Available Courses

Registered candidates may access the course materials here. This is not online training.

Registered candidates may access the course materials here. This is not online training.

Registered candidates may access the course materials here. This is not online training.

Registered candidates may access the course materials here. This is not online training.

The Swimming NSW Technical Committee, with guidance from the Area Technical Swimming Committee Coordinators, will select up to 20 Technical Officials each year to participate in the Swimming NSW Referee Course from January – November, and aim for the candidates to complete their Level 1 Referee Assessment by then.

Please note: The normal Referee Accreditation process will still occur outside of this Course. i.e. it is not a requirement to complete this Course to become a Referee.

Webinars or face to face sessions every 6-8 weeks throughout the year, with some course work to be completed between the sessions. The course will also feature guest presenters and include a curriculum aimed at preparing the candidates to be competent Referees and sourcing a Mentor.

To be eligible for this course, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Swimming NSW Member
• Valid Working with Children Check
• Hold 4 current Technical Official accreditations (plus Community Officiating Essential Skills).

THIS IS NOT AN ONLINE TRAINING MODULE

Lectures in 2020

Manage swim meets electronically by becoming a Meet Manager Software Operator.

Meet Manager from Hy-Tek is the ubiquitous software for running swim meets. Mastering its operation is both highly satisfying and crucial for meet setup, entries, operation and results.

Course objective

This online course will teach you Meet Manager software fundamentals so that you can immediately become an effective club level apprentice.

Meet Manager is a large package containing many settings and functions. This course will cover all the key parts for a club level user. Students will gain sufficient skills and confidence so that they can continue to learn through trial.

Course scope

• Club level meets.
• Create a new meet from scratch.
• Accept Individual and Relay entries (both manually and online via Swim Central).
• Preparing programs, marshalling sheets, timelines, etc.
• Running a meet (basic timing system integration, amalgamations, re-seeds, relay management, judging and scoring).
• Meet Mobile operation.
• Producing and distributing results.
• Operational good practice tips.

Excluded

• Team Manager software operation.
• More advanced meets (heats and finals, advances, circular seeding, multi-class events, swim-offs, Open Water events, etc).
• Time standards, qualifying, break and split times.
• Online Live Results capability (but note that Meet Mobile basics are covered).
• Timing system operation. Please refer to our existing Dolphin Operator course.
• Note that this course does not cover absolutely everything required to become an accredited Meet Manager Operator. Once you master the content of this course the few additional details relating to Finals, Records and Reaction times should be straight forward to learn.

Course structure

1. Meet setup (as the Meet Convenor) – 6 modules
2. Invite entries (as the Meet Convenor) – 2 modules
3. Submit entries (as an invited club Race Secretary) – 2 modules
4. Receive entries (as the Meet Convenor) – 3 modules
5. Final meet preparations (as the Meet Convenor) – 1 module
6. Run the meet (as the Meet Manager Operator) – 11 modules

Resources

• 6 lessons split into 25 modules mandatory
• Detailed training notes highly recommended.
• Swimming Australia Meet Manager Operator Learner Guide highly recommended
• Link to Hy-Tek documentation optional.

This course is suitable for individual study.

Award

Candidates who successfully complete the course will be awarded course completion documentation. They should then obtain considerable practical experience under expert supervision. Once they are ready assessment should be arranged with an accredited assessor, taking along their documentation.

Duration

The content can be completed in approximately 3 hours of study time spread over many sessions, depending on prior knowledge and experience. In addition, expect to invest significant time gaining practical experience under supervision.

Prerequisites

• Candidates should have access to a Windows computer running Meet Manager software in order to reinforce learning and gain practical experience. Note that a reduced capability demonstration version for PCs (not Mac) is available free from here.
• Technical Official Recorder accreditation is highly recommended because this covers many of the fundamentals that are automated in Meet Manager software. Operators must be able to validate software output so that they are accountable for the results.
• Excellent familiarity with a swim meet is important.
• Previous pool deck officiating experience in other roles, although not required, would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in timing system operation is not required, although understanding of timing system output is required. Successful completion of the Dolphin course is more than adequate.

Study tips

• You can access this course via a computer, tablet or smartphone. Headphones are recommended.
• Becoming fully proficient with all aspects of Meet Manager is likely to take some time, depending upon opportunities to practice. We recommend that you write yourself summary notes so that you can quickly re-start if you have not been able to practice for some time.

Other things to know

• Videos in this course are taken from Meet Manager v7.0 and v8.0. Periodically software updates occur which mostly tweak and add settings rather than make fundamental changes.
• Before working at a meet, you must have Working With Children clearance. It is easy to apply for online here, valid for 5 years, and free for volunteers.
• Officials should be members of a Swimming Australia club. The non-swimmer category is recommended. Apply via your club registrar.
• This is a legacy course and may not entirely align with current SA practices.

Credits

Many thanks to Cherry Smith for her enormous contributions to this course.

