There is a very significant change for our non-registered Apprentice Officials that your clubs must be aware of...
In the past, AMS Officials trainees have been allowed to be on the pool deck without being USAS non-athlete-Official. In order for them to be a certified official, of course, they had to go through the registration process.
Beginning with the start of the 2014-2015 Short Course season, however, all AMS Apprentice Officials must be registered as Apprentice Officials. The good news...it's free. The bad news...it only lasts for 60 days. This doesn't mean that a trainee must complete their training in 60 days. It does mean that at the end of the 60 days an Apprentice Official must register as a non-athlete member of USAS, complete the Level 2 Background Check and complete the Athlete Protection Training. The USAS online officials tests can be completed at the Apprentice's leisure, once they are ready to be certified and work on deck as an Official.
Click here for the pdf version of the Apprentice Official Registration form.
No Apprentice Official will be permitted on deck without either a valid USAS Apprentice Official registration card or a USAS non-athlete membership card.
I hope to send out similar information to your club presidents very soon. Let me know if you have any questions.
