What I Learned From Officiating

This is a difficult time of year for me. It is the start of the basketball season. I spent many winters refereeing college basketball games. I retired several seasons ago, but there are certain times of the season that I still miss the game. The worst days are at the beginning of the season and the final weeks of the season around the playoffs. It did not help anything this weekend when a friend told me the that I needed to come back to the game. He said I looked like I could walk on the court and look like I had never been away. That was kind but he does not know how my knees feel. They ache a lot more than they used to. I am not as young as I used to be. I reflect on my career from time to time. Here are some things I have learned from running up and down the basketball court. COMPOSURE. Basketball is a fast-paced game. Today's players are bigger and quicker. The game can get pretty physical. Sometimes the crowd can be a factor. When things get intense, you have to keep your composure. That works in life too. Learn to handle the pressure. EXCELLENCE. Officiating is the only business in the world where you have to be perfect to start with and get better as you go. Perfection is not humanly possible, but you should strive for excellence. You are going to miss a call now and then. You hope to keep them to a minimum. COMMUNICATE. You will have many opportunities during a ballgame to communicate with the coaches and players. When a coach wants an explanation and is professional, you help yourself by communicating with him or her. Coaches are going to tell you what they think. As long as they don't cross the line let them have their say. You don't always have to have the last word. I heard a veteran of the Final Four says once, "You can't quote silence." That will also help you in life. POSITION. I did not need to be the fastest person in the arena. I did need to put myself in a position to succeed. Do the basic things well. Be there mentally. Stay focused on my responsibility. Be where I was supposed to be. Don't give up. Finish strong. TIMING. You should not look at the game as 40 minutes, or two 20 minute halves. Veteran officials, and a lot of coaches, focus from time out to time out. Media timeouts are four minutes apart. Focus on what you have to do. Do not get ahead of yourself and rush, or cut corners. Trust the process. Have a workable plan and follow it. Today's Winning Thought: As an official, and in life, you are being observed, and graded. Every play, every game, even what you do off the court, is scrutinized. 1