What is your favorite aspect of officiating?

NASO members said:

30%	Friendships with crewmates/partners.
26%	Staying connected with a sport.
21%	The challenge of the job.
17%	Working with the kids.
5%	The paycheck.
1%	Other.

To view previous issues of NASO LockerRoom

Profiting From Camps and Clinics

The best way for a participant to judge the effectiveness of an officials’ camp is to count the number of habits or procedures that have later been changed in one’s personal approach. In other words, the question should be, "Are you renewed or are you dejected?" After all, one solid definition of learning is that it involves a change in behavior.

For the “delivery person,” the clinician or director, the success ratio should be measured the same way: Did attendees walk away from the experience with new insights and advanced techniques? Another way to phrase it would be to conclude that the clinic generated more fresh air than hot air.

In view of such preferred outcomes, both attendees and presenters have an obligation to expect something new and to seek it aggressively. That is, if a presenter is relying basically on a recapitulation of the manual, then spectators should raise questions about angles of approach that are not treated in the manual. The audience must assume part of the obligation for acquiring special knowledge. What is the best way to deal with animosity between opponents, for example, both players and coaches? What are some techniques for covering unusual plays such as a double rundown in baseball/softball (two runners caught between bases!), a football kickoff return with wild passes across the gridiron to teammates, or length-of-court passes in basketball at the close of a tight game?

Participants at officiating seminars should also take advantage of opportunities to probe the experts for philosophical attitudes during “off” times, such as at lunch or during a break in the sessions. To make this dimension truly beneficial an official would do well to jot down a few key questions in advance. That is, if an official listed a half-dozen areas where doubt existed about game coverage, such “ammunition” could be a basis for genuine inquiry, either during formal instructional operations or at times when respected individuals (not only the clinic speakers) were free to be interviewed.

Some of the most fruitful exchanges often take place in “bull” sessions with those whom participants admire.

Another idea to carry to a clinic: If you yourself have a special technique that you’ve invented and tried with success, share it with the group (or ask an expert about it if you’re not sure about its usefulness).

But what is the best way for officiating seminars themselves to operate? That question boils down to this: How do people learn? Professional educators usually make the learning process sound very complex. That is not necessarily the case. Just recall how you yourself gained any skill such as hitting a golf ball or driving a car. First came the “image” of what the act required, which could include an explanation, a visual depiction, a demonstration and then slow-mo participation. All phases also require careful thinking, combining physical behavior with analytic processing. You can’t improve onfield or oncourt functioning unless you have tried out special mechanics in person, just as you can’t learn to drive an auto without squeezing behind the wheel.

Therefore, the ideal clinic will provide a judicious combination of these elements. Class work is best accompanied by overhead slides, walk-through simulations and videos. The videos should show appropriate and productive techniques, not just officiating misdemeanors. If the classroom sessions can encompass fruitful, (i.e., carefully led) discussions, so much the better. Idea exchanges are another fine opportunity to garner new techniques.

Not every camp can feature live action for attendees’ participation, of course, with accompanying critiques by experts. But that is the ideal. It doesn’t have to be a real “game” or intense scrimmages by young athletes. For example, clinic volunteers can move from base to base on a diamond while umpires shift to appropriate coverage after someone hits a ball. Football plays can take place in walk-through fashion while officials practice following keys. Live action (sports camps) followed by onsite and/or video assessments are excellent, but simulations can break down phases of the game too in useful ways.

The receptive official should be determined to extract as much as possible from presenters, but for such a result the experience has to be approached with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Be a Chris Columbus discoverer. Presenters, look for those recipients of wisdom, people eager to partake and just as eager to try something stimulating. If you go to a clinic out of a sense of obligation or simply to see and be seen, as some people do, you are letting yourself down.

Written by Jerry Grunska, a frequent Referee contributor. A retired educator, he lives in Evergreen, Colo.

Tales From the Trenches …

Real stories by officials, for officials.

Priceless Privacy

Rarely are officials’ locker rooms luxury changing facilities. Sometimes you are lucky if you have hot water for a shower. Sometimes there are no showers at all or even a locker room. What is the worst or most unique changing facility you’ve used for a game? NASO LockerRoom readers had some interesting stories to tell.

Surrounded by Sewage

“In 2005, before a varsity football game, we changed up in the locker room, not thinking twice about our surroundings. When we returned after the game, our locker room was flooded — with sewage! Sometime during the game, the drainpipes backed up somewhere in the building causing our locker room to flood. Some of our stuff was salvageable, others not so lucky.”

Center Stage

“We several times dressed in an elementary classroom and had to walk across the hall to the home team locker room to shower. We also dressed once on the stage behind the curtains. Then we officiated the basketball game on the stage. Then we changed into street clothes again behind the curtain after the game was over and the teams went to their lockers … no showers for us.”

Boiling Up

“At one university, the ‘locker room’ was really a boiler room under the football stadium. However, to make it more interesting, it was also the soccer coaches’ locker area. So many times, after a hard fought game, we had to change with the home team’s coaches.”

Ready, Set, Port-O-Let

“A Port-O-Let (portable toilet). … My wallet dropped out on the floor, and I didn't realize it until I got home. When I called the school the next day, they informed me they had found my wallet on the floor of the ‘locker room.’”

Rats! Rats! Rats!

“About 15 years ago, our football crew dressed in an old industrial arts room of a school that had been closed, but the football field was still located there. It was filthy and there was rat feces all over. We were very close to walking out, and I know if that were to happen today we would walk.”

Maintenance Problem

“Changing in a maintenance shed for a semi-pro game in Austria. No water and no electricity. Plenty of chalk and lawn tools.”

Close Quarters

“In the not so distant past, working Division I softball found many of us dressing out of our cars in the parking lot. Now you could be ticketed for indecent exposure for dressing in the parking lot, so it’s nice that many colleges have actually found some locker room facilities for us. However, one D-I school hosted a tournament and tried to have six blues change in a locker room built for two. I got to saddle up in the shower, while one partner dressed in the toilet stall. Needless to say, no one could shower or use the restroom facilities very easily that weekend.”

Call Out for Summit Speakers

With the 2006 Summit over, NASO is already gearing up for the 2007 event, which will be held Sunday through Tuesday, July 29-31, at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. The theme for the 2007 Summit is “The Power of Persuasive Officiating: Resolve Conflicts, Manage Games, Build Relationships.”

NASO is developing a list of applicable session topics for Denver and considering panelists and speakers best suited to addressing them. In addition, NASO is looking for your help in identifying possible speakers and panelists.

Do you know of a leader in your local group, state association or league who is good at resolving conflict, managing games or building relationships? Tell us about that person. Is there an official at the professional or college ranks you feel would make a good speaker for the upcoming NASO Summit? Share your thoughts.

The panelists for The Power of Persuasive Officiating will discuss effective skills that go beyond knowing the rules and mechanics. NASO is looking for high quality candidates who will add insight and depth to panel sessions.

To submit your speaker or panelist suggestions, e-mail editor@naso.org. In the e-mail, include the name and title of the individual you are suggesting as well as the reason you feel that person would make a good addition to the 2007 Summit discussion. Also please include any contact information you can provide.