It makes the energy, time and commitment all well worth the effort.
TBH, you can't be a competent official if you don't have great self-belief. Even though I can hear the comments often hurled my direction, I choose to let them slide off my awareness like so much water off a duck's back because I know that I've put in the work, am confident in my abilities, and am proud of the service I can offer back to the game. Having said all of that, it's really, really nice to get a compliment once in a while.
At a recent local gym visit, I was blessed with a Sr Boys' high school double header that was passionate, energetic, aggressive, and just plain fun thanks to the challenge of being the best I could be in ensuring that the players remained safe, had a great experience, and showcased their skills. After the games were "in the books", I found an empty spot in the front row of the stands to change my shoes in preparation for the trip back home, when my silence was interrupted by a good friend who was running the tournament the games were a part of. When he prefaced the conversation with, "We've known each other for a really long time, eh?"
I thought, erroneously, that some form of criticism was coming. Considering how often we officials are subjected to loud and hostile criticism, it becomes a knee-jerk reaction when approached after a game. The next sentence caused a stir of emotion that I was ill prepared for ... "I just wanted to tell you face to face that I sincerely feel that you've become one of the best officials in this area in a really short space of time." (I may have paraphrased this) To say I was first shocked, then emotional, then extremely humbled, goes without saying, and I tried my very best to shake his hand, look him straight in the eye, and attempted to find the right words to thank him for going out of his way to say something.
What a wonderful early Christmas gift!
As if the universe was paying attention, after arriving home, getting settled, and catching up with my wife, I was scrolling through social media when I stumbled across the following words from a different longtime friend, his friendship also forged in the fires of education. Considering my day's events, it hit pretty close to home.
Sadly, I copied the message but not where he grabbed it from, but it was a post of a post of a post. If anyone reading these words knows who the author is/was, feel free to send me a message so I can give credit where credit is due.
Many people look at this shirt and just see a referee/official’s uniform. Very few people look at this shirt and see what it really is - pure dedication, strength, and nerve.
They don’t see what goes on behind the scenes. Days away from families and one’s home, countless hours of studying, analyzing and reanalyzing one’s own calls, reading and re-reading the rule book, countless hours on the phones with other officials to ask questions and mentor each other, hours and their own money dedicated to associations and trying to make the world of officiating a better place.
What people think they see: “a horrible official”, “someone who doesn’t know the rules”, “a biased official who “clearly” has it out for their team”, “someone who should never be able to be an official”.
To those people who sit in the stands or sit behind their computer screens or phones making these comments – I encourage you to try it. Sitting in the stands or on the couch and making the calls is the easy route. Because you have the ability to be right or wrong with no consequences. The official out there on the mat, field, or court has to be right all the time (which is subjective to your eyes, your team, and your desired outcome, instead of the rules). I encourage you take the official’s test. Take it and you will see that you didn’t pass because you don’t know as much about the sport as you thought you did. And when you do fail, use it as motivation to join an association, read and study the rule book, and then take the test again. After taking the test (probably multiple times), maybe just maybe you will pass. And if you do pass, then go ahead and put on the uniform, muscle up the nerve and strength to actually become an official and step out into the center mat, court, or field.
Every sport is in need of more officials. The number of officials and number of younger people wanting to be officials has greatly decreased. Why? Probably because it is an extremely difficult position to be put in, and all you get in return is constant hate.
Many people look at this shirt and just see a referee/official’s uniform. Very few people look at this shirt and see what it really is - pure dedication, strength, and nerve.
They don’t see what goes on behind the scenes. Days away from families and one’s home, countless hours of studying, analyzing and reanalyzing one’s own calls, reading and re-reading the rule book, countless hours on the phones with other officials to ask questions and mentor each other, hours and their own money dedicated to associations and trying to make the world of officiating a better place.
What people think they see: “a horrible official”, “someone who doesn’t know the rules”, “a biased official who “clearly” has it out for their team”, “someone who should never be able to be an official”.
