Tis is the fourth article in a five-part series discussing the various types of officials certified by U.S. Figure Skating and how one can get involved. ‘LABOR OF LOVE’
JUDGING IS GREAT WAY TO STAY INVOLVED, GIVE BACK by JULIET NEWCOMER
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o far we have provided information on the roles and skill sets of accountants, technical accountants and technical panel officials,
and how to get involved in each position. Tis month, we will talk about judges and referees.
JUDGES
Mariam Mohajer-Rahbari stopped skating when she finished high school so she could focus on college, but she felt a draw back toward the sport during her time away. “I knew I didn’t want to coach or compete
anymore, so I decided to give judging a try,” she said.
A former sectional champion at the inter-
mediate level, Mohajer-Rahbari continues to judge because she “really likes being able to stay involved in skating, give back to the sport and watch it evolve. (It’s changed so much!)” Being a judge requires long days at the rink watching a lot of skating, so you need to enjoy watching the sport at all levels and not be both- ered by sitting in the cold for hours at a time. “Do it because you love it” is the advice from
Jeff Charbonneau, a former national competitor in pairs and current judge, technical specialist and data operator. Charbonneau also recom- mends investing in a nice seat cushion and warm clothes. But even with the possible discomfort that comes from sitting in an ice rink for hours, Charbonneau enjoys the thrill he gets from judg- ing.
“It brings back the feelings of excitement I had when I was a competitor,” he said. “I enjoy my small part in making new champions. I also
really enjoy all of my fellow officials’ company and the many great people I’ve met through of- ficiating.” Before becoming a judge, one starts as a trial judge. As a trial judge, one judges test sessions and competitions as if a judge on the panel, but the trial judge’s scores do not count toward the results. Instead, the scores, comments (for tests) and results are compared to those of the actual judges. In order to achieve an appointment, a trial judge must trial judge a certain number of tests and/or competition events at each level and in each discipline pertaining to the appointment, and the results must meet a certain standard of agreement with the actual judges. At competitions, trial judges participate in
critiques following the events they trial to discuss the event and the reasons behind their scores with a judges education trainer (JET). Te process of trial judging is an eye-opening experience as one learns to view the sport from a completely differ- ent perspective and is trained to look for things one may have never considered before. Once achieving the appropriate amount of trial judge activity and accuracy, a trial judge can apply to the Judges Committee for an appoint- ment. Te final steps in being approved include a peer review process — where behavior, ethics and temperament are reviewed along with knowledge and accuracy — and a written exam that must be passed.
Like accountants, each trial judge is assigned
a mentor (referred to officially as a monitor) to assist in the process of becoming a judge. Judges are not allowed to coach while hold-
Judges call in the action at the 2012 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose.
ing a judging appointment (except as part of Basic Skills or learn-to-skate group lesson classes where none of the skaters being coached have passed any U.S. Figure Skating tests); however, one can continue to coach while trial judging. Trial judges must be at least 16 years old,
and judges must be at least 18 years old. Skaters and coaches who are at least 16 years old who are interested in judging but aren’t sure they want to commit to it can start by judging Basic Skills competitions or club competitions, neither of which requires certified judges. Tis is a great way to get introduced to the process and see if you enjoy it. Te Basic Skills Subcommittee has created a manual on how to judge Basic Skills competitions, which can be found on U.S. Figure Skating Online at
http://www.usfsa.org/Con- tent/JudgingBasicSkillsCompetitions.pdf. Of course, the main responsibility of judges
is to know the rules and be able to apply them within the context of a test session or competi- tion. Having a skating background is helpful and allows one to progress through trial judging more quickly, but it is not required. In addition to knowing the sport, a good judge is able to make decisions quickly and sup- port those decisions within the rules of the sport but is also open-minded and respectful of the opinions of other officials. Hayley Pangle, a former skater and current college student who received her first judging ap- pointment in 2010, recommends treating judg- ing as one would a class; Plan to study and review on a regular basis. “Be prepared to learn,” Pangle said. She also recommends that those pursuing
appointments “genuinely listen to every critique and word of advice directed toward you, no mat- ter if it is from someone outside of your appoint- ment sphere or not.” If you’re interested in becoming a judge
and are ready to start the process of trial judg- ing, visit
www.usfigureskating.org and click on “About Us” and then “Judges & Officials” for more information and a link to the Trial Judge Registration Form. If you want more informa- tion about what it’s like to be a judge prior to starting, judges in your area can serve as great resources for answering questions. You can also contact your regional or sectional vice chair on the Judges Committee. For names and contact information, please visit
http://www.usfsa.org/ Story.asp?type=leadership&id=850.
58 MARCH 2012
PHOTO BY JAY ADEFF
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