Hello from the
Ontario Officials Committee!!
We hope that this finds all of you, and those close to you, healthy and safe.
It has certainly been a different season – and it is hard to believe that without COVID-19 , we would have just finished Ontario Championships and we would be getting ready to judge the last competition of the season, 12 and under Trilliums!
The Ontario Officials Committee wants to thank all of you for the season we had, as short as it was. Those of us involved as officials in the sport are most certainly missing not only artistic swimming, but the social aspect of judging, refereeing, and scoring as well.
It has been fun to see posts on social media from clubs and athletes showing positive energy regarding challenges and training remotely. There is an “Ontario Artistic Swimming Officials” group on Facebook! This is a wonderful way to communicate as a group privately and continue the friendships we have developed as officials in Ontario. We have even seen a couple of “challenges” for officials there!
Thank you to Angele Gaulin-Marchand for starting this group – It’s a great way to keep in touch!
Even though the season ended abruptly, plans for next season and even beyond have continued. OAS and CAS are working on return to play, how that might occur and what it might look like. The OOC is also meeting on a monthly basis, looking forward to next season and how we as officials can continue to develop and grow.
One of the best ways to stay current and learn more is to watch routines. There are many available on YouTube and FINA TV. When you are missing officiating, have a look at these sites. There are so many wonderful routines to watch! The Officials’ Portal on the OAS website is currently being updated to provide more information for officials. In addition to updated manuals and other documents, there will be routines in the portal to view and “mark” or “give feedback” on as practice for ongoing education and development. We’ll let you know when these are available.
The OOC will be offering online courses for new judges. We are also starting to look at a conference in the not too distant future! This is an exciting time.
So until we see each other in person, we hope you all stay in touch with the sport and more importantly, with the people involved. Return to play and therefore officiating, WILL happen. We need to stay positive, and remember that there are many ways to stay involved remotely until that time.
Warmest regards for a safe and healthy summer, The OOC.
Julie Chin – Committee Chair
Lynda Furniss
Karen Seymour
Danielle Sorgo
B’Ann Finlay
Jennifer Saunders
Wendy Yule
Maria Shuwera – Ex-Officio
Brad Davis – OAS Board Member
Posted: May 28, 2020
