Brought to you by SSC s Officials Development Committee GUY CHENARD GUY CHENARD TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1 Brought to you by SSC s Officials Development Committee GUY CHENARD TED HOUGHTON LAURIE MURCHISON JIM MCCLEMENTS GUY CHENARD JACQUES GRÉGOIRE LAURIE MURCHISON TABLE OF CONTENTS SPEED SKATING S LEGENDARY OFFICIALS! 2 NATIONAL SPEED SKATING OFFICIALS FORUM SUCCESSFUL UPGRADES COMPETITION ASSIGNMENTS 7 ADVANCEMENT PROCEDURES 8 SPORTS OFFICIALS CANADA CONFERENCE 8 PSYCHOLOGY 101 PART ONE 9 ISU STARTERS COURSE 10 LEVEL 3B REFEREE CLINIC ANNOUNCEMENT 11 PSYCHOLOGY 101 PART TWO 12 JEUX DU CANADA WINTER GAMES AND THEIR OFFICIALS 13 SPOTLIGHT ON OFFICIALS 14 ODC BULLETIN

2 SPEED SKATINGS LEGENDARY OFFICIALS! Take a closer look at three of Speed Skating Canada s most respected and cherished officials. EUGENE HEARN The article below is reprinted with permission from Saskatoon Star Phoenix Tuesday, September 20, 2005 Skating Loses a Legend by Ned Powers Saskatoon Star Phoenix (Saskatoon) Canadian speed skating has lost one of its most dedicated contributors. Eugene Hearn, who died [September 16th, 2005] at the age of 76, first laced on a pair of skates when he was 14 and never strayed very far from the ice ovals for the next 62 years. He was a competitor, a coach, a referee and an administrator. Henrietta Goplen, who also had a long association with the Canadian sport, remembers that she and Hearn were among the first members of the Saskatoon Lions speed skating club. "No one was ever a better ambassador for speed skating. He spent many hours in the trenches with the skaters and, as an official, he was among the best starters in Canada," says Goplen. "He was compassionate about the sport and about his job as a starter. He felt that compassion for the youngsters at the starting line because he'd experienced the cold nights, the loneliness that comes with practice, and he'd been through it all. As a starter, he insisted everyone have that fair chance." Goplen recalls that Hearn and Wally Boschuk were longtime friends. "We called them Mutt and Jeff. In the clubhouse or in the hotel rooms after a meet, they would regale the young skaters with their stories of what skating used to be like when they were young fellows. Many of our early trips were by train. The kids loved to listen to them." [At the funeral...jim McClements talked about the leadership role that Eugene had played recruiting and mentoring so many starters. Jim also shared, while Eugene was acknowledged as a very good international starter, in Jim s opinion his real strength was when he started young children. There may be others as good but there is no one better. He was professional, kind fair and caring. ] Hearn began competing in 1942 when Clarence Downey was Saskatoon's premier skating coach. Among Hearn's early teammates were Craig Mackay and Johnny Sands, who both skated for Canada at the Winter Olympics. He became the club coach from 1956 until 1970 and helped another crop of young skaters rise to Canadian championship levels. He was coach of the Saskatchewan team at the first-ever Canada Winter Games in Quebec City in From 1970, he focused his interests on officiating, working many Canadian meets, some North American and world championship events. His most recent stint at a North American meet in Milwaukee was this past winter. He was invited, just eight weeks ago, to officiate at the [2005 Regional Qualifier West] in Prince George, B.C. He was secretary-treasurer and president of the Saskatchewan Association in the 1950s and returned to the provincial executive in 1988 as vice-president of officials. Hearn has been recognized as a SASK Sport Volunteer of the Year and a Dairy Producers Fitness Volunteer of the Year. He has an honorary life membership in the Saskatoon Lions speed skating club and a place in the Saskatoon and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fames. He received an award of excellence from Speed Skating Canada in ODC BULLETIN

3 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2005 B5 SPORTS STILL SKATING CIRCLES AROUND COLLECTION At age 69, Jean-Marie Leduc is skating hard on the breakaway of a lifetime. He hopes to score not once, but twice. Beginning Jan. 27 and running until March 4, 2007, Leduc will see 71 pairs of skates from his exclusive collection of more than 340 pairs on display at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau. While he ll show a sampling of his collection of hockey, speed, figure and short-track skates to thousands of paying museum visitors, he won t receive any money for his unique avocation. But he hopes his final compensation will be a permanent home for his collection, such as a museum, and a book about the interesting stories behind each pair of blades. Called Lace Up, Leduc s museum exhibition will showcase the evolution of skates from blades made from bone to today s high-tech versions. The exhibit also will be dressed up with historical paintings, photographs, programs, videos, audio recordings and costumes. Since the 11th century, skating has been a vital part of society, whether as a means of transportation, recreation or sport. Leduc s quarter-century obsession with collecting skates has produced some fascinating stories. Besides the exhibit, he ll also give a series of lectures on the history and evolution of skates. His first talk will be on Jan. 28. I m very, very lucky, in a way, Leduc said as he spoke with enthusiasm about his hobby. It might bring a reaction from people I wouldn t suspect a reaction from. It may help me find a permanent home for the skates. My family