Taking Practical at nationals

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

I took the written test and rules seminar in 05 (though, recent enough that it will not have been a year when nationals comes around). I have not taken the practical exam yet. Who do I email so that I can arrange to take the practical exam at summer nationals?

[oiuyt]

Practical exams at Summer Nationals are completely dependent on strip and fencer availability. Starting last year I'm not sure that ANY initial practicals were given in the actual events at Summer Nationals, but only in non-tournament settings (hence the PA announcements for volunteer fencers looking to fence for referee testing).

The idea is really that people should become certified as referees at either a Sectional Championships or locally. This is one of the reasons that all Sectional Championships are now required to have a member of the FOC (or a replacement explicitly accepted by the FOC) present (not that this regulation has been followed in all sections).

Certainly once you are a rated referee you can and will be observed at Nationals (sometimes explicitly so, frequently without your knowledge, and with varying degrees of formality).

Derek Cotton is the chair of the Domestic Referee Development Committee. firstname.lastname@fencingofficials.org is an email address that should work for him (obviously changing the firstname and lastname bits to be his names). He should be able to answer this or similar questions and his answers are certainly considerably more official than mine.

-B

[Frank Pratt]

Originally Posted by oiuyt

Starting last year I'm not sure that ANY initial practicals were given in the actual events at Summer Nationals, but only in non-tournament settings (hence the PA announcements for volunteer fencers looking to fence for referee testing).

If this is the case, perhaps the organizers should go ahead and coordinate with the FOC to arrange a time and recruit some volunteer fencers for referee testing. If a few strips and as just as many FOC examiners could be dedicated to testing, a few exams could be given simultaneously. I'm not or the organizing committee for the '06 Nationals, but I'll pass the suggestion on to someone who is.

[Mauler]

Just entertaining an idea here, specifically for the Summer Nationals......

How 'bout utilizing the referees on mandated days-off as test-fencers? They are certainly knowledgeable about the rules, applications, and more importantly, the day-to-day scenarios that arise which challenge the working referees themselves. Plus, they have a demonstrated capacity to detach themselves from the emotional/social context (in this case, that of the apprentice referee) and perform their duties as instructed for the duration of a task..... i.e. remain mature enough to create convincing situation rather than making a joke out of it, which would of course greatly change the nature of the test.

So given the appropriate training (specifically geared for this role), and incentive for availability (they already have per diem for mandated day-off, so a small additional service fee), this could serve as a standardized, highly convincing test of apprentice referees who have no viable means of local testing.

This also creates an environment where a wide variety of rules application scenarios can be introduced within a relatively short period of time... In addition, this creates a safe environment for development of very basic level apprentices without too much "damage" to the competitors who have made significant investment to come to the National Championships.

Additionally, this would also serve to promote healthy activities for full-time referees!


Not that I have anything against the policy of MANDATED days-off for referees working at Summer Nationals or anything.... Really.... Honest.... But we're going to be gathered in the same location for 10 days once a year anyways. Might as well look for ways to add some variety.

[KD5MDK]

Would there be volunteer coaches to yell and scream and collect "test" black cards?

[Mauler]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

Would there be volunteer coaches to yell and scream and collect "test" black cards?

There might be a market for that.... advertised as a phenomenal stress reliever for coaches.... But when they get Black Carded for the test, they must return for the next "event." Properly balanced enticement-punishement system has to be integrated for a convincing performance (i.e. best/worst behavior gets free drinks at the hotel bar or something)

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by Mauler

How 'bout utilizing the referees on mandated days-off as test-fencers?

While I DO plan to be fencing on my off days (D1MS, D1AMS), I suspect that most referees present will not be planning to bring their equipment. And many, perhaps most, are no longer current fencers at even the recreational level.

Current athletes in a non-significant setting vs. former-fencers (and some non-fencers, although these are a small minority) who haven't been in a competitive bout for years or decades.... yeah, I think I know which I would select as more representative of the tournament experience, and it doesn't involve having off-duty refs suiting up.

And your refs-as-mock-fencers idea still requires additional compensation. Fencers that are coming in to get some bouting experience on their off-days are generally available for free.

Frank- The FOC is likely to want to leave the situation as a more fluid as-the-situation-allows type arrangement. Gives them a LOT more flexibility to find time(s) when they have examiners that they don't need out working bouts that matter. And from what I've seen it hasn't been too difficult to obtain volunteer fencers on an ad hoc basis without pre-arrangement.

-B