Yippee! Some of the key official forms (example: assistant judge, assistant scorer) can now be filled out digitally and submitted electronically.
See the attached document for instructions in how to fill out and submit.
Filling_Out_the_Judges_Scorer’s_Driver’s_Form_Online_-_Google_Docs (1)
The AWSA board has approved a simple fast path to a Regular tricks rating for Regular and Senior drivers who do not hold a tricks rating, and a fast path to a Senior tricks rating for Senior drivers who already have a Regular or Assistant tricks rating. Eastern Region promoted this change to help alleviate a shortage of tricks drivers for tournaments. For the specifics read the policy and process here:
FAST TRACK TO A REGULAR OR SENIOR TRICKS DRIVER (V3.0)
Drivers who wish to pursue this should get in touch with our Regional Driver Committee rep, Al Harris, brps@crosslink.net.
Julie Hommel is now an Assistant Scorer for Slalom !!!
And as an outcome of the Driver Event at Twin Lakes this past weekend …. we have some new drivers and some that just bumped it up a notch (to be official as soon as the paperwork is processed by HQ):
• Diana Coffey Frucci: 3 event Ast
• Bruce Epstein: Slalom Ast
• Jeff Liva: Slalom Ast
• Scotty Bellefeuille: Trick/Jump Ast
• Dan Warner: Slalom Senior
• Scott Behner: Trick/Jump Ast, Slalom Regular
• Mike Shelhamer: Jump Ast
Congratulations to you all !!!!
Thank you to Twin Lakes Waterski Park for providing their site to support this Drivers Event.
Thanks to George Vosburgh, Cole Maurer, Dan Warner, Mike Shelhamer, Scott Cerosky for being our test administrators.
Alert Alert Alert ….. 3 Event Drivers Clinic and testing for assistant drivers and testing for upgrades ….. June 9,10 & 11 …. Twin Lakes Waterski Park ……. please reach out to Tonya Maurer to get your name on the list …. all welcome for the clinic (actual time of clinic TBD) ….. I need head count for the testing and upgrades ……. detailed schedule of events to be worked out based on head count ….. please FaceBook IM, txt or eMail Tonya Maurer so we can get you on the list. You can find my contact information in the guide book contact page or look on the contact page here on the East Region Web Site!!
The East is at risk ….. We have several sites in the East that are at risk for not being able to run 3 event tournaments in 2017. And some single event sites that are teetering on being able to run a slalom tournament.
Those sites, from what I can determine, from NJ and south are likely OK; those north of NJ will likely run into issues.
We have 3 event sites that have landed with a single point of failure because there is only one judge that has the applicable credentials to run all three events. We all know that slalom can be covered (for the most part) since that event has the highest concentration of regular/senior judges; for Jump we are getting slim with judges with the appropriate ratings and for Trick we are running on a very weak thread.
Personally I have done all that I can do to replenish the pipeline of officials (many have landed with cramps in their hands from the number of forms that I had them to sign), however what I have seen is that we have a limited number of assistant judges willing to move up the food chain and gain a regular judge rating, especially in Trick. The other issue is State Safety officials – they are far and few between; again, for some sites, all the eggs are in one basket and if certain people win the lottery – buy that island in the Pacific – then we have sites that will not be able to have tournaments because certain officials can’t be cloned.
If you are a trick skier and you have an assistant judge rating; or you are a parent of a trick skier; I implore that you work towards applicable judge rating so that our 3 event tournaments can continue. We need more officials with a ‘regular’ rating.
If you are a skier that can be fast tracked …. what are you waiting for?
For those veteran officials, please continue to work to find your backfills. You need an exit strategy, please please please pass on your knowledge and experience to those around you. Put kids, spouses and parents in towers, in boats, at the computer and in front of a monitor – expose them to what happens behind the wizard curtain. Once that wizard curtain is open and we see that there is only one person standing behind it ….. we are in big trouble.
The unintended consequence of not having the appropriate judges with the appropriate ratings is that there will no longer be 3 event tournaments close enough to participate in; which means those seeking overall scores to qualify for regionals and/or nationals will lose the opportunity to do so.
What can you do to help? Ask someone because we need you!
Here’s a clarification from Melanie Hanson on updates to the online Trained Driver class for new Trained Drivers.
The class has two components, a video, and the Boat US online NASBLA approved class. If the applicant has already taken a NASBLA approved class (Boat US, US Power Squadron, Coast Guard, probably others) it is only necessary to watch the video. The applicant can then send evidence of whatever class they took to Melanie as a substitute for taking the Boat US online class.
Evidently the video is first and once you have watched it, the program asks if you’ve taken a NASBLA class and allows you to skip out. You still have to pay the USAWS class fee up front.
This makes a lot of sense, especially since a lot of people have taken a NASBLA approved class already, and it makes it easier on new Trained Drivers. Win!
If you are in need of a Drivers Clinic (Slalom & Trick), or are ready to test for your Assistant Slalom/Trick Driver rating or are ready to test for your Regular Slalom/Trick driver rating.
There will be a Drivers Clinic on Friday 7/17 @ Pangaea (those testing for ast ratings can test on Friday). Those ready to upgrade would be tested on Saturday (7/18) and Sunday (7/19).
If you are looking to test, be sure to provide confirmation from US Water Ski headquarters stating you have met your qualifications.
Registration Required – please contact Tonya Maurer at multitasking@comcast.net by 7/13 so we have a head count!
Again event will happen at Pangaea Puddle in Canajoharie NY.
Tally Ho!!!
Pat Byrne is hosting a Safety Clinic in Sanford Maine on Saturday, June 20th. Contact Pat @ PJBYRN@aol.com for more information.
I’m receiving emails around drivers receiving notifications that they could be downgraded.
Please be aware of maintenance credits based on your officials ratings (Judge, Scorer, Safety, Driver). Check out the last page of the guide book for reference or on the USA Water Ski site (http://www.usawaterski.org/pages/officials/awsa/awsaofficialsresources.htm)
To check your credits – log in as a member on the USA Water Ski website, then go to “My Officials Ratings” of the menu to the left, then select “Details” on the row of the rating you want to check. If you see anything that says “NO” then you are missing requirements to renew.
Kind Regards, Tonya Maurer, East Region EVP AWSA
USAWS has sent me a list of AWSA drivers who will be downgraded if they do not address deficiencies. Many on the list only need to renew membership and/or initiate an MVR check, things that can be done online. If deficiencies are corrected very quickly, the affected individuals will not be downgraded. Once downgraded, it is still possible to fix it, but not without a lot of hassle, and until fixed, you will have the lower rating. I have sent an email to the affected drivers. If you did not receive the email, but are are uncertain of your status, I suggest you check your personal record online.
Al Harris