is not interested in picking it up, and I m not going to be around forever. When he has shown his skates across Canada, people have asked if he has written a book about his collection. Because he has stopped collecting skates, writing a book may become his next passion. But (the information) is all in my head and I have no computer, he said. PAT MCGRATH, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Jean-Marie Leduc with skates from his extensive collection, some of which will be on display at the Museum of Civilization beginning in January. He started collecting skates in 1981 and proposed showing his collection, which totalled 18 at the time, during the 100th anniversary celebrations of Speed Skating Canada in But when he left the centennial organizing committee because of work commitments, his idea fell between the cracks but not his desire. His collection includes the speed skates of a Finnish skater who won the world longtrack championship in 1891, a collection of 64 pairs of hockey skates from former Montreal Canadiens hockey player Butch Bouchard, a river skate that is a metre-long wooden clap skate (the forerunner to today s popular shorter long-track speed skate), the first skate on a boot from 1843, the first metal blade on a wood base from 1852, the skates worn by Canada s Gaetan Boucher when he won the gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, and the first short-track speed skate his favourite. He was enthralled by the short-track skate, which was created by Raymond Laberge of L Ancienne-Lorette, Que., because the blade was angled on the boot and could be moved forward or backward as well as sideways to handle the tight turns of the arena oval. At a certain age, you stop spending and accumulating, Leduc added. Technology is moving so rapidly. Every two seasons there s something new. When asked about the value of his collection, which is secured in a bank vault, Leduc doesn t really know. No one knows for sure. Someone could say $2 million or $500,000. There s no such thing as a skate collection in the world. Someone in Holland has more than 200 pairs of skates, but they re just old skates. To Leduc, they re priceless. But he d like to share his wealth with the public through a permanent display and a book.... MARTIN CLEARY can be reached at mcleary@thecitizen.canwest.co m or ODC BULLETIN

4 After 30 devoted years Léo Descheneaux takes a well-deserved retirement When he arrived at the Collège Saint-Bernard de Drummondville, Québec in 1975 as a physical education instructor, Léo Descheneaux noted that the other phys ed instructors were already involved with the most popular sports. Since he loved skating, he decided to establish speed skating as one of the sports at the school. Beginning the following autumn, he obtained a few hours of ice time in a local arena, but considered this insufficient. That s when he decided to build an outdoor skating oval at Collège Saint-Bernard. Léo Descheneaux is truly the father of speed skating in Drummondville. In the summer of 1976, Brother Léo founded the Drummondville speed skating club where he assumed the roles of coach and president until During this entire period he also took on the position of regional chair of the Centre-du-Québec region. In , he began his training as a referee. During the 1980s, while he was head referee in a competition that was being held in the lower St. Lawrence region, he observed that the competition secretariat was failing utterly in carrying out their duties. He asked his assistant to take over at the competition, and he then left the ice to take charge of the secretariat. At about the same time, he organized the first competition in Drummondville. His friend Roch Loignon and his wife helped prepare for the event. On the eve of the competition, a storm raged across Quebec and prevented half the participants from attending. Brother Descheneaux was therefore faced with changing the skaters entire lineup at the last minute. Obviously, he managed to arrange the event so that everything went according to plan. In the early 1980s, he became a member of the board of directors of the Québec Speed Skating Federation and was director of competitions for two years. During those years, he conducted a lot of training for new referees. Also beginning at that time, he participated in numerous competitions and attended many training sessions. He obtained his certification as a Level 2 official in 1982 and his Level 3 the following year. This path led him to the Calgary Olympic Games in 1988 where he was a judge for long-track skating. Calgary also became somewhat of a favourite competition site for Léo Descheneaux he returned every year for the next 15 years. He thoroughly enjoys being posted there, and Calgary has a great appreciation for him. Following his participation at the Olympic Games, he obtained his Level 4 in Léo Descheneaux s roadmap through the sport is heavily studded with accomplishments. He has participated in at least 125 competitions as an official, he organized dozens more, he helped to start up several clubs, he trained coaches and throughout all of this, he always had time to offer sound advice to anyone who asked. The Québec Speed Skating Federation named him official of the year three times; 1980, 1991, and In 2002, he was inducted into the speed skating Hall of Fame as one of the architects of the sport. In 1991, his involvement with speed skating, as well as with archery, synchronized swimming and soccer earned him the title of Drummondville s Great Sportsman. This award is given annually to a person who stands out exceptionally as