Officials Update and Changes

[boarditup]

No AWSA or USA Waterski bashing, please.

 

Let's have a constructive discussion on what should be the updates or changes to the rules regarding officials for events under USA Waterski or AWSA.

 

Here are mine to start:

 

1. There is no reason why Safety Coordinators should need 3-events signed off to be able to function independently.

2. Scorers main skill is mastering the scoring program. Reduce the number of tournaments required.

3. Have reduced officials events still count for Regionals and Nationals qualifications.

4. Let F level events serve to qualify drivers for C level events. Experience driving is what matters - not wiping down the boat.

 

My goal is to get as many people involved in hosting events and tournaments as quickly as possible. While there will be mistakes made, the benefit greatly outweighs the downside in terms of sport growth.

[jdarwin]

One of the interesting graphs that was shown at the board meeting was the number of officials that were being downgraded in 2012. About 35% on average and over half of the assistants were losing their rating.

[6balls]

Sometimes at the tourneys I ski they say they have trouble getting a safety official. Given I'm a doc who is the Medical Director of an Emergency Department, fully Advanced Trauma Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support trained, would seem I should be able to watch a video and be good to go.

I realize there are other aspects of the safety job than caring for the injured such as site and equipment checks/monitoring etc but have to think it's not that complex.

Quite frankly, time is an issue in terms of taking a full course given all of the other full courses I need to keep taking due to career.

[MattP]

@OB I am First aid,CPR,AED certified so thats a start, I want to start working on getting my driving, scoring or something going to help out.

[Jody_Seal]

I was informed that I need to do a Judges clinic in 2012. I would like to do the clinic in Atlanta however will be going live action down under that weekend. I see JJ is going to be their as the Tech instructor very good choice as he has become the man!

 

It seems that their are still dissenters about the ranking list qualification and scores being equal between class C and REL tournaments I am one that does almost all record level tournaments and know that their is a big difference in on the water quality of both officials needed/utilized and rules that are rather lax in the Class C events compared to Record tournaments. However the buck stops when a skier gets to Regionals and Nationals, I see skiers ever year that qualify under rather erroneous scores get their ass handed to them at nationals and regionals. the problem as I see it is that allowing class F scores on the ranking list for qualification may knock out a legitimate REL score skier for an overall rank and regional and or national qualification. Or a class C skier that has only class C tournaments to ski in to get qualified.

 

I do see even at the Record tournaments way to much technology and over abundance of rules that could be simplified.

Not a fan of the full buoy rule in slalom, have seen some pretty nasty falls because of it.

Not a fan of the international 6 flip rule in tricks.

Not a fan of the three segment timing for jump.

Would like to see all five AWSA regions read out of the same hymn book when dealing with USAWS.

 

[MattP]

@OB thats my spring break.. planning on being down south to link some turns. So we will see

[Than_Bogan]

@jody I *think* the "full buoy rule" you are talking about is the one that has been grossly misinterpretted (including many times by me)?? Last year we had a top-level official on here explaining it to us, and it was completely different from what we all thought.

 

The key is that the rope must *already* be tight when the skier reaches the mid-line. If you take a fat slack hit behind the boat and ski away you DO NOT get credit. The purpose of this rule was actually to protect the skier (and to some extent the boat crew), but it was poorly worded (imho) and nearly everyone misunderstood it to mean you were now *required* to take slack hits.

 

Of course, if what you mean is that the entire concept of getting more points for getting back to the center line should be eliminated, then I totally agree. I'm a student of game theory and my analysis suggests that just about everything would be better if the only place you got points was as you rounded the buoy itself. But THAT would be a huge change and even obsolete some records, so I can't see it ever happening.

 

P.S. I take some credit for all the EPs (remember those?) being moved to half buoys or full passes. I made that suggestion a lot of years ago, in large part owing to the inherent weaknesses of the full-buoy concept (mainly the "need" to stop skiing to hit a particularly full-buoy mark). I eventually droned on about it enough that they actually implemented it. Of course, just a few years laters they got rid of the entire concept of EPs, so my fame was short-lived.