To those people who sit in the stands or sit behind their computer screens or phones making these comments – I encourage you to try it. Sitting in the stands or on the couch and making the calls is the easy route. Because you have the ability to be right or wrong with no consequences. The official out there on the mat, field, or court has to be right all the time (which is subjective to your eyes, your team, and your desired outcome, instead of the rules). I encourage you take the official’s test. Take it and you will see that you didn’t pass because you don’t know as much about the sport as you thought you did. And when you do fail, use it as motivation to join an association, read and study the rule book, and then take the test again. After taking the test (probably multiple times), maybe just maybe you will pass. And if you do pass, then go ahead and put on the uniform, muscle up the nerve and strength to actually become an official and step out into the center mat, court, or field.
Every sport is in need of more officials. The number of officials and number of younger people wanting to be officials has greatly decreased. Why? Probably because it is an extremely difficult position to be put in, and all you get in return is constant hate.
To the fans – I am not asking you not to root for your team. Root and scream for your team! If you don’t like a call, boo it, and then move on! What I am asking, is please be more respectful in person or online.
Officials walk out to a game or match knowing that by the end of it they will have one side hating and degrading them. They are required to make the tough calls over and over again, calls that will upset one side or the other. It is a lose-lose situation regardless of the outcome. So why do they do it? My guess would be for the love of the sport.
Officials are humans, with families (wives, husbands, and children), with friends, with homes, other careers, and feelings. They are people. Real people. Who, after everything that they do, still have to listen and read horrible comments from people who wouldn’t dare or have enough courage or knowledge to step out into the fire. Yet these officials have enough dedication and nerve to continuously step out onto the mat, court, field, etc… over and over and over again because they love what they do and they love the sport. They are truly relentless. Are they always perfect? Probably not. They are humans, in a world of sports where rules are ever changing and evolving. They are dedicated, and every official that I know uses every call, match, game, and outcome as a learning experience, whether good or bad.
Officiating is one of the most difficult and thankless jobs that I can think of. So to every official out there – THANK YOU. Thank you for doing everything that you do so that the world can enjoy the thrill and excitement of sports. Thank you for the brotherhood and sisterhood that you provide each other, and for becoming each other’s lifelong friends and family. Thank you for giving up countless hours and days away from your families. Thank you for continuing to put yourself out there over and over again regardless of all of the negative feedback and comments/posts from spectators. Thank you for the time and energy that you dedicate into your craft, so that we, as spectators, can sit, watch, and enjoy the sports that we love.
Officials walk out to a game or match knowing that by the end of it they will have one side hating and degrading them. They are required to make the tough calls over and over again, calls that will upset one side or the other. It is a lose-lose situation regardless of the outcome. So why do they do it? My guess would be for the love of the sport.
Officials are humans, with families (wives, husbands, and children), with friends, with homes, other careers, and feelings. They are people. Real people. Who, after everything that they do, still have to listen and read horrible comments from people who wouldn’t dare or have enough courage or knowledge to step out into the fire. Yet these officials have enough dedication and nerve to continuously step out onto the mat, court, field, etc… over and over and over again because they love what they do and they love the sport. They are truly relentless. Are they always perfect? Probably not. They are humans, in a world of sports where rules are ever changing and evolving. They are dedicated, and every official that I know uses every call, match, game, and outcome as a learning experience, whether good or bad.
Officiating is one of the most difficult and thankless jobs that I can think of. So to every official out there – THANK YOU. Thank you for doing everything that you do so that the world can enjoy the thrill and excitement of sports. Thank you for the brotherhood and sisterhood that you provide each other, and for becoming each other’s lifelong friends and family. Thank you for giving up countless hours and days away from your families. Thank you for continuing to put yourself out there over and over again regardless of all of the negative feedback and comments/posts from spectators. Thank you for the time and energy that you dedicate into your craft, so that we, as spectators, can sit, watch, and enjoy the sports that we love.
What a great day it turned out to be!
#lifeisgood
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