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Originally posted by chrs_schuster
I'll start off with I,m a first year ref. thats the only good thing so far, I think I'm a good ref, but I still have alot to learn in which I know. BUT, I cant seem to make anybody happy with any call that I make or not make. If I make a call people *****, If I dont make a call people really *****. I find myself during a game hoping that the point guard or whoever has the ball pulls up for a jumpshot rather than drive the lane and I have to make the call one way or the other. What do I need to do? toughen up and let it roll off me and go on with the game. I try to get as much info from all the partners that I work with which helps a little. But sometimes there no help. Any advice would be helpful. thanks, chris
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Chris -- Welcome to the club! It's a gas being a member, and you'll have a lot of fun. But the fun is earned, and it takes some work. When you get really, genuinely addicted, as many of us are, you'll start to develop the oily coating on your feathers that lets you shake off the fans comments. Remember, until you're working at the D1 level in college, you probably know the rules better than the coaches. If you don't, a little study will do the trick. So most of what folks say during the game is meaningless. I'm saying this because it's a lesson I'm working on too. Reminding you helps me.
What you need to find, as others have said, is a mentor who will spend time watching you, or watching tapes of you, and giving advice. Be sure it's someone who says more positive things about you than negative. SOmeone that's dumping on you is not gonna help at all. You need as many "GREAT CALL!!" voices in your head as, "Uh, Chris, hello?" Learn to hear that instructive voice, and let the rest of the gym noise turn into white noise.
Watch varsity games. Ask around as to who's the best ref to watch. Look in the paper for the schedule and choose the rivalry match ups, the tournament championships, the games from the top of the standings. Sit behind the score table, and just watch and watch. Listen. Soak it in. You'll learn a lot from seeing how those refs ignore the quack-quack-quack.
Keep a list that you write after every game. 5 things I did right and 5 things I did wrong. Learn to see your mistakes and learn to learn from them. If you know what you need to work on, the parents don't sound as authoritative.
Most of all, expect to keep working on it. You'll never be perfect, but you can keep trying to be better than you were before. Stick to it! It's worth the effort!