World Postal Reminder
Just a little over a week to complete your lifts and submit them to Al for the 2021 World Postal. Lifts need to be completed and submitted by August 31. See details here: World Postal | USAWA
Just a little over a week to complete your lifts and submit them to Al for the 2021 World Postal. Lifts need to be completed and submitted by August 31. See details here: World Postal | USAWA
Al Myers dutifully watches on as a certified official while Susan Sees performs a Trap Bar Deadlift at the 2016 IAWA Gold Cup in Abilene, KS.
For many years, the USAWA has had a procedure in place where prospective officials would have to take and pass an exam in order to become a certified official to be eligible to sit in the official’s chair and judge lifts in sanctioned meets. Then, to prevent individuals from taking and passing the test with out having any real idea of how a meet in conducted, a procedure was implemented by which a probationary official would have to go through a series of three practical training sessions alongside a fully certified official before being a truly certified official who could judge independently of other officials.
While I believe the three practical training sessions was a grand idea to ensure that we have as competent of officials in our organization as possible, I have come to understand that it is perhaps limiting our capacity to grow the organization into new territories. We have fantastic representation in the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Ohio/Pennsylvania areas. Any aspiring official would have no problem completing their practical training sessions in any of these areas; however, and one outside of these 3 areas would have to take a vacation like trip on 3 separate occasions in order to complete there certification.
I took this issue to the executive board, and it was determined that we will start allowing individuals to complete their practical training sessions virtually if need be. As we found out during the pandemic, we can do many things virtually. We hope that this will allow us to get certified officials in other territories so that they can officiate postals, record days, and other meets. It would be the responsibility of the prospective official to contact a certified official to set up a time for those practical training sessions via zoom or some other reliable online platform. This will allow them to discuss procedure, rules of the lifts and what they mean, commands. etc.
So, anyone who has been hesitant to take the official’s exam because they thought they would have to take three cross country trips in order to fulfill their practical training sessions, it is so no more! Take the test, send it back to Joe to receive your passing mark, then get a hold of one of us to guide you through the practical sessions virtually. It is as simple as that.
Update on the Sweet 16/Elite 8. Clark is implementing covid restrictions for this meet. He wants all participants to be fully vaccinated and to present him with proof of vaccination in order to compete. I updated it on the meet announcement, but wanted to announce it here so that everyone is informed.
ET
By Eric Todd
The USAWA has had a presence on Facebook for some time. Just recently, thanks to the tech savvy of Beth Skwarecki with the help of Lace Foster, we have recently added a presence on Instagram. Links to both accounts are under the tab of “About Us” on the home page. It is under “USAWA Social Media.” For quick reference, feel free to follow this link:
Please feel free to participate in both. Thank you to Beth and Lance for adding this valuable tool to help the USAWA reach out and communicate with lifters across the world.
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT: OLD TIME STRONGMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE BACK!!!
By Eric Todd
The Old Time Strongman Championship is BACK in 2021! After a trash year in the USAWA dealing with a trash pandemic, and relying heavily on postal competitions (which we were very lucky to have), I am excited to announce the 2021 Old Time Strongman Championship. This is often one of our better attended competitions, and I am counting on it being so again this year. The meet will once again be held in my big tin can.
I always like the offer this disclaimer for anyone who has not lifted in my facility. It is not a place of luxury. It gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter. So, come prepared, depending on what the weather brings that particular day. No easy chairs, no davenports, no recliners. No running water, so the restroom facilities come in the shape of an outhouse out back. Toilet Paper is in the ammo box. That being said, there is plenty of weight to make big lifts on!
Lifts for the meet:
Cyr Press
Habecker Lift
Hackenschmidt Floor Press
Kennedy Lift
Date: September 11, 2021
Weigh ins: 9:30
Rules: 10:00
Meet Time: 10:30
Cost $25 (Make Checks out to Eric Todd)
Entries due (in hand) August 28
Awards: There will be awards
I will post directions a little closer to meet time. Follow those and you will be golden. Follow GPS and you might be blowed up. Hope to see you all out here on September 11 for good times and great lifting. Entry form below: