Froemming and His Principles

A chance meeting on a flight from Milwaukee to Denver between NASO President Barry Mano and veteran major league umpire Bruce Froemming resulted in this column. Barry gave Bruce a "reminder card" titled "Personal Performance Principles," originally published by Referee magazine. Bruce read it, then jotted down his own thoughts on those principles. His insights follow each section.

• Be competitive. The players give maximum effort; so should you – every game. Tell yourself, "I’m not going to let this game get away from me. I am better than that." You are hired to make the calls that control the game – make them!

Bruce: No game should ever get away from you. Good officials never have to tell or remind themselves of that.

• Have your head on right. Don’t think or act as if your uniform grants you immunity from having to take a little criticism, which goes with the territory. Plan on it. Effective officials know how much to take before responding. Knowing where to draw the line is critical.

Bruce: Criticism if done in the proper way comes with the territory. The coach should and must show the same respect you show him. You draw the line when it gets personal and has nothing to do with the call. Never permit profanity that is directed at you; you’ll lose respect from all the people who heard it. Note: I’ve had two ejections in three years and I’m labeled as having a short fuse. Unfair, but I accept it as my style. Through the years I’m consistent with discipline. If the player is wrong, I deal with it immediately. I don’t pretend not to hear it.

• Don’t set up a showdown. If a coach is on your back but not enough to warrant a penalty, stay away from him. That is especially true during timeouts and other breaks in the action. Standing near an unhappy coach, just to show him who’s boss, will do nothing but lead to further tension and acrimony. Some officials develop irritating habits. Don’t be one of them.

Bruce: If a coach is on your back, let him know right off in a polite way that he is to coach and you will officiate. Note: I agree with the rest, but you could have added to also stay away from the coaches before the game. There is way too much chatter between coaches and referees.

• Get into the flow of the game. Each game is different. Good officials can feel that difference. Take note if the tempo of the game changes. A ragged game calls for a different style of officiating from a smooth one.

Bruce: I agree.

• Never bark. You don’t like to be shouted at, so apply the same philosophy when dealing with others. Be firm when necessary, but use a normal relaxed voice. That approach works wonders in helping you reduce the pressure. Shouting indicates a loss of control of both yourself and the game you’re working.

Bruce: Sometimes you need to raise your voice, but otherwise I agree.

• Show confidence. Cockiness has absolutely no place in officiating. You want to exude confidence. Your presence should command respect from the participants. As in any walk of life, appearance, manner and voice determine how you are accepted. Try to present the proper image.

Bruce: Respect comes from your consistency in handling tough situations.

• Forget the fans. As a group, fans tend to exhibit three characteristics: ignorance of the rules, highly emotional partisanship and delight in antagonizing the officials. Accepting that will help you ignore the fans and concentrate on the job at hand (unless fans interrupt the game or stand in the way of you doing your job.)

Bruce: Absolutely.

• Answer reasonable questions. Treat coaches and players in a courteous way. If they ask you a question reasonably, answer them in a polite way. If they get your ear by saying, "Hey ref I want to ask you something," and than start telling you off, interrupt and remind them of the reason for the discussion. Be firm, but relaxed.

Bruce: I agree.

• Choose your words wisely. Don’t obviously threaten a coach or player; if you do, that will put them on the defensive. More importantly, if you threaten, you have placed yourself on the spot. If you judge that a situation is serious enough to warrant a threat, then it’s serious enough to penalize without invoking a threat.

Bruce: I agree. I don’t threaten anyone. I let them know that I’ve heard them and that that’s enough.

• Stay cool. One of your goals is to establish a calm environment for the game. Nervous, edgy officials are easily spotted by fans, coaches and players alike. Avidly chewing gum, pacing around or displaying a wide range of inappropriate emotions prior to or during a contest will make you appear to be vulnerable to the pressure.

Bruce: Just watch the scorer’s table in basketball before a game. I can tell almost immediately who can do the job and who can’t.

Check NASO.org for Insurance Coverage Details

One more piece of paper can be eliminated from your files. The details about your NASO insurance coverage are now posted on the NASO website at http://naso.org/benefits/insurance.htm. Just go to the NASO Member Benefits icon and click. Once you are in the member benefits section, click on the insurance benefits link. Brochures describing the coverage are also available by contacting NASO Customer Service at 262/632-5548, or writing NASO headquarters at 2017 Lathrop Avenue, Racine, Wis., 53405. There will be no mass mailing of the brochure to NASO members.

The new insurance year begins Oct. 1, 2003, and your coverage has not changed. As an NASO member you still have up to $3 million of general liability coverage. Plus, you are also automatically covered by NASO’s exclusive Assault Protection Program should you be the victim of an officiating-connected assault or battery. The groundbreaking Assault Protection Program provides you with funds for legal services and medical coverage and protects game fees that you may lose because of an attack.

Friendly Reminder! Nominate Your Candidate for 2004 NASO Gold Whistle Award®

Last month’s issue of NASO LockerRoom asked if you know an official who is an outstanding contributor to his or her community? A person whose integrity and character is such that other officials look to them not only as a role model, but also as a true hero?

