After the positive feedback I received on the last topic discussed in the past two weeks, a topic based on an article by Mr.William Smith, I decided to keep the same trend and thus I am putting forward another interesting topic and again I am basing this column on professional work published abroad. This time I am adapting the ideas set forward by Mr. David Birkett, an ex-basketball and baseball referee, in an article published on the Referee magazine.
Most job seekers will frequently hear the, at times dreaded, phrase, “We’re looking for people with experience.”
Taken in a refereeing context, the environment is far different as in officiating, respective referee supervisors and administrators are always (hopefully and if they take their task in a serious way) on the look-out for new additions to the refereeing list.
It would surely be great (and every referee assignor/administrator’s dream) if every game featured seasoned and experienced referees who are individually skilled in all aspects of their duties. Yet this is only an ideal scenario and could only feature in the most creative of dreams.
In today’s environment (not only locally, where the numbers are unfortunately dwindling fast, but also in almost every place around the globe) no referee assignor will completely turn away inexperienced individuals who are eager to try out refereeing.
The assignors will generally assign them to low-level games, obviously after passing through the initial stages of rules and mechanics appreciation. In all honesty, as also happens in many places abroad, the situation locally is quite desperate to bring in new blood that there is instant opportunity, at low level and with zero experience, for anyone interested.
As Mr. Birkett also advocates, this does not mean it will be easy to referee and rise up the ranks. “Experience is the element that will improve your skills,” says Dr. Joel Fish, director for the Centre of Sports Psychology in Philadelphia. “Whether you are officiating or playing, confidence is the foundation for the other skills. For new officials, building confidence or sustaining confidence is step one.”
To have any chance to be good at most anything in life and refereeing is no different, you need to have some level of self-assurance. A percentage of referees come from the ranks of former players so they should easily understand the game (especially if they played at a high level) and they are used to being out on the field of play. Yet, and this may be difficult to understand for that person who has never experienced having a whistle in his mouth and trying to direct a game, participating with a “ref's-eye-view” is a whole different ballgame.
Despite mentioning confidence above, one must remember that new and inexperienced referees certainly do not have that much confidence. Additionally (and this is not far-fetched but a common recurrence due to the fact that there exist certain sorry people who do not know otherwise) if these new referees do have some confidence, it is very likely that most of it is shredded out of them after their first few mistake-riddled games.
Mr. Birkett quotes Ralph Swearngin, the executive director of the Georgia High School Athletic Association (GHSA), who says that the poor experiences in an official's first year drive many away. “For most people, the first year is truly a learning experience,” Swearngin says. “They feel overwhelmed. If you have a good base, you’re more likely to have a good experience and not get driven away.”
Jeff Murray, a 15-year high school basketball referee was interviewed and asked what he remembers of his first officiating assignment, which was a junior high basketball tournament: “I was scared to death. I didn’t know what to do. It was like throwing me to the wolves. I was lucky I had good support and good help. It helped me gain confidence.
Mastering self-control is right up there with gaining confidence for new referees in particular. Not everyone is prepared and has the required character and attitude for the criticism, condemnation and humiliation that referees must face and absorb with composure.
It is a natural reaction to “hit back” when you are being attacked and many outside the refereeing fraternity sometimes wonder how certain referees can keep their calm in delicate and tense moments. In the past articles, I have written about the need for the referee to build a tough outer skin that can withstand all that is hurdled towards him. After certain games, I am sometimes asked from people who respect me and vice-versa if some chants or insults had affected me.
These sometimes tend not to believe me when, at times, I honestly answer that I did not notice or take note of. Ok, I cannot state that I do not hear anything but sometimes you need to delve deeply inside yourself as to maintain concentration and not let the environment affect you.
Mr. Birkett, through his experience goes further and states that veteran officials know about the need for composure, to be the calm centre in the middle of a hurricane. That means no shouting down or fighting with coaches, players and fans. That means keeping your wits about you when everyone else is up in arms.
Next week I will, always basing my ideas on Mr. Birkett’s work, delve deeper into this subject and will further widen the arguments on new referees.
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