Officials are a necessary and integral part of the Artistic Swimming community. Without these devoted volunteers, Nova Scotia Artistic Swimming would be unable to host competitive events for our athletes. Through well-refereed meets and qualified judge feedback, swimmers are better able to develop technical competencies and high standards of sportsmanship.
The Judges Training and Accreditation Program (J-TACS) is a national officials training program of Canada Artistic Swimming. All judges and referees must take these courses. Nova Scotia Artistic Swimming regularly offers Level l and Level ll judges courses in the province. This enables Nova Scotia Artistic Swimming to actively meet the need for qualified judges within the province and Atlantic region. Within any one competition season, a judge must attend at least two provincial meets to qualify for sponsorship and representation at meets outside the province. As well, each year Level lI judges/ referees who are nineteen (19) years of age or older, have judged/ refereed for a minimum of one season and are considered active at the provincial level can apply to be upgraded to a Level lll judge/ referee.
For more information about becoming an Artistic Swimming Official, or upgrading your certification, please contact Nova Scotia Artistic Swimming at nsas@sportnovascotia.ca.
Judging Courses
Have you ever noticed who the judges and officials are? Although some are former swimmers and coaches, many are parents of current or former swimmers! Do you want to get involved? The Judging Level I & II courses are offered every Fall as well as during the season as demanded.
Judging Level 1 & Judging Level 2
The Judging 1 and 2 courses use class discussion, video analysis and swimmer demonstrations to introduce skills such as the fundamentals of figure components, transitions and judging difficulty within a figure. In addition, routine evaluation includes items such as routine components, marking scale, detailed and general guidelines, technical vs. artistic judging, etc. Other units include ethics, refereeing and judging duties and rules. Upon completion of the course, you apprentice on deck at competitions (scores are not revealed) and work toward full certification. Level I Judges may officiate Provincial Stream figures & routines as well as Master’s routines. In Level II, judges will build on the knowledge of Level I to include more advanced figures and routine skills. Level II Judges may officiate Provincial Stream, Masters and National Stream figures and routines.
After each course is completed, shadow judging is required until the candidate feels comfortable judging at these levels. Level I is a prerequisite to the Level II course.
Certified judges must keep their skills current by attending professional development sessions held throughout the competitive season.
schedule
| Date | Activity | City | Reg. Deadline | Other Info |
| TBA | Level 1 | Halifax | TBA | |
| TBA | Level 2 | Halifax | TBA |
Please Note: Judge Level 1 and Level 2 are not combined.
Funding
Nova Scotia Artistic Swimming encourages coaches and officials of all levels to seek opportunities for professional development. Financial assistance is sometimes available through Sport Nova Scotia for technical upgrading and to those who wish to expand and enhance their skills by attending relevant training courses and seminars. For more information please contact nsas@sportnovascotia.ca.
Nova Scotia Artistic Swimming 