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Don’t Quit Before the Job is Done

During my playing days, running wind sprints at the end of practice was always painful. The coaches were conditioning our bodies for going all-out for four quarters. To justify more sprints, they always found someone who didn’t sprint the full 40 yards. They called us “coasters” and accused us of dogging it if we didn’t give 100 percent.

The coaches were right. They pushed so that we could expand our ability to go harder and farther. Conditioning aside, they taught us one of life’s key lessons: “Don’t quit before the job is done.”

All officials, at one time or another, have been guilty of coasting. The little “mental vacations” or the occasional “Why am I here?” thoughts can creep from the back to the front of the brain. Some situations that threaten concentration include blowout games, lapses that occur during the last seconds of a period or game and something called the “hangover week.” Officials need to recognize that those types of situations require extra focus.

A “hangover week” can happen after working a big game. Maybe it’s an intense rivalry or the conference championship on the line. Those are the games you dream of working, but many don’t consider the “hangover” that can come afterward. Since it’s inevitable that some games are “bigger” than others, how do you prevent being “under-whelmed” by the lesser game?

On the way to the game or during your pregame meeting, discuss the fact that you need to stay focused. Compare one game to the other, and remind each other that the kids playing tonight deserve your best effort just like the kids last week. Throughout the contest, communicate and focus more on improving your and your partners’ mechanics. Keep your mind stimulated on the right things, so that it doesn’t wander. 

One of my first varsity football games was a runaway. It was midseason, and late in the fourth quarter the team that was behind threw a pass into the end zone, which if completed would have given the team its first score of the season. The pass fell incomplete and the team that was ahead took over on downs — but only because the back judge passed on a blatant pass interference call. On the way to our cars, the coach of the team that was so badly beaten came up to our crew chief and said, “You guys worked a great game until you quit on me.” He was right. We had coasted, or let up for that one crucial moment. We had one eye on the clock and the other on the menu of the restaurant we’d planned to go to later. We learned a painful lesson.

Don’t let yourself quit! Call it personal pride, vanity or a competitive streak within you. Call it anything you like. Draw upon any inner strength or collection of emotions or memories you need to stay in the game. Do anything necessary to keep your focus. Just don’t quit. You’ll like the view a whole lot better the next time you look in the mirror.

Written by John Jay Stone, a high school football official from Swanton, Ohio. A 13-year veteran, he works as a nursing home administrator. This article originally appeared in the 1/04 issue of Referee.

Be a part of the most influential gathering of sports officiating leaders this year.

The Sports Officiating Summit, presented by NASO in cooperation with the NFHS and the Ohio High School Athletic Association, attracts representatives from all major professional leagues, collegiate, high school and youth levels. It is the only event of its kind, designed exclusively for officiating leaders and those who administer officiating programs. And every year it gathers steam.

Last year, directors from more than half of NFHS state high school associations and officiating leaders from 43 states and three countries attended the Summit. This premier event is the meeting place to discuss the critical issues impacting officiating today and the innovation of tomorrow — to continuously improve the overall game experience.

This year’s theme — Officiating to a Standard: Define It. Develop It. Deliver It. — will spark conversations and discussions about those standards relevant to officials. Real-life examples will help determine how associations can better manage officials, inside and outside the lines. Leaders will also be able to determine what standards, programs and policies make sense for you and how to implement these programs.

The Sports Officiating Summit will be held at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel on July 27-29 in Cleveland. For more information about the Summit and to register, visit naso.org/summit2008. Or call 262/632-5448. Early registration and group discounts are available.

Pull Up a Chair ...

Everyone who’s ever stepped onto a field, court or rink to officiate a game has a story to tell. Here’s a story about how one official found out he belonged on the basketball court. We know you have a story to tell. Write it down and e-mail to lastcall@referee.com.

A Smile Most Foul

By David T. Smith

When do you stop feeling like a pretender, like there are real referees in the world and you’re just a guy dressed up to look like one?

That was how I was feeling during my first year of officiating in Portland, Ore. It was the 2001-02 season, and it was nearing playoff time. I was with a senior official from the association I’d joined, and we’d worked together before. He and I seemed to “click” together, and the dynamic was good all around — until the fourth quarter.

It was a freshman boys’ game between two rival schools in the suburbs, and it was very intense. I was the trail official, my partner was lead and the second of two free throws for the visiting team had gone into the air. I had called the initial foul that put the fellow on the free-throw line, so I was already getting under some people’s skins. Having missed it, the kid’s rebound bounced out to the left of my position.

The visiting team got the ball and made a fake to go toward the inside of the key; the home kid took the bait. The visiting kid pulled back and had his opponent at his mercy for an open jump shot, which he took while fading away from the basket. While everyone seemed to turn their attention to the ball in mid-flight, I strained to keep my eyes on the shooter until he landed on the floor. This time, I was glad I had. The kid who had been faked out decided it was time to exact a little revenge. It came in the form of a body check on the poor shooter, who had not yet landed — and it seemed I saw it alone. People groaned at my call, and I began to get a little self-conscious.

It was getting really late in a very close game. The JV game was up next and parents for that contest were streaming into the gym and helping to root on the freshmen. I was looking around the stands, thinking, “Damn, this place is getting packed. I’ve never worked a game with this many people in the gym.” I was starting to pressure myself not to screw up — and I was beginning to sweat.

The fans were chanting and the visitors, who were down by two, called a timeout. My partner and I came together at halfcourt and talked.

“You look a little worried,” he said.

I was, and I was trying not to let it show. It only made it worse, so I remembered that I just needed to take some breaths and be myself out there.

The players were ready to go, and my partner handed the ball to the visitor at the designated spot on the sideline. I was down low, watching the jostling and pushing of the big men. The visiting center got position on his defender and made his move, faked and took the shot. The home center waited and went for the block, and only nicked his elbow on the shooting arm. I blew the whistle immediately, completely unprepared for what came next.

The crowd roared disapproval, and stood up in unison of outrage that I had called a foul on their big guy! My left arm was in the air, my fist clenched tightly, and all of a sudden a huge smile broke across my face! I looked right at the crowd and grinned, even began to giggle a bit — the nerves all washing out, I guess — and strolled to the scorer area to report the foul. People were stunned in the stands and some began laughing too! It was the only instinct I had in me to defuse such a stressful situation. The people at the scorer’s table were smiling at me and from that moment onward, I knew I belonged on a basketball court as an official of this great game.

David T. Smith is a freelance writer and basketball official in Portland, Ore. He primarily works at the high school level and previously officiated in his home country of Canada. This article originally appeared in the 1/05 issue of Referee.

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