Ohio refs, please stand up.

[Daryl H. Long]

Daryl Long
Jerry City, Ohio

My mentor in officiating football and basketball is Henry Zaborniak Jr. who is currently an Assistant Commissioner for the Ohio High School Athletic Association. He is also a member of the NASO Board or Directors and in 2001 received the NF Distiguished contributor Award. His frequent basketball officiating partner was Dan Ross (new Commissioner of OHSAA). I would ref the JV basket game and then stay and watch them ref the Varsity game. They also watched my games and critiqued my performance every game. To further my education, they asked me to critique their performance also after every game...a daunting task for me as a new official. Needless to say I learned a lot, both rules wise and game administration wise from them.

I succeeded Zaborniak as secretary of the Wood County football and basketball officials Associations and held the position for 18 years until moving for two years to Florida and returned to Ohio in 2003. During those same 18 years I evaluated NCAA Div 1 officials in the Mid-American Conference and also scouted prospective officials for the supervisor.

My goal is to continue in my mentor's footsteps.

My points in mentioning these facts are:

1: Importance of developing sound mechanics and rules knowledge early in your officiating career.
2: Importance of developing good game management skills.
3: Take game seriously no matter what the level.
4: Remember, your performance not only reflects on your character but also on your mentor.
5: Always have a goal to what you would next like to achieve in officiating.
6: Become a mentor. Teach a rule in a meeting, teach mechaninics, go to games and evaluate, etc.

I am happy that many of the students I have mentored are officiating at/above the level I attained. Mentors cannot be jealous that the student will surpass him.