View Single Post
  #3 (permalink)  
Old Thu Apr 07, 2005, 11:48am
Chess Ref Chess Ref is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,158
My thoughts....

I did basketball this year and am now doing softball,1st year in both sports. I ,too, am kinda taken aback by the shortcomings I see. I believe the quality of officials depends on each persons ability to self motivate. I am very self motivated when something interests me, such as officiating. I think it is human nature to do as little as possible to get the job done. I know in other areas of my life, yardwork, i could care less and my backyard is indicative of that attitude.
I come to the forums, go to watch more experienced officials, read the rule books, ask questions, etc, etc and quite frankly it shows.
for alot of people I think it is all about the money and it shows there also. My wife laughs that they send me checks each month cause I would do it for gas money.
I heard a cliche about doing 10% better than everyone else and you will be a superstar and in officiating I believe it rings real true.
After one year of basketball officicating I can go into a gym,, watch 10 refs BEFORE the game starts and point out which ones are the rec refs and which ones put the effort into learning POE, new Interps. etc. I am not quite there in Softball but I can smell a lazy umpire a mile away already.
Hope my post makes some sense.
Reply With Quote