Operations Division
January 18, 2002 Report

Supplemental Report


    Officials Committee
    • An officials committee meeting will be held during January. The committee will concentrate on the new referee mentor program and the clinics held during the year. The committee will select a meet referee for Senior Champs and two officials to attend the officials workshop in Colorado Springs.
    • On January 13 the final two officials clinics were held at MLK with five attendee at the Stroke and turn clinic and two attendees at the Starter Clinic. This brought the total number of clinics to seven Stroke and Turn, three Starter, and two Referee and one new referee. In addition, five new officials have completed training from the Virginia summer league clinics and are now certified.
    • Lynee Phelps has taken over grading of tests for Maryland and John McDonald has taken over grading of tests for Virginia. Sumie Emory is building a spreadsheet of all clinic attendees so that we can track their progress and share their names with the Club officials Chairs.
    • Offficial certification patches originally requested from the office in March have not yet arrived. We are also now out of Hytek certification pins. A request that these pins be ordered was made this fall. Newly certified officials now have to wait for these items.
    • PVS officials have historically only received their certifications if their registration with USA Swimming could be verified with the PVS Registrar. In the absence of being able to receive this information on a timely basis, it is no longer possible to perform this verification.

    Meet Management
    • Responsibility for obtaining pools for PVS sponsored meets has been with the PVS administrative office since 1999. Similarly arrangements for competition at these facilities rests with either the PVS administrative office or the appropriate Meet Director.
    • Three courses (24 lanes) were reserved for Jan Open based on January 2001 attendance of 9657 (it had been 10325 in ‘99 and 11061 in ‘00) and the assumption that there would be no material change in the number of entries Number of actual entries received was 9200. The number declined by approximately 284 as a result of switching the Saturday PGS&LC sessions to Monday.
    • Three teams (AAC, FGAC and YORK) were moved from one course to the other at PGS&LC for the January Open in order to balance entries and have the sessions end at approximately the same time.
    • Considerable assistance was provided to the January Distance Meet Director assisting with the processing of entries. 169 swimmers were entered in the 1000 and 98 in the 1650. Sessions were started earlier and we were prepared to double up swimmers in the slowest heats if necessary to complete the meet within the pool rental time available. Combining heats was was not necessary as there were 42 no shows for the 1000 and 22 for the 1650.

    Equipment Manager
    • No report has been received to date.
    • New bright orange vests to used by marshals (as identifying attire) and police style barrier (caution tape) are now available thru the Equipment Manager. Use of the former will be a requirement starting May 15.

    Safety Commitee
    • In the report prepared for the November Board meeting, no Reports of Occurrences were identified. However, immediately prior to that planned meeting, the Board became aware of a significant event that had happened about 4 days prior. A swimmer passed out while doing hypoxic underwater 50's. The swimmer was promptly recovered and revived after about 30 seconds of Mouth-to-Mouth respiration via mouth to mouth mask.
    • As a results of steps taken by PVS's Administrative Office and the PVS Safety Chairman, the required Report of Occurrence was subsequently filed.
    • Guidance from USA Swimming on the appropriateness of this type of training was sought. USA Swimming safety manuals contain many cautions about conducting this type of training, but do not prohibit it. We understand USA Swimming is reviewing what kind of guidance it should be providing regarding this type of training.
    • As previously reported, starting May 15, 2002 there will be a requirement for marshals at meets to wear identifying attire. PVS has purchased 12 inexpensive vests which will be made available thru the PVS equipment manager.
    • To assure marshaling function receives appropriate attention, assigned officials are no longer expected to do this duty as "collateral duty." PVS needs to be taking steps to make sure host clubs are aware they will have to assume this duty during both warm-ups and actual competition starting with this summer's Long Course Season.