May 2011 Recertification Deadline

[LABertocci]

We have fielded MANY questions about the 1 May 2011 deadline USAWP has for referee re-certification. Here is a brief FAQ:
(1) The only public document from USAWP is the "Wanna Ref" document that is attached below;
(2) It states that Returning Referees may "register for and pass the "Review of Fouls" course or the next course in sequence we offer or the "Recertification/Review" class (available starting March 1, 2011) at USAWPRA.ORG;
(3) Because we were told that the "Recertification/Review" class would become available starting March 1, 2011 at USAWPRA.ORG, we stopped offering our "Review of Fouls" course. For those of you who are wondering how/when USAWPRA.ORG will do what it has not yet done, you will have to ask them;
(4) Our Advantage course (WPR301) is designed to be taken more than once so anyone who has previously taken both Minor Fouls (WPR201) and Major Fouls (WPR202) may take or retake Advantage for referee re-certification. Several referees have already done that so far this year;
(5) Our Center course (WPR401) is designed to be taken more than once AND is completely rebuilt, to include the FINA Referee Training Video I made, so anyone who has previously taken Advantage (WPR301) may take or retake The Center for referee re-certification. Several referees have already done that so far this year;
(6) We keep very careful records of our students so our student database is completely up-to-date;
(7) We know nothing more than any of you about the criminal background checks;
(8) We know nothing more than any of you about which on-ground training sessions are defined as USAWPRA Referee Schools (that are supposed to count towards re-certification) nor do we know where to find the database of referees who have attended them;
(9) We have no idea what USAWP is going to do if large numbers of referees cannot or do not get trained - you will have to ask them.

These are the answers to the common questions we have been fielding. I hope this helps those out there with similar questions. If you have other questions, feel free to contact us, and we will do the best we can to answer and provide customer service.

2011_1_WANNAREF.pdf

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[LABertocci]

Perhaps some (edited for relevance) of this will be useful to those of you who continue to contact us with questions:

Hi all,

As you know, and is detailed in the documents we have posted on the usawpr.org site, the "recertification" process for returning referees, (those that were certified in for the previous calendar year), is to be completed by May 1st of the current calendar year.

For example, a referee that was certified to officiate USA Water Polo Sanctioned Events in 2010 should have completed their recertification requirement by May 1 of this year (2011) to remain certified to officiate in the current calendar year.

One of the options for recertification, in addition to existing Water Polo Academy Classes, was to be a "Review/Recertification" program offered for free on the usawpr.org site starting in March of this year.

We have experienced more than the expected challenges in providing that recertification material and having it ready and available on the usawpr.org site.

We have resolved most of those issues and now hope to have the material available within a week, May 15 at the latest.

To that end, we have extended the recertification deadline for 2011 until June 1.

Thank you, and as always, please contact me directly with any questions or concerns.

I will keep you all posted on the progress.

Jim


Jim Cullingham
USA Water Polo
Director of Referees
jcullingham@usawaterpolo.org
office 562.985.4674
mobile 310.413.1140

For those of you who now need to meet (what used to be a 1 May 2011 but is now) a 1 June 2011 deadline, we are open for business. For those of you who have not and/or cannot get to the next USAWPRA Referee School, we are open for business. Please be advised, we no longer have what used to be "unlimited" serving capacity... so "first come first served" may be a useful operating paradigm for most of you.

We will do the best we can. We are a small operation... but we will do the best we can.