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January 15, 2002
The opening jump ball is a good one and you’re off and running toward the baseline as the lead official. You round the corner near the baseline to settle into position for the first actions of the game in a halfcourt setting. Your eyes are focused on the players as you turn the corner to face the action.
Suddenly, there’s a collision … and you’re in it! Because you’re looking where you’re supposed to, you don’t see the cheerleaders standing on the baseline and you crash into them.
Later, you’re the lead official and make a strong block call underneath the basket. Suddenly you hear someone behind you scream, "That’s brutal!" Your head snaps around to find the culprit only to realize there are no fans behind you, just a male cheerleader with a hands-caught-in-the-cookie-jar look.
Those scenarios are played out much too often in crowded gymnasiums – and even large stadiums. People can and do get hurt when collisions happen. The unsporting behavior by cheerleaders is just another in a long list of officiating responsibilities that shouldn’t ever get to that point. Occasionally it does and we have to deal with it.
Cheerleader positioning. There are some things we can do as officials to avoid any problems with the cheerleaders’ positions on the court or field.
1. Understand their role. Remember that cheerleaders have worked long hours practicing just like the teams have in preparation for the game. They think they are a part of the game. We know that cheerleaders are not essential to the game, however, a quick dismissal of their role only inflames controversy.
2. Work with them before the game. Regardless of the sport, officials are required to be present long before the game starts. There is ample time to talk to the cheerleaders and their coach or advisor before the game. Cheerleaders tend to position themselves on the baseline, especially at basketball games. When there is little room on the baseline for the officials, it’s a problem. Handle it by requesting them to move long before the game begins so the game starts without a hitch.
3. Safety first. If the cheerleaders are hesitant to cooperate, explain to their coach or advisor that their positioning is a safety issue. You’re moving them to protect them, the players and the officials from potential injury. Just like any other injury situation, when in doubt, err on the side of safety.
4. Use the game administrator. If all else fails, call on the game administrator to help you take care of the situation. Once the administrator understands you’re simply trying to protect the game’s participants – and protect the school from any possible litigious situations – the cooperation should get easier. If there are continual problems associated with the cheerleaders, contact the school’s governing body (likely a state association).
Cheerleader attitudes. Public perception is that sportsmanship is on the decline. Arguably, the same could be said for cheerleader sportsmanship. There have been a number of instances where officials have had to delay or stop games to deal with an overzealous cheerleader or mascot. At the collegiate level in particular, you’ll see cheerleaders signaling calls, then throwing their arms up to the crowd to incite fans against the officials.
1. Deal with the problem cheerleader immediately. This is not a "three strikes and you’re out" situation. If you see a cheerleader incite the crowd against you, your partner or the opponents, deal with it immediately. The longer you let it slide, the worse it will get.
Cheerleaders are not fans and should not be given as much leeway. They are representing their school or university in a formal manner and should act accordingly. A fan yelling, "Ref, you’re horrible!" probably isn’t worth dealing with; a cheerleader yelling the same thing is unacceptable.
If the situation warrants and the first offense is a minor one, consider talking to the cheerleading coach or advisor or the game administrator at your earliest convenience and let them know about the situation. If it’s minor, give administrators a chance to deal with it before you have to.
If any offense is considered major, have the offender removed immediately. Do not give the ol’ baseball heave-ho or get in the cheerleader’s face. Deal with it like you’d deal with a fan ejection. Let the game administrator handle it. Do not – unless it is of the most extreme nature and a long delay occurs – penalize a team for the actions of a cheerleader.
2. Prevention is the key. Just like other unsportsmanlike situations, handling it before it escalates is important. If you’ve had a bad situation with a cheerleader, work with the school to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Educate the school administrators on what is and what is not acceptable in the eyes of the officials.
Cheerleaders can and should be an ally in good sportsmanship. In the fall 1995 Minnesota State High School League newsletter, Diana Peterson, cheerleading advisor at Brainerd High School, wrote, "Your cheerleaders are very important in maintaining positive sportsmanship. Only they have the ability to step directly in front of an unruly crowd and begin a fun chant that they know their crowd will respond to. … Certainly, there can be disappointments as well as celebrations in any competition. Essentially, through our actions, it is our responsibility. Positive sportsmanship shown by the student body or the community doesn’t just happen. It must be an ongoing intentional activity."
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HRA SportsVision new "Educational Partner"
NASO is proud to announce that HRA SportsVision is its newest "Educational Partner."
