License Maintenance

Maintaining Your License

In 2025, Rowing Canada Aviron is launching a new approach to umpire evaluations and license maintenance. Station-specific evaluations have been eliminated. The new requirements, outlined below, implement best practices in assessment and provide a more comprehensive review of umpiring at regattas, combining education and development in a more 360-degree assessment.

Global Evaluations: The intention of global evaluations is to assess the quality and consistency of umpiring as a whole at regattas. Clinicians will attend as many regattas as possible, reviewing umpiring at an overall level – what is working well, what could be improved, etc. They will observe all umpiring activities taking place during the event, evaluating the performance of the umpires collectively, and subsequently providing feedback to the jury (e.g. at the jury debrief) on how the umpiring is conducted and suggesting possible improvements. The goal is to offer constructive criticism to enhance the overall quality of umpiring. They may also solicit ideas from Umpires about potential special topics seminars based on what happened at the regatta.

Clinicians will obtain a list of the Jury members from the Chief Umpire, and these umpires will be recorded by both the Clinician and the Chief Umpire as having been evaluated through the Global Evaluation of that regatta.

One-on-One Conversations: At least once every three years, each Umpire will have a one-on-one conversation with a Clinician, either in person (e.g. after a regatta) or online. These conversations are intended to be a conversation, not an assessment meeting, and the topics are encouraged to be driven by the Umpire. These conversations should be viewed as a time to ask questions about umpiring – things the Umpire is unclear on, or what they should do in a particular situation.

The meetings are not meant to be the only time that Umpires can discuss their umpiring; rather, they are intended to ensure that both the Umpire and Clinician have some dedicated time to discuss topics of interest and value for each Umpire’s personal development.

Seminars:

• Annual Seminar (mandatory): The mandatory annual seminar is intended to ensure that umpiring across Canada is consistent and of high quality (e.g. stations review, regional/provincial policies, umpire questions and issues). The seminar will be offered online in January of each year on three different dates to provide flexibility in scheduling. Umpire do not need to attend a seminar in their region – they can attend any of the three. Umpires are strongly encouraged to attend a “live” seminar; however, if they are unable to attend any of the three, each seminar will be recorded and the Umpire can view a recorded version.The Provincial Rowing Associations will record attendance. For Umpires viewing a recorded session, further details will be forthcoming on how attendance will be tracked.

• Special Topics Seminars: Special topics seminars are intended to provide information and knowledge to Umpires on a range of topics that are not generally covered at other times. Two or three will be offered in February and March of each year and could be recorded for later review. Umpires are required to attend a minimum of one seminar in each three-year block, but they can attend as many as they wish.

  Some example topics include Weather, Objections, Protests, Boat Positioning, Conflict Management, Mechanics, Traffic Lights, Types of Penalties, Assigning the Jury, Safe Sport, Zonal Umpiring, Beach Sprints, Indoors, Finish Systems, Coastal Regattas, etc.
  Please note: it will take a few years before all of these topics are covered.