an athlete or as a volunteer in the sports environment. Léo Descheneaux s involvement in speed skating was one of the ways he discovered he could help young people. He never felt that participating in a competition was a chore because he appreciated the warm spirit of cooperation that drew together volunteers, coaches, and officials. Brother Descheneaux always maintained excellent relationships with his colleagues in the world of officiating. He is known for his integrity, honesty, and sense of justice qualities that make him a valuable asset to his colleagues and to the coaches. Without a doubt, the 30 years that Léo Descheneaux devoted to the sport have left his imprint. All who have met him recognize him as a captivating person who is always in a good mood and who likes to combine work and pleasure. We will miss him enormously, but it is a safe bet that he will never be very far away and that he will maintain a keen interest in our sport. Happy retirement Brother Léo! Note: If you would like to send a message to Léo Descheneaux, you can reach him by at ldeschneaux@csb.qc.ca. ODC BULLETIN

5 2005 National Speed Skating Officials Forum By Jim McClements & Mike Makowsky Over the past few years, a number of senior officials have informally met at Speed Skating Canada (SSC) competitions and have raised concerns about the sustainability of SSC s officials development program (ODP). These discussions lead to SSC s Officials Development Committee (ODC) presenting a plan for a Forum to SSC Board of Directors. The Board approved the Forum and provided funds to support the process. Participants were invited from each branch with one delegate per branch funded by SSC. The Twenty six participants from the branches joined the ODC at the Forum. The Forum was facilitated by Mike Makowsky and Jim McClements both active SSC officials and Hannah Juneau from SSC. Primary focus of training has been the rules. There is a much greater management role. Criteria must be reviewed in light of these demands. Societal change, changing demographics, increased professionalism and higher expectations, requires training in areas such as; harassment, conflict resolution and conflict of interest. Little sharing and cross education training among officials (i.e. meet coordinators and referees) Little discussion of international rules and their interpretation of intent for domestic officials. SUMMARY SSC ODP has been a great success. Canadian speed skating and Canadian society have changed since conception of ODP. The population of officials is aging. Recruitment and development of referees has not kept pace with demand (there has been more success with starters). Unless this issue is addressed immediately, there will be a shortfall of qualified officials. Given the points made above and in order to maintain a world class level sport in Canada, what will it take to keep the quality of officials in speed skating? INTRODUCTION The Forum began with a review of Canadian Speed Skating official s development from 1951 to the present. The point was to illustrate the great success of SSC s ODP. The Forum s goal was to review the official s development process with the intent of recruiting and retaining speed skating officials in Canada. The participants were challenged with the task of generating the ideas and information that would make the Forum a success. They were asked the following questions; Where are we now? What are the trends (in society and in sport)? What are our assets? What are our liabilities? Who is to do what and why? A summary of their responses outlined the following: THE OBJECTIVE To provide SSC with a process to: a) achieve the highest level of officials in the world. b) recruit and retain a sufficient pool of officials c) maintain a sustainable pool of well trained, highly competent professional officials d) do this with a fiscally responsible strategic plan. GOAL To create an officials development process that will: a) reflect the needs of SSC (recreational, domestic and international). b) ensure highest level of officiating for SSC c) ensure highest level of integrity/professionalism d) ensures that within SSC officials are treated with dignity and respect. e) sustain and develop sufficient officials for SSC. f) reward and recognize officials as participants. CONCERNS Very little recruitment of younger officials. National & international officials are getting older. Few female national & international officials. Perception of lack of opportunity to advance. ODC s role is not well understood. Length of competitions requires more time SSC criteria for each level of upgrading. ODC BULLETIN

6 LEVEL 3 SHAUNA BUNTING CLERK OF THE COURSE JANE MACDONALD FINISH LINE JUDGE LEVEL 3B YVON TREMBLAY REFEREE LEVEL 3 ST GHISLAIN RHÉAUME REFEREE GILLES FERRAGNE REFEREE LEVEL 3 LANYIN OSBORNE RECORDER LEVEL 3 BARRY SUGDEN TRACK STEWARD LEVEL 3 SUSAN COOK COMPETITOR STEWARD LEVEL 3B JACKIE SHOEBRIDGE REFEREE LEVEL 3 LLYOD KENDALL LAP RECORDER LEVEL 3A ST ROGER COLE STARTER LEVEL 3B DOUG ABBOTT STARTER LEVEL 3 CATHERINE ROBERTS TIMER LEVEL 4 ST REFEREE LAURIE MURCHISON ODC BULLETIN

