We are in the middle of Summer yet amazingly the new season is not far away (if there is a new season as some referees, including yours truly, do not have much of a real break apart from maybe a maximum of three/four weeks due to Summer commitments). The main point I would like to talk about in today’s article is – how can you spend the remaining time (unfortunately this cannot be directed to fellow football referees as their season is now already in gear) wisely so it is a benefit to you.

Think of a serious, repeat serious, player’s pre-season training programme. This is usually (minimum) some 4-6 weeks long and strength and conditioning are a large part of this same programme. Certain players also work on skill training through personal work.

Summer for referees can, and probably must, mirror a player’s experience. In all honesty, I can easily state that Summer is, in most cases, a thief in the sense that at times it steals your time and then quickly sneaks away.

Come September and someone will wake up and say, “Wow, can you believe it? The new season starts in a week. Where did the summer go?” I try, as much as possible although I fell a bit foul of this situation last year due to, in a certain way, the birth of my son Matthias, not to get caught in this situation.

There are three primary areas that should demand the referee’s attention in getting ready for the new season: the physical aspect, the mental aspect and the mechanical aspect.

It is time to get serious about the physical conditioning. There are few things worse than running out of breath in the last minutes of a game because of lack of proper preparation.

If you have been inactive for a period of time, it is not healthy to try to get ready at once. If you have gained weight, you need to phase in your preparation with an aggressive programme to lose some of the weight and prepare your body for the running that is to come.

Physical conditioning and even the general feel of the game can be aided if one can have the opportunity to referee any friendly or pre-season games. These matches can be as important for the referee (especially young ones) as they are for the players to play. After all, most of us referees need to run on the same field of play as the players do, even though we may be older!

Stretching is also important. First be sure to warm up properly as it is not safe to stretch a cold muscle. Remember also that static stretches are safe whilst bouncing a stretch is a good way to hurt oneself.

Something that really annoys me is seeing fellow referees (and even athletes) training with light weights in their hands and on their wrists or ankles. This is a no-no. Although running/walking with weights will improve your calorie burn, according to some studies, by some 5%, this will increase the possibility of injury much more than that. Weight that can throw off your centre of gravity can cause you to overcompensate in your stride, stretching ligaments and tendons unsafely.

Some years back, I was introduced to the concept of cross-training. This is a method I strongly recommend to anybody. Basically cross-over training is much more than just doing something else. For example, if your footwork needs attention, you could try court sports, dancing and any agility drills. Aerobic exercise can aid those who are lacking flexibility. Another good idea is swimming. Whatever one does, it is highly important that it is enjoyable and relaxing.

Lastly but definitely not the least, summer should also be a good opportunity to spend some extra quality time with the family. For most of us, Summer still brings with it certain job workloads which demand time and attention, yet we must try to give something back to our loved ones as they sacrifice a certain amount of time during the season and as such we owe them something.

These ideas are just some thoughts put forward for consideration. They may not be exactly what you want to do, but hopefully you can get some ideas for physical and mental activity that keeps you in shape or gets you better prepared for the next forthcoming season. After all, it is not far away!!

Still, have a nice time in Summer.

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