[ForrestGump]

Regardless of how that rule is interpreted, the skiers will almost always take the slack hit to try to get back to the center. It's how we think.

[dave2ball]

USA needs to open there eyes to safety personal who work in the medical field and people who have first aid certificates that are back by american heart or other state or local. I am a firefighter/EMT here in Florida , Ex paramedic and have work in the EMS/ fire for 20 years. I have to attend a clinic this year or I will be bumped down. I do not have a problem having a clinic and going over basic items such as what to do prior to a tournament lighting issues and how to handle them. But when I have to take a skills test from a a USA water ski trainer who has no formal training in first aid IE American heart backed certificate I have a big problem with that. Yet with my back round I cannot give a clinic to show how to properly C-spine an injured skier or treat a hurt shoulder. There are laws out there that will protect you but if you go over and above your knowledge the law goes out the window. What I am getting at is USA needs to use common sense and help the sport out rather then beat the sport down.

[ForrestGump]

I completely agree with you, Dave! Safety is an oxymoron in our sport.

[dave2ball]

AWSA is more concerned if somebody can count to six then the care somebody gets when they get hurt.

[ForrestGump]

Awe crap, I already fail and I haven't even bumped my head yet!

[dave2ball]

Can you use 2 hands of just one hand? Does USA have a rule for that????

[boarditup]

Dave, I agree. As a former USCG member, I've had hours of training that eclipse what USAWS calls for. I just completed the clinic for this year, and the dated material is at least 20-years behind what is now taught by any of the major organizations (Red Cross, NSC, AHA, etc.). The in-the-water skills with a backboard is useful and should be encouraged. The rest of the training could be handled on-line easily. If you are seeking to be a Safety Coordinator, you are likely already a participant in a few events and know what the expectations are.

[addkerr07]

In the Uk for our standard league event, so similar to class C, we need:

-Driver

-Senior Judge

-2 Normal Judges

-Calculator

-First aider on site ( 3 day course)

as an absolute minimum.

 

[dave2ball]

I am a state safety coord. but I cannot give a clinic bucause I am not a regional director. So much for looking at back rounds.

[Chef23]

@OB the 5 tournament thing can be a little tough for those of us in the North. My season is basically June, July and August and there isn't always a tournament within a 6 hour drive every weekend. We generally get 5-6 in but that can mean every other weekend which can be tough on the family at times. I know there are good skiers up here that may not ski 5 tournaments in a season.

[wski1831]

Dave, I became a safety instructor, because no one else was doing it. Pretty much what you need to upgrade is a clinic and a take home test to upgrade. These are the "Quantitative Requirements-2011"

One USA Water Ski sanctioned Safety Clinic completed since becoming a State Safety Director ̈ Current Red Cross First Aid and CPR or equivalent (certificate of completion as proof) ̈ Eight USA Water Ski sanctioned tournaments or show exhibitions as Safety Director (chief or assistant) ̈ Two additional USA Water Ski sanctioned tournaments as Chief Safety Director ̈ A written take-home test (once the above requirements are met and verified by USA Water Ski)

[Dusty]

No- really, we need more rules... Video gates, tricks and boat path for every tournament. 5 judges regular or higher every pass... :-)

I would be reluctant to make huge changes to the way we qualify officials right now. The methods used to qualify officials at least leads to a prerequisite body of knowledge. A computer operator is all well and good until there is an "issue".

I agree that some of the boat washing and counting to six pratice could be avoided with a closed book knowledge test. It is plain comon sense that a doctor, paramedic or EMT should qualify as a safety coordinator.

The real issue I see is that at some tournaments. the same group of 5-10 people are doing all the work. Sometimes there are even fewer than that.

I agree with many about the full buoy rule. It needs to be removed or rewrittten for clarity. What is happening now is unsafe- it is guaranteeing that the handle is headed for the boat crew if lost on the slack hit near centerline. The unintended consequences of the rule is getting people hurt and shattering windshields. Craft a better rule or get rid of it.