7 COMPETITION/LOCATION/DATE REFEREES STARTERS Fall WC Trials (AR), Calgary, AB October Fall WC Trials (Sprint), Calgary, AB November 4-6 Regional Qualifier #1 East, Cambridge, ON November 5-6 Regional Qualifier #1 West, Prince George, BC November Can Am #1, Calgary, AB November Canadian Junior ST Championships, Calgary, AB December 3-4 Team Trials #1, Edmonton, AB December 9-11 Canada Post Single Distances Championships, Calgary, AB December 27-January 3 Canada Post Cup #1, Calgary, AB January 6-8 North American Marathon, Portland, ON January North American Age Class LT, Salt Lake City, USA January Regional Qualifier #2 East, Montréal, QC January Canada Post Junior Championships/ Canada Post Cup #2, Ottawa, ON February 3-5 Regional Qualifier #2 West, Calgary, AB February 4-5 Canada Post Age Class LT Championships, Dawson Creek, BC February Canada Post Cup #3/Masters Olympic Style, Ste. Foy, Québec March 3-5 Canada Post Open Championships, TBD TBD North American LT Championships, Kamloops, BC March Canada Post Age Class ST Championships, Whitehorse, YK March 31-April 3 Jim McClements-C Morley Bruce Dave Thomson Morley Bruce-C Jim McClements Dave Thomson Daniel Martin-C Guy Chenard Dan Wiebe-C Jacques Grégoire Morley Bruce-C Ritha Johnson Kitty Beal-C Ghislain Rhéaume Daniel Gingras-C Roch Loignon Jim McClements-C Morley Bruce Dave Thomson Ritha Johnson-C Rick Hunt Rick Hunt Wayne Fleming Kitty Beal-C Laurie Murchison Dave Thomson-C Wim Kok Deena Allan Yvan Patry-C Daniel Gingras John T-C-C Rick Hunt Robin N-S-C Wayne Fleming Guy Chenard-C Michel Verrault Guy Chenard Jacques Grégoire-C Laurie Murchison Dan Wiebe Phil Laing-M Rod Johnston-W Yves Belanger-M Guy Marcoux-W Mike Makowsky Rocky Lamontage-M Darrell Haack-W Tom Johnson-M Ted Houghton-W George Moore Phil Laing-M Bob Ireland-W Mike Phillips Roger Cole-M Rocky Lamontagne-W Ted Houghton-M Hans Terstappen-W Hans Terstappen-M Yves Belanger-W Jeff Polakoff-M Ted Houghton-W Jeff Polakoff Jean Lemieux-M Maurice Legros-W Mike Makowsky-M Darrell Haack-W Guy Marcoux-M Hans Terstappen-W Robert Ireland-M Rod Johnston-W Jean Lemieux-M Rod Johnston-W Guy Marcoux-M Tom Johnson-W Roger Cole Roger Cole-M Rocky Lamontagne-W COMPETITOR STEWARD Susan Cook-CS Normand Picotin-CS Lanyin Osborne-CS Sandra Chenard-CS ODC BULLETIN

8 Advancement Procedures By Laurie Murchison In August of this year, the Officials Development Committee hosted the first ever National Speed Skating Officials Forum in Abbotsford, B.C. Many discussions took place and once again it became evident that, for some, there is a veil of mystery hanging over SSC s advancement procedures for officials. In reality, these procedures have a very high level of clarity and precision as explained in Section O2-107 of Committee Operations and Procedures of the Red Book. It is fair to say that the quality of our sport depends, in no small part, on the consistent quality of our officials. Insuring the requisite quality of officials begins with the responsibility of Branches for levels 1 and 2 and the Officials Development Committee for levels 3B and higher. Branches must make every effort to provide suitable training to officials, both of a theoretical and practical nature. Resources for offering the necessary clinics to aspiring officials are available through Speed Skating Canada and through several of the Branches. These resources, including manuals, cd s and in the near future, DVD s, are invaluable educational tools which assist in the development process and provide critical structure to the advancement process. It is of utmost importance that the Branches make certain that they adhere to the requirements as outlined in Section O of the Red Book. The ODC must be able to trust that the Branches are recommending high quality, well trained and experienced officials to be considered for advancement. Minimum requirements do not exist. I am sure that we would all agree that we don t want our officials, at any level, to be advanced on the basis of having achieved minimum requirements. When an official is recommended for advancement to the ODC, that official must be exemplary and represent the very best potential to consistently perform at the highest level of competition. Canadian speed skating officials are held in very high regard internationally because of our rigorous training and advancement procedures. If we all continue to work together, we will be able to perpetuate this positive reputation. The Officials Development Committee is committed to providing opportunities for aspiring national and international officials. As testimony to this fact, at least 16 formal, written assessments of Level 3B and 3A officials who have been identified by Branches and the ODC as having development potential will be done at high level competitions this skating season. A similarly significant number of evaluations were carried out over the past number of years as part of the ODC s policy on advancement. It is obvious to all involved with our sport, that the development of top quality officials is critical to the success of our athletes. The procedures for certification and advancement based upon merit are in place. If we all carry out our responsibilities in a conscientious manner, we will continue to develop some of the best speed skating officials in the world. Sports Officials Canada Conference By Guy Chenard This year s Sports Officials Canada s (SOC) AGM was held in Québec City on Nov , scheduled in conjunction with the Sports Leadership Conference, a premier event for coaches. Some 550 delegates, of whom approximately 55 were officials, attended the event. Hannah Juneau and I represented SSC. Although the coaching and officials workshops were held separately, meals and plenary sessions provided opportunities for cross-pollination and access to some interesting panel discussions. Several presentations on the coaching side related to challenges faced by women in sport leadership positions. One particular presenter, Dr Guylaine Demers from the Department of Physical Education of Laval University, highlighted research data and strategies that clearly could benefit officials as well as coaches. Although approximately 40% of SSC officials are women, it remains that they, at least in some positions, still face unique challenges that should be addressed. The Board of Directors and the ODC are aware of the problem and initiatives to minimize these challenges are the focus in the near future. The SOC Conference included presentations on Best Practices for Mentoring in Officiating, Current Issues in Officiating, and Challenges and Stresses of Officiating. All three presentations were followed by animated discussion, and one presenter made available excellent resource material on The Official s Role in Improving Sportsmanship, Accountability of Officials, and Performance Evaluation in Officiating, that will assist the ODC in fine-tuning its programs. ODC BULLETIN

