by DAVE LEMIEUX
Without judges and officials, there would be no figure skating competitions, just random skaters careening around the rink. Te elevated skill and artistry on dis- play at any figure skating competition — no matter how large or small — would not be possible without U.S. Figure Skating’s nearly 1,600 volunteer judges and officials. Even casual fans are familiar with the
judges who carefully assess each athlete’s per- formance. Indeed, there is a certain pleasant rhythm to every skating competition — mu- sic begins, a skater performs and, after a brief interval, scores are displayed. None of it would be possible without the essential contributions of the many of- ficials at work behind the scenes: Without music officials, skaters would perform in si- lence; without ice technicians the ice would be scarred and rutted; without announcers, skaters would remain nameless; without ac- countants and technical accountants, there would be no scores. And we haven’t yet even mentioned referees or the technical panel members.
Tey come from all walks of life and ev-
ery imaginable background, but all share one trait, says Julie Newcomer, U.S. Figure Skat- ing’s technical services director, “You definite- ly have to love the sport.” Love it enough and, with time and ef-
fort, anyone can become a certified judge or skating official, Newcomer says. “It’s definite- ly a process that takes time and money.” It is a process that mirrors a skater’s rise
to the top. It begins at a local club, requires help from an experienced mentor and in- volves rigorous testing at each level. However, for those who truly love skat-
ing, the rewards far exceed the effort. “Judges get treated pretty well,” New- comer says. “I never thought it was a bad gig, and if you take it all the way you can travel around the country and the world.” Swag and travel are nice, for sure, but Newcomer discovered that the less tangible
Having a love for the sport of figure skating is essen- tial to becoming an official.
benefits of becoming a judge were far more valuable. A competitor regionally in ladies singles and nationally as a collegiate synchro- nized skater, Newcomer thought judging would hold few surprises. She was wrong. “No matter how much you know as an athlete, when you start judging you real- ize how much you don’t know,” she says. “I definitely appreciate skating even more now. I better appreciate the quality of the skating rather than just the elements.” It is gaining this deeper appreciation of
the sport that is the most powerful incen- tive for becoming a judge or skating official, Newcomer says. Computer nerds, music lovers, former skaters, brilliant public speakers, numbers crunchers or organizational whiz kids can all become judges or officials. “We never turn anyone away from try- ing to be an official,” Newcomer says. It is more the personality than the per- son that makes the difference, Newcomer says.
“You have to be open-minded and will- ing to learn and be able to listen to others,” she explains. “You have to always believe there’s room to grow. You have to be able to communicate well and interact with the other judges and officials and skaters and parents. Tere will always be questions about what you’re doing, and you have to be able to explain it in a way that is constructive with- out getting defensive.”
Te number of officials needed varies
with each event. “It runs the gamut from small local
events that have only three judges to the U.S. Championships where we assign close to 100 officials of all types for an event that lasts over a week and occupies two venues,” Newcomer says.
Te need for judges and officials is always
greatest at the local level. To learn more about becoming a judge or skating official, visit
http://www.usfsa.org/About.asp?id=514.
A panel of technical officials watches the action at the 2015 U.S. Championships.
10 FEBRUARY 2016
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
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