Number of successful students:

Confidently run the timing system at your next club night by becoming a Dolphin Timing System Operator.

An accurate timing system is at the heart of all swim meets. We owe it to our swimmers to record their times accurately so that they are correctly recognised for their performance. The Dolphin wireless timing system from Colorado Time Systems is a popular choice for club nights and mini meets.

Course objective

This online course will teach you how to use it so that you can run your next club night. No qualification will be obtained from this course. It is purely informative.

It is assumed that you have access to a Dolphin system that is already fully configured for routine operation.

Course scope:

• Hardware and software.
• Preparation before the meet day.
• Meet setup on the day.
• Routine operation and common issues.
• Basic integration with Meet Manager software.

Excluded:

• Detailed operation of Meet Manager software.
• Team Manager software.
• SA online race entry system operation.
• Meet Mobile Operation.
• Timekeeper and Chief Timekeeper official duties. For this please refer to the Timekeeper course on this portal.
• Detailed initial configuration instructions for newly delivered systems.

Contents and Resources:

• 3 lessons mandatory
• Detailed training notes from Jo Wazny recommended. Note these notes include instructions for initial configuration of newly delivered systems.
• Online multiple-choice theory test mandatory (approximately 15 mins)
• Link to Colorado Time System documentation optional.

This course is suitable for both individual and group study.

Award

Successful candidates will be awarded a theory pass letter. Please note that Dolphin Timing System Operator is not an accredited technical official position. A theory pass is therefore for personal satisfaction and a public recognition of competency only.

Duration

The content can be completed in approximately 1.5 hours of study time spread over a couple of sessions, depending on prior knowledge and experience. In addition, expect to invest time gaining practical experience under supervision.

Prerequisites:

• Candidates should have access to a Dolphin system in order to gain practical experience.
• Excellent familiarity with a swim meet from an audience perspective would be a distinct advantage.
• Previous pool deck officiating experience in other roles, although not required, would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in Meet Manager is not required. This would be the natural next step after becoming proficient in Dolphin system operation.

Study tips:

• You can access this course via a computer, tablet or smartphone. Headphones are recommended.
• The course is divided into 3 lessons, most of which have self-assessment tests at the end. Some of the content is quite detailed so we recommend repeating some parts.
• Course completion letter may be printed on an attached computer or retrieved later for printing or saving.

Other things to know:

• This course uses the popular Dolphin v4.3 interface. The recent v5.0 interface is not featured.
• Before working at a meet, you must have Working With Children clearance. It is easy to apply for online here, valid for 5 years, and free for volunteers.
• Officials should be members of a Swimming Australia club. The non-swimmer category is recommended. Apply via your club registrar.
• This is a legacy course and may not entirely align with current SA practices.

Number of successful students:

Support the accurate seeding of swimmers and recording of results by becoming a Recorder.

The Recorders manage critical duties on behalf of the Referee. It is a complex yet highly satisfying role for people with an attention to detail who enjoy being at the centre of the action.

Course objective

This course teaches all the theory for Chief Recorder and Recorder. It will prepare you to operate as a trainee Recorder under supervision.

Course scope:

• Computerised and fully manual meets.
• Club, Area, State and National level meets.
• Allocation of swimmers to heats and lanes including seeding, withdrawals, re-seeding and amalgamations.
• Determination of results including times, placings and interpretation of AOE/SAT slips.
• Recording of results from heats and finals.
• Preparation of finalists lists for an event including swim-offs.
• Compilation of the full results of a meet including records, point scores, allocation of awards and the recording of disqualifications.
• Multi-class events

Excluded:

• Operation of Meet Manager, Team Manager, AOE or SAT
• International level meets

Contents and Resources:

• 4 lessons mandatory
• Recorders Training notes and practice exercises recommended
• Swimming Australia Training notes recommended
• Online multiple-choice theory test mandatory (approximately 45 mins)

This course is suitable for both individual and group study.

Award

Successful candidates will be awarded theory pass documentation. They should then obtain practical experience under expert supervision. Once they are ready assessment should be arranged with an accredited assessor, taking along their documentation.

Duration

The content can be completed in approximately 3 hours of study time spread over several sessions, depending on prior knowledge and experience. In addition, expect to invest time gaining practical experience in the recording room under supervision.

Prerequisites:

• None.
• Excellent familiarity with a swim meet from an audience perspective would be a distinct advantage.
• Previous pool deck officiating experience in other roles, although not required, would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in Meet Manager, Team Manager, AOE or SAT is not required.

Study tips:

• You can access this course via a computer, tablet or smartphone. Headphones are recommended.
• The course is divided into 4 lessons, most of which have self-assessment tests at the end. Much of the content is quite detailed so we recommend studying one lesson at the time and taking a break before moving on.
• Assessment documentation may be printed on an attached computer or retrieved later for printing or saving.

