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Wed Sep 28, 2005, 09:31pm
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Hi, This is my first season as an official and I'm working JV, Jr. High and Pee Wee games. Some look at the games as not that important cause the kids are just learning but I try to take it serious because I remember not too long ago taking all those games seriously myself.
Today I had my first game where I left the game feeling just a bit off. I got caught up at work and rushed to get to the game on time. I felt uncomfortable the whole 1st quarter. I was the line judge and I felt myself letting myself get caught in the action...too close, field of vison to narrow...just totally uncomfortable. Coaches are yelling at me for blocks in the back I'm not seeing. Just unnerving. I finally gathered my wits got myself under control and started seeing what I was getting yelled at for and I called it twice and then it stopped happening. But the fact I possibly missed so many calls, I just felt uneasy after I got home. I don't really have a question or anything and I'm really not sure what I'm expecting anyone to respond to this post other than maybe it's normal to feel nervous, anxious and such. And how bad I felt when I got home....well I'm gonna just write it off as a bad game and hopefully I won't have too many of them...but gosh I feel horrible. 
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Wed Sep 28, 2005, 09:40pm
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Hey Big, you got the first one under your belt. Keep at it and use each game as a learning experience. Youth games are a great place to start. You'll probably see more of the odd ball stuff that you read about in these games than those at the higher levels. Personally, I think the coaches are a bigger pain in the a** at these games too.
You now have something to build on. Don't fret missing some of those block calls. In time the game will slow down for you and you'll catch them. Just don't let the coaches talk you into calling something that's not there. See the whole play! When I first started it took a good year or so before I really started to feel comfortable out there. Good luck and keep learning.
__________________
I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more cowbell!
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Wed Sep 28, 2005, 11:27pm
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Welcome to the board BigFarns. Sounds like to got your own anxiety under control. But just because you felt uncomfortable, anxious, etc doesn't mean you really missed calls. Besides, no matter how long you officiate those same feeling will crop up periodically. I am in my 25th year of officiating. Last friday's varsity game was one of the most difficult games I have ever had. Our crew was changed last minute to a new site. The game pitted backyard rivals, both of whom fight tooth and nail every year to secure not only a League title but also a state playoff berth. One team was going to end the night with thier first loss. Add to that, a pregame ceremony to honor a cheerleader and football player who had been killed in separate car accidents. About half the players of the visiting team were involved in the ceremony because they were related to the victims or were close personal friends also. Just before the opening kickoff both coaches asked if we could delay the start of the game to compose their players. Of course we said yes. The first half took 2 hours to play. Penalties galore. Incomplete passes too numerous to mention. No dirty play but with both teams trying to give 200% on every down that it took every ounce of strength from the crew to prevent action from crossing over the line. Both quarterbacks were taking hard hits just as they were releasing passes many times getting up slowly. Thankfully halftime arrived and gave the players ample time to calm down. 2nd half took only 1 hour. Add in the hollering and screaming from fans who surrounded the field because of standing room only and you get an atmosphere where you could cut the tension with a knife. You can imagine the anxiety we felt as a crew. Yes, at halftime we even questioned ourselves if we were missing things to add to the tension. Looking at the tape of the game thankfully it shows how well we performed as a crew. How our communication with each other actually provided a little bit of calm during the storm. A long post just to show how the learning process will ever be ongoing. It's OK to feel bad after some games..that tells me you want to do your job well. It is amazing what a little positive feedback will do to lift you up. It's so much easier to get that by talking to other officials.
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Wed Sep 28, 2005, 11:34pm
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Buck up new official. I feel that way to this day when I have a bad game. However, with experience they are fewer and farther apart. It could be worse.
My first game (JV) I was working a wing on a breakaway run. I was young and enthusiastic and ran stride for stride with the ball carrier. When he crossed the goal line I was there with my hands up and whistle blowing. It was a few seconds later that I realized that we weren't at the goal line but the ten yard line. The referee saved me and awarded a touchdown. As I walked back up the field I heard a fan yell, "first game ref?" I can look back now and laugh, but at the time I thought I would never get any better. My advice: work alot of games, critique your performance after each game; and, focus on three things to work on in the next game. Good luck.
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Thu Sep 29, 2005, 12:15pm
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big, stay deep from the play, this will give you a larger picture and see more stuff. If you look up and see a block in the back, is it a penalty?
It may not be if you did not see the entire play. One good thing to keep in mind, when the play comes directly at you on the wings, don't go down field, back toward the opposite end (toward B EZ) and trail the play. This will keep you out of harms way and will keep that depth of the play. Just work hard, hustle, learn and work every game that is offered to you. I would call and ask for games to work. Expect constructive criticism and build off of it. Coaches, tolerate them to a point, tell them you will do the officiating and they can coach. If that does not work, when their play does not work, look at coach and tell him he should have ran some other type of play! Be respectful, I was trying to be a jerk.
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Thu Sep 29, 2005, 03:50pm
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Quote:
 Just kiddin man. We all felt this way when we started. I'm a second year official and I've been making calls this year that I didn't even know existed last year. Just stick with it and you'll get the hang of it.
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Thu Sep 29, 2005, 04:00pm
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I don't think there's an expiration date on this.. it happens to us all at some point. More experience just means you get past it quicker (maybe a few plays instead of a quarter) or it happens less frequently. The lesson to take away from it is to know that feeling, and know when you need to take a deep breath and refocus yourself.
Last time this happened to me - it was a hot day, I was umpire. They brought us some water during an injury, and the bottle I got had a strong soap flavor. I couldn't get that taste out of my mouth. Sure enough, next play, I'm focusing on the nasty soap taste and I get plowed by a TE coming across the middle, as I'd let myself too close. It happens to everyone. Don't sweat it, but learn from it.
__________________
"Many baseball fans look upon an umpire as a sort of necessary evil to the luxury of baseball, like the odor that follows an automobile." - Hall of Fame Pitcher Christy Mathewson
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Thu Sep 29, 2005, 04:04pm
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It sounds like you identified the problem yourself - you got caught up at work and then had to rush to the game which led you to be offstride for the first quarter. I realize that can happen but a nice, calm thorough pre-game is good for the soul.
Learning to concentrate is the second key. You start worrying about a call you may or may not have missed and that causes you to miss another. It can really snowball. Learn to watch one play at a time and save reviewing plays in your mind until half time or after the game. Finally, relax. This is fun. There isn't a guy who'se worked that hasn't had a few bad games. Shake it off and move on.
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Thu Sep 29, 2005, 06:15pm
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>>Coaches are yelling at me for blocks in the back<<
Welcome to the world of football officiating. The definition of "block in the back" is, according to many coaches, "a block that knocked my kid down that occured downfield some." Its really as simple as that. Last Tuesday, I got yelled at for missed blocks in the back (that didn't occur), missed piling on (by a phantom offender), and being "intimidated" by the visiting school (laughable enough), even though the foul calls were ~14-1 in favor of home.
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Thu Sep 29, 2005, 06:55pm
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My first game, halftime, I chug a large bladder buster 32 oz. Sprite. Kickoff goes all the way and I go 50 of it with the runner. As I cross the goalline the Sprite is giving up all its CO2 and I hurl. Everyone gets a big laugh out of that. Since then it's been all downhill. Hang in there.
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Thu Sep 29, 2005, 10:22pm
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Don't feel bad, my first game I didn't even have a uniform. I had to borrow one from the WH who I had never even met. Talk about awkward! He called me that morning to see if I could do a game and he was OK with the fact that I never done it before. It was an 8th grade game but it was alot of fun!
It's good you feel bad that you may have missed some calls, but don't think about them too much because there will definetly be more!
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Fri Sep 30, 2005, 07:52am
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you have to get work, the fight with the wife, your horrible kids, etc. out of your mind before a game. you need to create a pregame ritual to do before those early games. you don't have much time, so it has to be something quick and effective. since i usually have only time to drive to this early games, i have a cd in the car with football mechanics discussion or i put it on espn, fox sports, sporting news, etc.
focus on your mechanics and you will be in position to make most of your calls. don't take to much stock in what jv coachs say. they are usually trying get calls on every play. make sure you see it before you call it.
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Fri Sep 30, 2005, 09:37am
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Feeling horrible... why, that's what football officating is all about!
(Wow, I need a Prozac.) Seriously, I've been there. Multiple times. The nice thing about doing these games is: 1) No matter how badly you screw up, somebody, somewhere, at some time, has screwed up worse. 2) No matter how badly you screw up, it won't get printed in tomorrow's newspaper, and six months from now nobody will remember. Even if the fans or the coaches (or other officials) won't forgive you for making mistakes, you have to be able to forgive yourself. Because you will make mistakes, and you will make a lot of them. Learning from them is the important thing. If you can do that, you'll be much better off down the road. [Edited by jfurdell on Sep 30th, 2005 at 10:41 AM]
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Fri Sep 30, 2005, 10:09am
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There are some officials in Ohio who would disagree with the "it won't appear in tomorrow's paper" part.
__________________
"Many baseball fans look upon an umpire as a sort of necessary evil to the luxury of baseball, like the odor that follows an automobile." - Hall of Fame Pitcher Christy Mathewson
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Fri Sep 30, 2005, 11:35am
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For me officiating is similar to the feelings I used to get when I rock climbed. Specifically when I would climb Devils Tower here in Wyoming. (Think 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind')
Drivng up to the Tower I would get a pit in my stomach as I am deathly afraid of heights. At the base of the Tower on some days I would physically get sick and need to puke I was so nervous. But once I sunk my hand into a crack and stepped up off the horizontal onto the vert, my attention was SOLELY focused on the task at hand, and off of my fear of heights. One afternoon I did slip and took a 40' whipper! LOL This is my 2nd year officiating and I'm always pouring over the 'Officials Handbook', rule book and case plays before the game and in the car on the way to the game. But during the game, I'm focused and believe I do a good job. I'm nervous and excited before every game just like I was when I played Varsity ball. Only thing is I don't puke before a game!  Best wishes to you for a long officiating career! WM
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