2019-20 PRESEASON GUIDE 2018 PRESEASON GUIDE
FOOTBALL LEADERSHIP
ROCK SOLID
Vernal Turner of Chicago keeps his emotions in check when discussing a call with a coach.
Leave the Emotions to Players and Coaches
W
DEAN REID
hen people say, “There is no need to get emotional,” that is probably more true for officials than for the average person. Put a regular guy or gal in front of hundreds, maybe thousands, of screaming fans, a couple of intense coaches and a bunch of psyched-up, keyed-up and fired-up athletes, and you are going to need a squeegee to put what is left of Joe or Jill Average back together. You, on the other hand, do not have the luxury to feel what the average
person feels — you are an official and there is a job to do. But emotions should not be ignored, either. Controlling your emotions means controlling your game and controlling your game is your job. To be effective, an official needs to be a rock, but not a robot. A listener, but not a passive abuse-taker. A professional, but not an egomaniac. Confidence is one of the “good” emotions that you probably do not need to control too much (unless you become overconfident, which could lead you
to become arrogant, which leads to egomania!). Being able to handle pressure starts with confidence in your ability. You have to develop a level of confidence that you know the game and you know what you are doing out there. You develop a feel for the game and what is going on around you. It allows you to defuse problems before they happen. Knowledge is power and when you have mastered your game, a sense of control will follow. SEE “SOLID” P. 2