ALL SPORTS

Patrick Howard, Lynnwood, Wash., instructs members of the chain crew before a game. Meetings with auxiliary personnel, such as timers, scorers and ball helpers, are a must to ensure a smooth start and proper conduct of any contest.

WANNA START SOMETHING?

Great Beginnings Beget Solid Performances

By Jeffrey Stern

Even if you’re not a fan of classical music, you likely recognize the first eight notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony when you hear them. Didn’t major in English lit? No matter. You probably know the Charles Dickens masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities begins with the words, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

The words and notes that follow those beginnings are classics and probably would be works of art even with less memorable starts. But those openers have burned themselves into our memories and are instantly connected with the overall compositions.

A positive start doesn’t guarantee success, but it is almost impossible to tackle any task without getting off on the right foot. So it is in officiating. The myriad tasks that must be handled before the opening serve, tip, pitch or kick may seem like chopped liver, but that is hardly the case.

The process begins with accepting the assignment. If your assigner uses an online service, be sure your schedule is up to date. Don’t leave the impression you’re open when you know you’re already working a game or have a family commitment.

If you need to return a contract, do it promptly. Paper contracts are rare these days; there is no excuse

for dilly-dallying when it comes to handling such correspondence.

Contact your partner(s), preferably no later than the day before the game. Confirm a gathering place and time if you’re traveling together, or estimated arrival and meeting point if traveling separately. Account for traffic, weather and construction that may affect travel time. If officials in your sport have choices regarding uniform color and style, make those decisions at that time.

After your on-time arrival at the game site, seek out the game manager, who will greet you and guide you to the room you will use to change. That may be a locker room, coaches office, restroom, classroom or broom closet. Whether it’s the Taj Mahal or a dark, dank, crowded space, make the best of it. Like the weather, you can’t do anything about it, so keep a positive attitude. You’ll be spending comparatively little time there anyway.

You’re probably sick to death of reading about the need for a pregame meeting. Well, here we go again. Even if you’ve worked with the same partner or crew for eons, each game presents different challenges and opportunities. And if you haven’t worked together before, the need for a thorough discussion is even more important. Teams change players, coaches and strategies, not only from season to season but from one game to the next. As the season goes on, the less successful teams may overhaul their game plans hoping to shake things up. Discuss how you will react to those or other changes.

Enter the field or court together. Have a little bounce in your step, like you’re happy to be there. People will begin to see you at that point. If your shoulders are slumped, your feet are dragging or you have a sourpuss facial expression, you are sending all kinds of negative messages. Moreover, that attitude will carry over to the game at hand.

If the rules of your sport require a pregame meeting with each head coach, handle it professionally. Exchange whatever information both sides require, tell the coaches, “Have a good game,” and walk away.

When a coin toss or a meeting with captains is required, remember the “three B’s.” Be jovial. Be brief. Be done.

Meet with scorers, timers, chain crew members, etc., as appropriate. Make them feel a part of the officiating crew. If the stuff hits the fan, they may be the only ones who can bail you out, so don’t take them for granted. Often you’ll get a condescending, “Don’t worry, Sonny (or Honey). We’ve been doing this since you were in diapers. We can handle it.” Remain friendly but firmly insist on going over procedures anyway, since you may do things slightly differently from other officials. If a member of the support team is belligerent to the point he or she is impossible to work with, seek out the game manager to find a replacement. Play that card carefully, however. In smaller towns, that person may be the mayor, school board president or church pastor. In a tug of war between a visiting official and pillar of the community, you lose every time.

Observe the players before play begins. If you see a player is missing required equipment or a part of his or her uniform is illegal, bring it to the coach’s attention before it becomes an issue in the game. That’s also a good time to watch the players warm up and gain clues as to their abilities. Can the point guard hit the threeball? Does the center fielder have a cannon for an arm? Can the punter boom it? Any piece of information could be useful during the game.

If the national anthem is played, stand at attention. Don’t chit-chat with other officials, stretch or fidget.

When it’s finally time for the action to begin, be sure everyone is in place and ready to go. Then give a strong blast on the whistle or a commanding, “Play!” and let the fun begin.

How things go from there depends on a lot of factors. But your chances for success improve if you chart the right course from the get-go. Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor. He officiated high school and collegiate football and umpired high school baseball. *

SURVEY SAYS … 3,100

Officials participating in a survey conducted last summer by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

63

Percentage of officials who said bad behavior by fans, coaches and players makes officiating no longer rewarding.

51

Percentage of officials who believe they are underpaid.

77

Percentage of the current officiating force older than 45.

51

Percentage of the current officiating force older than 55.

THEY SAID IT

“Peer pressure is our number-one motivating factor. We all want to get to the Super Bowl, and to get there you can’t be a wimp. You’ve got to stand up and make the call. I don’t think fans appreciate how hard that is.”

