need help with my rookies...

jumpmaster · #1 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 08:27am

If you are a subscriber to this site you know that I am in the middle of an expirement with a crew. I have a crew of 5 rookies that I am training. We have a full Jr. High schedule and a NCAA white hat as our trainer.

Problem - my rookies are timid with their whistles and their flags. They recognize the situations but are very timid.

Any advice on how to break them of this? I have tried positive reinforcement, asking them to explain what they saw, and telling them to blow their whistle loud enough to hear in the pressbox, but I am still having weak whistles and timid flags.

Thanks in advance!

CBrockett · #2 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 08:36am

Probably need to go, as a crew to the local gentlemen's club. I have found that this works well!

What have you to say about that!

GeorgiaBlue · #3 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 08:41am

do you have them watch film? you say they recognize it - but do they really - otherwise they would not be timid. They have no confidence in their ability to recognize something they see.

Or take them to a local HS practice - great place to watch plays in action with no real consequence - and at the same time you may be in their ear during the whole play.

Mark Dexter · #4 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 09:21am

As odd as it sounds, hold whistle practice. Have the crew get together before a game, and just blow their whistles as loud as they can. With any luck, they'll still be at full blast come gametime.

WyMike · #5 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 09:40am

They sound like pups out of a weak litter.

DISCLAIMER: This is my first year officiating but I do have quite a few years coaching and reffing volleyball. Both my daughters went on to college on VB scholarships.

If these fellows cannot learn to blow a whistle correctly or loud enough, I believe I would be looking for new trainees to replace them. The phrase of the day, "Cull them out."

Snake~eyes · #6 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 09:55am

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark Dexter
As odd as it sounds, hold whistle practice. Have the crew get together before a game, and just blow their whistles as loud as they can. With any luck, they'll still be at full blast come gametime.

I was going to say the same thing. Believe it or not most people do not know how to correctly blow the whistle. People think you can just hold it with your lips and blow but you really have to use your tongue and build up pressure in your mouth. Make sure they understand that the whistle means everything, if you blow it lightly coaches are going to know you are a rookie and will take advatnage of it. Throwing penalty flags just comes as they gain more experience. With more exprience they will be more comfortable blowing their whistle and throwing their flag.

SouthGARef · #7 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 10:30am

Yup. When we hold training clinics for intramural flag football here at Georgia Southern (small time football, but it gives a good example) we line 'em up in a circle with their brand spankin' new Fox 40s. Go around the circle four or five times and randomly point at the person and they have to blow their whistle loud and immediately. If they screw up, they do it again. Until they get it right. It's harder than most people think...

The timidness will be over before you know it. I started out working Intramurals, became pretty darn good at that and then got started with my local GHSA association. I wasn't timid because--while it was a whole new breed of horse, it was still a horse. The more experience they get, and the more games they work, they'll become stronger.

Mark Dexter · #8 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 01:34pm

Quote:

Originally posted by SouthGARef
Yup. When we hold training clinics for intramural flag football here at Georgia Southern (small time football, but it gives a good example) we line 'em up in a circle with their brand spankin' new Fox 40s. Go around the circle four or five times and randomly point at the person and they have to blow their whistle loud and immediately. If they screw up, they do it again. Until they get it right. It's harder than most people think...

The timidness will be over before you know it. I started out working Intramurals, became pretty darn good at that and then got started with my local GHSA association. I wasn't timid because--while it was a whole new breed of horse, it was still a horse. The more experience they get, and the more games they work, they'll become stronger.

Same thing here - except different school.

Had a couple of soccer games with partners with incredibly weak whistles - made sure we went over the technique at halftime.

lazebra · #9 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 02:53pm

Tell them to run with reckless abandon and blow the danged whistle as hard as they can for the first few plays every game to get the butterflies out and the adrenaline flowing.

PiggSkin · #10 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 24, 2004, 11:43pm

Quote:

Originally posted by WyMike
They sound like pups out of a weak litter.

DISCLAIMER: This is my first year officiating but I do have quite a few years coaching and reffing volleyball. Both my daughters went on to college on VB scholarships.

If these fellows cannot learn to blow a whistle correctly or loud enough, I believe I would be looking for new trainees to replace them. The phrase of the day, "Cull them out."

Wow... For a new guy, you sound like most vets in my organization... Unwilling to help out the new guys...

It's probably just a confidence thing... Of course, in the long run, you're probably better off with some guys who are somewhat unsure of themselves instead of some rookies who are completely overconfident for no good reason... The new guys will develop confidence, but the cocky ones aren't likely to come back to earth...

I would say any kind of practice would be good... Officiating practice, whistle practice, film study, whatever... If they know they've put in some good work, they'll be more confident...

Bob Lyle · #11 (**permalink**) Sat Sep 25, 2004, 07:23am

Quote:

Originally posted by WyMike

If these fellows cannot learn to blow a whistle correctly or loud enough, I believe I would be looking for new trainees to replace them. The phrase of the day, "Cull them out."

I think you've misunderstood the question. The officials are timid. Because they are timid and unsure of themselves, they blow their whistles weakly. It's not they they don't "know" how to blow a whistle, it's that they lack confidence.

We don't have enough officials to throw any away. If they are willing to learn, we should be willing to teach.

Assure your officials that there are no bad consequences from you for making mistakes. They're gonna happen so don't worry about it.

Football officiating is a big team sport unlike baseball, basketball, or volleyball where only one or two partners are there to help. We can get lost in the crowd of stripes on the football field and hope that someone else picks up the slack. The officials need to understand that they have a job to do and the whole team is counting on them.

Use the analogy of an IAW to help them. If you find yourself blowing an IAW, don't try to cover it up. Blow it loud, with authority and make it extra long. Then admit your mistake and move on.

[Edited by Bob Lyle on Sep 25th, 2004 at 08:28 AM]