9 Psychology 101 Part One By Guy Chenard What Makes A Good Official? There are few specialties in sports that offer comparable challenge, excitement and satisfaction as officiating. Unfortunately, the job can also leave one feeling unappreciated, frustrated and even abused. Rewards and frustrations come with the territory. Whether you experience mostly positive or mostly negative feelings depends on you. As the saying goes, 'it's all in your head.' This article will discuss psychological dimensions of officiating. Athletes and coaches expect flawless performance from officials, always. When errors are made, they seldom hesitate to complain, sometimes vociferously. Officials, then, are under constant pressure to perform.. Handled improperly, this pressure can paralyze unprepared officials. Clinics and Rule Books necessarily emphasize the technical and mechanical aspects of officiating. Success, however, depends as much on confidence, judgment, decisiveness, concentration, communication etc. as it does on knowledge and positioning. In other words officials, like athletes, must be mentally ready for every competition and mentally alert throughout the same competitions. Psyching up is as important for officials as for athletes, and the same psychological skills that make successful athletes also make successful officials. As with athletes, an official's ability to concentrate, maintain confidence, and relax under pressure must be systematically practiced. Also, once acquired, these skills must be honed and nurtured or they will dissipate. Elite officials, like elite athletes are seldom born; they are trained and the same psyching up exercises that benefit athletes apply to officials. In each case, training aims to give one the 'edge' necessary to bring forth their best qualities, under stress. NECESSARY QUALITIES First, skaters and coaches expect consistency. Similar circumstances should result in comparable calls. Inconsistency creates confusion and frustration, both of which lead to protests and added pressure on the targeted official. Consistency means even rule interpretation, throughout each competition. That demands thorough knowledge and understanding of applicable rules, and sound judgment in interpreting these rules to fit an infinity of situations. Integrity is perhaps the most important quality in an official, in any sport. It means fairness, evenhandedness in all situations, "call it as you see it." It requires courage. Coaches and spectators often react to the consequences of a decision. Officials must react to what they see, regardless of the occasion. Caving in to pressure causes loss of control and cascading errors. It can happen even at the highest level of competition, with disastrous consequences. To "call it as you see it" also takes poise. That is, officials must stay calm, they must be able to relax, often amid great excitement and under heavy pressure. Letting one's emotions take over shifts focus away from the action and impairs one's judgment. Officials must also act with decisiveness. Decisions must come promptly or they will be questioned. That is not to say that there can never be doubt, only that good officials must project an impression of certainty as to what they saw. In speed skating as in any other sport, meek officials might as well not show up. Decisiveness requires confidence in one's knowledge and ability. It is enhanced by experience, but absolutely requires the ability to focus and to stay focused regardless of distractions. In speed skating, team spirit plays a big part in making an official's life enjoyable. Athletes, coaches and officials are a team, they are all dedicated to the same ultimate goal: enabling athletes to attain their full potential. Officials must relate to other members of the team. Effective communication with, and respectful treatment of, all participants are key to establishing good team spirit. Finally, enjoyment is as crucial a factor for officials as it is for athletes. Enjoyment equals motivation. Officials must be motivated to learn and practice, and they must enjoy officiating. Flagging motivation spells the end of an athletic career; the same holds true for officials. Everyone has an opinion as to what attributes are necessary for speed skating officials. This exposé reflects but one opinion. I have made an effort to mention each attribute's main components to facilitate later discourse on methods of improving one's effectiveness. Officials, like athletes, must continually train to maintain their 'edge', and much of that edge is psychological. ODC BULLETIN

10 ISU LT Starters Course By Hans Terstappen Thursday October 27, 2005 most of the ISU Championship and International starters descended in Calgary for their annual get-together. A total of 31 starters, 22 Championship, 4 International and 3 Canadian 3A starters attended the several theoretical and practical sessions held at the Olympic Oval in Calgary. A total of 13 countries were represented. You might ask, why do you want Starters to come together and discuss the rules that could fit on the back of a business card (at least Rule 239 and 250). Interpretation of the rules is one part of the equation, consistency in applying the rules and executing them is the other part. Therefore we congregate at a location that will meet the following criteria: = 400m Oval, accommodation = ISU sanctioned event with a large amount a skaters = Access to Video equipment and meeting facilities See ISU Communication 1339 for more information: or page/directory/0,10853, nav-list,00.html It was Calgary s turn this year, most likely because of the ISU Invitational Speed Skating event that the Olympic Oval was hosting during the October weekend. This event had many 500m,1000m and 1500m starts planned for Friday and Saturday. That should give the Starters enough opportunity to practice. With 31 in attendance and an average of 6 starts per person, a total of 200 starts were conducted, video taped, analyzed, observed and analyzed again. Thursday night, everyone registered and practical sessions for Friday and Saturday were discussed. As there were no rule changes (note: expect rule changes or adjustment every second year, when ISU Council meets) we kept this session fairly short and everyone had a chance to deal with jet lag. During the next two days, Starters were split into 5 groups, based on assignments for World Championships. Each group consisted of the 4 Starters assigned to that event, plus another International and Canadian Starter, for a total of 6 Starters per group. On the first day, Group 1 started the 500 m, observed and videotaped by group 2. After starts (about 6 each), both groups discussed the outcome with the help of the video equipment. Group 3 went to the start line, observed by Group 4. Group 5 was doing group work, based on situations that took place during last season. During the two day practical work, we kept on rotating groups, till everyone had a chance to do their part. One of the requirements of the ISU Starters Course is to run similar courses in your own country. A National Long Track Starters Course was held in 2003 for 12 Canadian LT Starters in Calgary. This year another National Course was planned, but with the ISU starters course, Canada had an opportunity to participate with 6 starters. A request will be made to the ODC to conduct a clinic in the Fall of On the social side, a lunch was hosted by the Olympic Oval Organizing Committee Chair, Alice Humeny and the Oval under the direction of Mark Greenwald. During this luncheon, it was stated that four of the Starters in attendance will be starting at the Essent ISU World Cup November 12-13, and four will be officiating at the Allround World Championships March 18-19, 2006, both events in Calgary. On Saturday night, the ISU Technical committee bought tickets to the Calgary Hitman game. It was quite an experience to get thirty Starters from around the world to travel with public transportation. However we made it back in time for the course closing on Sunday. After every course, conclusions are gathered. As this year s summary is not ready for distribution, I encourage you to review to last year s ODC Bulletin for the conclusions from the course in Norway. ODC BULLETIN

11 SPEED SKATING CANADA S OFFICIALS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING OFFICIALS CLINIC: LEVEL 3B REFEREE COURSE This course is aimed primarily at Level 3B referees. However, Level 2 referees who are approaching a possible upgrade are also welcome. This clinic will count as a Level 3 Clinic. The clinic will emphasize rule knowledge and interpretation of both ST and LT. This 3B clinic will also become a pre-requisite for 3B referees to attend the next level clinic. January 27, 19:00 22:00 January 28, 9:00 17:00 January 29, 9:00 12:00 Sam Jakes Inn Merrickville Ontario-40 min. south of Ottawa Registration Fee of $275 per person includes: Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday breakfast, lunch. Friday and Saturday night accommodations Transportation from Ottawa to Merrickville and return Instructor Guy Chenard To register please contact Hannah Juneau at hjuneau@speedskating.ca or ex. 112 ODC BULLETIN

12 Psychology 101 Part 2 By Guy Chenard Arguments Seldom Help Have you ever argued with a referee? Questioned the Chief Place Judge on the results of a race? Criticized a starter s perceived inconsistency? If so, you re not alone. Every sport has its share of refereebaiting coaches, excitable parents and shorttempered athletes. In fact, even the best coaches occasionally cannot resist questioning a call. Rule makers recognize the problem and often make provisions to minimize that kind of interaction. Speed skating's attempt is ISU Rule 293, which states that decisions involving breaches of the skating rules (judgement calls) cannot be appealed. The rule has been useful in restricting debates. Nonetheless, many coaches and parents still feel entitled to question referees, starters, place judges, lap counters and even timers whenever they disagree with a decision. Unfortunately, whatever release may be obtained by "making a point," and whatever the results of the argument, there are always negative consequences. The reasons are fairly obvious, but not generally understood. An official's performance depends on maintaining concentration, focus and an appropriate level of arousal throughout the competition. In order to