Parents as Judges
We have a great need in Acrobatic Gymnastics for judges. There is never enough of them. Coaches frequently train and certify as judges, which makes them better coaches, but the wearing of two hats at a meet can be counter productive to your child's performance.
Anyone interested in Acro can be trained and certified as a judge. Many of our judges nation wide are parents who have stepped up to bat to help. Being a judge will help you understand the sport and to know why deductions are taken from routines. Of course, coaching is not the same thing as judging, which does not qualify you as a coach if you become a judge.
The National Technical Committee Chairman, on the USAG Acro Program Committee, Linda Ocmand, is the mother of Amy Ocmand, who was an Elite Mixed Pair top with Michael McPhereson when Alex Douglas was an Elite Mixed Pair base in 1986. She became a judge and stayed with the sport after her daughter quit to go on to become a medical doctor.
Linda has been instrumental in helping acro grow here in Texas. When Alex first began the Trevino's Acro Team in 1997, Linda came out to train parents and to judge the meets when there was no other team in Texas to compete against. As the other clubs have come into the sport, she has been there helping them all. Why? Because she is a parent who loves kids, and has come to love the sport, as well.
Another mother who came into the sport is Barbara Landry who is now the Region 3 Technical Committee Chairman. Barbara also came out to Texas to help the sport grow. And for the same reasons, she is a mother who loves kids, and loves the sport.
Training as a judge is not hard. All that is required is that you participate in a USAG sanctioned Judge's Clinic. While the clinic is usually two days, a new judge only needs to participate in one day. The second day is for upper level routines that draw upon the FIG Table of Difficulties. The test at the end of the first day is open book. The cost of the clinic usually gets paid back in the judge's fees paid for each meet. No, you will not make a profit. You will be lucky to break even if we have an excess of judges. But you will be helping your child and the other children in your team by relieving your coach the double duty of judging meets while coaching.
How You Can Help
Texas will be hosting the 2006 Judge's Clinic on March 25 and 26 at Boerne Gymnastics Center. You will need to join the USAG as a Pro Member. You may do this through your team's coach or on your own online at USAG Memberships, or, if that is too difficult to figure out, you may call them at 1-800-345-4719. If e-mail is easier, you can write them at membership@usa-gymnastics.org. If you wish to use the US Postal service and write a check, you can obtain membership forms in PDF file format, print it up and mail it in. Pro membership costs $85. Information will be coming out shortly on the cost of the clinic. You will also need the rule books. When you get your Pro membership, it will be available free online in PDF form. The USAG will e-mail you a password with a link for downloading.
Mom and Dad, we want to be completely honest. If you become a judge, you will not make a profit. You will get paid for each judging session a minimum of 2 hours for the local judge's rate, then on an hourly basis after those first 2 hours. The best hope you have for your financial investment will be to break even. But we encourage you to do this for your child and team's sake. And you will appreciate the sport so much more as a judge.
Mark your calendars and plan to attend. You are welcome to sit in on the clinic, just to learn learn more about the sport, if you cannot be a judge. But we really need more judges. Why not become one?