What's it take to be a WGI Color Guard Judge?
LETS LOOK AT THE PROCESS…
What is the Judge Apprentice Program?
This is the way that judges are selected to join the WGI judging community. After a review of the application, selected candidates enter a season long program that includes interviews and a review of that judges current judge commentary. The candidates must also judge trials at 2 WGI Regionals and will be mentored by one of the current WGI judge caption managers. The season long process ends with the candidate attending "The Academy" at WGI World Championships held in Dayton, Ohio where they will judge multiple contests along with the WGI working panel as well as attend numerous classes given by former and current members of the WGI judging community. Decisions on apprentice candidates is made after all material is reviewed by the caption managers and the Steering Committee, usually in mid to late summer. Fill out the application
Who is eligible to be a judge?
Traditionally, judges and have at least 2 years of local judging experience and are members of a bona-fide judge association.
Do I have to have judged 2 years for my local circuit first?
On rare occasions, WGI has “fast-tracked” individuals into the Judging review process. These individuals are usually 3 types of individuals.
• Newer judges that have proven their ability in their local judging and have been noticed and recommended by their peers, other WGI judges, or Color Guard Advisory Board members. These individuals are always exceptional judges with an uncanny natural understanding of the judging process.
• Older instructors that show an ability to judge. These individuals have a heightened awareness of the philosophy and the scoring system and are sensitive to judging issues. Most of these individuals have been long time instructors and have a good amount of measured success in the WGI competitive arena. One of the most important qualities of an instructor stepping into judging is that instructor’s ability to separate themselves from their personal bias and stylistic preferences in order to look objectively at the work of their peers.
• Judges that have a judging history with WGI but have taken an extended period of time away. These individuals use the Judge apprentice program to update their judging skills, before returning into the fold of the WGI Judging Community.
I still want to teach a color guard, does this prohibit me from judging?
This is a great question and one of the biggest misunderstandings about WGI Judges. Many judges are “affiliated” with color guards. In fact, some of our best and most current judges are still teaching or recently taught many of WGI’s best color guards. One of the primary ways that a judge stays current is through this hands-on experience that comes through teaching. Scheduling becomes a bit more difficult and you would not judge the class in which you teach, but this in no way excludes you from becoming a WGI Judge.
We encourage and value Judges that are able to cross over into the instructor role!
I think I would be a great WGI Judge! What is my next step?
Just like any other job, the first thing to do is to fill out the application! This is how you let someone know you are interested. The application will ask for your color guard history and bio, a sample of your commentary, your area of expertise, and references. Fill out the application, and this will get the ball rolling! This is your first step in joining the community of WGI Judges.
I don’t have any copies of my commentary from last season, how do I provide a sample? Is there any way around this?
Fill out the application and send it on its way! In the mean time, try to locate a unit that you may have judged last season and see if they have any of your commentary that they could send to you and you, in turn, could send to your Caption Manager. Many times your local judge association will keep a sample of your commentary on file, as they also have to evaluate their judges’ performances during the off-season.
Once I fill out the application, what happens next?
An interview! Once you have filled out the application you will be contacted by one of our Judge Caption Managers or Chief Judge. Through a brief conversation over the phone or in person, they will ask you about your experience and your desire to become a WGI Judge. This is where you will first establish your relationship with your Caption Manager. By early January, once all interviews have been done in each caption, each manager will nominate a certain number of applicants for the Apprentice Program. The apprentices’ potential and the mangers’ ability to mentor and review will be factors that determine the total number of judge candidates. The number of candidates is limited because of the trialing process that happens at WGI Regionals. Our ability to accommodate a large number of “extra” people at all sites is limited.
If I can pass the interview, THEN do I get to trial judge?
Yes! Now you’re really on your way to showing your judging “chops!” If you’ve made it this far, there is an assumption that you show promise in becoming a WGI Judge!
Trials, review and The Academy…
Once accepted into the Judge Apprentice Program, you will trial judge at 2 WGI Regionals. These Regionals will be picked by you, as you will arrange your own travel, and approved by your Caption Manager.
Trial #1
Your first regional will be at an approved early regional (week 1-4.)
You will follow the schedule of one of our working judges for both Prelims and Finals. You will sit in or near the judging area and record commentary and rank and rate just as if you were a working judge. At the end of each round, your tote sheet (scores) will be turned in to the Chief Judge of the contest. By the following Tuesday you will Email your commentary to your Caption Manager. Along with your commentary, you will fill out Judge Accountability Form. This is a standardized form that each judge fills out after each Regional that gives the judge the opportunity to explain how some of his/her decisions were made. This form also lets you talk about any concerns or ask any questions you may have.
Once your commentary, scoring, and accountability have been received, you will be assigned a Mentor. This person will be an experienced and well-respected judge within your area of expertise. This may even be your Caption Manager. Either way, you will have the opportunity to learn from and model after WGI judges with years of proven success. This opportunity is critical in your growth through this process and is sure to create a working relationship that will last beyond the apprentice program and well into your judging career.
Trial #2
After you’ve been given items for improvement through the mentor review process, you will trial judge at a late season Regional (week 5-8). Again, at this Regional, you will “shadow” a working judge for both Prelims and Finals.
Just as before, after this Regional your commentary, scoring, and accountability will be reviewed by your Caption Manager and Mentor. After this there will be a follow-up conversation with your Caption Manager to close out the trail portion of your experience.
The Academy
You, and your Caption Administrator, along with an Advisor, will determine weather or not to proceed forward to the last step of the 2011 Apprentice program: The Academy! This will not be for everyone!
The Academy is an intensive training session that will happen in conjunction with the World Championships held at the UD arena in Dayton Ohio. Here you’ll be exposed to a wide range of color guards that simply can not be duplicated on the local or regional level. Your judging skills will be tested under Championship conditions with the opportunity for real-time follow-up, advice, and conversations with your fellow apprentices and WGI Judges.
After I complete the Judge Apprentice Program, am I automatically placed on the next WGI Judge Roster?
No …Not just yet! One thing many people don’t realize is that The WGI Judge Roster is reconsidered every year. The Judge Roster is established by the WGI Color Guard Steering Committee. This happens at their spring meeting that is usually held in late June. It is at this point in the process, that you will be considered with all of the other Judges in the WGI community of judges.
Recommendation - As the Roster is established, each Judge is discussed and reviewed. Your Caption Manager along with your Apprentice Advisor, that supervised your performance at the Academy, will include you in this discussion. Your Caption Manager and Apprentice Advisor will make a recommendation based on your performance during the trials, your follow-up conversations, and your performance at the Academy. The Instructors on the Steering Committee will then consider how you might contribute as a WGI Judge.
So this meeting sounds really involved…When do I find out if I am accepted as a WGI Judge?
All Judges, including Apprentice Judges, are sent notices by mid-July. This is when you will receive a letter or an E-mail informing you of the review results.
If I’m not accepted, what are my resources for information on why, and how I might improve?
Remember like in all relationships, even though a relationship might be defined as a working or professional relationship, it can be the beginning of a “caring” working relationship. Your caption managers and mentors that will have seen you through the bulk of the Apprentice program, will have the most information on how you can improve and the best possible steps beyond this process. Many answers lie in the judging opportunities that are presented in your local circuits. Judging is like any other talent, it has to be disciplined with skill and practice in order for the talent to be applied and be realized as a commodity. Many times, this is all it takes!
WOW! I don’t know if I’m ready for the Apprentice Program yet! …What can I do to prepare myself so that I can apply next year?
If you are not sure you would qualify but have a strong interest, fill out the application! Your initial interview is designed to help you as well as your Caption Manager understand if you are ready or not!
If you feel you want to wait, the first thing to do is to contact your local Judges Association (check your circuit’s website for this) and ask to judge locally! They will have a training session and may ask you to participate in their training and possibly some home studies that can be done remotely. Each circuit is different so make sure you are clear and speaking to the right person. Some of the best information and trials happen at this local level where shows can be shorter and allow for more time for you to study with your peers. Some circuits and judge associations are taking huge steps in their local training and can offer a range of experiences to send you well on your way to joining the judging community at large.
I’ve already judged locally and just want to join the Apprentice Program to improve my skills and meet more nationally respected judges. Can I apply to the program without the intent to judge for WGI?
Unfortunately, space in the Apprentice Program is limited to serious Judges with the potential of sitting with the community of judges on the WGI Roster. In order to guarantee one on one time with a Mentor and quality feedback, we have to limit the number of participants in the program for each Caption Manager. Because of this, the priority must go to those that share judging at WGI Regionals and Championships as their goal. As with all things, this may shift in the future as resources change, but for now, this restriction is in place.
Why take so much time to evaluate the performance of a judge? Can’t there just be a written test or a “trial by video” that I can do from my home?
Just like with any job, there is a minimum standard of performance. Being able to “make the call” in a controlled environment is the minimum requirement for the judge. In order to be a new judge in an activity that is constantly evolving, you have to be able to go beyond that minimum. If we could guarantee that color guards would never challenge the judge or the audience and that all a judge were to do was to “count mistakes” then this type of “remote relationship” would be possible. In becoming a WGI Judge you are joining a group of people that continue to work tirelessly to constantly update their skill-set and improve their ability to respond in real time. This is the most valuable quality in a judge! They are proactive in their approach to judging and willing to question their own performance in order to respond to all of the wide range of possibilities presented by so many cutting edge performances. In order to be challenged you have to be “in the trenches”, at “ground zero” when a cutting edge program is being developed in early season with all of its challenges in place. Then be available when, in late season, the unit has realized its goals or fallen short. How a judge handles this type of situation is the “tell.” Getting the Apprentice in the field where this happens is key to the growth of the apprentice and our evaluation of the skill-set. We look for the individual judge that is curious, ‘that uses the past as a starting point for their journey, not the destination. The exceptional performance comes when a judge can use his or her collective experience to consider, in a universal sense, beyond his or her preferences, the value of a creative performance effort. We want you to have the opportunity to really show the quality of your work in these challenging situations!
Beyond your professional “opinion” while judging, we also need indicators of your desire, drive, and discipline. Judging doesn’t just mean dressing nice and watching some amazing color guards. It means early mornings, late nights, uncomfortable conditions, and long shifts. Having you “shadow” a working judge will help you really understand the ins and outs of survival in this setting. This also gives us the chance to get to know you and make sure you meet a number of other judges on your way to becoming a WGI Judge yourself.
So …Are you ready?
Fill out the application
