|
|
|
September 16, 2002
Balancing Family and Officiating
Keeping your officiating in perspective is one of the most important — yet often challenging — aspects of officiating. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in our officiating we forget critically important things, like family. Here are some tips to make sure your family life and officiating have a peaceful co-existence.
1. Don’t take the game home with you. Frustrations often mount in officiating. Think about the typical horrendous event. The coach was screaming at you. The fans were brutal. The game was a blowout. Your partner arrived late. The observer made you feel like you did nothing right. You drove home in terrible weather.
That is not the time to use your spouse by dumping all of your problems. Certainly, most spouses are supportive and want to know how things went. Tell your spouse, but be careful not to cross the line and heave mounds of emotion on your spouse. If you need your spouse to act as a sounding board or give you a pep talk every time you come home from a game, you’re probably not have much fun officiating. Certainly, your spouse isn’t having much fun with your officiating either.
2. Have the children plan a vacation. Officiating often means spending time away from your family. One way to make up for it is to spend your officiating money on a family vacation. Let the kids in on the planning. Adding that little twist makes it a true family effort.
3. Give your spouse a game check. Some officials might argue all the officiating money goes to the spouse already! Seriously, consider giving your spouse an officiating check when you come home from a game. Make it a surprise gift. Let the spouse spend it on … whatever. It’s a small token of your appreciation and acknowledges the spouse’s understanding and tolerance of your officiating.
4. Call home when away. When your officiating takes you on the road, call home when you get into town. Most spouses would probably tell you they worry most about the travel associated with officiated, whether it’s across town or across the country. If you’re spending time overnight, be sure to let your spouse know you arrived OK. If you’re gone for a few days, check in often. It eases your mind knowing everything is alright at home and it eases your spouse’s mind knowing you’re alright and you haven’t forgotten. Don’t forget to say "hi" to the kids.
5. Call if running late. Arguably, few things get officials in more trouble with spouses than getting home later than expected without calling home. If you were running really late on your way to a game, you’d probably frantically try to call your partner, your assignor, the school, etc. Why not have that same emphasis when you’re running late going home? There’s really no excuse.
That’s especially true if you "stop for a couple" with your officiating cronies. Stopping at the local watering hole to share war stories is a lot of fun and can be great therapy. Just let your spouse know you’re doing it. Play a little role reversal: How would you feel if your spouse was due home at a certain time and showed up four hours later without calling home? Your range of emotions would travel quickly between angry and worried. Don’t put your spouse through it.
7. Be careful when climbing. Most officials have desires to move up to another level or increase the number of games on the schedule. It’s our competitive nature. However, before accepting that promotion or working those extra couple of night per week, consider the ramifications on your family. Many officials who have climbed to high levels in officiating have sacrificed relationships with their spouse and children. At the very least, discuss the changes in your schedule and travel with your family before accepting the assignments. Consider this: There’s nothing wrong with working a local high school schedule a couple of nights a week and having a tremendous family life. There is something wrong with traveling all over the map for your new college schedule and destroying your family life. What are your priorities?
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tax
Tips For You |
NASO members have access to important tax information and tips any time thanks to a new link on the NASO website. Go to www.naso.org/tax.
The site has numerous features that every sport official can use. In addition to articles covering specific topics, there are helpful forms to download for record keeping. You will also find a map of the USA and by simply placing your mouse over any state and clicking, you will be connected to the corresponding department of revenue.
But that’s not all. There is a link to the Internal Revenue Services Home Page, so members have access to all the federal information too including a link for "Frequently Asked Questions" and forms.
Have a specific question about officiating and taxes? The NASO site has a handy icon you simply click and you’re connected to Hal Kaye, a sports official for more than 30 years and tax consultant to many sports officials. Just "Ask Hal" and you’ll get a confidential reply.
NASO intends to regularly update the site with current and breaking tax news, so members are encouraged to visit the site regularly.
|
New
Office Hours
|
Office hours for NASO and Referee magazine, are 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Fridays. Offices are located in Racine, Wis., part of the Central Time zone.
 |
|
Three-Pointer!
NBA Teams to Host Officials Appreciation Nights |
The NBA’s Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons will host NASO Sports Officials Appreciation Nights this fall as part of local game promotions.
The promotion provides local officials with an opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to the game and attend a pregame clinic conducted by a member of the NBA officiating staff. Each team, as well as NASO and Referee, provides door prizes to add fun and excitement to the event.
The Nov. 6 game in Chicago will feature the Bulls against the Boston Celtics. Illinois officials should contact Dave Gannaway at the Illinois High School Association at 309/663-6377. This will be the second time in two years the Bulls have conducted an appreciation night. Local officials groups set up informational booths in the lobby of the United Center and recruited several new officials from the event. A similar recruitment effort will occur this fall, too.
On Nov. 18 the Atlanta Hawks will challenge the Toronto Raptors. Local officials will attend a pregame clinic conducted by a member of the NBA officiating staff and also be eligible to win various door prizes from the Hawks team and NASO/Referee. Officials in Atlanta should contact Nick Brown at 404/578-4789 or Nadine Fazio at the Hawks office, 404/ 878-2458.
And on Dec. 15 the Detroit Pistons will play the New Jersey Nets. The Detroit event will be limited to the first 150 officials who sign up. Contact Noel Dolan at the Pistons office at 248-371-2007.
"These events are beneficial to the local officials, their association and to the NBA team," said NASO Communications Manager Bob Still. "It’s a fun night for the local officials — an opportunity to meet top leaders in the NBA officiating department and see a professional game. No matter what level you work, it’s an educational and fun night."
All three teams have indicated that the NASO public service announcement, "Be a ref. Make the Call!" will be played on their Jumbotron scoreboards prior to or during the game.
NASO has worked with several NBA teams to coordinate appreciation nights over the past three years. The objective of each promotion is to provide local sports officials with face-to-face contact with the NBA officiating leadership, encourage local associations to use these high-profile games and sites to recruit new officials and educate the public about officiating, provide a meaningful educational opportunity to local officials, and provide a fun atmosphere for camaraderie.
The fact that the Chicago Bulls are conducting another event this year and the San Antonio Spurs have already conducted back-to-back events the past two years says this works for them, says Still.
According to Still, several other NBA teams might conduct events during the 2002-03 season.
|
Are
You Teaching an |
If you are involved in teaching a high school or collegiate officiating course, NASO and Referee magazine wants to help you provide powerful and useful information to your students.
Each semester Referee magazine will provide one complimentary subscription that you, as the instructor, may give to a student. In exchange for the complimentary subscription, you also provide all your students with an opportunity to subscribe to Referee. Here’s how the program works:
• Contact program coordinator Mary Koenigseder at Referee with a written request providing the name of the course, school name, how often the class meets, number of registered students and a brief description of the course goals. Mary can be reached at mkoenigseder@referee.com.
• Agree to provide all students in your class with a special one-year subscription offer from Referee magazine. We’ll provide the promotional materials that you simply provide in class.
It’s that simple. Your students get an opportunity to subscribe to the professions most professional and resourceful tool and you receive a complimentary one-year subscription to reward to one student in your class. You determine the criteria for the complimentary subscription giveaway.
 |
October
Issue |
The October issue of REFEREE is in the mail
and has lots of important news and information.
Here’s a preview:
- Say No to the Heave Ho
- Help Me Out Here
- Sex, Drugs & Rock ’N’ Roll
- For All the World to See
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
