USAWA

USAWA has very reasonable expectations for officials.  There is a written rules test and practical experience.  To expand the pool of officials, USAWA has offered video practical experience for Level 1 status and allows officials in other strength federations to carry over that experience.

Level 1 – (16) listed officials, (8) are 2026 USAWA members

Level 2 – (32) listed officials, (18) are 2026 USAWA members

It is quite impressive that over half of the 2026 members have passed the written test or Level 1 or Level 2 officials.

I feel like every athlete should be working towards becoming an official.  First, the open book written exam is a great way to learn about the lifts, commands and how competitions are run.  Second, the USAWA always needs officials for competitions.  With more certified officials, flights can operate smoothly and officials are not stuck officiating and can socialize.  Third, upon achieving Level 2 Status, the official can train aspiring officials.  This helps USAWA grow and expand geographically.

USAWA has an athlete training program for a couple of reasons.  First, it is a requirement for membership in the International All-Round Weightlifting Association.  Second, it ensures fair competition.

Officials are human and may make mistakes.  Early or late down commands are frustrating.  Quick lifts have often been red lighted as press outs.  Overall, it averages out. 

Having a training program minimizes mistakes in commands, points of performance (when do the shoulders need to be erect vs when do the legs need be straight?), is the uniform correct, and is the equipment appropriate for competition.  Having multiple certified officials allows for discussion when the rules are unclear.

Most recently, I was involved in a discussion about vertical bar deadlifts.  The rules state that the legs must be straight and knees locked, but the shoulder and body do not need to be erect.  “The lifting hand must be above the level of mid thighs at the completion of the lift.”  We considered the thigh to start above the kneecap and end at the inseam.  We did not mark the mid-thigh on the athlete’s uniform.  We further decided the hand started at below the wrist and most lifts even with a very wide stance would comply with the rules if the legs were straight and knees locked.

Level 1 – Test Qualified or Experience Qualified – Test Qualified is written test and 3 practical training sessions.  Experience Qualified is 25 practical training sessions.  A training session is sitting in the chair next to an official in the one-official system or being one of three judges in the three-official system.  Practical training could also be done by performing video officiating tests.

Level 2 – Elevate to Level 2 after officiating in 25 competitions.  10 of these competitions must be USAWA and 15 could be taken from another federation at the Officials Director’s discretion.

Full details on officials are in section VII of the rulebook and on the website.

Frank’s Barbell Club March Madness Challenge and Record Day (scheduled for March 21st) is being postponed until further notice.

As I was updating the member clubs page on the website, I was wondering why we subdivide our small club into even smaller clubs.  I knew some obvious answers.

• Club of the Year – Awarded on membership, participation, hosting events and championships
• Club Championship – Awarded based on total Lynch points of the top athletes
• National Championship Top Club – Awarded based on total Lynch points of all club athletes

Outside of this, I did not see many references to clubs over the 17 years that the website has tracked club news.  There was a 2017 article by Al referring to club certificates.  Those have not been printed since I have been involved with USAWA.  At the time of this article, there are (41) athletes in the USAWA and the majority have chosen a club affiliation.

Active Clubs

• Al’s Dino Gym – 1 member
• Clark’s Championship Gym – 17 members
• Frank’s Barbell Club – 7 members
• Habecker’s Gym – 4 members
• High Country Vigour – 4 members
• KCSTRONGMAN – 1 member
• Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 1 member
• Iron Sharpens Iron WL Club – 2 members
• Per Aspera Strength – 1 member

Another (20) clubs have been founded over the years.  New England All-Rounders, Prechtel’s AC and Ambridge VFW BBC are the only non-active clubs to have over a decade of involvement.

Traditionally, the winner of club of the year has not been eligible for the following year.  However, Clark’s Championship Gym is living up to its name and has won the title 3 of the past 4 years.

• Dino Gym – (6) wins 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 – every other year for a decade
• Frank’s Barbell Club – (3) wins 2014, 2016, 2018
• Clark’s Gym – (3) wins 2022, 2024, 2025
• Habecker’s Gym – (2) wins 2010, 2023
• Ledaig Heavy Athletics – (1) win 2012

Questions that came up for me?

Do you have to be a member of a club? No

Does it cost extra to be join a club? No

How do I choose which club to join? This seems to be regional based on where you will compete most often, but you could join any club

What benefit is there to being part of a club? Building community, planning and coordinating events

Can I sanction a meet without being part of a club? Yes

Where does the $30 annual club membership dues go? All USAWA income goes to a general fund to maintain the website, perform drug testing, purchase annual awards, maintain incorporation and perform general administrative functions. All board members and special assignment directors are volunteers.

Why did I choose to start a club? I had attended the National Championships when promoted by Clark’s Gym and competed in Al’s Dino Gym, but did not feel connected to either organization. We are fortunate to have a core group of athletes who like to compete together. I filled out the paperwork in hopes to build a community in Colorado. Having a club has not been much of a recruiting tool, but we were able to compete in the Club Championship last year (losing to Clark’s Gym).