Other things to know:

• Before working at a meet, you must have Working With Children clearance. It is easy to apply for online here, valid for 5 years, and free for volunteers.
• Officials should be members of a Swimming Australia club. The non-swimmer category is recommended. Apply via your club registrar.

Number of successful students:

Enable your club to run meets with official times by studying to become a Starter.

Every race needs a starter. The quality of the start can directly impact the race results. Accredited starters are highly sought after and a fundamental ingredient of every swim meet.

Course objective

This course teaches all the theory for Starter level 1 (Club and Area level). It will prepare you to operate as a trainee Starter under supervision.

Course scope:

• Starter’s responsibilities.
• Preparations including adjusting and testing starting equipment.
• Swimming rules and infractions relating to the start.
• Starting at Club and Area level meets.
• Starting multi-class swimmers.
• Starting handicap events.

Excluded:

• State, National and International level meets

Contents and Resources:

• 1 lesson mandatory
• Starters Training notes and practice exercises recommended
• Swimming Australia Training notes recommended
• Multi Class notes recommended
• Handicap race notes recommended
• Online multiple choice theory test mandatory (approximately 20 mins)

This course is suitable for both individual and group study.

Award

Successful candidates will be awarded theory pass documentation. They should then obtain considerable practical experience under expert supervision. Once they are ready assessment should be arranged with an accredited assessor, taking along their documentation. Starters are required to pass 2 practical assessments before accreditation.

Duration

The content of this course can be completed in approximately 90 mins of study time, depending on prior knowledge and experience. In addition, expect to invest 10+ hours gaining practical experience on the pool deck under supervision at a number of different meets. Candidates will want to refer back to the content of this course periodically whilst they gain experience. Once accredited, periodic recaps are recommended, especially if not regularly officiating.

Study tips:

• You can access this course via a computer, tablet or smartphone. Headphones are recommended.
• Whilst we recommend that this short course is completed in one sitting, if necessary you can stop and return later.
• Assessment documentation may be printed on an attached computer or retrieved later for printing or saving.

Other things to know:

• Before working at a meet, you must have Working With Children clearance. It is easy to apply for online here, valid for 5 years, and free for volunteers.
• Officials should be members of a Swimming Australia club. The non-swimmer category is recommended. Apply via your club registrar.

Number of successful students:

Extend your Inspector of Turns skills by studying for this advanced qualification.

The role of a Judge of Stroke (JoS) is to ensure fairness for all by checking that every swimmer swims in accordance with the rules. They work in partnership with the Inspectors of Turns and Referee to monitor the entire race.

Why become a Judge of Stroke?

The work of these officials is highly valued by swimmers and coaches. Whilst no athlete enjoys being disqualified, JoS feedback is crucial for development, and ensures that nobody has an unfair advantage. Your work will help give swimmers the benefit of fairness and feedback on more occasions.

To the untrained eye, correctly assessing a stroke can appear to be extremely challenging. In practice the rules are straightforward to understand and apply. Unlike some other roles, candidates will require considerable practical experience and a very thorough assessment before being accredited.

Course objective

You should already be studying for or an accredited Inspector of Turns. This course extends that knowledge beyond starts, turns, finishes and changeovers. It will complete your education to prepare you to operate as a trainee Judge of Stroke under supervision.

Course scope:

Because the majority of the syllabus is covered in the online IoT course, the scope is limited to:

• JoS overview.
• Positioning and Protocol.
• Test all JoS jurisdiction issues.
• Meets up to State level.

Excluded:

• Stroke judging, infraction reporting, etc. are taught in the IoT course but will be examined here.
• National and International meets

Contents and Resources:

• 1 lesson mandatory
• Training notes and practice exercises recommended
• Swimming Australia Training notes recommended
• Online multiple choice theory test mandatory (approximately 45 mins)

This course is suitable for both individual and group study.

Award

Successful candidates will be awarded theory pass documentation. They should then obtain considerable practical experience under expert supervision. Once they are ready assessment should be arranged with an accredited assessor, taking along their documentation.

Duration

The content of this course can be completed in approximately 90 mins of study time, depending on prior knowledge and experience. In addition, expect to invest 10 – 20 hours gaining practical experience on the pool deck under supervision at a number of different meets. Candidates will want to refer back to the content of this course periodically whilst they gain experience. Once accredited, periodic recaps are highly recommended, especially if not regularly officiating.

Study tips:

• You can access this course via a computer, tablet or smartphone. Headphones are recommended.
• Whilst we recommend that this short course is completed in one sitting, if necessary, you can stop and return later.
• Assessment documentation may be printed on an attached computer or retrieved later for printing or saving.

Other things to know:

• Before working at a meet in NSW you must have Working With Children clearance. It is easy to apply for online here, valid for 5 years, and free for volunteers.
• Officials should be members of a Swimming Australia club. The non-swimmer category is recommended. Apply via your club registrar.

Number of successful students: