No one can deny that refereeing, as many other things in life, rotates around teamwork. A referee should be able to correlate positively and ‘click’ easily with other colleagues. One should avoid instances where there is lack of trust or, worse still, hatred between colleagues as the future can be nothing but tough, if not practically impossible.
From my experience I have met many retired (or about to retire) referees who openly state that the thing they miss the most is the fraternity and so-called camaraderie with other fellow referees and colleagues.
I guess many other fellow referees will agree with me if I say that as a result of joining the refereeing community, one finds that most of the fellow referees will become some of the best friends and some may also remain so for a good number of years, if not for life.
According to observations by competent people abroad, results have generally shown that if a referee is not a likeable person, arrogant, snobbish and a with a sort of attitude that he knows everything, it is quite difficult that he will have the maximum success in refereeing.
I may put more relevance to this statement by reminding people that refereeing is quite a humbling experience where one could make mistakes.
As I have already stated many times in past articles, if a referee has a hard time to accept constructive criticism, it is better that he might not even have thought about becoming a referee in the first place.
As a referee, I have to accept that the referee’s role is open to public scrutiny and constructive criticism since the same referee, in essence, is a public figure. Yet ‘analysts’ (the real professional ones and even those who try to be but will never reach that level) have to always remember the delicacy of the referee’s role, especially when decisions (whistle or no-whistle) have to be taken in a split-second, at ground level, surrounded by players, sometimes with less than 100% clear open vision and whilst in movement.
This contrasts sharply with trying to come up with a conclusion (which at times never is arrived at) sitting comfortably on a chair, relaxed and after seeing the action ample of times, possibly even at a very slow speed and frame by frame.
The latter things happen all over the world. Honest persons can ultimately notice how difficult it is for the referee to take decisions in the course of a game. Honest persons will also have a proof that referees have to be very prepared over the years (technically, physiologically and psychologically) in order to be brisk and as correct as possible in their game decisions.
From this column I must acknowledge that mistakes may be made by referees. It would be extremely foolish to assert that referees are perfect. A statement I would gladly state to anybody who resorts to destructive criticism towards referees would be “If you are correct and the referee really missed it (or made a wrong decision), I will bet you he feels very miserable about it right now.”
One thing any referee should never do is to embarrass a fellow referee during a game. In my game basketball, this situation can occur when, for example, a referee agrees with a coach when the same coach criticises the other referee
In all honesty I believe that one of the best ways to get someone on your side is to support him from start to finish at 100% during a game. If there were any unclear situations or incidents, the referee can discuss them openly with his colleague/s in the confidentiality and privacy of the dressing room.
To conclude I want to repeat a fact that cannot be denied. During the game, the refereeing crew has to be a team. A word of warning to beginner referees: the supporters, players, coaches and team officials only like a referee when the whistle is blown in their favour. If they happen to applaud and cheer, the latter is definitely not directed at the referee.
Year of Women’s Basketball – a success
The Year of Women’s Basketball, an 18-month campaign by FIBA Europe aimed at highlighting women’s basketball and increasing recognition and respect for the sport in Europe, officially ended during Euro Basket Women 2007 in Chieti, Italy.
“We invested heavily in the project, both financially and in terms of resources. Women’s basketball deserves this type of attention and promotion.” said FIBA Europe Secretary General Nar Zanolin.
Approximately 80% of all national federations have been active in the Year of Women’s Basketball. A number of different activities took place such as clinics, congresses, fund raisers and special practices.
Although the Year of Women’s Basketball has officially ended, FIBA Europe’s commitment to growing the sport has not. The hot pink colour and the popular logo will continue to be used on marketing material and at FIBA Europe events.
The Year of Women’s Basketball has identified five areas deemed important to the future growth of the game, all if which will be targeted in the coming years.
First is the organisation of season-opening events in which all league games in the first round will be played at one location. More and more countries are using this great idea, illustrated by the French who open LFB play with “Basket in the City”, which has been successful in stimulating fan interest and generating positive publicity for the women’s game.
FIBA Europe also will invest more in exploring new technologies such as providing feeds of games on the internet, developing and implementing social activities for players and teams and the creation of more feminine uniforms with the ultimate goal to create a European identity for the women’s game.