Harvey Ratner, founder and president of Harvey Ratner Associates (HRA), signed the three-year partnership agreement with NASO in January. HRA specializes in optical training and has developed specific programs to help sports officials. Ratner presented a portion of his program to officials attending the NASO "Successful Sports Officiating" conference in 2000 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Today, HRA is working with the NFL officials as well as other professional and amateur organizations developing skills to improve their officiating.
NASO Educational Partners are businesses or individuals who provide services or benefits to NASO members and contribute financially to NASO’s educational efforts.
"This is a great partnership because it truly supports the NASO mission of improving officiating," said NASO President Barry Mano. "Mr. Ratner has developed some amazing products and philosophies that are proven to work."
NASO members will be able to purchase various HRA products at a significant discount through direct purchase with HRA. Details of the program will be announced in the April issue of It’s Official.
"I am very excited about working with NASO," said Ratner. "I’ve been impressed with the dedication the organization has to improving officiating and how it supports that effort with real tools and materials. I’m looking forward to a successful and long partnership."
NASO wants to remind all members that no matter your sport, NASO insurance is there for you. NASO members are provided up to $3 million in liability protection and have the exclusive NASO Assault Protection Program provided with your membership dues. There is no additional cost for this coverage.
To review your insurance benefits, visit: http://www.naso.org/benefits/insurance.htm
Board, ODA to meet in Dallas
The NASO Board of Directors holds its semi-annual meeting January 19-20 in Dallas. The highlight of the meeting will be a review of recommendations made by the strategic development committee, which met in September.
Other key agenda items include: the extension of the management and publications agreements between NASO and Referee Enterprises, Inc.; approval of the NASO budget for 2002; and discussions concerning future NASO conferences. The board will also hear operational reports from the staff.
The NASO-initiated Officiating Development Alliance convenes the day prior to the board meeting. That group consists of a cross-section of the officiating world and augments the efforts of NASO to address training, recruiting and image challenges faced by officials at large.
A full report on both meetings will appear in a future issue of It’s Official.
Rules for Umps: Baseball 2002 now available
The 96-page book, written by Referee Associate Editor Jeffrey Stern, is a complete, concise guide to all the NFHS and NCAA rule changes for the 2002 baseball season. Also covered are rules regarding baserunners, infield flies and designated hitters, high school and college points of emphasis, and a look back at last year's rule changes. NASO members pay $7.95 ($9.95 nonmembers) or can redeem their NASO-member gift certificate and receive this book for free.
Further details and ordering information for this new publication are included in this issue of Referee magazine. Bulk order discounts are available for all Referee/NASO publications, including this one. For group discount details or to place an order, contact Referee/NASO Group Sales Manager Patrick Miles at 800/733-6100 or order online at www.naso.org.
Nominate two officials – put money in your pocket
NASO members can save $5 on their NASO membership renewal. It’s as simple as sending us two names of officials you think will make good NASO members along with your renewal payment. Instead of paying $79 for a membership, members pay only $74. The discount is available only to those who participate in the membership program. In order to qualify for the discount, the member must complete a form that will be enclosed with the renewal statement and return it to NASO with the renewal payment.
NASO membership recruitment programs are critical to the growth of the organization. As a source for new members, recommendations from present members rank second only to the conversion of existing Referee magazine subscribers.
Once NASO receives the names and addresses of nominated officials, it mails a packet that includes a personal invitation letter, complimentary issue of the NASO "Members Only" Edition of Referee, an NASO membership brochure and application. The nominated official is told in the cover letter that an NASO member nominated them for membership.
Members sending in more than two names are encouraged to do so, but only one $5 discount will be applied to dues.
If you have questions about the 2002 NASO recruitment campaign, contact customer service at 262/632-5448. Be watching for your renewal statement and become part of the NASO membership program.
Sporting goods industry salutes The Sports Authority
(NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla.) – Hard work and dedication to the communities around this country have become an American staple. But The Sports Authority, headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has garnered special recognition for its creation and support of Fitness Authority, a health and educational fitness program for children across the United States.
On Jan. 21, 2002 at The Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada (during The Super Show®), the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) will present the SGMA Retail Industry HEROES Award to The Sports Authority. This award is given each year to a retailer that has created outstanding programs for youth or amateur sports. The Sports Authority will be recognized during SGMA’s awards dinner, "An Evening with the Heroes of Sport."