[dave2ball]

Wski1831 I understand where you are saying. My point is that somebody who has qualifications that are over and above basic first aid such as a EMT certificate,paramedic cert, RN or Dr. are made to jump through unnecessary hoops. People in the medical field especially in the EMS field do theses skill everyday they go to work. USA need to use common sense and they don't in many cases. To have an EMT or paramedic offer to do a first aid course and be turned down because he/she in not a regional safety coord is crazy. And it has been done. Question, as a certified in first aid does that certificate ever expire? Do you have to do CEU,s? As an EMT I have to recertify every 2 years with the state. Basically my point is that USA needs to look at the persons qualifications and give them a written test sure. If they possess an EMT cert or higher maybe they should fast track of grandfather they in to being a safety coord or even an rectification instructor.

[Phil]

I have been a state safety official for quite a number of years, we have to take and renew CPR and First Aid Courses every two years and do a USA safety clinic every four years to maintain our rating, in my opinion other than the practical water rescue technigues taught at the clinics which i think is highly important the rest is a very boring 4 hrs because it is already covered in your mandatory CPR and First Aid Classes, thats how it is in Fl, not sure about the rest of the US.

[MattP]

just an FYI to everyone All First Aid and CPR needs to be renewed every 2 years. That is only how long the training is good for it gets updated all the time.

[RichardDoane]

it seems that if a skier has a level 9 score and can become a Senior Judge by just doing a little paperwork, then an exceptionally qualified EMT/Paramedic/Dr./RN should be given the same treatment as a Safety official

[boarditup]

I think we, the USAWS and AWSA, need to take a hard look at the procedures and qualifications for officials in context of current culture - both waterskier and American, overall. The goals of what the tournaments are for and what the officials part of the events need to be examined, as well. There is a lot of good history out there - and it should not be thrown out. Other parts are irrelevant in today's culture and with today's technology. For example, the number of dedicated 3-event boats was small in the 70's and 80's, they are much more available now - and so are drivers that know how to pilot them through a course in a basic, safe manner. First Aid/CPR classes and qualifications were rare 30-years ago, and much more prevalent today. So much of the rules are based on one-off or rare incidents. That makes bad rules. Other rules are for the very upper level performers that very few skiers will ever achieve. Cheaters will always get discovered. Unsafe actions can be quashed immediately. Lets restructure the way we get things done for the future. Tournament and events should be safe fun. period.

[dave2ball]

Matt your right. And yet USA Waterski wants the renewells every 4 years. So you have safety officials possibly working with expired certificates. How does risk management feel about that?? Are they the lawsuit police and look over the safety committee? Things that make you go WHOOOM!

[ForrestGump]

Risk management at USAWaterski is spelled "knee-jerk".

[Jody_Seal]

It seems safety is the number one concern so far in this discussion. Hopefully some one from the sanctioning body is reading and taking notes (probably not).

I have far more trust that a professional medical personal who does this every day is far more qualified then that of the enthusiast that has minimal training. Funny over the years I have seen accidents and injury's on site and the injured almost all-way's seeks out individuals on site that may be in the medical field before the USAWS trained safety.

The post about the organization being more concerned about counting buoys over safety pretty much sums it up.

[dave2ball]

If USA has such a great safety program in the committee's eyes why does Swiss Ski School have a Lake County ambulance sit at the tournaments?????

[boarditup]

Simple - in tournaments athletes push the ragged edge. That leads to injuries. As an individual sport, the safety director can only manage the environment around the athlete. The athlete makes split-second decisions whether to take the risk or not. In practice, the decision is usually the safe one. In tournaments, it may not be.

 

Also, the number of pulls and athletes are significantly greater in a tournament than in a school or practice scenario.

 

When I have pro-level tournaments, I have EMTs on site. I don't for a family day behind the boat.

[Kelvin]

We have done the same for the Big Dawg we had in 2010 and the Katy Ski Jam last year. It's an added level of safety.

[dave2ball]

Great job stepping it up.