stave off mental fatigue, officials train themselves to relax between races or events. They need that relaxation to maintain their level of performance throughout a competition. The task is especially difficult in speed skating as the work environment (cold, standing, weather, long hours, etc.) can be quite uncomfortable. Arguments compromise these efforts. Officials are very susceptible to tension and anxiety. In a general sense, this anxiety flows from knowledge that there is zero tolerance of mistakes by officials and that, while good performances are usually unrecognized, controversies immediately thrust an official into the spotlight and mistakes are immediately scrutinized. Officials, therefore, worry. They worry about blowing an important call, about not meeting their own expectations, about losing control, about being embarrassed, etc. This anxiety is normal and comes with the territory, but it ruins concentration and impairs decision making. Officials preparation for competitions, then, has everything to do with minimizing anxiety, and combating its effects. We can explore these preparations further in a future article. As with athletes and coaches, the effectiveness of the preparations and the ability to cope under pressure varies between officials, and junior officials tend to be less successful than more experienced ones. Also, the challenge increases proportionally to the amount of stress involved. In other words, the more important and difficult the competition is for the official concerned, the tougher it is for that official to overcome his/her own anxieties. Arguments, by their very nature, put an official s performance in question and revive any suppressed anxiety. Even such seemingly innocuous questions as Are you sure...?, Didn t you see...?, Wasn t there...? and similarly innocent comments implicitly question judgement and therefore generate anxiety. To make matters worse, such discussions invariably occur between races. Therefore, they also rob the targeted official of the little time he or she has to relax. Consequently, they hasten the onset of fatigue. So, you made your point. You may even have won. Now the official has to overcome the effects of your intervention and get on with his/her job. The irony is that, if that official s coping mechanism works perfectly, officiating will return to its previous level. In any other scenario, it will deteriorate. Now, given that it is seldom the best or the most experienced officials who are most hounded, and given that the best possible outcome is the status quo..., was the argument really worth having? ODC BULLETIN

13 Jeux du Canada Games and Their Officials By Jim McClements In the Jeux du Canada Games, there are two levels of officials: technical officials and technical support officials. Oversimplifying the distinction, technical officials are chief officials and technical support officials are assistants. SSC and YASSA have made the case for 18 Technical Officials for long track and 19 Technical Officials for short track. The travel is arranged by SSC but will be paid for by the Canada Games Council. SSC is responsible for the selection of the major technical officials and this should be completed at least 10 to 12 months prior to the Games. The meet coordinator and the SSC technical advisor have to make the original selections and recommendations. There are also some important policies to be considered in the selection process. There is a best and nearest policy to manage costs. In these Games there is also a Pan North policy that requires selection of officials from the territories if possible. Because of the nearest and best and the Pan North policies there were serious geographical considerations. Once the list was developed for long track, the individuals were approached regarding their availability. Traditionally most of the officials (exceptions being starters, competitors stewards and referees) are recruited locally. For the selection of long track officials, there was little consultation with YASSA as YASSA s main focus has been supporting short track speed skating. YASSA was involved in identifying the short track officials and qualified, local individuals will be appointed to key officiating roles. Once the list is prepared, it must be vetted by the ODC (see section O SSC P&R s). Following the approval by ODC the list is sent to the Host Society who is responsible to send the invitations to the selected individuals. When I attended the Sport Officials Canada Conference last year in Regina, many sports raised concerns about the way officials were treated at Canada Games. They felt as if they were the last to be considered. When Nancy Goplen and I attended the sport technical representatives meeting last spring, the Host Society revealed plans to improve this situation. Officials will stay at a hotel very near downtown Whitehorse. Breakfast will be served at the hotel but there will be a per diem to cover the other meals. The athlete village is at Yukon College, which is about 3K from the Jeux du Canada Games Centre. This is a beautiful building housing two ice hockey rinks (the Olympic size one will be used by short track), a field house, a fitness area and a swimming pool. While short track speed skating is at the Jeux du Canada Games Centre, other sports such as men s hockey, ringette, archery and judo will also be at this Centre. In the second week women s ice hockey, artistic gymnastics, badminton and synchronized swimming will be at the Jeux du Canada games Centre. The long track event will be located at F.H. Collins High School which is just south of downtown Whitehorse and only 6.5k from the Athletes Village. In the same week long track is at F.H. Collins there will also be Arctic Sports and Déné Games at this venue. The week after, the Arctic Sports and Déné Games will continue and boxing will become the official Games Sport at this venue. For more information on the Jeux du Canada Games, please visit: Canada Games Alumni who have competed for Canada on the international scene: Catriona Le May Doan Gaétan Boucher Susan Auch Marc Gagnon Annie Perreault Ian Leggatt Sylvie Daigle Nathalie Lambert Kerry Simpson ODC BULLETIN

