Badges
Greetings Certified Officials, Team Reps and Coaches!
I hope you're all excited about time trials/mock meets and heading into dual meet season starting on May 14! We have trained literally hundreds of new officials, coaches, computer personnel, clerks of course and team reps this year, showing a renewed commitment to summer league swimming and the growth of our sport. We are proud to have hundreds of returning certified volunteers.
The item that shows you have been certified in your respective role is your badge, which your team rep has access to download and print. We expect those to be worn at all dual meets. This weekend at your mock meet or time trial, please get those badges distributed and make sure you wear them. To be able to print a badge we need three things:
1. You have logged into nwalcertified.com after 4/1/2022 to activate your account (accounts were reset at the end of March).
2. A current, 2022 background check reflected in nwalcertified. The software blocks badges for coaches from getting printed if a current background check is not on file. We are working to make sure the system does the same for officials. Your badge shows you are cleared to work around swimmers and follow the NWAL Safekids guidelines.
3. You have passed your certification test - NOTE: There is a known bug in the software that can cause the certification for coaches that have passed their test prior to 2022 to "drop". Contact me or [email protected] to get these corrected if you find one that is missing. Coaches do not have to take the test every year and are not required to take a recertification test this year.
Team Reps: Please check your coaches on your "Team Officials" screen to make sure the coach certifications that should be there are still there. Also check to make sure everyone has done their background check at https://app.sterlingvolunteers.com Good Deed Code ghydirh.
Meet Referees: Please be sure to check all coaches and officials for proper badges at time trials/mock meets. If coaches and officials do not have proper badges they should not be working near kids. This is a safety precaution and should not be ignored. The Meet Referees are the backstop control on this requirement.
This is going to be an excellent season for NWAL and for your teams. Best of luck to all of you and prayers for the safety of our swimmers and volunteers.
Thank you,
Jason Green
NWAL Board President
(713) 819-5474