The Master of Ceremonies for this industry event will be TV host and sports reporter Suzy Kolber. Joining her on stage will be former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason and former NFL Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams.
In an effort to combat unhealthy living in the youth across the country, The Sports Authority joined forces with the Boys & Girls Club of America to launch this national fitness program. The Fitness Authority program creates opportunities for more than three million Boys & Girls Club members to learn about the importance of physical fitness and encourages them to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. The program includes year-round fitness activities as well as regional and national competitions in the spring.
The Sports Authority decided to co-sponsor the fitness program to encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles at an early age. By donating $3.3 million to the project, The Sports Authority has made a firm commitment to the improvement of physical fitness for the youth of America. This past year, over 100,000 children around the country (as well as United States territories and military bases around the world) were able to compete in the fitness program, while nearly 1,000 children competed in the regional and national competitions.
Other organizations and individuals being recognized during this awards dinner include the three national winners of the SGMA HEROES® Awards (for volunteers who organize, administer, and support local sports programs), the two recipients of the USOC Rings of Gold Awards (for an individual and a sports organization that have helped Olympians reach their goals), and Park & Sun Sports which is being honored as the SGMA Member HEROES Award winner (for its outstanding support of youth or amateur sports).
The winner of last year’s inaugural SGMA Retail Industry HEROES Award was Oshman’s Sporting Goods.
The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), owner of The Super Show, is the trade association of North American manufacturers, producers, and distributors of sports apparel, athletic footwear, fitness, and sporting goods equipment. SGMA represents and supports its members through programs and strategies for sports participation, market intelligence and public policy.
CHARACTER COUNTS!
Last December the folks at the CHARACTER COUNTS! program created their own list of good and bad examples of character in sports. NASO has worked closely with Michael Josephson, founder of CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Arizona Accord, two programs that promote sportsmanship and character development. We thought you might like to see their take on the events from the world of sports in 2001.
RECREATIONAL (YOUTH) SPORTS
THE TOP 3:
1. The soccer community mobilized to assist the relief efforts following the tragedy of September 11. AYSO sold "Kids Helping Kids Band Together" armbands for players to wear with their uniforms to show support for victims and their families. All proceeds went to "kid-oriented relief efforts."
2. The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association released pamphlets and videos and conducted seminars to curb unsportsmanlike behavior in the stands. The league also has a rule holding coaches accountable for the behavior of their players' parents, calling for the coach's suspension in the case of any act of verbal or physical aggression from parents in the crowd.
3. On National Sportsmanship Day, the Institute for International Sport launched the online Center for Sports Parenting, a new online clearinghouse "to provide parents, coaches, educators, officials and all others involved in youth sports with fingertip resources on how to deal with the physical and psychological issues surrounding youth sports."
THE BOTTOM 3:
1. Danny Almonte and the Little League age scandal. Was there any doubt?
2. Over 30 parents and coaches got into an on-field brawl at the conclusion of an AYSO regional 14-year-old boys soccer game. One Chino Hills man allegedly used a metal rod during the fight, striking at least one parent on the opposing team. Police arrested three people.
3. Angry parents continue to berate and even assault officials. One Florida parent allegedly hit an umpire and slashed his tires, while another Florida man, previously viewed as a community hero, was arrested for punching a referee.
EDUCATIONAL (HIGH SCHOOL) SPORTS
THE TOP 3:
1. Jack Moss, a longtime sports columnist for the Kalamazoo Gazette, took a public stance against the overexposure of high school sports stars. Demonstrating the media's potential for positive action in the name of character in sports, Mr. Moss "declared a personal ban on attending press conferences announcing which college or university a star athlete will attend." He wrote, "My guideline has always been that when a school holds a press conference to announce its National Merit Scholarship winners, then it might, just might, be appropriate to let an athlete, his parents or his coaches stage a press conference to announce his college of choice."
2. People may talk about not tolerating poor sportsmanship, but officials at Thomson High School in northwest Illinois turned their words into action by canceling their boys basketball season with four games remaining in response to the team's bad behavior. "The boys were having problems with respect for authority, respect for adults and respect for officials," Superintendent James Gray said. "We wanted to let all the kids know that [playing school sports] is not a right but rather a privilege."
3. The Arizona Interscholastic Association began providing PVWH certification for at least one athletic director or coach at every high school.
