Save the Date Sept. 10 AMS Convention and Officials Clinics

Greetings, fellow AMS swim officials!

I hope you've all had a great summer.

I'm excited to introduce myself as your new AMS Officials Chair. In case we haven't yet met on deck, my name is Scott Pauley, and I've been an AMS official for about 11 years. My daughter Maia is a rising high school senior who swims for the Fox Chapel Killer Whales. I'm honored to serve as your Officials Chair, and want you to know that my door is always open to your suggestions and comments. The best way to reach me is by email at scott.pauley1@gmail.com

I want to thank Bob Mermelstein, our outgoing Officials Chair, for his amazing work. Bob has brought us such a long way in making our group of officials more competent and professional, improving our training, developing our AMS Officials website, and regularly communicating with us on the Officials Blog. And he's done it all with a sparkling sense of humor and devilishly good looks. I have much to learn and big shoes to fill, so thanks in advance for your patience as I get up to speed. Thanks again, Bob!

And now, for an important announcement . . . PLEASE SAVE THE DATE:

AMS HOD and Convention Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 

Mt. Lebanon High School

For a complete schedule click on this link: AMS HOD and Convention 

Registration for the clinics is required. Click on this link to register: AMS Clinic Registration

The good news is that all sessions will be in the morning, and there will be lunch.

Here's what we've got planned for Officials:

For All Officials:
CAROL ZALESKI – CHAIR, FINA TECHNICAL COMMITTEE – KEYNOTE SPEAKER (9:00 – 10:00 AM) A general session for all swim officials and anyone else in the LSC who would like to attend. 

Carol Zaleski began her iconic career as a parent forced into timing at her children’s swim meet. From there, she has worked tirelessly to become one of the powerhouses behind national and international swimming events. Zaleski is a pioneer for women in her field, standing out in a crowd of older male officials on deck. Her contribution to create programs to improve the sport has helped countless athletes, such as the elite swimmers who can now afford to continue their training because of the Athlete Assistance Program. Zaleski’s love for swimming and its athletes will continue to inspire and motivate the community well beyond her own service. 

For anyone wanting to train for Admin positions:
THE ADMIN OFFICIAL: (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Learn the ropes of being an Admin Official, one of the key positions that any USA Swimming meet must have. You do not need to be a current USA Swimming Official to become an Admin Official. 

For Referees (and any Starters or CJs interested in becoming a Referee)
REFEREE'S ROUND TABLE: (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
An opportunity for our Deck Referees to get together to discuss rules, procedures, interpretations, and best practices. Any Starters or CJs who are thinking about becoming a Referee are also welcome. 

For New Officials wanting to start their S/T Training:
OUT OF THE STANDS AND ONTO THE DECK: (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Just who are those swim officials in the White Shirts? They are swim parents like you. An introductory clinic for anyone wishing to train as a Stroke and Turn Official. 

We offer these kinds of clinics and training sessions for our officials one to two times a year, and it is required for all AMS Officials to attend at least one clinic every 18 months. We have some great programs on offer on Sept. 10th. I'd like to particularly urge you all to attend the 9:00 am presentation with Carol Zaleski, Chairman of FINA's Technical Committee. Though Carol is based here in Pittsburgh, she now works at the highest levels of international swimming, and is one of the world's great authorities on swimming rules and officiating. We are very fortunate to have her speak to our AMS Officials!

In the 10:00 am to 12:00 noon hour, we are offering three sessions to choose from for Officials or trainees: An Admin training session, A Referee's Round Table, and a Clinic for New Stroke & Turn Officials. 

As many of you know, we are often scrambling to fill the role of Admin Official (or Admin Referee) at many of our meets. If your club is running a meet this year, or if you are looking for your next officiating challenge, I highly recommend training to become an Admin Official. Incidentally, you don't need to be a current AMS Stroke & Turn Official to become an Admin Official, so please spread the word to anyone in your club who has a detail-oriented mind and basic computer skills. The Admin session, led by Donna Beyerl, will get you off to a great start to becoming an Admin Official or Admin Referee.

We are also offering a clinic for any new officials wanting to start their training, so please spread the word at your club. The clinic is a great start to becoming an AMS Official. Encourage your fellow swim parents to get out of the stands an onto the deck!

Don't forget to register for the clinics using this link:  AMS Clinic Registration

Thanks again, and I look forward seeing you on deck!

Scott Pauley
AMS Officials Chair
scott.pauley1@gmail.com