Art Of Officiating
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Covering conflict management, the psychology of officiating, best practices and officiating/life balance.
Bounce Back from a Bad Game
Ever had one of those nights when, for whatever reason, you’re off your game? Whether it’s because you were distracted by issues that have nothing to do with...
Groups Work to Give Sports Officials Spiritual Guidance
For decades there have been spiritual outlets for players, coaches and even team administrators, but there hasn't been much available to give sports officials...
Honesty, Integrity Are Keys To a Full Schedule
The ability to grow your schedule is a key component to your development. We all want more games because we associate the number of...
Think Outside the Box
By Jeffrey Stern
Officials who work a single sport sometimes have a tendency to be a little myopic. If football is their game, they follow...
Elements that Determine a Successful Crew
In the sports world, a team’s success is determined by wins and losses and, to a major extent, by the number of championships it...
Don’t Let Self-Criticism Detract From Your Successes
Think about how many times in your career you received real-time praise from a fan, a coach or a player. Compare that with the number of times you...
Are You a Reactor or a Decision-Maker?
Officials must be decision-makers versus reactors. Officials are trained to
make decisions based on plays and not just be reactors to the action. Rely...
Why R You Officiating?
Officiating is an avocation, and no two people come to it the same way or for the same reasons. I knew that whatever I...
A.D.’s Who Officiate Give Tips On Working With Game Admin
As officials, it’s desirable to maintain quality working relationships with the athletic directors of the schools where we work. As in any working relationships...
Squeezing the Last Drop Out of Your Talent
For most of the movie “Whiplash,” music instructor Terence Fletcher curses, rails at, belittles and humiliates his students.
When he encounters one of his former...
Lightning Protocol Advances with Technology
In the not-so-distant past, the protocol for handling lightning was straightforward for officials working outdoor sporting events at the amateur levels. If lightning was...
Stay Focused until Game Conclusion
At any sporting event, you’re likely to hear someone holler, “Keep your head in the game!” That heckler might not be referring to the...
Enhance Your Skills Fast With Repetition and Practice
Practice is synonymous with athletes, but practice can be as helpful to officials as it is to those playing the games. Whether it’s actually...
Learn Lessons From Sports You Don’t Work
“What’s My Line?” was a popular TV game show 45 years ago. Larry Blyden was the host and the premise was that four celebrities had to guess...
Get Great Series: Better by Tomorrow
If someone told you a way to get better by tomorrow, would you do it no matter what it was? How about if it...
7 Roommate Tips for Camps and Tournaments
These 7 tips give officials helpful hints on how to be a good roommate when sharing a room at a camp or tournament.
1.
Figure out...
Expect Little and You Won’t Be Disappointed
The spectrum of accommodation made for officials is vast. If you've been continually disappointed perhaps, unfortunately, your expectations were a bit high. What do...
Media Relations
Ask pro or major college officials if they have a nightmare media relations scenario, and they’re likely to reply, “Yes. Having one of my...
Know The Game Temperature
On a hot August afternoon in 1984, NL rivals San Diego and Atlanta faced off in an important late-season contest. The trouble began when Braves pitcher Pascual Perez hit...
What’s the Rush?
I once watched a golf tournament where one of the Sunday leaders hit an approach shot about 20 yards over the green. The announcer...
6 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs
Depending on the part of the country in which you live, winter can be a cold, bleak and depressing time of year. If you don’t officiate a winter...
Are You Ready to Be in the Spotlight?
Getting the big game — a state playoff contest, a showdown between traditional rivals or a game to decide a conference championship — is...
Get Great Series: Better by Next Week
If someone told you a they had a way to get better by next week, would you do it no matter what it was?...
What Supervisors Teach can be What Gets Called
In the local football chapter where I started officiating years ago, it has been the practice to have separate weekly training sessions for first-year officials. The feeling is...