THE BOTTOM 3:
1. An underground network of coaches, agents and middlemen was working to bring foreign athletes to American high schools and colleges, violating a variety of rules, according to a report by the Dayton Daily News. The newspaper uncovered high school athletes who had already received diplomas in their native countries, multiple administrators who contacted foreign agents for players and one high school administrator who acknowledged putting false information on visa application forms.
2. Loveland High School (Colorado) football players were caught with the nonstick cooking spray Pam on their uniforms during a victory over Greeley Central in the Class 4A prep football playoffs. "I don't know if it altered the outcome of the game, but they were a little more difficult to block and tackle," said Steve Burch, Greeley Central head coach.
3. The coach of Camden High School in New Jersey kept in star player Dajuan Wagner so he could score 100 points against their overmatched opponents. Even Coach Jeff Van Gundy of the New York Knicks was troubled. "What are we teaching," he asked, according to The New York Times, "when we say records and points are more important than sportsmanship and team excellence?"
COMPETITIVE (COLLEGE AND OLYMPIC) SPORTS
THE TOP 3:
1. The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, an independent panel that had been meeting over several years to evaluate the state of college athletics, released a report recommending that college teams with low graduation rates be banned from postseason play. The panel of university presidents, business leaders and sports figures also suggested prohibiting corporate logos on team uniforms, banning legal gambling on college sports, encouraging the NBA and NFL to establish minor leagues, and creating a new coalition of college presidents to promote reform.
2. Faculty Senates at all Big Ten and six Pac-10 schools, inspired by a September statement by Indiana University President Myles Brand, passed resolutions calling for their presidents to examine ways to slow the "arms race" that, in their eyes, has come to dominate big-time college sports.
3. For all the criticism being leveled at college football's Bowl Championship Series (BCS), the system deserves credit for improvement. The BCS was amended to eliminate margin of victory from the rankings, removing the incentive to run up the score against inferior teams, and to favor victories against teams ranked in the top 15 over those against lesser opponents, lessening the problem of teams scheduling games with inferior competition to improve their record and ranking.
THE BOTTOM 3:
1. The University of Wisconsin was put on five years' probation and the football and basketball teams lost scholarships because of unadvertised discounts their athletes received at a shoe store. In a violation of NCAA policy, more than 150 athletes in 14 sports accepted at least $23,000 in discounts from the store.
2. The stakes of the "arms race" continued to rise, as The University of Oregon athletic department spent $250,000 on a billboard in Manhattan promoting quarterback Joey Harrington's Heisman Trophy candidacy.
3. The University of Florida dropped basketball star Teddy Dupay from its team due to allegations that he provided information about whether the team would cover spreads to a friend and fellow student who bet on the games. The two shared their winnings.
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
THE TOP 3:
1. A no-brainer: the tragic events of September 11 put sport itself into perspective, and the response of the sports world -- in taking time out from seasons, in mobilizing to help the relief effort, and in exemplifying the country's patriotism when play resumed -- showed the very best of what athletics has to offer.
2. The NFL made a conscious effort to improve sportsmanship for this season. Every player watched a league-produced video featuring NFL veterans such as Marcus Allen stressing the importance of sportsmanlike behavior, and officials now penalizes players for improper conduct.
3. In a long overdue effort to improve the safety of the sport in light of recent fatal crashes, NASCAR announced that all drivers in the Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series must wear either a HANS or Hutchens device at all times on the track.
THE BOTTOM 3:
1. The XFL.
2. Commercialism in the NBA: The Memphis (then Vancouver) Grizzlies received offers to become either the Memphis Express, in honor of corporate sponsor FedEx, or the Louisville Colonels, after corporate sponsor Kentucky Fried Chicken. They turned them down. Fortunately, no NBA player has yet agreed to wear temporary tattoos of corporate logos on the court. But as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban warned, "Today's blasphemy is tomorrow's sacred tradition."
3. In a pre-dawn raid, Italian police confiscated stimulants and steroids from the hotel rooms and vehicles of bike racers in the Giro d'Italia. No arrests were made. According to one report, a cyclist jumped out of his first floor window when the raid began, and many others threw syringes from their windows.
February
issue in the mail
The February issue of REFEREE is
in the mail and has lots of important news and information.
Here’s a preview:
- Elastic Power
- Fill 'Er Up!
- This is What I Am, not What I Do'
- 2001: Year in Review
- Interview: Greg Willard
Plus, there are features and insight on officiating news and more. As always, you’ll also find that the REFEREE editors have put together informative columns on baseball, basketball, football and soccer techniques.
Look for your issue of REFEREE any day. www.referee.com
