the Exam? n n Candidate referees who meet all the qualifications and pass the written exam advance to Assistant Referee status. Assistant Referees spend the next 2 to 4 years learning their craft. Referee Commission January 2007 9

Equipment After passing the exam, you can start investing in equipment (the list is endless) n n n Referee Commission January 2007 Clipboard Binoculars Stop Watches (3 or 4) Megaphone Flags Painter life vest noisemaker space blankets First Aid Kit ETC!!! 10

Equipment, continued n Warm, dry clothes are essential n n Dress for the weather, always in layers Keep a spare set of everything in the car Rain gear is a valuable investment Buy stock in Glad/Zip. Loc storage bags! Referee Commission January 2007 11

Basic Requirements (Apply to All Referee Ranks) n n n Referee Commission January 2007 Attend 1 Clinic each year Work a minimum 4 regatta-days per year Work at more than 1 course every year Respond to Annual Data Call Re-certification exam every 4 years 12

Assistant Referee

Rough Waters Ahead? Assistant Referee requirements are designed to ensure exposure to all positions under a wide range of conditions. Referee Commission January 2007 14

Initial Work Experience n n n To develop basic competence, all new Assistant Referees are required to work the following positions for the minimum number of times indicated: n Marshal 2 n Chief Judge 5 n Starter 5 n Control Commission 2 n Referee 10 n Judge at Start 5 Performance evaluated by a Referee, on a Satisfactory/Needs Improvement basis Written feedback provided on observed shortcomings Referee Commission January 2007 15

What’s Next? n n n Time to complete period of Initial Work Experience 2 -4 years, Level of supervision and attention paid to your needs will vary n Depends on type of regatta n Depends on Chief n Regional Differences Options n Remain as Assistant n No further written evaluations n Re-certification exam every 4 years n Petition to be evaluated for advancement to Referee Commission January 2007 16

What You Should Know n More is better 4 regatta-days per year will maintain your license n It will not enable you to gain the skills you need to develop initial competence, or advance Travel! n Many opportunities for Assistants in the all regions and localities other than their own n Regatta Seasons n n Sprint: February-November Head Races: September-December Referee Commission January 2007 17

Referee Exam n Two part exam n n n Written exam Practical Who is eligible? n n Assistants with completed initial work experience Upon petition to Regional Representative Referee Commission January 2007 18

Written Exam n n n Open book Scenario-based Emphasis on n Thorough understanding of the Rules of Rowing Accurate application Logical reasoning Referee Commission January 2007 19

Practical Exam n May be administered in one of three ways n Mock Practical n n Live Regatta n n n Conducted by evaluation team Usually lasts three hours Least effective method Assistant Referee is ‘observed’ at actual regatta Most effective method Combination n Frequently difficult to schedule clinicians and examinee for just one method or the other, a combination of approaches can work well Referee Commission January 2007 20

Evaluation Team n n n Referee Commission January 2007 Two and preferably three Senior Referees Usually Clinicians Usually known by the examinee Examinee will know who is on their team prior to taking exam Evaluation Team may grade both written and practical components 21

Referee

Referee is different than Assistant n n n Referees should perform with a degree of independence and greater competence not otherwise expected of an Assistant Referee Expected to routinely and informally teach, counsel, monitor, supervise, and evaluate officials with less experience. Expected to be able to work independently and effectively in resource-constrained situations, exercising essential judgment and decision-making skills to insure standards of safety and fairness. Referee Commission January 2007 23

Requirements & Roles n Requirements n n n Roles n n n Referee Commission January 2007 Same basic requirements Again: more work is better than the minimum required Evaluator of/Mentor to Assistants Chief Referee Clinician 24

Chief Referee n n Referee Commission January 2007 Referee in charge at a regatta Assigns officials (Chief is first among equals) President of the Jury Verifies safe conditions and insures fairness 25

Clinician n n Critical resource for training and development Uses effective teaching skills that go beyond anecdotal narration Demonstrated ability to communicate balanced judgment in application of the rules Has extensive regatta experience at multiple regatta levels Evaluator/Examiner Referee Commission January 2007 26

Questions? Referee Commission January 2007 27