Last updated on September 16th, 2022 at 12:45 pm
What is Athlete-Centered Officiating? It is making “the things that directly affect the athlete” the top priority, explained Patrick Hunter, a former member of the USA Swimming Officials Committee. A while back, I read an article authored by Patrick and felt his ideas were worth sharing. His article gave some excellent tips on how officials and athletes can better relate to, and communicate with, each other. Below are his Five Core Principles of Athlete-Centered Officiating.
Contents for Athlete-Centered Swim Meet Officiating
Five Core Principles of Athlete-Centered Officiating
1. Plan Ahead
First, swim meet planners should consider using both athletes and officials in the meet planning process, especially when composing the meet announcement. “Both athletes and officials can foresee potential issues that others oftentimes cannot,” Patrick stated. Involving both groups in meet planning can greatly reduce problems in swim meet operations. He also stressed how important it is to include important details and clearly, word meet announcements. Doing so sets clear expectations for everyone. I loved his idea to put important deadlines and reminders on timelines and in heat sheets so they are directly available to the athletes. The result? Sharing important information early and often can lead to fewer problems at the swim meet. As Patrick says, “Nobody likes surprises!”
2. Be Practical
Next, Patrick asserts that swim meet officials should “Understand why the rules exist, and refrain from over-analyzing or providing [their] own interpretations.” He admonishes officials to within the rules, “look for reasons to allow an athlete to swim” not just to bar him or her from doing so. It is also important to remember that everyone–including athletes, coaches, and officials–makes mistakes. Therefore, try to be understanding. “Most of all,” he says, “don’t overcomplicate things!”
3. Offer Customer Service
Officials, “approach every situation, no matter how tense, with a warm, friendly, ‘How can I help you?'” encouraged Patrick. He also invited officials to “Be a solution to the swimmers and coaches, not an additional problem.” Two ways officials can do this are:
- Explain to them the things they do not understand, and
- Remember, that above all, officials are looking out for the swimmers. They carry out the rules to make sure there is fair competition for all.
4. Be Consistent
Patrick suggested that officials help swimmers by:
- Treating all levels of meets with the same level of professionalism, and
- Offering high-quality officiating at all meets.
He pointed out that no swimmer wants their first disqualification for something they do, to be at a championship swim meet. Instead, he recommends that officials help swimmers correct their mistakes early on. Consistent officiating, no matter what the meet level, will help this to happen. Swim meet officials must always keep in mind that every decision has the potential to set a precedent, but he wisely counseled officials not to “allow the slippery slope fallacy to inhibit [their] use of common sense.”
5. Be Human
Finally, Patrick advised officials to, “look like you are having fun on deck and that you enjoy what you are doing. Positive energy is contagious, and your positive energy on deck makes an incredible difference!”
Athlete-Centered Officiating Summary
Officials who take these steps will be more likely to think in an athlete-centered way. This type of thinking can lead to “great strides [in creating] the best possible experience for our athletes.”
Preparing for a swim meet? Check out The Ultimate Swim Meet To-Do List. Then, get a bird’s eye view of Who does What at Swim Meets. Both include easy-to-follow links to related information. Doing a smaller, simpler meet? Host a High School or Developmental Swim Meet will help.
Need more help? See 20+ Ways to Get Swim Meet Timers and Officials: 20+ Ways to Get them for Swim Meets.
Also, discover a few things you can do to Increase Safety at Swim Meets. Find ideas to implement before your meet as well as last-minute quick and easy tips!