— Former NFL official Al Jury, who worked five Super Bowls

SOURCE: SPORTS ILLULSTRATED

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Advance Warning: Do It the Right Way

By the Referee editors

Noone likes braggarts. You know them. The officials who rattle off a list of their most impressive assignments and drop names of prominent associates like leaves off an autumn tree. Still, it takes a bit of self-promotion to get ahead in this business. Talent is essential, but your ability alone won’t get you as far as you want to go.

In addition to self-promotion and talent, you have to handle the business end of your officiating. Your work ethic, your commitment, your response in accepting assignments and returning phone calls is critical. Your willingness to help when needed, support your association, gain experience in any fashion at all levels and your ability to work and be loyal to your crew or partner are crucial.

Every official you work with, every contact you make along the way may be the one that helps get you the break you are looking for. The respect of your peers will pay dividends your entire career at any level you achieve.

Work to get better each year. It doesn’t matter if you have worked five, 15 or 30 years — keep improving. That’s the foundation you must have before you can be truly effective at “selling yourself.”

Make a point to surround yourself with excellent officials and positive people. You need to have that great balance with a positive attitude on and off the field or floor. You also need to be patient. Don’t be negative, don’t complain about your schedule and don’t badmouth other officials.

If you’ve built a strong reputation and you feel the time is right to move up a level, there are many resources out there to help you. Camps are, first and foremost, instructional, but you can make some important contacts. But your focus must be on impressing the instructors with your hard work, desire to improve and commitment to the game. Keep your mouth shut, eyes open and leave the camp guru alone.

When introducing yourself to officiating supervisors, the softsell approach is the best. A call to introduce yourself or to let someone know who you are is OK. Letting them know your availability and interest in working and asking college assigners what is necessary to move to that level are all OK.

But if you shove your past experiences and successes down their throat, it sends a negative message. Written communication, email and following that league’s formal application process are all professional means of promoting yourself.

Creating a networking list is vital. That list should include the most accomplished officials with whom you currently work or have worked with in the past. Maintain contact with the people on your list. Make them aware you’re looking to move up and they may be contacted by someone for a reference. Remember, the street runs both ways — be willing to be on their list if they ask.

You can improve your nonofficiating visibility by joining Toastmasters, participating in community fundraisers and other events. It is important to show you care about people and to model a balanced life.

We all know the big break can hinge on timing, contacts and performance. Even if we do a solid, professional job of promoting ourselves, that upward opportunity might not come. You can still be the best junior high, city league or high school official in the area. *

The Elusive Quest for Consistency

By the Referee editors

Every official has struggled with the concept of consistency. From the first time you blow the whistle to the day you decide to hang it up, you are haunted with finding and holding onto the elusive “consistency.” Every fan, every coach, every player demands it. Every official searches for it.

The difficulty with consistency begins with the definition. Officials generally define consistency as reacting the same way when the same situation occurs. But how often does that happen during the course of a game? Single events appear to be similar, but appearances can be deceiving. No matter how comparable on the surface, each is different because each may involve different participants, preceding events, and physical and emotional environments.

What are some of the contributing factors that make consistency so difficult not only to

Debbie Harris, Fountain Valley, Calif., brushes up on the rules before a game. Solid knowledge helps ensure consistent rules application during games.

articulate but to accomplish? Here are just some of the factors:

Differences in Officiating Styles

Officials are not manufactured in a secret laboratory. They are human beings and have different styles they believe work for them. Some officials talk to players while others are stoic and quiet. Some officials are “by the book” and others follow their instincts. The only consistency from one official to the next is they are different in the way they approach their officiating. With training, all officials, regardless of their “style,” would ideally use a common set of mechanics, procedures and guidelines for doing their jobs. But that is not always the case.

Differences in Style of Play

Every game and team are different. Not every team uses the same style of play. Differences in physicality, play tempo and play strategy make them unique.

The physical team does not want an official who will whistle only fouls having an impact on fairness and safety. Up-tempo teams want few stoppages and want action to resume quickly when play is stopped for fouls, violations or the ball going out of bounds. That requires officials to adjust to accommodate the teams, but cannot put the other team at a disadvantage as a result.

Differences in Competitiveness

A youth game requires a completely different mindset from a collegiate or high school game. The age and the skill level of the players dictates how much and what should be called. In youth games, officials may call fewer violations or minor fouls and do more correcting (not coaching) than at higher levels.

Differences in Player Management

The manner in which officials deal with players during the game must be one of the constants for the officials. Any inconsistency gives the perspective of a lack of fairness and equity. Officials cannot handle or manage every player the same, however. Some players respond to a quiet word, while others demand more strict treatment.

Every official must understand the importance of consistency. It is equally important officials understand inconsistency is caused by the built-in differences found in the game, the environment, the participants and the level of play. Officials must not become robots to become consistent. Instead, they must understand the sources of the appearance of inconsistency and use that awareness to mitigate those circumstances whenever possible. *

Attention: COLLEGE BASEBALL UMPIRES

NCAA TEST OPENS JAN. 9

The rulebook isn’t built to prepare you for success. The College Baseball Rules Study Guide is.

Improve your rules, speed and accuracy so you can make it on the fi eld and accomplish your goals when you get there.