Getting into the game

[SMcQueen]

I'm a 1st year official and I'm loving it so far. I have about 16 games under my belt and can really see how guys can get hooked on officiating for 20-30 years. What a rush! I Love calling games and giving back to the sport/kids. Some nights I have great games, I am in the right spot fof the calls, and I can anticipate the block or the slap and I'm on it, but some nights I just don't feel like I'm "In the game" It's like my brain is on cruise control.

Any suggestions on preventing this from happening?
Any suggestions on "Getting into the game" once it's started?

[zebraman]

A) Caffeine.
B) A vicious block/charge right in front of you should wake you up. :-)

Z

[LarryS]

Z has a point about the cafeine, just not too much. I do the following...
1) Make a point to read a couple of the discussions on this board (particularly if there are some long ones about rule application). (2) I go to lunch alone that day so I can review the pregame card I use (stole it off this board ). (3) I always drive to the game without listening to the radio so I can go over in my mind what I want to work on during the game, talk myself through the various mechanics (foul reporting, TO procedures, pregame duties-particularly if I am the referee, etc.) This also gets the things that happened during the day out of your mind. (4) If there happens to be games before mine, I try to get there early enough to watch a little of the game. It helps get you going and may give you some idea of the offense the teams will try to utilize.

There will still be times when you may find it hard to get into the game. You may be really tired or, what happened to me the first week of Dec., you may have had to fire someone at work (she was a single mother of 2 and I never really felt I got into the flow that night.)

[SMcQueen]

Thanks larry, I think that is probably my biggest issue, setting up my mind set before the game. Any chance I could get that pregame list from ya?

[BktBallRef]

I think we all have games from time to time that we just aren't into. Usually, at least for me, the score may be one-sided and you just want to get it over with. Just be aware of what can happen and don't let yourself be lulled into a "nothing's going to happen" attitude. Suddenly, BAM!, something happens and it's Katie bar the door.

[Tim Roden]

The more I call, the better I get into the game. When I was a rookie, I had serious lapses in my thinking because I didn't have the experience to push me through. Now I only have a few. Here is what I do. I watch a lot of ball on TV. I am constantly asking my self what are the strip shirts doing. I am always calling fouls at work. Especially when I walk into a bathroom and I can call it on that guy in the mirror. When I get to the game, I find my partner. Better yet, if I can drive with my partner to a game we can pregame in the car. I want a good pregame so I am thinking about various situations. I like to know what came up in the last game they had and how we can handle it better this time. I rarely get bored calling a game. Even when they do a stall. The fans are booing but I am not. One other pregame ritual you might want to try. Eat a good Lunch. The last thing you want is to be thinking of food while you are calling the critical fourth quarter.

[moose69]

No offence Mr. Mcqueen but i'm sick of your song. But when you work in radio,that tends to happen. Just noticed your thread and I thought I would post something further to it. When anticipating, don't anticipate the foul, but rather anticpiate the play. A play will happen. A foul may not, and if your to whistle happy your gonna look like an ***.

Welcome to the wonderful world of officiating.

TR

[dhodges007]

Originally posted by SMcQueen
I'm a 1st year official and I'm loving it so far. I have about 16 games under my belt and can really see how guys can get hooked on officiating for 20-30 years. What a rush! I Love calling games and giving back to the sport/kids. Some nights I have great games, I am in the right spot fof the calls, and I can anticipate the block or the slap and I'm on it, but some nights I just don't feel like I'm "In the game" It's like my brain is on cruise control.

Any suggestions on preventing this from happening?
Any suggestions on "Getting into the game" once it's started?

When I am in the game and I can't seem to focus, I focus on the defense. Even to the point that I call out the number(s) that I am watching (in my head). 25 black 25 black; 21 black 35 black, ect. Also I concentrate on things that I am looking for. i.e. in the post dislodgment...off ball illegal screens and pushing...

Hope that helps. Oh, and I do caffeine too

[NC_rec_ref]

Larry S and Others-can you pls re-post the pregame card you discussed in this post?

Thnx,
CH