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Originally Posted by Smitty
What does that even mean?
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First...let's all agree I worded that very badly
The point I was attempting to make is that the appearance of the official...the first impressions made when arriving at the site and on the floor...can earn an official the benefit of the doubt UNTIL the game starts and he/she has to start making calls.
Maybe this example from last weekend will help. I was at a camp and there was a young kid attending. He could run like a deer but he almost looked like a homeless person...looked like he drug his shoes on the camp behind his car, pants and shirt didn't fit well, 2 day growth worth of beard, hair was a mess...you get the picture. Off the floor, while most others wore nice shorts and polo/golf shirts he was in stained t-shirts. Everyone was "whispering" about him...clinicians, campers, coaches and fans. Every game he had problems with the coaches until they realized he was a decent official...young and a little raw, but decent and he had good judgement. If he had looked professional there is a good chance the early part of his games would have been smoother.
This in not to toot my horn but I am a big guy. However, I make a point to always arrive at the site in a jacket (if not wearing a tie) even though it is not requested. My uniform is always freshly cleaned and not wrinkled, always freshly shaven, hair well groomed, etc...180 degrees from the guy above. During the last day of the camp I was pulled to the side by a clinician (happens to be D1 mens official, so let's assume he knows what he is talking about when it comes to officiating). He said he had heard coaches and clinicians mention how looks could be deceiving and commenting positively on my officiating. Eavesdropping he heard one coach say, "Don't let his size fool you. He obviously take a professional approach and I can guarantee you he knows what he is doing, you only have to watch him to see." I took that with a grain of salt until he said he agreed...that it was obvious I knew I needed to make a good impression and had to be able to nail virtually any rules issue. Watching me work, he was amazed that he never saw me out of position to make the calls that needed to be made. I didn't get beat more than other, more fit, officials and that I did excellent work." After hearing that, I am of the opinion that the attention I pay to other things is causing many to decide to let my actions on the floor and my calls do the talking. That kid wasn't getting the luxury...he was behind before he even started.
Did that make sense or did I communicate poorly again?