Psychology of Officiating
Everybody Wants a Problem Solver
One type of person all businesses want is a problem solver. The same can be said for any type of athletic event. They want...
Are You Good or Great?
W
hat attributes separate good officials from average officials? That question has been posed often over the years. While there doesn’t seem to be a...
Get it Right the Next Time
We’ve all had one. Or two. Or 102. That moment when stark reality hits and you realize you have just kicked the ever-living daylights...
Talk Yourself Into a Good Game
Have you ever wondered how rah-rah pep talks can move athletes toward great performances? It’s because the athletes themselves have an innate desire to...
Give Yourself Some Grace
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...
Use Your Confidence for the Good of the Game
Confidence is not a suggestion when it comes to being good in this avocation. It is at the core of what it takes to...
The Association Isn’t Backing You
One problem that officials can face is being unable to find dependable support, which is needed for a wide variety of reasons. For example,...
Have an Appreciation for Other Officials’ Hard Work.
A cartoon that appeared in another publication depicted a young boy on the department-store Santa’s lap. The youngster says to Kris Kringle, “I don’t...
Coaches Mentality
Coaches and officials can have an adversarial relationship because of the primary difference between official’s and a coach’s mentality: Coaches care who wins and...
How You React to Disappointment Defines You
Officiating is an interesting and challenging line of work, no matter your involvement. Whether you are an active official, assigner or administrator, decisions you...
Connect the Head and the Heart
Sports officiating is an emotional challenge. Gonzaga University’s Rachelle Strawther knows this firsthand after her experience running a sports and officiating soccer program in...
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...
Ride The Rhythm Of Your Season
Rhythm generally means a movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite/different conditions, and every sports official knows...
‘Big Time’ Attitude is for Small People
Virtually every local association or chapter has at least one official who has “made it big,” the member who has worked a state championship...
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...
How Officials Can Control Emotions in High-Pressure Moments
Officials often tell me, “I have difficulty managing emotions during high-pressure moments.” I’ll then ask the official to give me some examples of situations...
Your Inner Voice Is Part of Your Officiating Crew
Everyone, including officials, must employ self-talk at some point. Is your self-talk positive or negative? Does it enhance or hinder your performance? Does 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...
No More Handshakes Doesn’t Mean No More Good Sportsmanship
The “new normal” is one of the many terms we hear repeatedly as the country begins its return to normal activities from the COVID-19...
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...
Take the Bumps Out of Working Multiple Levels
Many Referee readers officiate more than one level of a sport or, at least, hope to do so. That could be middle school and...
Strategies to Stay Above the Fray
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the officiating industry has taken a heavy blow. All officials in some shape or form were impacted and continue to...
Leave Your Bad Day at Home
Television newsman Neil Cavuto says, “There’s nothing wrong or evil about having a bad day. There’s everything wrong with making others have to have...
What It Takes To Get What You Want
S
ome years ago, Brian Tracy, one of the world’s leading experts in personal development, said, “Success is goals and all else is commentary.”
Imagine the...