C-Level Confidence

Confidence

To have any chance to be good at most anything, you need to have some level of self-assurance, and officiating is no different. Sure, a lot of officials come from the ranks of former players so they understand the game and they’re used to being out on the field, but participating with a “ref’s-eye-view” is a whole different ballgame.

Confidence isn’t something rookie officials necessarily have, and if they do have some, it’s likely to be ripped out of them after their first few mistake-riddled games.

Ralph Swearngin, executive director of the Georgia High School Athletic Association (GHSA), says 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 official and the president of the 440-member OKC Metro Officials Association in Oklahoma City, says his group has instituted a mentoring program to help instill confidence in new officials. “(In football) we try to assign one new official per crew to ride along with them and explore what a typical Friday night will be like,” says Murray. “Then, when they work JV or freshmen during the week, they can call a veteran official to discuss certain situations that arise.”

“I think that’s proved to be pretty successful,” Murray adds. “We’ve gotten a positive response. It just gives them an outlet for questions and answers.”

Bill Bupp, Michigan High School Athletic Association’s (MHSAA) commissioner of officials, says his state association has a similar setup. The MHSAA allows officials to start as young as their junior or senior year in high school, provided they join the Legacy Program. In the program, students are paired with veteran officials and allowed to work sub-varsity and junior high games in any sport. By their second year, two Legacy officials can work any non-varsity game together. The program draws 50 to 60 members a year.

“It’s sort of like the old apprenticeship that Ben Franklin talked about with silversmiths,” says Bupp. “We spend a lot of time working on the basics and how things derive, then we sort of let you fly a little bit on your own. It’s also sort of an insulation to make sure kids don’t fail. Our goal is not to fail people. Our goal is to give people every opportunity to succeed.”
Fish says programs like the ones the MHSAA and OKC have in place work only as long as veteran officials are willing to help. “The key is creating an environment where questions are encouraged, not where there’s a stigma connected because, ‘You should know that,’” says Fish.

Remembers Murray of his first officiating assignment, a junior high basketball tournament: “I was scared to death. I didn’t know what to do. It was throwing me to the wolves. I was lucky I had good support and good help. It helped me gain confidence.”