14 5 of Canada s star officials in the spotlight Barry Sugden-YK Kitty Beal-NB Jean Lemieux-QC Susan Cook-ON Maggie L Arrivee-SK 1. What made you begin officiating speed skating and how long have you been involved? BS I started officiating 6 years ago, to help out at club time trials and local competitions. KB Debby Fisher convinced our boys to join Learn-to Skate fifteen years ago. The kids loved it and I was grateful to have them involved in a sport that channeled their energy and provided both individual and team experiences. I began helping out with equipment, then meet coordinating, and finally refereeing. I ve been a referee for ten years. JL My son Olivier managed to interest his three sisters, two brothers and me into the sport. I first became involved as a coach in 1985 with the St Bruno "Barrel jumping and speed skating club". SC My eldest daughter began skating in 1991 at age 5. I enjoy being part of the action so I decided that getting involved would be a great way to keep busy and meet new people. I began as a Clerk of the Course, Judge and became a Recorder in ML When your children are in the sport and you want to learn about the sport, being an official is a good way to start! I don't remember when I became an official - I think it would have been Why did you choose the role of officiating that you did? i.e. timer vs. starter vs. track steward BS I became a track steward because at our club meets, many of the officials would do double duty - skate your races when your turn came, then be the starter/ref/lap counter when not racing. I had my skates on, so I got an "on-ice" job. KB Referees have the best seat in the house. I enjoy watching the races develop and since I often see individual skaters only a few times per year, when they step onto the ice the changes in their development are exaggerated a bit. JL I first became a starter because I was frequently approached to perform gun maintenance and solve ammunition problems as I was then working as an RCMP firearm instructor. SC In 2000 OSSA standardized a meet management software - as a person with a computer background, I was asked to evaluate some of the options available and make a recommendation. Following that, I became involved in developing training for the new software and associated processes that would meet Ontario's needs for managing and reporting results for age class & ability ST & LT. ML I like knowing first hand what's going on and being involved from start to finish. Working as a Meet Coordinator or Recorder gave me those privileges, and the office seemed like a nice warm place to work, rather than an on-ice official. 3. What do you find the most challenging about being a speed skating official? BS I enjoy the intense atmosphere of a large competition, but find the time commitment difficult to manage at times. KB The biggest challenges come off the ice. The people who are involved in speed skating tend to be very intense and determined individuals who all have strong opinions consensus is a big challenge. JL What I appreciate the most about officiating are the friendships among our group of officials. SC My goal is for the office to be transparent to skaters, coaches, and spectators. The office needs to work closely with all officials to ensure skaters have the opportunity to focus on doing their best without interruptions or slowdowns due to data entry issues. ML The time required is a huge commitment but there are many wonderful experiences as a result! As told to me by my daughter, officials provide the skaters with the opportunity to compete, because without officials, you wouldn't have the competition. 4. What other activities, hobbies, do you enjoy outside of your speed skating responsibilities? BS I like to ride my road bike in the summer, along with puttering in the yard. I have two of our 5 children still at home, so there is always lots of their activities to be involved with. KB I teach English Literature & English Second Language part-time at St. Thomas University. Next summer, I hope to bike and garden. I grew up in the Rockies and love to ski, canoe and backpack; I d love more time to read for pleasure. JL my family, motorcycles, cycling and swimming (water polo) make me a very happy person. SC Travel, running, skiing, water sports keep me very busy! ML I like the outdoors - enjoy jogging and cycling, going for walks along the river and gardening. 5. What advice would you give to those aspiring officials? BS Keep it fun! KB Take your job seriously but not yourself. Have fun. Remember that the skaters are the stars. JL Be there for the love of the sport that's pretty well it! SC Enjoy learning something new - volunteering is an excellent way to meet people and give back to the community, not to mention the thrill and excitement of watching a skater participate in his/her first meet or be named to a provincial or national team! ML Take your time, find a mentor and remember why you are doing what you are doing - it's all for the skaters and you shouldn't lose sight of that. ODC BULLETIN