New Official Pop & High School

[OverAndBack]

Slow down.

The game moves fast, and you need to hustle, but don't be too quick to blow your whistle or throw your flag. Make it be there, and if it takes an extra second or two before you make a signal or blow that whistle, it can save you minutes on the back end either explaining what you did or cleaning up the mess.

Relax. Stand up straight. "Walk worthy" is what they say here in Arizona. Part of it is presence - if you look and act like you know what you're doing, people will believe that you do. And, eventually, you will.

Ask a lot of questions. Read as much as you can. Watch games, but watch the officials. Watch plays online.

In the end, nothing prepares you like reps, and youth games are probably the best for that because you can get a boatload of them in one day and if strange things are going to happen, they're going to happen at that level.

Parents are the wild card, but don't listen to them. Most of them are idiots.