When calling multiple games, how do you stay limber? I have noticed during multiple football games that I stiffen up between the end of one and the start of another. I hate stretching on the field, but, at the same time, I don't want to pull a muscle. I also assume that this will be an ongoing issue as I move toward my first basketball games. Any solutions? I want to be as professional as possible, but I don't want to go down holding a hamstring, either. This is compounded in sub-varsity games where there is no officals' dressing area.

I'll do *light* stretching on the court before game time,
of course I'll do a lot of stretching/warm-ups in the
dressing room before going to the floor. If there's no
dressing room I'll do any kind of stretching or warmup I
need before the game, during the half or between games,
although I do try & find an unused corner of the gym or an
out of the way hallway.

I don't view this as a "professionalism" issue.

If the school doesn't provide a dressing room, you should be able to find a deserted corner or a hallway that is lightly used. I don't think it looks very professional to have an official going through the whole stretching routine on the floor once we get inside the 15-minutes before game time period. However that being said, if you have schools that don't provide you a private place, go for it and have your local association contact them in regards to treating the refs better.

Z

While I don't usually stretch on the floor more than a little. I would like to pose the question:

Why would it be considered unprofessional to stretch?

This is atheletics. We will be running along with the teams. I'm not so sure that being seen stretching will in anyway be viewed as unprofessional by anyone other than another ref who has been taught so.

Could stretching even be seen as being <em>more</em> professional? You would appear to be getting ready for the game and taking the game seriously as opposed to appearing that you don't plan on exerting yourself...perhaps loafing.

Would it really be a negative to stretch?

I'm not suggesting lying on the floor and doing stretches of that nature but more like the calf/hamstring stretches (by leaning/pushing foward on a wall/table/chair) or back/stomach stretching by leaning around.

[Edited by Camron Rust on Sep 19th, 2002 at 11:56 AM]

Once we hit the 15-minute before gametime mark, we have many duties and none of them include stretching. Personally, I don't "lose my stretch" in the 15 minutes I have to wait once I leave the locker room and head for the floor.

As far as being "unprofessional," I was thinking of it as a ref observing another ref. I highly doubt that any coach or fan would give it a second thought (unless you were laying on the floor doing that "back stretch" with your legs kicked over your head exposing that non-athletic rear end).

There are definitely exceptions to this "no stretching on the floor" routine such as an afternoon game that we arrive at straight from work and don't have time to stretch out in the locker room or back to back games. And I'm sure there are others. I can't imagine rating a partner down for stretching, but then again, I've never had a partner who stretched on the floor before a game. :-)

Z

I'm with you Camron. I know that the book says not to stretch on the floor, but I have never figured out why this would be considered unprofessional. I look at as being prepared to go when the kids are ready. That being said, I do my stetching in the locker room before hand, but I would not have a problem stretching on the floor. The 15 minutes on the floor before tipoff (30 minutes for my college games) gets painfully boring--I would love it if we could come out at the one minute mark, shake the coach's hand and toss the ball, but that is another issue.

Hey Stripes,


"But what if the Guarantee Fairy's a crazy glue sniffer? Next thing you know there's change missing from your dresser and your daughter's knocked up. I've seen it a hundred times."


This is great! Where's it from?

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Nice to know that there others out there who appreciate the sick and stupid humor I enjoy so much.

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