EDITOR’S NOTE: Tis is the third article in a five-part series discussing the various types of officials certified by U.S. Figure Skating and how one can get involved. ‘Give it a try’
TECHNICAL PANEL DUTIES REQUIRE KNOWLEDGE, FOCUS, COMMUNICATION by JULIET NEWCOMER
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ast month we provided information on the roles and skill sets of accountants and tech- nical accountants and how to get involved. Tis month we will discuss the roles of tech-
nical panel officials. When the international judging system (IJS)
started being used in 2005, it created a whole new set of officials who were needed to staff compe- titions. In addition to the technical accountants, who operate the rinkside equipment and were dis- cussed in a previous article, events using the IJS also require a technical controller, technical spe- cialist, assistant technical specialist, data operator and video replay operator. Amy Evidente, the 2005 U.S. collegiate champion and technical specialist and data opera- tor, chose to become an official as a way to stay involved in the sport.
“I had just finished my competitive career and was going to school. I chose not to do shows
but still wanted to find a way to be an active par- ticipant in figure skating.” Evidente decided to try coaching and also at-
tended a National Technical Panel Seminar to try getting certified as a technical specialist (which she did). Her advice to those considering becoming an official: “Keep your mind open and try it. You might be surprised.” In order to earn an appointment as a control-
ler, specialist or data operator, candidates must first attend a National Technical Panel Seminar held by the Technical Panel Committee. U.S. Figure Skat- ing typically holds one such seminar per year for each discipline — usually in the spring or early summer. During these intense two-day seminars, candidates attend classroom sessions and practice on the IJS equipment in teams. After two days of covering rules, procedures and policies, and put- ting everything into practice, candidates are evalu- ated through a practical exam and a written exam.
To attend a training seminar, one must be at
least 18 years old and meet the minimum criteria for an appointment as follows: Technical Controller • Must be a regional, sectional or national judge in the discipline in which the candidate would like to serve. Technical Specialist • Must be a former senior, junior or novice
competitor at a regional, sectional or synchronized section championship, or a U.S. Figure Skating Championships or a U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships; or • Must be the coach/coaches responsible for
50 percent or more of such competitors’ training described above; or • Must be a regional, sectional or national competition judge in the discipline in which the candidate would like to serve. Data operators and video replay operators do
30 FEBRUARY 2012
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