If so, there’s still time to nominate that person for the 2004 NASO Gold Whistle Award (GWA).

The NASO Gold Whistle Award was created to honor an individual who not only has demonstrated officiating excellence, but also has served mankind above and beyond the call of duty. Clearly the emphasis is on community contributions.

Since 1988, NASO has selected one individual annually. Most recently, the award was presented to NBA referee Bob Delaney at the NASO Gold Whistle Award banquet in Portland, Ore.

Previous honorees include the NFL’s Art McNally, Jim Tunney and Tom Dooley; MLB’s Larry Young, retired umpires Larry Barnett, Steve Palermo and the late Durwood Merrill; NBA referee Tommy Nuñez; retired NHL linesmen Paul Stewart and Ron Asselstine; collegiate basketball referees Ed Hightower and the late Pete Pavia; the late Ed Myer, a sports business entrepreneur and official; and officiating administrators Bernie Saggau and Ted Butcher.

For more information visit the NASO Gold Whistle Award web page at http://www.naso.org/benefits/goldwhistle/gw.htm.

NFHS Challenges Students to "Make The Point!" for Special Olympics

On October 25, 2003, millions of high school students across the nation will have the opportunity to participate in Make the Point! for Special Olympics, a basketball fundraiser to benefit participating schools and Special Olympics.

The alliance between the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Special Olympics brings together two organizations dedicated to empowering individuals to be respected, contributing members of society through their involvement in sports.

The Make the Point! event on October 25 will conclude the 24th annual celebration of National High School Activities Week (October 19-25), which was created by the NFHS in 1980 to increase public awareness of the values of and need for interscholastic activity programs.

Special Olympics and the NFHS are challenging students across America to solicit donations from friends and family, based on the number of free throws they believe they can attempt in a given time period. On event day, participating students will gather in their school gymnasiums, turn in the money they raised and shoot their promised free throws.

As a bonus, each participating school will receive 10 percent of the revenue it raises through Make the Point!

"By partnering with Special Olympics, we believe we have the unprecedented opportunity to further infuse two of our core values — respect for self and respect for others — to high school students," said NFHS Executive Director Robert F. Kanaby. "Make the Point! for Special Olympics gives our youth a tangible way to promote good citizenship in their schools, and, most importantly, it awards students on a personal level, knowing they will truly inspire greatness in Special Olympics athletes."

"We are grateful for NFHS' commitment," said Timothy P. Shriver, president and CEO of Special Olympics, "and encourage America's youth to lead our nation and its future generations in the pursuit of empowerment, acceptance and inclusion for all individuals. Together, we all can Make the Point! for Special Olympics."

About Special Olympics

Special Olympics is an international year-round program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with mental retardation. More than 1 million athletes in more than 150 countries train and compete in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with mental retardation continuing opportunities to develop fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy as they participate in the sharing of gifts and friendship with other athletes, their families and the community. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics.

Visit Special Olympics online at www.specialolympics.org.

About NFHS

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), based in Indianapolis, is the national service and administrative organization for high school athletics and fine arts programs including speech, debate, theatre and music. NFHS writes the playing rules for 17 sports for boy’s and girl’s competition and provides programs and services for its 51 member state high school associations, which encompasses about 18,200 U.S. high schools and more than 10 million students. The mission of the NFHS is to promote participation and sportsmanship and to develop good citizens through interscholastic activities which provide equitable opportunities, positive recognition and learning experiences to students.  

Visit the NFHS online at www.nfhs.org.   

"Character Counts Week" is Oct. 19-25

NASO is proud to support the Josephson Institute of Ethics "Character Counts" program. The program is a school-based initiative emphasizing to children the six pillars of ethical behavior: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

The United States Congress has declared Oct. 19-25 as "Character Counts Week" across the nation. Although the celebration is only days away, there is still time for you to get involved in your community. Here are a couple of examples of how sports officials can take an active role…

• Inform civic and community leaders about CHARACTER COUNTS! and arrange a ceremony where the mayor and other elected leaders issue a CC! Week proclamation for your community. (Go to the CC! Website at www.charactercounts.com for the sample proclamation.)

• Invite a CC! speaker to your community – or conduct your own speaking engagement – to help initiate a community leadership program for young people.

• Distribute "A Person of Character…" wallet cards to local community groups and churches for them to include with their bulletins and newsletters.

• Distribute "Pursuing Victory With Honor" sportsmanship wallet cards (for youth coaches, Olympic/intercollegiate coaches or athletes) to local sports organizations and schools.

• Distribute the Arizona Sports Summit Accord to local youth sports leagues. Encourage the leagues to formally endorse the Accord and to discuss it with parents, coaches, players, referees, etc.

• Arrange for all participants in community sports leagues to create and sign a "CHARACTER COUNTS! in Sports" contract, committing them to practice good sportsmanship and the Six Pillars of Character.

For more information about the "CHARACTER COUNTS!" program, call 310/306-1868.

October Issue Mailed

The October issue of REFEREE has been mailed and has lots of important news and information.

Here’s a preview:

Look for your issue of REFEREE any day. www.referee.com